WEBVTT 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:12.720 This sermon was recorded at Faith Evangelical Free Church in Grand Forks, North Dakota. 00:00:22.559 --> 00:00:25.280 First Corinthians chapter nine. 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:28.239 First Corinthians chapter nine. 00:00:32.079 --> 00:00:36.719 And I think that is page nine fifty-seven in the Pew Bible. 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:39.759 Page 957 in the Pew Bible. 00:00:44.079 --> 00:00:49.280 The first time I watched a movie on a Sunday evening. 00:00:50.240 --> 00:00:56.479 It was back in 1981, and it was a movie that left an indelible impression on my mind. 00:00:58.000 --> 00:01:02.320 It was the movie called Chariots of Fire. 00:01:03.119 --> 00:01:05.760 1981 Oscar-winning film. 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:17.760 It's based on the life of that Scottish athlete, Eric Little, who won a gold medal at the 1924 Olympics. 00:01:18.079 --> 00:01:21.840 And that movie immortalized these words of Eric Little. 00:01:22.640 --> 00:01:31.280 I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast, and when I run I feel his pleasure. 00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:34.640 Little was a devout Christian. 00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:39.519 He was also a pastor, a Scottish Presbyterian minister. 00:01:41.200 --> 00:01:49.439 That year the 100 meter races was held on a Sunday, and that was his strongest event. 00:01:50.879 --> 00:02:01.680 Being a Scottish Presbyterian, Sundays were devoted to the Lord's work, and he wanted to set example not only to fellow Christians, but also to the unbelieving world. 00:02:01.840 --> 00:02:03.200 So he withdrew from that. 00:02:03.359 --> 00:02:12.879 Instead, he competed in perhaps his weakest area of performance, the 200 and 400 meter events. 00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:23.199 He ran that day the 200 meter and he gained a bronze medal and then turned in a stellar performance the next day in the 400-meter race. 00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:24.560 He won gold. 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:33.439 He not only won gold, but he also set a new Olympic and world record in the 400-meter foot race. 00:02:33.759 --> 00:02:45.840 In fact, some people contribute his falling of some athletes to his uh amazing speed for the 400. 00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:48.639 And they tripped trying to keep up with them. 00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:51.360 Two athletes fell in that race. 00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:56.639 Indeed, God made Eric little for a purpose, but he also made him fast. 00:02:56.960 --> 00:03:01.759 And when he ran in the Olympics, he felt God's pleasure. 00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:08.960 God indeed also made another athlete, the Apostle Paul. 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:18.639 God made Paul for a purpose to run perhaps a different race, the race of winning souls. 00:03:18.960 --> 00:03:23.360 And in running that race, he would feel God's pleasure. 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:26.400 Let me give you a little background here. 00:03:26.960 --> 00:03:30.159 I'm going to take you to 1 Corinthians 9. 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:41.439 And I'm going to take you there to verse 19 so you can get a little background as to what Paul is planning to say. 00:03:43.919 --> 00:03:55.919 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. 00:03:57.680 --> 00:03:58.879 Verse 20. 00:04:05.199 --> 00:04:15.759 To those who are under the law, and under the law, though not being myself under the law, so that I might win those who are under the law. 00:04:16.319 --> 00:04:23.439 And so he goes on and he tells us the people that he wants to win for Christ. 00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:26.800 Verse 20, 21, 22, and 24. 00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:35.120 He uses terminology of not winning just a race, but winning people for Christ. 00:04:36.959 --> 00:04:44.079 And so as we think of this, it is very clear that God made the apostle Paul for a purpose. 00:04:44.399 --> 00:04:55.199 He made him gifted and talented, and he made him smart so that he can run this race of winning, winning souls for Christ. 00:04:55.360 --> 00:05:00.480 And in so doing, Paul felt God's pleasure. 00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:11.680 The title of today's message is Run and Feel His Pleasure, and it's based on 1 Corinthians 9, 23 to 27. 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:15.759 Let me read that for you from the English Standard Version. 00:05:17.279 --> 00:05:25.040 Verse 23, I do it all for the sake of the gospel that I may share with them in its blessings. 00:05:25.360 --> 00:05:29.600 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run? 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:33.040 But only one receives the prize. 00:05:33.519 --> 00:05:36.560 So run that you may obtain it. 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:40.959 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. 00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:47.519 They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:53.839 So I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air. 00:05:54.319 --> 00:06:05.839 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. 00:06:09.040 --> 00:06:19.439 It is clear that Paul gets his ideas from that games known as the Isthmian Games. 00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:27.680 It was a biennial event hosted near the city of Corinth. 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:49.120 And athletes would come from all over the ancient world to compete in the foot races, the wrestling matches, boxing, throwing discus and javelin, the long jump, chariot racing, even poetry reading and singing in honor of the Greek god Poseidon. 00:06:50.319 --> 00:07:08.000 The athletes would come to Corinth at least one year ahead of the games to enroll in this rigorous process of preparing and training and other physical and mental exercises to get ready for the race a year later. 00:07:09.519 --> 00:07:18.319 These athletes all came to compete, but they all came with the resolve of winning a prize. 00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:30.639 That would require much discipline and much self-denial, but the reward of receiving that prize was so treasured. 00:07:31.839 --> 00:07:48.240 All the athletes, though, they needed to keep an eye on the target and the eye on the what the race is all about, or else if they lose aim and they're not precise in what they need to do, they would be disqualified. 00:07:49.839 --> 00:08:11.439 As we look at the passage here today, Paul is using athletic imagery, the imagery from the Isthmian Games, as an apt metaphor for the Christian's resolve, the Christian's reward, and the Christian's rigor of running a different race, and that is the race of winning souls. 00:08:11.759 --> 00:08:19.519 This, my dear brother, this passage is about soul winning and winning souls for Christ. 00:08:20.319 --> 00:08:28.319 What I hope to teach you today from God's Word is that every Christian is made for a purpose. 00:08:29.120 --> 00:08:46.559 God made every Christian with a set of gifts and talents, and they are to use those to run the soul-winning race, and in so doing they will fill his pleasure. 00:08:49.039 --> 00:08:51.679 Let's look at verse 23 there. 00:08:52.000 --> 00:09:00.399 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of that. 00:09:00.639 --> 00:09:06.000 Paul is setting himself as an example of winning souls. 00:09:06.159 --> 00:09:09.440 And he wants you and I to emulate him. 00:09:11.679 --> 00:09:18.320 He wants us to run the soul-winning race with resolve and not half-heartedly. 00:09:18.559 --> 00:09:26.720 He wants us to run the soul-winning race with the reward in mind so that we don't lose heart. 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:40.960 And then thirdly, Paul wants us to employ the rigor required of running the soul-winning race so that we don't lose our hearts for Christ. 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:46.000 God made Paul for a purpose. 00:09:56.000 --> 00:10:07.279 To become an active participant, not simply be a spectator or announcer or the guy in the skybox being a commentator on the side, far removed from the race. 00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:09.600 Look at verse 24. 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:13.039 Do you not know? 00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:14.799 Do you not know? 00:10:14.960 --> 00:10:20.559 Are you ignorant that you, dear Christian, you are in a race? 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:24.720 And this is a race that you need to run all out. 00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:44.480 There is no half-baked efforts here, and certainly there's no room to be a spectator or the commentator up in the skybox, but you must run with resolve as one who wants to win the prize. 00:10:45.919 --> 00:11:05.200 When Paul wrote this to the church in Corinth, the church there appeared to be more like spectators, more like the people up in the sky boxes, VIPs of some sort giving commentary on what is happening down there. 00:11:05.919 --> 00:11:17.679 These were people who did not see themselves as active participants in the race for willing souls, but rather to pursue their own passions and desires. 00:11:19.279 --> 00:11:31.200 If we turn back into chapter 8, we will see Paul addressing the people there for not insisting to eat what they want to eat for the sake of a weaker brother. 00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:36.399 In chapter 7, he has to deal with them about divorce and marriage. 00:11:36.559 --> 00:11:40.720 You can't just divorce and marry at womb here in verse 6. 00:11:40.960 --> 00:11:51.919 Oh, chapter 6, there were lawsuits because people felt wronged and they felt like suing another Christian would probably fix the problem. 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:54.320 And then, of course, chapter 5. 00:11:54.639 --> 00:12:01.759 Everybody wanted to express themselves sexually without judgment or correction. 00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:08.320 And so these folk here in Corinth insisted on their own rights. 00:12:09.440 --> 00:12:11.120 They wanted things their way. 00:12:11.279 --> 00:12:13.600 They wanted to eat what they wanted to eat. 00:12:13.759 --> 00:12:20.720 They wanted to marry who they wanted to marry, divorce who they wanted to divorce, sue who they wanted to sue. 00:12:21.679 --> 00:12:23.440 But their focus was wrong. 00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:27.919 They did not think that they were in a race for winning souls. 00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:41.039 And so Paul wanted to teach these saints at Corinth to set aside rights and privileges so that people can get saved. 00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:44.799 And hence the words, do you not know? 00:12:45.679 --> 00:12:46.720 Do you not know? 00:12:47.120 --> 00:12:49.279 It's evident that you do not know. 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:55.440 You do not know, Corinthian church, that God made you for a purpose. 00:12:55.679 --> 00:13:02.559 And that purpose is to run the race of winning souls for Christ with resolve. 00:13:02.799 --> 00:13:07.279 And if you run it, you will feel God's pleasure. 00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:12.559 Run in such a way that you may win. 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:13.679 Right? 00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:19.600 I I've never heard well, I'm pretty committed to watching the Summer Olympics. 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:22.080 And the Winter Olympics. 00:13:22.240 --> 00:13:23.200 That's even cooler. 00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:24.320 I like it. 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:27.840 Feels like North Dakota. 00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:33.360 Run in such a way that you may win. 00:13:33.519 --> 00:13:40.879 Nobody goes to the Olympics and goes, yeah, I'm gonna run the 100-meter dash here, but I just want to finish it. 00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:43.120 Nobody gives that. 00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:45.600 They're like, I'm ready, I want gold. 00:13:45.840 --> 00:13:47.759 Nobody says I want bronze. 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:50.000 Oh like, yeah, I'm running for gold today. 00:13:50.080 --> 00:13:51.840 Yeah, you and whose army? 00:13:51.919 --> 00:13:54.879 You know, it's like, okay, we'll see what happens. 00:13:55.200 --> 00:13:59.440 But everybody has somewhat a resolve to win the prize. 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:06.720 You see, Christians do a lot of things with great resolve, and they should. 00:14:06.960 --> 00:14:11.039 They should do all things to the glory of God, 1 Corinthians 10, 31. 00:14:11.200 --> 00:14:16.799 But when it comes to the unsaved around them, there is less resolve. 00:14:18.080 --> 00:14:23.279 I've got this little booklet by Horatio Bonner. 00:14:23.519 --> 00:14:27.840 He was a Scottish minister in the 19th century. 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:30.159 He died in 1889. 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:37.679 And this is what he says in his book, A Message to Soul Winners. 00:14:37.919 --> 00:14:45.279 He says, How can we see thousands perish around us and our sleep never be disturbed? 00:14:45.519 --> 00:14:50.080 No vision of their awful doom even scaring us. 00:14:51.360 --> 00:14:58.559 No cry from their lost souls even turning our peace into bitterness. 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:13.840 This pastor was perplexed at how he saints could be so indifferent to the eternal destinies of those around him. 00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:37.039 Perhaps as if Horatio was living in our time today, he would say it's like somebody driving past a campground and there's a trailer, and the trailer's on fire, and there's children banging at the windows, and this burning fire, and you can't stand to see the agony. 00:15:37.200 --> 00:15:42.879 So what you do is you turn the window up and turn up the radio so you don't hear their screams. 00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:46.240 That's probably how he would have phrased it today. 00:15:46.559 --> 00:15:58.080 Because so many times in Christian history, the church has very little resolve to fulfill the mandate of winning souls. 00:15:58.720 --> 00:16:03.440 And yet that is the very race we are called to run. 00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:18.720 Soul winning certainly was something of a sideline event in the Corinthian church, and it's probably a sideline thing in many of today's churches. 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:26.720 It's like Badminton or table tennis or the air pistol matches. 00:16:26.879 --> 00:16:40.000 Whoever you watch those and you on the edge of your seats, it's like I I'm gonna wake up at midnight to watch table tennis or the air pistol champions. 00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:46.639 Nobody's like, oh I was glued to my seats, biting my nails. 00:16:46.799 --> 00:16:48.559 That table tennis is so riveting. 00:16:48.639 --> 00:16:51.279 No, but everybody gets up for the hundred-meter race, right? 00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:53.840 Everybody wants to see the hundred-meter sprint. 00:16:53.919 --> 00:16:59.440 That's the main event, and that's what soul willing ought to be for the Christian church. 00:16:59.679 --> 00:17:04.079 The main event, not these sideline things like curling. 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:11.759 Oh, sorry, maybe I'm no curling is way too fast for me. 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:16.079 Yes, we do. 00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:21.039 Now, this is gonna sting, dear brothers and sisters, so brace yourself. 00:17:21.599 --> 00:17:28.799 Yes, we do the VBSs, we do the five-day clubs, we go on short-term missions trips, and these are very important. 00:17:29.039 --> 00:17:31.279 Don't get me wrong, we must. 00:17:31.839 --> 00:17:34.480 But what happens until next summer? 00:17:39.119 --> 00:17:47.279 Perhaps uh we got to think of what how active we are in the summer running the race for winning souls. 00:17:47.519 --> 00:17:50.880 But for the rest of the year are we kind of spectators? 00:17:51.119 --> 00:17:54.799 We take a little time out to rest and stretch. 00:17:56.079 --> 00:18:06.960 Horatio Moner's solemn warning would maybe awaken us from this apathy for the plight of the lost. 00:18:07.359 --> 00:18:15.599 He says, the soul and eternity of one man depends upon the voice of another. 00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:18.640 That's profound. 00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:26.720 People will not get saved unless somebody shares the gospel with them. 00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:33.119 The soul and eternity of one man depends on the voice of another man. 00:18:33.359 --> 00:18:44.960 And as we think about this, from going from summer to the next summer, in between, we must remember while we take a rest, hell never rests. 00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:51.519 Hell has an insatiable appetite to suck in one more soul. 00:18:52.079 --> 00:18:56.559 It craves to receive another uninformed soul. 00:18:58.079 --> 00:19:05.759 It never asks questions, it welcomes the unsuspecting and the ignorant. 00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:12.640 Run, dear brothers and sisters, that we may win the race. 00:19:13.920 --> 00:19:15.920 And what is the race about? 00:19:16.160 --> 00:19:19.279 It is about winning souls. 00:19:20.640 --> 00:19:30.480 And so we as Christians, we are made for a purpose to run the soul-winning race with resolve. 00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:39.440 This is a race not against time, it is a race against eternity. 00:19:41.039 --> 00:19:51.680 Eric Little's resolve will make us ponder for a moment at the opportunity of winning souls. 00:19:52.079 --> 00:19:54.079 This is what Eric Little said. 00:19:54.319 --> 00:19:57.359 He says, yes, we are all missionaries. 00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:04.720 Wherever we go, we either bring people nearer to Christ or we repel them from Christ. 00:20:06.319 --> 00:20:09.200 We also are like, oh, well, I'm not a missionary, you know. 00:20:09.279 --> 00:20:13.519 I'm uh I'm just like an ordinary guy, just a pastor. 00:20:13.839 --> 00:20:16.400 Not here to to evangelize people. 00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:19.200 That's not my job description. 00:20:19.599 --> 00:20:27.839 We are all missionaries, and we either bring people nearer to Christ or we push them away from Christ. 00:20:29.440 --> 00:20:34.880 We must run the race and we must run it with resolve. 00:20:35.039 --> 00:20:38.160 There is no place here for the spectator. 00:20:40.079 --> 00:20:47.759 Secondly, we as Christians must run this race of winning souls with the reward in mind. 00:20:47.920 --> 00:20:52.960 If we don't keep the reward in mind, we will lose heart. 00:20:53.759 --> 00:20:55.359 I'm not an athlete. 00:20:55.599 --> 00:20:57.519 I'm not very athletic. 00:20:58.079 --> 00:21:02.640 Don't ask me to play games that involve round objects. 00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:04.480 I've got no ball sense. 00:21:05.279 --> 00:21:06.960 I can still run fast. 00:21:07.200 --> 00:21:12.240 But I think an apt illustration for me would be fishing. 00:21:13.039 --> 00:21:18.480 Muskie fishing or some elusive species of fish, right? 00:21:18.640 --> 00:21:21.920 Guys would sit there day and night like sturgeon. 00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:27.119 I mean, people grow old waiting for a sturgeon at the end of the hook. 00:21:27.759 --> 00:21:35.839 And man, when they hook that sturgeon, they go and it's like pandemonium for about an hour. 00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:37.759 And then they pack up. 00:21:37.839 --> 00:21:45.200 Well, and then they throw the fish back and they go up and go home and they're like, let's do this next year again. 00:21:46.480 --> 00:21:51.440 But you gotta stick with it, but but you stick with it because you know the reward. 00:21:51.599 --> 00:21:54.799 As somebody once said, the tug is the drug, right? 00:21:54.960 --> 00:22:01.119 You sit there at the fishing water just waiting for that tug, and it's like that's a A lot of adrenaline. 00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:06.559 A lot of serotonin and dopamine when I get that little tug on the end of my fishing pole. 00:22:06.799 --> 00:22:08.000 It's very addictive. 00:22:11.759 --> 00:22:19.759 We are running a race not against time, but a race against where people will spend eternity. 00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:25.440 And we must keep the reward of a soul saved in the back of our minds. 00:22:25.599 --> 00:22:27.920 You see, God made you as a Christian with a purpose. 00:22:28.160 --> 00:22:32.480 He has gifted you, He has talented you, He has given you spiritual gifts. 00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:33.920 You can run the race. 00:22:34.079 --> 00:22:40.160 Even a guy like me who's not very athletic, I am called to run this race of winning souls. 00:22:40.400 --> 00:22:46.880 But I keep this reward in mind, the sweet reward of a soul led to Christ. 00:22:47.200 --> 00:22:50.079 That is infinitely rewarding. 00:22:50.480 --> 00:22:52.319 Infinitely rewarding. 00:22:53.200 --> 00:23:03.680 And I believe it was John Owen who said, most of us just don't stick with it, and we just don't ever have the satisfaction of the reward. 00:23:07.519 --> 00:23:09.200 Look at verse 25. 00:23:13.920 --> 00:23:26.079 Everyone who competes competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. 00:23:27.519 --> 00:23:35.759 They, the runners in the Isthian games, they run it to receive a perishable wreath. 00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:40.720 But we receive an imperishable reward. 00:23:41.920 --> 00:23:44.799 Let's look at the word compete. 00:23:46.160 --> 00:23:47.839 Various translations. 00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:51.200 King James Version comp striveth. 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:53.119 Striveth. 00:23:56.240 --> 00:23:58.240 Us V exercises. 00:23:58.880 --> 00:24:02.960 NIV competes, no matter which translation. 00:24:03.200 --> 00:24:08.160 This is imagery of arduous, strenuous, agonizing activity. 00:24:08.319 --> 00:24:12.640 In fact, fact check, the Greek verb here is agonitsumai. 00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:19.759 Men who have done 412 with me, agonitsu, right? 00:24:20.720 --> 00:24:21.680 Where are you? 00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:22.960 Isn't there no guys? 00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:25.039 Agonitsu, right? 00:24:25.359 --> 00:24:27.359 This is this is agonized. 00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:29.119 Agonized. 00:24:30.240 --> 00:24:31.759 This is a race. 00:24:32.160 --> 00:24:35.279 It's agonizing, but it has sweet rewards. 00:24:35.519 --> 00:24:38.640 We strive, we compete, we agonize. 00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:44.079 And we receive the sweet reward. 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:56.880 But those who plod along or sit in the skybox sipping cocktails, they never have the sweet reward of leading one soul to Christ. 00:24:57.599 --> 00:25:06.720 You lead one soul to Christ, that reward is so sweet and so precious, you're like, let's do this again. 00:25:07.039 --> 00:25:08.880 Let's do this again. 00:25:12.400 --> 00:25:16.079 Dear brothers and sisters, we are not racing against each other. 00:25:16.240 --> 00:25:19.119 We're not competing against each other. 00:25:20.079 --> 00:25:22.480 We each running our own race. 00:25:23.200 --> 00:25:27.519 We each agonize and contend in our own sweet way. 00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:38.960 But we certainly must keep seeking the lost and lead them to Christ, and then we will taste that sweet reward. 00:25:40.799 --> 00:25:47.759 But this requires, verse 25, says, self-control in all things. 00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:50.319 Self-control in all things. 00:25:54.160 --> 00:26:14.319 Now this is very interesting, this idea of self-control in all things, because there are so many things that athletes say no to in order to win the prize. 00:26:14.880 --> 00:26:21.119 I will get back to that, but I want to show you something here about the sweet reward. 00:26:21.519 --> 00:26:23.279 About the sweet reward. 00:26:25.519 --> 00:26:28.079 It takes sacrifice. 00:26:29.039 --> 00:26:34.720 Think of Jesus, who in Philippians 2 says. 00:26:35.200 --> 00:26:38.400 It says of him, he emptied himself. 00:26:39.599 --> 00:26:54.480 Taking the form of a bondservant and being made in the likeness of men, being found in the appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross. 00:26:55.680 --> 00:26:58.240 But what did Jesus have in mind? 00:26:58.400 --> 00:27:04.960 The sweet reward of fulfilling the purpose of seeking and saving the lost. 00:27:05.200 --> 00:27:28.480 Hebrews 4 12, Jesus too set aside a lot of things, even sacrificed a lot of things, even sacrificed himself on a cross so that he could have the joy of redeeming souls and then sitting down at the right hand of the Father. 00:27:28.799 --> 00:27:34.880 Hebrews 12, 2, who for the joy sit before him endureth the cross. 00:27:35.119 --> 00:27:40.799 The joy set before him sit endureth the cross. 00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:54.319 The amplified version says who for the joy of obtaining the prize or obtaining the reward endureth the cross. 00:27:56.079 --> 00:28:01.599 Athletes agonize and work hard. 00:28:02.000 --> 00:28:08.799 They set aside lots of things in order to win the prize. 00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:24.400 At the Isthmian Games, these athletes would say no to so many things and commit themselves to the sole purpose of winning their races only to receive a wreath. 00:28:25.359 --> 00:28:26.240 A wreath. 00:28:26.400 --> 00:28:27.680 And get this. 00:28:28.400 --> 00:28:33.519 The wreaths were made of parsley and celery. 00:28:34.160 --> 00:28:35.680 I'm like, what? 00:28:36.400 --> 00:28:39.519 All this work to put it on my burger patty? 00:28:39.680 --> 00:28:41.200 This is crazy. 00:28:41.920 --> 00:28:47.039 I mean, that thing would be withering by the time by the moments it's on your head. 00:28:47.119 --> 00:28:48.880 You walk away there, it withers. 00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:51.839 And the next morning it's all shriveled up. 00:28:52.559 --> 00:28:55.759 Like a month later, you're like, honey, what happened to my wreath? 00:28:55.920 --> 00:28:59.519 She's like, that thing, I sucked it up with the vacuum cleaner. 00:29:00.079 --> 00:29:01.200 It's gone. 00:29:03.680 --> 00:29:10.240 Your reward, dear brothers and sisters, for winning a soul is an imperishable wreath. 00:29:10.319 --> 00:29:12.079 Now, what is the imperishable wreath? 00:29:12.160 --> 00:29:14.400 There's so many options in the scriptures. 00:29:14.640 --> 00:29:16.880 Uh, it may wreck our brains. 00:29:16.960 --> 00:29:22.480 Uh, James 1.12 speaks of the crown of life, speaking of eternal life. 00:29:22.799 --> 00:29:32.960 2 Timothy 4.8 speaks of the crown of righteousness, perhaps referring to our eternal state of perfection. 00:29:34.240 --> 00:29:40.480 The reward in this passage, the wreath in this passage is not that. 00:29:41.599 --> 00:29:45.680 The reward is a soul saved. 00:29:46.799 --> 00:30:01.519 If we had to preach to thousands year after year, and never rescue but one soul, that one soul would be full reward for all our labor. 00:30:01.759 --> 00:30:06.480 For a soul is of countless worth, says Charles Spurgeon. 00:30:06.720 --> 00:30:15.119 If only one could get saved, that is a great reward because that reward goes into eternity. 00:30:15.920 --> 00:30:20.079 You see, there's two things that go into eternity. 00:30:20.319 --> 00:30:24.880 One, God's word, second, the soul that is saved. 00:30:27.519 --> 00:30:38.319 Luke 15, 10 says, there is joy in the presence of God's angels when even one sinner repents. 00:30:39.039 --> 00:30:43.039 You lead somebody to Christ, dear brother and sister. 00:30:43.279 --> 00:30:45.839 There are angelic cheers in heaven. 00:30:46.000 --> 00:30:59.839 It reverberates down the halls of heaven, and the applause rumbles into the corridors of eternity, like the spectators at the games cheering at their favorite athletes. 00:31:00.160 --> 00:31:02.640 There's an eternal touchdown. 00:31:02.880 --> 00:31:08.799 There's an eternal touchdown every time you lead somebody to Christ. 00:31:09.119 --> 00:31:13.119 Yes! Another wreath for eternity. 00:31:13.680 --> 00:31:15.279 Luke 69. 00:31:15.920 --> 00:31:23.920 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourself so that when it's gone, you will be welcomed into their eternal dwellings. 00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:29.039 There too, speaking of the saved soul as something that goes into eternity. 00:31:29.119 --> 00:31:32.240 And in a fact, he says, make for yourself friends. 00:31:32.480 --> 00:31:34.319 Friendships are good, right? 00:31:34.559 --> 00:31:36.400 Well, most of the time, right? 00:31:37.200 --> 00:31:38.640 Friendships are good. 00:31:38.880 --> 00:31:41.279 Eternal friendships are even better. 00:31:41.519 --> 00:31:45.680 You make a friend for eternity, wow, that's a sweet reward. 00:31:45.920 --> 00:31:50.160 Jesus says, make sure you store up for yourself treasures in heaven. 00:31:50.319 --> 00:31:51.599 What would that be? 00:31:51.920 --> 00:31:57.039 I can't think of anything else than it's a soul saved for Christ. 00:31:57.359 --> 00:32:00.319 It's the Word of God or it's a saved soul. 00:32:03.039 --> 00:32:04.799 Can only be one of those two things. 00:32:04.880 --> 00:32:08.079 That's the only things you can take into eternity. 00:32:10.640 --> 00:32:30.960 Jesus too had this sweet reward in mind where he was fulfilling the Father's mission of seeking and saving the loss, and he endured the agonies of the cross, but yet he contemplated the sweet reward of the souls who will spend eternity with him. 00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:51.599 Eric Tolittle at the end of the games journalist uh uh interviewed him and they they they asked him something about his gold medal, and he says, it has been a wonderful experience to compete in the Olympic Games and to bring home a gold medal. 00:32:51.680 --> 00:32:59.440 But since I have been a young lad, I've had my eyes on a different prize. 00:33:00.880 --> 00:33:04.079 He was Scottish, that might have been a South African accent. 00:33:04.240 --> 00:33:18.400 So uh dear friend, little Eric Little had his eyes on a different prize, Paul had his eyes on a different prize, you and I have our eyes on a different prize. 00:33:19.119 --> 00:33:31.680 But the problem is we often strive and agonize for wealth, personal success, and I just want to remind you the rewards of that is a wreath of parsley. 00:33:33.359 --> 00:33:44.160 You may agonize and strive and endure and compete to have your comforts and your worldly pleasures when you want it, how you want it. 00:33:44.319 --> 00:33:48.799 But let me say this it's a wreath of celery. 00:33:49.279 --> 00:33:51.039 You're gonna be gone. 00:33:53.039 --> 00:33:59.359 But let me say to you store up for yourselves a treasure in heaven, a wreath in heaven. 00:33:59.680 --> 00:34:04.240 And there where your wreaths are, there your heart will also be. 00:34:04.960 --> 00:34:11.199 You lead one sinner to Christ, it will change your perspective on life. 00:34:11.519 --> 00:34:12.639 Guaranteed. 00:34:13.119 --> 00:34:19.199 So, so far we've learned about the resolve of the Christian race of winning souls for Christ. 00:34:19.360 --> 00:34:21.760 It is agonizing at best. 00:34:22.159 --> 00:34:28.639 We learned of the uh the rewards of the race, and we know it is an everlasting reward. 00:34:28.800 --> 00:34:36.960 Now let's look at the rigor of the race, and hopefully we will be done here soon. 00:34:38.719 --> 00:34:40.159 Verse 27. 00:34:41.199 --> 00:34:43.519 Now he goes over to boxing. 00:34:43.840 --> 00:34:44.159 Okay. 00:34:45.840 --> 00:34:46.800 Boxing. 00:34:47.760 --> 00:35:04.079 He says, but I discipline my body and make it make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself may not be disqualified. 00:35:04.400 --> 00:35:09.039 Maybe I should read to you verse 26 too to give you a bit of context here. 00:35:09.280 --> 00:35:12.400 Therefore I run in such a way as not without aim. 00:35:12.559 --> 00:35:16.239 I box in such a way as not beating the air. 00:35:16.400 --> 00:35:27.679 I'm gonna flip verse 26 and 27 around just for clarity's sake here, but this is all about employing the rigor of running the race for winning souls. 00:35:28.400 --> 00:35:36.960 You know, I did some research on uh Olympic athletes, and I learned that they control their bodies very well. 00:35:37.360 --> 00:35:47.440 They are masters of their own bodies, their bodies aren't masters of them, they tell their bodies what to do, it's not the other way around. 00:35:47.760 --> 00:35:48.400 Right? 00:35:49.599 --> 00:35:51.840 It's like Sunday after church. 00:35:52.079 --> 00:35:53.440 Food, right? 00:35:53.920 --> 00:35:55.840 We're hungry, we want to just feed it. 00:35:56.000 --> 00:36:03.920 No, Paul says here that we must make our bodies slaves. 00:36:04.079 --> 00:36:05.760 We master our own bodies. 00:36:05.920 --> 00:36:11.119 In fact, the uh the that that word there is to give yourself a black eye. 00:36:11.199 --> 00:36:15.199 It's like a boxer punching himself, and he's like, You gotta listen now. 00:36:15.360 --> 00:36:16.480 You can't have that. 00:36:16.639 --> 00:36:20.400 You can't have a burger patty now with cheese and whatever. 00:36:20.559 --> 00:36:24.400 You gotta eat something healthy, like celery and parsley. 00:36:28.239 --> 00:36:42.159 In fact, I think an athlete that walks away with a gold medal, he is usually known, he or she is usually known, not for what they say yes to, but what they say no to. 00:36:42.480 --> 00:36:50.800 Here's the problem with Christianity, and in much of modern Christianity, we don't discipline ourselves, we don't discipline our bodies. 00:36:51.119 --> 00:36:55.599 Indeed, we are slaves to our bodies and its appetites. 00:36:55.840 --> 00:36:59.039 We are indeed slaves of FOMO. 00:37:00.480 --> 00:37:08.559 You see, Christians often are people who feel safe in the arms of God, but they are slaves, they are short-sighted. 00:37:08.719 --> 00:37:12.639 They have no fear of hell, but they have fear of missing out. 00:37:14.480 --> 00:37:15.039 Yeah. 00:37:15.199 --> 00:37:18.880 You see, we have no fear of hell, but we have fear of missing out. 00:37:20.639 --> 00:37:24.719 And in this fear of missing out, what do we miss out on? 00:37:25.599 --> 00:37:30.800 Running the race of winning souls for Christ. 00:37:31.039 --> 00:37:43.360 Donald Whitney and his book Spiritual Disciplines, and this is something we're gonna deal with insteadfast, that new fellowship group that I believe is uh gonna be quite exquisite. 00:37:43.519 --> 00:37:50.960 Um Evangelism is a spiritual discipline, says Donald Whitney. 00:37:51.119 --> 00:38:06.000 He says, unless we discipline ourselves for evangelism, it is very easy to excuse ourselves from ever sharing the gospel with everyone. 00:38:06.800 --> 00:38:11.920 It is very easy to excuse ourselves for never sharing the gospel with anyone. 00:38:12.320 --> 00:38:19.440 I mean, I can I can think of 25 reasons why I won't share the gospel this afternoon with somebody else. 00:38:19.920 --> 00:38:26.320 You know, I gotta get home, I gotta rest, I gotta eat, I gotta eat more, I gotta make a latte for myself. 00:38:26.480 --> 00:38:28.400 I mean, there's a hundred things. 00:38:29.119 --> 00:38:29.760 Right? 00:38:30.480 --> 00:38:34.320 And yet Christians are so short-sighted. 00:38:34.480 --> 00:38:44.000 You see, we plan for things that often have very little eternal value, and for the things that have eternal value, we put in no planning. 00:38:44.880 --> 00:38:45.840 Come on. 00:38:46.719 --> 00:38:50.400 You see, soul winning is something we have to discipline ourselves. 00:38:50.559 --> 00:38:59.039 We got to say no to this so that we can save souls and evangelize people. 00:38:59.760 --> 00:39:04.079 You see, Christians don't plan for it, Christians are unprepared. 00:39:04.320 --> 00:39:18.559 And tragically, they find themselves when they are in a place to share the gospel, they find themselves a little out of shape, and maybe even fearful and a little unwilling to share the gospel, even when the opportunity is ripe. 00:39:23.119 --> 00:39:28.480 We gotta be like athletes, ready to run any time. 00:39:29.840 --> 00:39:32.079 And we it takes discipline. 00:39:32.639 --> 00:39:56.239 In fact, one commentator says about this passage, he says, the Christians in Corinth were indecisive, half-hearted, out-of-shape Christians, who did almost nothing to prepare or equip themselves to witness to the lost, and consequently, they seldom did. 00:39:58.000 --> 00:40:13.360 You see, dear brothers and sisters, if we don't uh get our ducks in the row and start disciplining ourselves and start planning for it, there's a lot of souls who will enter eternity never hearing your voice speak the gospel. 00:40:14.559 --> 00:40:20.880 Let's go back, let's circle back to verse 26, and then we will close before we are out of breath. 00:40:21.039 --> 00:40:24.719 This race is getting more like a marathon, right? 00:40:25.280 --> 00:40:29.760 Therefore I run in such a way as not without aim. 00:40:30.559 --> 00:40:34.159 I box in such a way as not beating the air. 00:40:34.320 --> 00:40:39.519 What I learned about the Isthmian Games, the race was about a 200-meter race. 00:40:39.679 --> 00:40:40.880 That was the main event. 00:40:40.960 --> 00:40:46.480 And there were four pillars every 50 yards or so. 00:40:46.639 --> 00:40:49.519 And on the pillar there was like an instruction. 00:40:49.920 --> 00:40:51.599 Do this, do this, do this. 00:40:51.679 --> 00:40:54.639 And you had to do it, or else you are disqualified. 00:40:54.719 --> 00:40:57.280 I'm like, dude, just let the people run. 00:40:57.760 --> 00:40:59.119 Don't give them instructions. 00:40:59.199 --> 00:41:00.880 But that's apparently how it worked. 00:41:00.960 --> 00:41:01.199 Okay. 00:41:01.360 --> 00:41:03.199 There's even a point, turn. 00:41:03.599 --> 00:41:05.599 It's like you're running now, you gotta turn. 00:41:06.960 --> 00:41:08.239 That was one of the instructions. 00:41:08.320 --> 00:41:10.559 If you don't turn, you go straight, guess what? 00:41:10.960 --> 00:41:11.920 You're disqualified. 00:41:12.000 --> 00:41:14.239 So you gotta you gotta follow the plan here. 00:41:14.400 --> 00:41:18.559 He says, run in such a way as not without aim. 00:41:18.800 --> 00:41:20.079 Verse 26. 00:41:21.440 --> 00:41:24.960 I box in such a way as not to beat the air. 00:41:25.119 --> 00:41:26.480 Shadow boxing, right? 00:41:26.719 --> 00:41:28.880 He's like, quit the shadow boxing. 00:41:28.960 --> 00:41:32.239 You've got to make that punch count. 00:41:33.119 --> 00:41:35.199 Don't punch people when you evangelize them. 00:41:35.280 --> 00:41:36.559 That's not what it's saying. 00:41:36.800 --> 00:41:45.199 But Horatio Bonner says the conversion of our own souls is not to be spent aimlessly on ourselves. 00:41:45.440 --> 00:41:53.280 But our own wreath birth is to be aimed as an instrument of saving others. 00:41:53.679 --> 00:41:54.239 Wow. 00:41:54.480 --> 00:42:08.000 How many of us aimlessly spend our salvation on ourselves, and we never aim ourselves as an instrument in the redeemon's hands to save others. 00:42:08.400 --> 00:42:14.719 You, dear brothers and sisters, and myself, we were bought with a price, we not our own. 00:42:14.960 --> 00:42:19.360 So we can't spend our salvation aimlessly on ourselves. 00:42:19.599 --> 00:42:25.039 Our rebirth is to be aimed at saving others. 00:42:25.360 --> 00:42:30.079