Beginning with the End in Sight - 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 - September 9, 2007
This morning as we have gathered to worship the Lord I am reminded of the fleeting nature of life. It is here today and gone tomorrow, or so it seems. And none of us know the day nor the hour when we’ll be called to stand before the Lord. The days turn into weeks, the weeks into months, the months into years, and we are left wondering where they have all gone. 70 – 80 – 90 years – seems such a very short time in which to build something worthwhile out of the opportunities we’ve been given. Now I confess, I’m not normally quite so somber as I begin a message, but this morning there is a personal reason for all this introspection. You see, even now, as I speak with you, there is a friend of the family, a friend of many years, who lies in a lonely hospital bed in British Columbia. He is a young man – younger than me – and the chances are that he’ll never leave that hospital again. Now it’s true, he’s made many of what we would consider to be bad choices in his life – choices that may have contributed to the state he finds himself in now. Choices which have deeply hurt and bewildered those closest to him and choices to shut friends and family out of his life entirely. But though he’s chosen to shut everyone out of his life it does not mean that they have stopped caring about him. And I’ve thought about him quite a bit over the last few days and I find myself wondering what he must be thinking at this time. His was a life of such potential and I wonder if today he is looking back at a life filled with regrets, wishing that he had made different choices. Is he bitter? Is he frightened? Is he looking ahead at what is to come with fear and trepidation? I don’t have the answers to those questions of course – they simply weigh upon my heart and I think they weigh even more heavily than they might because over my years in ministry I’ve seen people wrestle with each one of those things as the end drew near. And as I think about each of those instances the thought crosses my mind again – that it didn’t have to be that way - that each one of those lives was filled with such potential – the potential to do good – the potential to help others – the potential to bring joy – and the potential to bring glory to God – potentials that were never really realized. And I want you to understand this morning that whether you are 5 years old, or 95 years old, that same potential beckons to you this day as well. Each day is a new opportunity to live life to the fullest and to build something worthwhile out of it before it too passes away.
And make no mistake: How we live our lives, and what we do with each day that we are given, truly does matter. “As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.” Some of you will recognize those words, I’m sure. They are originally found in the book of Isaiah and they are quoted in the New Testament by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans after which he says this: “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” [Romans 14:11-12]. Brothers and sisters the day will come when each and every one of us here this morning will be required to give an account of ourselves before a Holy God. And I don’t know if you’ve ever thought of that day but I would encourage you to think of it in these moments. For in that day nothing will be hidden, nothing will be obscured, and the very thoughts and motives of our hearts will be laid bare. Knowing that, and contemplating the gravity of that encounter which is yet to be, I want to ask you how these truths might transform our lives.
I know that as a child I wanted to please my parents. I sought to live in such a manner as to avoid their displeasure because I knew that if I did not, that one day there would be a reckoning which I would not enjoy! How much more so when it comes to the kingdom of God? As a child of God today it is in my mind that one day I will be called to give an account of my entire life to a Holy God – every thought, every word, every action, every deed, every shameful thing I would like to hide, every deed of darkness which I would like to forget, will be brought into the light of God’s eye. And what I build with my life here today will be tested and purified by fire in some tomorrow yet to come, and in that day I want to find that my life had real meaning, had eternal significance. Someone once said that real failure is this: "...living without knowing what life is all about, feeding on things that do not satisfy, thinking you have everything, only to find out in the end you have nothing that matters." And that’s how so many people are living their lives in these days. And perhaps you’ve even come to that realization at some point in your own life – or maybe you find yourself there right now, today – a time when you questioned what life was all about, when you asked those hard question trying to figure out what it was that really mattered, when you spent time seeking to discover what it would be that would give your life real meaning.
In his 1st letter to the Corinthians Paul writes these words …
If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. [1 Corinthians 3:10-15]
If you listen to them long enough these days, many people will tell you that what you believe, doesn’t really matter. But the truth is that it does matter – and it matters more than we realize - because what you believe, informs how you live, and the choices that you make. And how you live your life determines what it is that you are building with on that foundation that Paul talks about. And what you are building with your life determines the reward that you’ll receive from God. What we believe matters because it informs the choices that we make in life.
That being the case, I invite you to turn with me this morning to the book of 1 Corinthians. We’re going to read a passage from the 9th chapter of that book and we’ll begin reading in verse 24. And as you’re turning there let me tell you a little story that will help you understand how what we believe, impacts the way we behave, and the things that we do. The other night as we lay sleeping in bed, Heather suddenly sprang up from under the covers yelling that the house was on fire. Let me tell you – that got my heart going! And I jumped out of bed too. Heather’s walking around the room sniffing the air and repeating over and over that “the house is on fire.” I couldn’t smell any smoke but I made a quick tour of the house to check the kids and to check for this fire she was so worried about. It turns out that there was no fire and Heather was just walking and talking in her sleep. But I responded the way I did because I believed her. In that instance, my beliefs informed my behavior. And Paul is going to show us in a similar way, through his words to the Corinthians, how what we believe should affect how we live our lives. Our beliefs as Christians should inform our actions in each day. So let’s start reading beginning in verse 24:
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 do it 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. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
[1 Corinthians 9:24-27]
Paul takes the imagery of the Roman games – an image which the Corinthians would have well understood – the determination of the athletes and the prize for which they competed – and applies it to the race we run as Christians. And what he’s essentially saying is this: If we truly believe the Word of God, and are born again through faith in Christ, then the way we live our lives is going to be transformed by the beliefs we hold. Because we cannot meet the living Lord and go away untouched. And if that’s the case then we’re not going to live empty, meaningless, lives with no focus or purpose beyond ourselves – we’re going to live lives that have eternal significance before God. And I want to ask you this morning: How are we going to build lives of eternal significance - because remember, one day each one of us will be called to given an account of ourselves before a Holy God. So how do we run in such a way as to win the prize? How do we run in such a way as to store up for ourselves treasure in heaven? How do we run in such a way that we may one day hear those words from our Lord, “Well done my good and faithful servant?”
Let me suggest three things that will help us on this journey of faith. First of all we must run with Determination. Verse 24 … “Do you not know,” Paul says, “that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” Think of this runner whom Paul has imagined … He’s giving the race everything he has – he’s keeping nothing back because he’s not out to come in second place – he’s there to win! And so he pushes himself hard, his heart is pounding, his chest is heaving with exertion, the sweat is pouring down his face. The crowd is going wild around him as he runs but he doesn’t see them. There is only one thought on his mind and that is to win the race. He’s determined to get there and nothing will distract him from his goal. This is the single minded devotion Paul is talking about. We must run this race with determination because there are going to be all sorts of distractions in life that would pull us off course.
Have you ever noticed how hard you’re willing to work at something that is important to you? How much of your time, your energy, your resources you’re willing to give to something you’re passionate about? People can often tell what interests you, what’s important to you, what you’re passionate about, by the things you talk about, the things you give your time to, the things you give your money for. Think of the people in your life … what would you say they were working hard for? Your spouse? Your children? Looking at their lives what would you say they were running the race for? And then turn it around and ask yourself: “What would my spouse, or my children, or my friends say that I’m living my life for?” You see, some of us may have gotten off course and we may no longer be running the same race we started years ago. Some may be running the race for financial security. Oh, they started out right when they first came to faith but somewhere along the line the cares and the busyness of the world have caused them to wander away from the race they should be running and instead they find themselves permanent entrants in the rat race of life. Others may be working to gain for themselves material possessions – new trucks, new homes, more toys. Some might be running their race to live a life of pleasure. Others might be looking for success and recognition in their jobs. I know a man who at last count was working 7 jobs. He is determined, he is successful, he is well thought of by those in the community and he’s hard at it running the race. But he’s running the wrong race. And one day, and I fear it may be one day too late, he’s going to wake up to the fact that he’s running for a prize that’s going to pass away. And in that day, not only is he going to realize that he’s lost everything he’s worked so hard for, but he also might just realize that it cost him his family as well. What he is running for is not worth it. And friends, we are called to run a better race. We are privileged to run for a prize which will not spoil nor fade nor pass away and which can not be taken from us.
Think of this: The athlete in our verses this morning ran for nothing more important that a garland of twisted pine boughs with which he would be crowned. But to get that crown he applied himself to winning that race. And he struggled and he went without and he sacrificed in order to see that happen. And he did it for a crown which would wither die in just a short while. Folks, if people are willing to work so hard, and apply themselves so fully, to the things of this world – things which will one day spoil and fade and pass away – then how much more should we be giving ourselves to the things of the kingdom of God, for we run this race, not for a crown that spoils and fades, but rather for a crown which will endure for eternity.
So let me ask you this: What would your life look like if you were to completely abandon yourself to God and what he wanted to do in you and through you? What would it take to give yourself wholeheartedly to living a Christian life without compromise and without apology? What would this church look like if we were each to do that very thing? And then what would this community look like as that spread beyond the walls of the church? D. L. Moody once heard a man say, “The world has yet to see what God can do through a man totally dedicated to him.” Moody’s response was to cry out to God and say, “Lord, I want to be that man.” As a result thousands of lives were transformed for all eternity.
I like to play with my kids and I like to chase them around and try to catch them. They run as hard as their little legs will go to get away from me – they are determined to escape. And as the twins get older they’re getting harder to catch. But a couple of years ago, when Kierra was only about 3, I was chasing her through the house and I heard her cry out a warning to her brother and sister, “Run for your lives! Run for your lives! Daddy’s coming, run for your lives!” Christians, we should be running for our lives too and that’s a race that we must run with determination.
But we need more than just determination if we want to finish the race well. We must also run with Discipline. Verse 25 … “Everyone who competes in the games,” says Paul, “goes into strict training.” An Olympic athlete trains hard for months, for years really. They work out daily. They eat right. They make sure they get the proper amount of rest so that their bodies can be in optimum health for the race to come. They train themselves to push on through the weariness that threatens to overwhelm them. They drive themselves to continue when everything in them is crying out to give up, to take a break. They commit themselves to ignore the aches and the pains of the day. They have disciplined themselves to train for the race which they will run. And Paul says that we, as Christians, need to go into strict training as well.
So how do we go about that? Well turn with me for a moment to Hebrews chapter 12. Keep your place in 1 Corinthians because we’ll go back there in a few moments but turn with me to Hebrews 12 verse 1. This is what is written there …
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. [Hebrews 12:1]
If you want to run this race and run it well you’re going to have to do a couple of things. The first is this: Get rid of the sin that so easily entangles. Imagine running a marathon while carrying your suitcases with you – you’d never make it across the finish line. Long before you got there they would have tripped you up and worn you down. So it is with the sin in our lives. Deal with the known sin in your life and then ask God to show you if there is anything else in your life which is displeasing to him and you will throw off that sin which so easily entangles.
But there is more than just sin which pulls us down and makes it difficult for us to finish this race well. In Hebrews it is called that which “hinders” us. All sin will hinder us in this race but not all that hinders us is sin. There are some things in life that can make it hard for us to run the race well that are not necessarily sinful but they do hinder our spiritual growth and maturity. Let me give you an example: We might find that we are involved in so many other activities that we find we don’t have the time to apply ourselves to that which will help strengthen us for the race – things like Bible reading, prayer, worship, fellowship, giving and service - all things which we need to give ourselves to in order to finish this race well. And those activities in and of themselves might not be sinful at all but they might be hindering some of us as we are finding it harder and harder to make the time to spend with God . And we’ve let the things of this world, sometimes even the things of ministry, encroach upon that time we spend in the presence of the Lord. And as a result we’re struggling to run the race and to run it well. We’re growing weary. We’re growing discouraged. We’re growing fearful. Hearts are being hardened and it all happens so gradually that we don’t even notice it at first.
Therefore each one of us must take the time for some self examination if we want to run this race so as to win. So take the time this week to look into your own life for that which hinders and entangles and if you have a family at home sit down and do it together asking yourself: What is there in our family dynamics or activities that might be keeping us from running this race as well as we ought. I know in our own family we cut out the television completely about 8 months ago now. It was not so much a sin issue as a hindrance issue when we came to realize how much our television watching was detracting from our family life and from our spiritual growth.
Now if we kept reading in Hebrews chapter 12 we would read these words:
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. [Hebrews 12:1-3].
Which leads us to our final point this morning, If you want to run the race to win, Begin the race with the End in Sight. The second half of verse 25 … Paul writes, “They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” As you run the race, keep in mind the prize for which you run and then never waver from it. Three little boys were playing in the snow one day when a man came along and said to them, "Would you like to try a race and the winner will receive a prize?" The boys agreed and the man told them that his race was to be different and he said, "I will go to the other side of the field, and when I give you the signal, you will start to run. The one whose footsteps are the straightest in the snow will be the winner." The man got to the other end of the field, gave the signal, and the boys were off like a shot. But it wasn’t long before the first boy started looking at his feet to see if his steps were straight. And yet as he looked down he wandered to the left and to the right. The second fellow kept looking at his companions to see what they were doing and he too wandered to the side; but the third boy just ran with his eyes steadfastly fixed on the man on the other side of the field. And he of course was the winner for his footsteps were straight in the snow. He had kept his eyes on the goal ahead of him. Scripture tells us to “Fix our eyes upon Jesus,” and if we can do that in each day, we will keep in mind the prize for which we run and we will not easily be lead to the left nor to the right.
I like what newspaper columnist Herb Caen once wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle: "Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle; when the sun comes up, you'd better be running." And so it is with us as Christians. To use Paul’s imagery, whether we realize it or not, we’re in a race and we better wake up each day running that race, determined to win, disciplined enough to cast off all that entangles and hinders, with the goal, the end, the prize, in sight. Because if we don’t we will never be able to finish well; we’ll never be able to say as Paul did as he neared the end of his life,
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—[2 Timothy 4:7-8]
And I want to make it clear this morning as we close – that we do not run the race to try to earn our salvation; we run the race because we’ve already received salvation and the promise of heaven through faith in Jesus Christ. James says that faith without works is dead. As we run the race we apply our faith to life and it expresses itself through our thoughts, our words, and our deeds. And as we diligently and determinedly run this race we bring glory to God, we make him visible to others in our lives, and we store up for ourselves treasures in heaven that will never perish, spoil nor fade. So friends, run the race as though only one can win, and then determine to be that one.
Let’s pray.
