Keep On Running This Race

Keep on running this race!

Philippians 3:14

How many of you came to God’s house and you are just so well rested and ready to run a race?

(Some of you are looking at me with that look He’s lost his mind).

How many of you would like to go outside and do sprints across the church property? It’s size has increased recently keep in mind...

Well perhaps you don’t feel as though you are ready to run a race but in the Christian life we must always be "running the race."

In honesty there are times we feel as though we don’t have the strength to take another step but we must keep on keeping on. Running the Christian race.

Paul writes to all believers through this letter written to the church at Philipi and he uses an analogy which is the concept of a runner running the race and is on te home stretch.

,

Philippians 3:14

I*press on toward the goal for the prize of the*upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

When Paul said "I press on " he indicated that he would keep on with all of his ability running the race that God had set before him..

You have to ask yourself tonight

"Am I in this race of the Christian life,

and Ask yourself "Will I keep on running???

We have watched and seen those around us who were here among us, they once were running this race with us and now where are they?

One year or two or three ago they were here in the church attending, worshiping, and working to serve the Lord but now where are they?

Did they get tired?

Did they get bogged down with personal things along the way?

and now they have dropped out of the race.

No longer do they run for Christ but they sit on the bench bringing little glory to God and little victory to their life or to the life of others.

Now I am not wanting to say all of this to beat up on those that have dropped out of the race BUT I say it because I don’t want anyone...., not a one here tonight to ever drop out of the race.

We might ask the question...

"When is the race finished?"

When you get tired?? Wrong (God will give you strength)

When is the race finished ?

Darrel Walters loves car racing ....

Some times a car race will end before all the laps are completed ...what happens what stops the race early sometimes? RAIN !

What about us when the showers of trouble or trials come and there is a storm do we stop running this race?

Hey remember we sing

A mighty Fortress is our God.

(God will be your shelter and your shield)

When is the race over???

THE RACE ISN’T OVER UNTIL GOD SAYS ITS OVER!

As we run this Christian race, we find that it has many of the same characteristics of an actual physical running race.

Most all things must have a beginning and an end.

Like most things except for God and His love and eternity but most all other things have a beginning and an end.

I had a fellow come up to me one Sunday when I had said God has no beggining and no end and he said

"preacher I have discovered something else that has no end."

"I said what is it?"

He said "A doughnut"

I said "oh really"

"and what do you plan to do with your doughnut"

He said "Well eat it I suppose "

I said "Well there you go "

"Your doughnut has a beginning and an end."

You think with me .....

Where does the Christian race begin in our lives?

Someone might say ..

"When a Christian family has a baby that little baby begins a race is that the start."

NO

I. The race we run in the life of Christ begins

at the place of Christian birth Salvation Born Again

That place where we bowed our head

confessed our sin and accepted Christ as Savior

It is the moment that you fully trust and believe in Jesus Christ and you are

"BORN AGAIN" THERE IS THE STARTING LINE.

John 3:1-

1 NOW there was a man of the Pharisees, named *Nicodemus, a *ruler of the Jews;

2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, «*Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these *signs that You do unless *God is with him.»

3 Jesus answered and said to him, «Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one *is born again he cannot see *the kingdom of God.»

4 Nicodemus said to Him, «How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?»