Let me share the story of John Stephen Akhwari and his marathon run.

John Stephen Akhwari was a world class distance runner in the 1960s and early
70s. And he gave us a kind of courageous running.
Akhwari’s story is not about winning gold.

Akhwari’s famous run happened in the year 1968 and he was competing in the
Olympic Marathon in Mexico City. Approximately 19 km into the 42 km race,
there was jostling between some runners and he fell badly. He wounded his knee
and his shoulder also hit the pavement hard. In fact, his leg was bleeding and his
knee was apparently dislocated. In one account I read, medical staff urged him to
withdraw.

However Akhwari continued running. Actually, it was a mix of walking, running

and a slow limping at points. He finished last among the 57 competitors who
completed the race. The winner of the marathon had finished in 2:20:26. Akhwari
finished well over an hour later, in 3:25:27.

And here’s the bit we all need to hear. When interviewed later and asked why he
ignored the advice to pull out and continued running, Akhwari said,
“My country did not send me 10,000 miles just to start the race; they sent me to
finish the race.”
As a matter of fact, of the 75 who started the 1968 Olympic marathon, 18 others
did pull out. And really, no one even remembers the name of the gold medal
winner that year. (In case you were wondering, it was Mamo Wolde of Ethiopia).
But we remember and honour Akhwari because he finished the race in the most
difficult circumstances.
The story of John Stephen Akhwari encourage you: Finish the race! Walking or
running, stumbling or limping, it doesn’t matter. Finish the race.
When We apply it in our life, we will realize that our Christian Life is also like a
race. Sometimes we fall down, sometimes we encounter difficult roads,
sometimes we stumble, sometimes we get tired and want to stop. But what is
important is that we rise up everytime we fall and keep on pushiing until we finsh
the race.
It does not matter who finishes first and it does not matter how we start. What
matters is that we finish the race.
Matthew 19:30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be
first.
How will we finish the race?
Fix your eyes on Jesus and finish the race.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us
throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us
run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,
the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the
cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
[Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV84]

We are reminded by Paul to FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS. When Jesus died on
the cross and fulfilled his mission here on earth, he has already finished the race.
That is why He is waiting for us in the finish line so we need to fix our eyes on
him.

1 Cor. 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one
receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

We do not run aimlessly. We run to obtain the price. We run to be with Jesus.
Therefore, we must keep our eyes on Him.

When we take our eyes off Jesus… We are in serious danger! We looked at
ourselves! We looked at what other people were doing! We looked at the
circumstances! But we should have been looking at Jesus! Remember when
Jesus asked Peter to walk toward Him on the water?

Matthew 14:28-31

28
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29
“Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward
Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried
out, “Lord, save me!”
31
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he
said, “why did you doubt?”

Peter was doing great as long as he kept looking at Jesus!

But when Peter started looking at circumstances…

He began to sink!

Let’s face it: starting well is relatively easy. Finishing well is a different matter!
Starting that new diet or exercise program is kind of fun, but hanging in over the
long haul is the real test.

The same is true of the Christian life. Becoming a Christian is relatively easy:
acknowledge to God that you are a sinner and receive by faith the free gift of
eternal life that Christ provided by His shed blood. You cannot work for salvation
nor do anything to qualify for it. God gives it freely to all that recognize their need
and trust in Christ alone.

But then comes the hard part—hanging in there as a Christian in a world that is
hostile towards God and His people. Ometimes we lose track when we already
experience pain, trials, problems, depression, it is easy to give in. From within,
the flesh entices you to forsake Christ and gratify your sinful desires. The enemy
hits you with temptation after temptation. The real test of your faith is, will you
endure? Genuine faith in Christ perseveres to the finish line.RE

Every Christian should desire to one day stand before the Lord and hear Him
say, “Well done, good and faithful servant! (Matt. 25:21).. Paul’s advice could be
summarized in three short phrases.

II Timothy 4: 6-8

6
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my
departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I
have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me
only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

I. Start now! Its never to late for you to renew your relationship with God. If you
have not accepted Christ, its never too late, to do it. You can do it now. If you
want to serve God, do it now. If you want to go to the missions do it now. Don’t
wait for the time that it will be too late. Paul saw his entire life as a drink offering
to God (II Tim. 4:6). That is particularly significant when you think of his
background as a person zealous to persecute Christians. If we look at his life, he
did not start well. He could’ve said, “How can I end well in light of how terribly I
started?” But Paul knew he was forgiven. So regardless of how you have started,
know that it does not have to have any bearing on how you end. It does not
matter also if you cannot finish the race first. What matters is how much more
did you offer your life to God. And just like Jesus example, the Son of man came
to serve and not to be served. He came here to die so that we may live.

II. Remain faithful! Paul knew that faithfulness was not an easy path because
Satan will do anything to trip us. That’s why he used terms such as “fight” and
“race” (II Tim. 4:7), referring to conflict and the need for endurance. Faithfulness
is most tested where it is most needed. Regardless of what trials and hardships
the Christian life brings your way, remember to remain faithful to the One who’s
been faithful to you.

Paul suffered brutal physical pain, persecution, and finally, martyrdom. He

revealed his secret of enduring a lifetime of hardship for the gospel:

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13, NKJV)

III. Anticipate reward! Paul concludes about the “crown of righteousness.” (II Tim.
4:8). The crown of righteousness typifies reward. All saved people reach heaven,
but not all saved people are equally rewarded. The anticipation of receiving
reward from the King of kings is one of several reasons given in the Scripture as
to why a believer should live for Christ.

But we, like runners, must lay aside hindrances of our endurance.
The lighter the endurance runner, the swifter the runner. The same is true in the
Christian life. Many things slow us down and eventually stall us in the race of
faith. We chase self-centered joy and personal accolades. Sin clings closely.we
carry a lot of burden on our shoulders. It’s hard to get off, and it’s heavy.

When we sin, we take our eyes off Jesus and put them on ourselves. We choose
to do our will instead of his. But we can’t make it to the finish line without looking
to Jesus — the author and finisher of our faith.
The good news is Jesus made us lightweight runners. He took the burden of our
sins and placed them on himself at the cross.

Matthew 11:28-30 New International Version (NIV)

28
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you
rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in
heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden
is light.”
Psalm 55:22
Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the
righteous be shaken.

1 Peter 5:7 New Living Translation (NLT)

7
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
One of those individuals is Adoniram Judson.

BORN: August 9, 1788—Malden, Massachusetts

Though he grew up in a pastor’s home,

From childhood he possessed a brilliant mind. His mother taught him to read
when he was three, and he became very studious. At twelve he mastered Greek,
He would regularly win highest honors in his class at Brown University in
Providence, Rhode Island, where he enrolled in 1804. His parents had high
hopes for him, Graduating in 1807, he received valedictorian honors. He was a
brilliant young man.

What his godly parents did not know was that Adoniram was being lured away
from the faith by a fellow student named Jacob Eames who was a Deist. By the
time Judson’s college career was finished, he had no Christian faith. He kept this
concealed from his parents until his twentieth birthday, August 9, 1808, when he
broke their hearts with his announcement that he had no faith and that he
wanted to write for the theater and intended to go to New York, which he did six
days later on a horse his father gave him as part of his inheritance. . . . The
parents, stunned, asked him to consider preaching if he was not happy teaching.
This only made him angrier. Their begging with tears was ignored and he left.
However, there was no fortune and fame to be had for him in New York. He lived
a reckless and vagabond life transferring from one place to another. He was like
the prodigal son who stowed away form God and went off track.

[Some time later, Judson] stayed in a small village inn where he had never been
before. The innkeeper apologized that his sleep might be interrupted because
there was a man critically ill in the next room. Through the night Judson heard
comings and goings and low voices and groans and gasps. It bothered him to
think that the man next to him may not be prepared to die. He wondered about
himself and had terrible thoughts of his own dying. He felt foolish because good
Deists weren’t supposed to have these struggles.

When he was leaving in the morning he asked if the man next door was better.
“He is dead,” said the innkeeper. Judson was struck with the finality of it all. On
his way out he asked, “Do you know who he was?” “Oh yes. Young man from the
college in Providence. Name was Eames, Jacob Eames.” OMG. This was the
person who led hom to abandon his faith. He pndered about what happened.

Judson was stunned. Though he had tried to run away, it was obvious that God
was pursuing him. The Lord providentially used the death of the antagonistic
Jacob Eames to bring Adoniram Judson back to Himself.

In 1808, Judson entered Andover Seminary and dedicated himself to full-time

missionary service. Four years later, in 1812, he would become one of the first
foreign missionaries to set out from North America. He met Ann and he liked Ann.
After knowing her for 1 month. he declared his intention to become a suitor.
Significantly, he married his wife Ann on February 5, 1812. Just two weeks
later, the newlyweds set sail for India.

Being a missionary is no joke. No internet…..3 – 6months travel.

80% would not go back. Died from diseae persecution, depression.

. They underwent economic challenges, losing the financial backing of their

supporters only a few months after leaving the United States. Their plans
unexpectedly changed when problems with their visas in India forced them
to settle in Burma.
Why would they brzve a life of uncertainty znd leave their comfort zone and go to
a place wihere there was has language barrier, disease, a different culture, may
be because they were fixing their eyes on Jesus.

3 mos to 6 mos.

At that time a vessel was ready for a trip to Rangoon, Burma, and the Judsons
decided to go there. However, the first of much coming suffering and anguish
was evidenced on this trip. Tossed by a fierce monsoon in the Bay of Bengal,
Ann became desperately ill, and Judson expected her death momentarily.
Attended only by her husband, Ann gave birth to her first baby, which soon died
and had to be buried at sea. They reached Rangoon in July, 1813. Mrs. Ann
Judson was still severely ill, so she had to be carried in a stretcher as they
disembarked.
Judson busied himself with mastering the language, and decided he must
translate the Bible into Burmese. He said, "I long to see the whole New
Testament complete, for I will then be able to devote all my time to preaching the
Gospel."
Once there, they faced a severe language barrier — studying the language for 12
hours a day for over three years in order to learn it. When they finally could
communicate, their message was rejected by the Burmese citizens — due in part
to the prevelant Bhuddism and also to the imperial death-sentence that awaited
anyone convicted of changing religion. It was only After six years of labor that he
had his first convert, Moung Nau, who was baptized in Rangoon on June 27,
1819 After 12 years of work, Judson and his fellow missionaries saw only 18
conversions. Is it worth it??

During this time a son, Roger William Hudson, was born. He lived only seven
months, then died. Soon after this Judson himself became sick.

Beyond the constant threat of sickness and disease, Judson also faced serious
dangers from the government. Suspected of being a spy during Burma’s civil war,
he was sent to a death prison where Little food was given to him. His feet were
bound to a large bamboo pole, his hands to another, and at night his feet were
lifted higher than his head. His heroic wife brought little bits of food to him,
although At one point, for three long weeks she did not appear. But when she
returned, she brought in her arms a new-born baby. This explained her absence.
Amid much pain Adoniram Judson crawled forth and took the child in his arms.
What was Judson doing during these days in prison? Translating the Bible, hiding
his work in a hard pillow which nobody investigated.
Many times, smitten down with disease and at death's door, he breathed out the
prayer, "Lord, let me finish my work. Spare me long enough to put Thy saving
Word into the hands of a perishing people." The prayer was answered as he was
released after 17 months.

He was imprisoned for 17 mos by the people whom he loved. Kung pigaw2x lang
ta siguro we have already surrendered kung k
More painful than that, Judson endured the pain of loss some two dozen times.
His wife Ann died just a few months after he was released from prison. When
Judson returned his heart was broken, as he buried his wife under a tree in
Amherst. About three months later he buried his third child—next to Ann. After 3
months, He got word also that his father died 8 months earlier. Imagine 8months
earlier pa nakalabot sa iya ang balita. The pschologucal effects of these losses
were devastating. Self doubt overtook his mind And he began to question his
motives whether he was doing the missionary work for fame of for selfish
motives. This is crazy. I mean after all that happened, we would expect him to
question/doubt God but instead he doubted whether he was doing this out of love
and or just for fame. He searched himself again. He even asked to be striped off
of all his titles and accolades and he even asked that his salary and support be
reduced and he promised to give more to missions. He was a missionary and he
wanted to give more to missions. He did recover. After 8 yrs he found love again
he married Sarah Boardman who was also a missionary widow. Eight children
were born in their eleven years of marriage, three of whom died at an early age.
Judson completed a revision of the Old Testament in the Burmese language by
1834, and he finished the Burmese New Testament in 1837. Judson would
preach and teach all morning and in the evening would hold a service for
believers and inquirers. But he was finding it more difficult to speak in public. He
had been ill so many times his voice was growing weak. His wife Sarah also was
repeatedly ill, and so he decided to go back to America for the sake of his wife.
But Mrs. Sarah Judson's health never regained and she died at sea. Adoniram
had not been to America and he had not seen the west for 33 years. He accepted
the death of his second wife and he was learning to suffer without bitterness. He
has one passion: to return and live his life for BURMA. “I will never leave Burma
until the cross of Christ is planted there forever. WOW.
On July 11, 1846, he set sail for Burma again, after falling in love and having
married the third time to Miss Emily Chubbock of Eaton, N.Y. (born in 1817). She
was a brilliant writer, but he left her fame and career to go with Judson to Burma
He continued his missionary work in Burma and in 1850 he was advised to return
to America because he was too sick. His wife, also very ill, could not go with him,
so he was carried on board the vessel too weak to walk. Four days later, on April
12, 1850 while on board the ship, Adoniram Judson passed on and was buried at
sea. His wife died in 1854, four years later.

After 37 years of doing missionary work in Burma. He died away from his famliy
and the Burmese church. The bible was done, the dictonary was done and his
original goal of only having 100 converts was accomplished as there were 8000
Burmese people who professed faith in Jesus Christ. 100 churches have been
planted.

In 1993, there are 6 million Christians in Myanmar, and every one of them trace
our spiritual heritage to one man—the Reverend Adoniram Judson.”. and today,
there are more than 3700 hristian churches in Burma. And in Burma Christians
celebrate Judson day to commemorate his arrival in Burma.

Just like Paul, Adoniram pressed on and he pressed on to finiish the race.
When I think about our struggles: disappointments, failed expectations, bad
relationships, financial need, sin, cheating in school, dishonesty. Daw mahuya
ko. Imean this is nothing compared to the struggles of Adoniram Judson. He
faced death multiple times, He moved far away from the comforts of his Western
roots; endured the pain of persecution, rejection, hunger, torture, and loss; and
did all of this to bring good news to a largely antagonistic and
indifferent audience. Maybe you are struggling right now. May be you have lost
track of your Christian Faith. God tells you to press on. To fix his eyes on him
and to surrender. Offer our life as a sacrifice. Offer your life inservice to God.
What a story.