Running My Race

Sermons and musical artists featured to extol JESUS CHRIST as the sole hope for the eternal souls of humanity.

Transcript

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I'm no longer among those of you on planet

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Earth. But I'm still alive. No! No! No! No! No!

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No!

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You've

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just heard a depiction of terrible despair where there's no hope or rest. The frightening truth is, it's a horror-filled place reserved for those who choose to reject the way, the truth, and the life. Now, try to imagine what forever will feel like without Jesus. Thank God for you joining us again today. I am Pastor Mark, and you are now watching the Words of Life show, and we are so grateful that you have tuned in to see what God has to say through His Word to you today. Today we are going to talk about disappointments, discouragement, sometimes even distractions, how those things can often get us off course when it comes down to running the race that God has set before each and every one of us. You know, as Christians, God has given us a race to run and it will be very important that we run it to the best of our abilities without being distracted or pulled away in the midst of discouragement, disappointments and distractions. So today, let's see what God has to say in his word, his words of life about running our race in spite of the aforementioned.

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We thank you for joining our Words of Life broadcast every Saturday night from 8 to 8.30 p.m. where our mission is persuading the lost, perfecting each believer, and equipping all for service with practical application from God's Word. We now join Pastor Mark for this week's Words of Life.

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In today's opening text, we are going to be reading from the book of 1 Corinthians and Chapter 9, beginning at verse 24, and I am going to read the NIV version today, and the reading for today's sermon is as follows. Do you not know that in a race, all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last. But we Christians, we do it, we compete or run to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly. I do not fight like a man beating the air or shadow boxing. No, I beat my body and I make it my slave. Or in other words, I train it to do as I should so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. May the Lord add a blessing to the hearers, the readers, and those that intend to do His holy word. I would like to present for a title for this week's message, Running My Race. Running My Race. And I want us to notice within the title how we are to run our individual races. The individual and personal nature of our responsibility lies within that one word in the midst of the title. My every Christian has been entered by God. in the race against time and we've been assigned certain lanes or tasks to fulfill. We are not to be concerned about his race, about her race, or even about their race. We are to run the race Christ has set before each of us, even in the midst of distractions, disappointments, discouragement, or failings, because there will be some distractions, disappointments, discouragements, and failings in our Christ-centered race. To run indicates that urgency Emergency does matter. In the intransitive verb form, to run is to be in relative position. In other words, they were running behind all the runners or cars until the last lap. They remained in position when the last lap arrived or the finish line was in sight just so that they could lay it all out on the line to give their very best performance. effort. Notice to run in that intransitive verb form, it didn't mean that we were to lag behind. It doesn't mean to run lazily. No, it means to be in relative position so that you can lay it all out on the line once that last lap or the finish line is in view. And so, since there is a finish line that all will cross, urgency becomes a characteristic that we must possess. No one goes to watch a track meet to see the runners walk. To get the prize, there is an urgency and a purpose to every race, even in a marathon. Although a marathon, it involves endurance, it involves patience, you don't walk the mile if you want to win it. I used to be in the army. we had what we'd call an annual 12 mile road march. And that road march had to be completed in less than three hours. There was some urgency to our walk then and our road march, because if you did not complete it in less than three hours, in spite of all of the gear, in spite of the weaponry, you had an additional 50 to 80 pounds on your back, if you did not do that in less than three hours, you had to do it again. So there was some urgency in the 12 mile road march. We are to run in spite of weather, be it rain, heat, cold, be it distraction. There will be others bigger than us racing, those that might be faster, those that might be stronger, or there might be those that we consider a bit cuter. But again, to run is to participate urgently on my lane, because the Greek definition indicates we all have a course that has been set before us. Hebrews 9 and 27 lets us know, for it is appointed unto man once to die, and after this, the judgment. We will be judged after we spend our time on this earth. After we die, we will be judged on two things. Number one, Did we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives? And question number two that we will have to consider when we are judged, how did we run with the baton of passing Jesus to others with the gifts that God or the Holy Spirit instilled in each and every one of us? And so, I wonder could that definition The definition being to run, being in relative position. In spite of all of the things that can distract or disqualify us, we are running so that we are preparing ourselves to finish so that we can hear, well done. I wonder could that definition of to run, being in relative position, to lay it all out on the line, could this definition be applied to how we are presently running the individual races and the courses that Christ has set before each of us. If I can be transparent here at any given moment, I can think of a number of things that can and that have easily distracted me from running my race with urgency and focus. I.e. Gosh, why doesn't such and such, why don't they accept me? Why am I not one of them? Here's another one. Geez, why am I not encouraged with a spiritual father the way I think I should be? Here's another one. Why? Or am I even becoming bitter at not being encouraged the way I think I should be? Here's another. How long will I wrestle, Lord? with doubting if I was supposed to do such and such. Here's another one. Geez, why did they leave? Here's another one. Will I ever conquer this issue or this weakness? Here's another one. Geez, why is there conflict from those closest to me? At any given moment, there are a number of things that can distract us and cause us to sit down or get out of the race altogether. while others continue in running their respective races, keeping in mind that they remain in relative position to lay it all out on the line through the finish. Understand that as Christians, we're all running towards the same goal, heaven, but we do not run the same race. There will be some that sprint, 100 meters and 200 meters come to mind, and things might seem to happen quickly for them, or so it appears to us. There will be others that are hurdlers, clearing obstacles that are set before them. Others will throw their weight around by casting the symbolic shot putt and the javelin, but at some point, regardless of the races that we run, distance and endurance They will come into play and that is the category we want to fall into as we each run our individual Christian races. Ecclesiastes 9 and 11, the NIV version states, the race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong. There will be distractions, calamity, failure, all of that can suddenly pull our attention away from running our assigned races because time and chance happen to us all. It rains on the just as it does the unjust. So let's look at our opening text before we approach our point of the day. In our scriptural overview in his letter, Paul writes to the Christians living in Corinth, the Corinthians. He writes within our opening text in verse 25, Paul makes reference to the Olympics of his time. Verse 25 reads, everyone who competes in the games or everyone that strives for the mastery of their sport. Let's look at how Paul alludes to the Olympics of his time because the American Track Society Bible Dictionary notes about this verse. And I quote, Various games were instituted among the Greeks and the Romans in honor of their gods, with the design of the games training young men to personal energy and activity, and to bravery and skill in war. These games were celebrated at stated places and times, and they were done with great pageantry. They were famous in celebrity statesmen, legislators, kings even engaged in them, and it was deemed the highest of all honors to be crowned in the presence of the vast crowd of witnesses who delighted to honor the victor. You had the foot race. That was a game of the first rank. Other games were the chariot race, wrestling, boxing, leaping, and throwing the javelin. The Olympic games of Paul's day well illustrate the Christian warfare, which Paul alludes to. There being sacrifices to be made. the intent of bringing the body under subjection, the laying aside of every weight, the many spectators lining the course among them of those that were previously crowned victors. There would be an exhausting effort required and there would be glorious prizes to consider in front of them." To make a long definition short, Paul classified his individual Christian race the same way that we should, as spiritual Olympics. The similarities were, there were to be sacrifices made, especially when we are running the race God has for us. There's the intent of bringing the body under subjection when training. Now for us, that is training the body to do God's will, not what our bodies would like to do. There's also the laying aside of every weight that so easily besets us. That for us means distractions, discouragements. There were many spectators lining the course among them that were previously crowned victors. But for us spiritually running our races, Hebrews 12 and one, therefore, since we are also surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything, that hinders as well as the sin that so easily entangles or besets us. Let us run with perseverance, or in other words, patience, the race that has been marked out for us. There are exhausting efforts required when training. In other words, when our spiritual races are to be considered, we will deal with obstacles, we will deal with endurance, we will deal with patience, and the need for stamina. Contrasting both of these, or should I say, comparing the races symbolically and in reality, we do this in hopes of obtaining a glorious prize that awaits us if we run this race well. Before we transition from the text to applicable points for our Christian race, we present our song of the week, and our song of the week this week comes from Mr. Roland Kirkland. The name of this track is We All Worship, and it is presented to you right here on the Words

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of

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Life show.

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I see a vision here New Jerusalem is near See the city beaming bright Dreaming in the holy light Of the one angels sing Illuminating ev'ry day We all worship See the river and the trees, healing nations with their leaves, redeemed of Adam's race, looking on the Savior's face.

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We are back and our song of the week, We All Worship from Mr. Roland Kirkland is a beautiful song that implores us that there will be times that we're going to have to rest. And as we rest, it's not a bad thing to understand why we're running. And our running is for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and he is worthy of our worship. And so we hope that song blessed you today. Let's get to our points of the week when we are talking about about running my race. Point number one is this, I must stay in my lane. That is point number one when we're talking about running my race. Point number one is I must stay in my lane. Verse 27, Paul talks about beating his body, making it a slave, training the body to do as it should so that after he has preached to others or he has ministered unto, he has trained others, he says, I do not want to be disqualified for the prize. To be disqualified is to be rendered unfit. It is to be deprived of the right to win or even participate due to a violation of the rules. It requires great focus to stay in your lane with so many other things going on around us as we race. Notice in a real race, symbolically speaking of course, Eight to 10 other runners are on either side of us and understand that at any point of that race, we cannot veer into their lane lest we be disqualified. Symbolically speaking, there's a baton I'm running with. I've got to pass it off, but I cannot drop that baton lest I be disqualified. I could be at the start of a race But when that starters gun goes off, ready? And then you're just waiting with anticipation, pow! You cannot flinch, or else you will be disqualified. My point is, all of the above examples that I just used, all of those aforementioned ones, without proper focus, they will have you disqualified from any race. Let's look at the word castaway in the King James Version of verse 27 because that word lets us know if you are castaway, you are to be rejected or disqualified because you are unfit or unworthy of the prize ahead. You ever notice the focus on the faces of those running a race? You notice how they don't spend the race looking at another person's form. They're not looking in the stands to see who else is cheering them on, encouraging them or not encouraging them while running. The only thing they concern themselves with is staying in my lane because if I do not do that, that is the quickest way to be disqualified. I have veered in another's race, in another's lane, because I was not focused on my own lane. And I know that's something that I have wrestled with, focusing on the lane that God has assigned Mark to run, instead of who's doing this, who's not doing that, who's listening, who's not listening. Lord, am I in works of the flesh, or am I exhibiting faith without God? And Jesus addresses this type of unfocused behavior with his disciples in John chapter 21. I'm going to start at verse 19. Jesus says to Peter, Peter, follow me. Peter then symbolically veers into somebody else's lane by turning and he saw the disciple whom Jesus loved. And he was following them. When Peter saw this disciple, he asked the Lord, Lord, what about him? Jesus answered, if I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you, Peter? You must follow me. Now, before we get to point number two, let's have a keep it real moment right now. And let's realize that, and I understand, I might be the only one that might wanna be transparent here, but am I the only one that will admit that looking at something or somebody else has impacted how I run my race? You ever been focused on somebody else's lane and their race instead of running in your own assigned lane? And that's very easy to do. Lord God, you're using them to reach thousands. But I can hear Jesus saying, but if I want you to reach two, what is that to you? Run the race I've given you. Wow. Satan is good. And he's an expert at distracting us and he tries to even get Jesus off of running in his lane because the only purpose Jesus came to earth, it was Calvary. But Jesus was focused. we must also maintain that very same focus. We must follow Jesus and run our races and remain in our assigned lanes. Here's point number two when we talk about running my race. Repeat this after me. I will focus vertically, not horizontally. And when I say focusing vertically and not horizontally, vertical focus is Am I pleasing to the Lord as I run this race? Horizontal focus is who, what, when, why, where, and how. Philippians 2 and 16 informs us that we are to hold firmly to the word of life. Then on the day of Christ's return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not vain. The Bible lets us know that any work in the Lord, it is not in vain, but works of the flesh, they can be useless. And here's what we need to remind ourselves because when we get in works of the flesh, all too often we start looking at what we can see. We're focused on instant gratification instead of being in relative position to run the race, to lay it all out on the line so we can hear, well done. We must hold firmly to the word of life. Our attention must be vertically related. It must be word supported in all of our doing. Acts 20 and 24 lets us know, I consider my life worth nothing to me. If only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me. The task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. Testifying to the gospel, the good news the world needs. Testifying that the gospel, it should be the only prize, it should be the only task. the race to run which matters to us Christians. That is the gospel of Jesus Christ, testifying to the grace of God, available to all who so desire it and will accept it through Jesus Christ. In Galatians 5 and 7, the verse reads, you were running a good race. Who hindered you? Who cut in on you? who got in your way or your lane and kept you from obeying the truth. We must focus vertically on God and not horizontally on who, what, when, why, how, and where. And our final point today, point number three, I will expect my reward from God, not man. And we've got to be brutally honest here, this might be our biggest hindrance. The approval of those that we love or we want to be loved and accepted by. Understand the best athletes, they don't have to be encouraged. They simply work hard, they lead, and others will follow that lead and that normally results in the reward of being champions. Understand that the Bible lets us know in Mark 8 and 36, what good is it for man to gain the whole world, their approval, their acceptance, yet forfeit or lose his soul, or the well done that we would like to hear or should want to hear from our Lord that we run the race for. 1 Samuel 26 and 23, the Lord rewards every man for his righteousness, his obedience to the word, and his faithfulness. In Romans 14 and 12, yes, each of us, we will give a personal account to God. So as I conclude this verse today, or this sermon, should I say, running my race, I'd like to conclude with three questions to sum up this sermon that will challenge us to see how we are running our races. Here's question number one. Am I running my race focusing on someone else's lane instead of what Jesus has given me to do and run with? Question number two. Am I risking disqualification because I am not urgently running my assigned race and my assigned lane? And question number three, have I been seeking God's reward or man's approval? Father God, we thank you for this opportunity that our viewer or our listener has watched your word today and how we should run our race in spite of disappointments, dejections, or failures. Let's pray words of life together so that we maintain the focus that we are going to need so we can run our race as well to hear our Father say, well done. done. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we thank you for choosing us, for enlisting us in this race to carry the bloodstained banner of Jesus Christ to a world desperately in need of who we have. It is by your name, by your glory, and your strength that we are able to endure this race and run it to the best of our abilities, empowered by your Holy Spirit. It is in your name we pray. We believe that you are pleased, Father. In the name of Jesus, we say together, it is so, amen. Until next week, make sure that we maintain our focus to run our races to hear, well done, my good and faithful servant. Until next week, God bless you.

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We thank you for listening to Words of Life with Pastor Mark D. Ingram. We request your prayerful consideration in partnering with us to support our sole purpose of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ with your monetary donation. You may visit our website at wolchristiancenter.org