Paying The Price To Win - Fasting Series

PAYING THE PRICE TO WIN

Disciplines for Disciples

- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

All of you except Jean Wilson, may remember this passage from last week. Last week we looked at the importance of striving to win. My friends, you and I are in a race. We are called to be winners. We are called to excellence. We are called to greatness.

The Bible also tells us that we have a bunch of folks pulling for us. There are crowds of people cheering us on. Wanting the best for us.

> Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us.

There are crowds of people in heaven cheering us on. Our friends and family, who have gone to heaven before us, are cheering us on. All of the Old Testament Saints are pulling for us. Peter, Paul, James, John, Mary, Martha and all of the saints we read about in the New Testament are cheering us on. Folks are pulling for us.

In addition, God wants you to win.

> Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you”—[this is] the Lord’s declaration—“plans for [your] welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Listen, God is pulling for you. He wants you to win as a believer, as a Christ follower. He wants you to be blessed, and He wants to use you to turn this world upside down! He wants to use you to impact others, to win your friends, to impact the world, and to bring glory to Him. God is on your side!

Paul was so excited when he remembered that God was pulling for him that he wrote in Romans 8:31:

> Romans 8:31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

* Tell somebody, “God is for you!” Tell somebody, “God wants you to win!”

Do you believe it? Do you believe it? God wants you to win!

I am afraid that too many churches and far too many Christians settle for getting by, for “good enough”. Oh, let’s just hang on till Jesus comes. Such an attitude makes Jesus sick.

> Revelation 3:15-16 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of My mouth.

I remember a number of years ago, talking to some men about an election that was coming up, and mentioning who I was voting for. They said I needed to talk to another minister who was coming in the door at the time because he was voting for someone else. I asked him, “Do you really plan to vote for such and such?” He said that he was. I said, “How can you vote for such and such when he supports abortion? How can you vote for that person when he supports and endorses homosexuality?” The preacher answered, “Well, everything won’t be perfect until Jesus comes back, until then, I think this man is the best.”

If that isn’t a defeatist attitude, I don’t know what is. Things aren’t going to be perfect until Jesus comes back, so why don’t we just throw in the towel, sell all of our stuff, and sit on a hillside until Jesus returns. I’m glad the first century believers didn’t think like that or the church would never have grown or expanded. I’m glad some Christians in this century don’t feel that way, or none of these missionaries would be willing to leave the comforts of home and head to difficult places to tell others about the Savior they know. I’m glad those who’ve been working on the church building don’t feel that way, or we’d be stuck meeting in a school forever. I’m glad Billy Graham didn’t feel that way, or who knows the countless thousands, perhaps millions of people around the world who would never have had the opportunity to hear about Jesus and become Christ-followers.

Listen, the Bible says, “don’t settle for good enough. Don’t settle for getting by. Don’t settle for being an ‘OK’ parent, but strive for excellence.”

> 1 Corinthians 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory.

Not “good enough,” but, “Good enough to bring glory to God.” Excellence. Victory! Striving to win! God save us from ½ hearted, lukewarm, milk-toast, excuse-making, good-enough, pooch-kissing, baby-coddling Christianity, without enough vision, commitment and God power to change the channel, much less change the world.

My friend, God didn’t call you so you could sit, soak, and sour; and heaven knows there are plenty of sour Christians in the world. God called you to be a world-changer, a race-runner, and a soldier for Christ. You don’t have to settle for mediocrity. You don’t have to settle for second place. You don’t have to settle for good enough. Tell somebody, “I’m in it to win it!”