#1...PASS THE BATON: RUN, RUN, RUN...
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I do part 1 and 2 in a 4 part lesson...
I bought a RUNNING BATON at a local sport’s store. The metal one was $8.95, the plastic was $2.50. One could make a baton out of a wood dow.
We start with a demonstration of relay races. Pass the baton...
The runner has to already be running at a full pace at the passing of the baton...
Several years ago the USA RUNNING TEAM was composed of 4 world record
holders. There was no way they could loose the race. The baton was passed and the runner was ahead, a SLIPSHOD BATON PASS?...
The baton fell to the track?
The runner had to turn around and go back and pick up the baton. The world record holders lost miserably to some no bodies? WHY?
The race was more than running, the race was PASSING THE BATON...
I. GOD’S PLAN IS THAT WE RUN AND NOT GROW WEARY...
WE NEED TO RUN TOWARD GOD’S PLAN AND PURPOSE!
Isaiah 40: [28] Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
[29] He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
[30] Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
[31] But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
FLY...
RUN ... and not be weaary
WALK... not faint...
II. WE ARE IN A RACE... RUN, RUN, RUN...
A. When I was in high school we had a player on the basketball team that was not motivated much and was a little on the lazy side. All week long the coach had this player to wear weights tied to his gym shoes. These weight were heavy and every step the player walked or ran at practice all week was heavy. On game night the player removed the weights
tied to his shoes. He ran high stepping and his jumping was much improved.
He would never wear the weights during the game as this would have impeded or hindered him.
B. There is a time we must remove the weights and RUN....
Hebrews 12:1 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,
C. While running we must RUN WITH PATIENCE... TOWARD THE GOAL...
D. WHAT IS THE GOAL BEFORE YOU? Everything must be focused on the goal...
E. Many great boxers tried their best to anger their opponent and thus gain control of the fight by using anger to take advantage and win.
III. THERE ARE SEVERAL STYLES TO MOVING, ONE IS RUNNING...
A. DEFINE:
RUN...
Quick steps on alternate feet, flee, hurry,
Compete in a race...
SPRINT...
Run a short distance at a full speed,
Short spell of maximum effort...
TROT...
Run at a moderate pace, proceed at a steady pace,
JOG...
Slowly run, slow walk...
WALK...
To make progress by putting one foot in front of the other...
A slow gait
B. MARATHON...
Long distance running, usually 26 miles 385 yards...
Long lasting or a difficult task or operation... PACE SELF...
IV. THERE IS MORE TO RUNNING THAN JUST GOING FAST...
PREPARATION IS A PART OF ANY RACE...
I CAN OUT RUN YOU? WANT TO BEAT THE AIR... ?
A. I NEVER WANT TO BE A CASTAWAY!
1 Cor. 9:24 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.
B. HAVE I PREPARED FOR THIS RACE? HAVE I TRAINED?
HAVE I DISCIPLINED BY BODY AND MIND?
C. LONG DISTANCE RUNNERS HIT A MENTAL PLACE THEY CALL SPLATTING...
The body wants to quit... the will must override this desire...
V. THERE IS A SMALL CLOUD ABOUT THE SIZE OF A MAN’S HAND...
THERE HAD BEEN A VERY DRY TIME IN THE CAMP OF GOD...
RUN -- PREACHER -- RUN...
A. Ahab is a wicked king and he hates the Preacher... ELIJAH.
Jezebel is the queen and she hates the words and message of the ELIJAH...
JEZEBEL HAS MADE A VOW TO KILL THE OLD PREACHER...
B. AHAB AND JEZEBEL BLAME THE PREACHER FOR THE DROUGHT...
C. THE THREE MEET OUT AT THE MOUNTAIN... MT. CARMEL...
AFTER YEARS OF THE DROUGHT THE PREACHER DECLARES:
I HEAR THE SOUND OF RAIN...
I HEAR THE SOUND OF THE ABUNDANCE OF RAIN...
1 Kings 18:41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
D. SERVANT BOY RUN UP TO THE TOP OF MT. CARMEL...
WHAT DO YOU SEE... NOTHING...
RUN AGAIN...
E. THE 7TH TRIP UP MT. CARMEL... HOPE...
SMALL HOPE... REAL HOPE...
1 Kings 18:44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.
[45] And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
[46] And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
F. FROM MT. HOREB TO JEZREEL IS 18 MILES...
UNDER THE ANOINTING THE MAN OF GOD OUT RUNS THE 5.0 MUSTANGS
OF THE DAY....
G. The Preacher is standing on the porch and watches a RAIN SOAKED KING AHAB CLIMB OUT OF HIS WET CHARIOT...
H. WE CAN RUN UNDER GOD’S SWEET ANOINTING...
VI. WE CAN GROW A RUN AWAY SPIRIT, AND SPEND MANY DAYS TRYING TO RUN
AWAY FROM GOD AND OUR PROBLEMS...
DAVID RUNS TOWARD THE ENEMY...
1 Samuel 17:48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
VII. THERE IS MORE TO RUNNING THAN JUST GOING FAST...
I CAN OUT RUN YOU? HOW SHALL I RUN? WHAT PATH SHALL I RUN?
DO I HAVE THE MESSAGE?
A. THIS LESSON HAS TWO MAIN CHARACTERS...
AHIMAAZ... A VERY FASTER RUNNNER...
CUSHI... A SLOWER, DEPENDABLE RUNNER...
2 Samuel 18:23 But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.
B. We must know there is more to life than just RUNNING at a rapid pace...
C. We run and approach hills? level plains?
D. We are called to run without WEARINESS, and walk without fainting...
RUN STRAIGHT FORWARD?
E. AHIMAAZ RUNS THE RACE AND WINS... BUT HE FORGOT TO GET THE
MESSAGE... WE CAN’T BE FAST RUNNERS WITH NO MESSAGE...
F. LIKE BEING IN A CAR WITHOUT A DRIVER...
BY RUNNING AWAY FROM HIS CALL --- JONAH LOST
GOD’S PRESENCE...
GOD’S COMFORT ZONE...
GOD’S PEACE...
G. We can RUN GREAT RISKS BY OMITTING OBEDEINCE...
RAHAB AND HER SCARLET CORD...
VIII. WHAT ABOUT A RUNNING MOTHER?
WHAT CAN ONE WOMAN RUNNING DO? A NO NAME WOMAN?
RUN LADY --- RUN...
A. Elisha is the Preacher...
B. Meet the Preacher’s servant in training... GEHAZI...
C. We meet a woman that we do not know her name...
we call her the SHUNAMMITE WOMAN...
D. The SHUNAMMITE WOMAN LOVED AND RESPECTED THE MAN OF GOD...
She noticed the Preacher had to travel a lot and was away from home...
Elisha and Gehazi had no place to stay...
E. IN COMPASSION the Shunammite suggested to her husband, we can remodel the house and build on private quarters for the PREACHER TO STAY...
F. Years later Gehazi and Elisha have a discussion: HOW CAN WE THANK THIS WOMAN FOR HER KINDNESS? Gehazi made an observation, they have no children...
Elisha prays and 9 months later we can hear the patter of little feet in the hallway.
G. Years later at HARVEST TIME... the lad has a headache...
He dies... the SHUNAMMITE WOMAN RAN AS FAST AS THE HORSES COULD CARRY
HER TO THE PREACHER’S HOUSE...
2 Kings 4:22 And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again.
[23] And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.
[24] Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.
H. THERE IS A MIRACLE IN THE SHUNAMMITE HOME, BECAUSE SHE RAN TOWARD
GOD...
I. SHALL WE DECLARE AND RUN: IT SHALL BE WELL...
see part #2...
XVII. CLEAR VISION HELPS RUNNING...
Habakkuk 2:2 And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon
tables, that he may run that readeth it.
CONCLUSION...
HERE IS THE BATON... WILL YOU RUN IT FAITHFULLY TOWARD THE GOAL?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Pass this on to another? I did part I & 2 in a 4 part series...
adapt as you please...
