In the Bible, the Christian life is likened to a race.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
As we see in Corinthians, a good runner will have some qualities.
In verse 25, a good runner knows what they are striving for.
In this passage, the runner is striving for mastery; this means to be superior, to have victory.
In striving for mastery, the runner is temperate (cool and calm).
So if the runner stumbles or falls or is mistreated by one of the other runners.
A temperate runner will get up and finish the race.
Do you know what you are striving for in the Christian life?
Are you temperate?
Do you stay cool and calm striving for the goal or the prize?
In verse 27, a good runner has control over his or her own body.
The runner adheres to a very strict diet.
The runner also keeps the body conditioned and he will push his body to its limits.
An unconditioned and overweight body is a castaway (useless, no value) in a race.
We see the same thing in running the race of the Christian life.
The Christian is to have control over his or her own body.
The apostle said of his body that he “brings it into subjection”.
This means he tells his body what to do, that he exercises self-control.
A Christian is to read and pray when the body says no.
The Christian is to come to church when the body says no.
The Christian is to say no to sin when the body says yes.
The Christian who has no control over his or her own body is a castaway; is useless, rejected, of no value.
Hebrews 12:1-3
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Again we see the Christian life likened to a race.
The bible tells us in this passage that sin weighs the Christian down; we are to run with patience looking to Jesus Christ.
I want to preach to each and every one today.
I want to speak to you where you are at.
As the apostle Paul did we will liken the Christian life to a race.
2 Timothy 4:6-8
6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
These words were written as Paul was looking to his death.
I want to encourage you and I want to see you finish the course and receive the crown of righteousness.
Where are you at in this race of the Christian life, you are one of six runners?
Nobody in here has finished the race because you all are still here.
1. You might be an unqualified runner.
We find the qualifications in John 3:3, 7, 16.
John 3:3
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
John 3:7
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
How do you do that?
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
At the end of the service, we can show you from the Bible how you can be qualified to run this race of the Christian life.
There is no greater race to be run than this one!!!
Everyone who is qualified for this race receives eternal life.
There may be people here today who are not qualified but are still running the race.
There is no prize for them.
2. You may be at the beginning of the race.
In junior high school, I ran cross country.
I am somewhat familiar with a long distance race.
The cross country team competed with other schools, running a two mile course.
For a child in junior high, this was a long distance.
In a long distance race, the runner will begin at a good steady pace.
This is where the new Christian begins; at a good steady pace.
2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Everything becomes new to them.
1 Peter 2:2
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
The Word of God is fresh and the new Christian responds.
They see a need for baptism, for church attendance, for learning the Bible, and they begin praying.
The new Christian begins to see sins and errors in his or her own life.
Confessing them and repenting.
Ephesians 2:10
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
A new Christian wants to tell the world “I am saved”.
Picking up their pace, they begin to serve in church.
This person is saved, born again, running this race, striving for mastery.
If you are a new Christian this should sound familiar and I hope it does.
3. You maybe slowing down.
After running sometime, the runner begins to feel discomfort.
The breathing gets heavy, their side cramps up, their legs and arms weaken.
I remember this in running on the junior high team.
We will liken this to a Christian who is serving, attending the services, still doing everything that is right but, his/her service was in love and has now becoming duty.
This Christian is easily discouraged, but the bible says to that Christian…
Galatians 6:9
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
2 Thessalonians 3:13
13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
Has the work of the Lord become weary to you?
How does this happen?
I believe the Christian begins to lose sight of the gospel.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15
14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
Constrain means to exhort force, to drive, to compel.
It is for the love of God we do His will.
If you have slowed down or stopped during this time, get back into the race.
This cycle all too often repeats itself but it does not have to.
4. You may have quit the race.
During this time of weakened legs, heavy breathing, side cramping, the runner becomes vulnerable to injury.
Leg injury, collapsing, knee giving way, sprain in the ankle, causing the runner to quit the race.
There are many reasons why we see people drop out of the race of the Christian life.
I believe the most common is a lack of qualification.
In other words they did not even belong in the race.
They were not saved.
1 John 2:19
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
But I also believe saved people quit due to some sin in their life or some sin in the church.
Broken relationships in a church drive good people out of church.
False doctrine drives people away from church.
You may have quit the race but you are still going to church.
Let me invite you back to the race.
Listen to all the discouraging things that happened to Paul.
2 Corinthians 11:23-28
23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
What is your excuse to quit?
Do you have a good one?
5. You might be regaining your speed.
Once the runner gets refreshed, rested, and focused again, the runner regains the earlier pace.
In Junior high I would always have to walk a little before running again.
Once I started up again I was back in the race.
This here is the revived Christian.
Psalm 51:12
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
The revived Christian is like the new Christian, having joy in church, in singing, in serving, in praying, and in witnessing.
God seems exciting again.
This Christian is restored to a believing faith.
God begins to use this Christian again.
Praise the Lord!
Are you a revived Christian?
If this is you continue!!!
6. You maybe approaching the finish line.
This runner sees the finish line.
With the finish line in view, the runner gives everything he or she has.
The runner is in tremendous pain; having seen the finish line he pushes and pushes him or herself to the finish line.
In a long distance race the runners will always pour it on when the finish line is in view.
This is the Christian nearing death.
This Christian has come to the reality that death is close by.
We as Christians should live like today is our last day.
For healthy folks and young folks, that concept is foreign.
There might be someone here today who sees the finish line as the apostle Paul did.
Give it all you have! Do not give up now.
There is a great reward awaiting you.
Remember what we read in Hebrews 12: “we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us run, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith”
7. Finishing the race
2 Timothy 4:6-8
6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
The apostle speaks of his death.
This runner finishes the race, the runner does not always need to be first to receive a prize.
Sometimes finishing the race was worthy of a reward.
In junior high, I was the slowest on my team, but often faster than the slowest on the other team, which would give our team points.
The Christian who finishes is rewarded, which is the Christian who fought the good fight and hath kept the faith, and to those who love him at his appearing.
Receive the crown of righteousness.
Who in here is going to finish the course?
Are you qualified for the race?
If not, get saved today.
Are you a new Christian?
Keep running.
Have you slowed down or stopped?
Get back in the race.
Are you revived?
Praise the Lord, you know what to do.
Do you see the finish line?
Give it all that you have.
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