THE R.A.C.E
“…I have finished THE RACE…” – Apostle Paul (2 Tim 4:7)
Action: Display of a picture of a Marathon winner breasting the tape with arms raised
Hey, its Olympics time!!! There are several athletic events which would capture the imagination of Sports aficionados’ but one which is guaranteed to stir one’s soul is the Marathon race. Period. There are races and then there is Marathon in a pedestal of its own. There is no other race which places so much demand on a runner’s stamina and perseverance as this 26 miler does. The race that Apostle Paul is alluding to here in his dying declaration (very soon, he would die a martyr for Christ, beheaded by half-insane Roman Emperor Nero) is not your typical 100 metres sprint (I agree, it has its own appeal) but the marathon race of his spiritual life. Nine times out of ten, Christian life is more of a marathon than a Sprint. One is bound to come across more of Paul like testimonies, rather than accounts resembling that of repentant thief on a cross (his road to Paradise was a bit like a Bolt’s sprint race). Let’s hit the loop line and peep into the history of Marathon race…
Brief history of the Marathon race…
The modern Marathon commemorates the 25 km run of the soldier Pheidippides from a battlefield at the site of the town of Marathon, Greece, to Athens in 490 B.C. bringing news of a Greek victory over the Persians. Legend has it that Pheidippides delivered the momentous message "Niki!" ("victory"), then collapsed and died, thereby setting a precedent for dramatic conclusions to the marathon.
Action: a) Display of picture of Pheidippides running
b) Display of the picture of a map showing the route Pheidippides followed running from
Marathon to Athens
In 1908 the race’s length was extended from about 25 miles to 26.2 miles (42km) so that it finished in front of the Royal Box. This distance is still used today. Very much in line with the Biblical principle that the “BEST IS RESERVED FOR THE LAST” (John 2:10), the Men’s Marathon race (“BEST” athletic event) is invariably held on the last day of every Olympics games.
Onto main track again…
So what are the lessons we can glean from Apostle Paul’s life in the backdrop of a Marathon race? By the way how about weaving a sermon around the acronym RACE itself for easier understanding…using mostly the Pauline writings found in the Blessed Scripture…
R-REPENTANCE
Action: Display of picture of Saul of Tarsus blinded by a heavenly light on the Road to Damascus
While the life-changing experience of every Born-again Christian may not be as melodramatic as that of Apostle Saul (then Saul of Tarsus – Acts 9:1-16), no Christian can begin THE RACE OF HIS LIFE (life in tow with the Almighty) without REPENTANCE which is all about setting right the relationship with the Creator. This relationship was impaired by the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). The crafty Enemy of God –the Satan- and our souls did them (our first parents) in. Satan incidentally was one of the archangels in Heaven, before “the evil desire to sit in God’s throne entered him, resulting in his abysmal fall” (Isa 14:12-15).
All of us are sinners by birth enslaved to Satan proclaims the Bible (Romans 3:23/5:12). The Wise would concur. Think it through…after we are born and are growing…does anyone (our parents or our School teachers) teach us how to lie, how to become jealous etc…does it not come ALL (these sinful traits) VERY NATURALLY to us. Mama tells us a kid not to eat cookies, now no prizes for guessing that soon she would hear a sound of someone opening the box of cookies in a kitchen. That’s how the cookie has crumbled for mankind, as it were. Talk of Genetics and transmission of characteristic from a parent to a child…we all inherit the fallen Adamic nature...no wonder the Saviour launched His Earthly preaching ministry with these immortal words “REPENT for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matt 4:17). Ah, how’s that for prioritizing …putting horse before the cart…
I would never forget my childhood and early teenage age, which I spent wandering aimlessly in life, seeking pleasure from several Worldly enjoyments but having found no real, lasting joy I desperately went to Church one day (October 16th, 1983) in deep depression. There I heard a sermon on “Born-again experience” (John 3:3) and invited Jesus into my life. In retrospect, it seems that the Saviour was waiting there (St Georges Church, Abids, Hyderabad) for me with open arms…
The point to be noted here is EVERYONE ONE OF US IS A SINNER (including those with no police record/good social standing) NEEDING A SAVIOUR. Mind you, the good Lord was addressing a respectable religious Jewish Leader of his times namely Nicodemus when he spoke these words
“Unless you are born-again, you CANNOT see the Kingdom of God”-John 3:3
Hey, Saul of Tarsus, as religious a Jew as anyone could find also needed the Saviour. He makes no qualms accepting this fact…even going to the extent of treating his religious antecedents before accepting the Saviour as GARBAGE (Philippians 3:8)!!!
Want me to tell you, how I prayed on that day of 16th October 1983 “Lord Jesus, I confess I am a sinner by birth. I believe you shed your blood and died on the Cross for my sins. Please pardon all the sins, I have committed so far in my life. Please come into my life, RIGHT NOW. Amen”. Dear Reader, if you have already accepted the Saviour, Praise God, otherwise why not make Your’s truly’s prayer, yours too…RIGHT NOW! It is at this point that the Starter’s gun is heard in the spiritual marathon race called the Christian life.
Action: Display of picture of the Starter’s gun going off
A-ABUNDANT LIFE/ANOINTING...
Let’s continue with the Paul saga in Acts 9…
Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.- Acts 9:17-19
Action: Display of picture with the tree containing nine-fold Fruit of the Holy Spirit
Every Christian at the point of his regeneration becomes a Temple of God (1 Cor 3:16), with the Spirit of God indwelling him (Romans 8:9) for without which, it would be impossible for him to say NO to the attractions of the flesh, World or Satan (from whose domain, he has been saved). Ditto with Saul, who now became Paul…
The Saviour has promised ABUNDANT LIFE (John 10:10) to all those who accept Him. What can be more abundant, then enjoying the fruit of the Holy Spirit-THE COMFORTER- right here on Earth (John 14:16)!
Contrasted with “fruit of the Satan”, which everyone “suffers from” before regeneration
“…sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these….” Gal 5:19-21
imagine and experience for yourselves how fulfilling the fruit of the Spirit is“…love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control...” (Gal 5:22-23).
Talk of having a foretaste of Heaven right here on Earth!!! No wonder, a Christian after “tasting Christ” goes to any extent to sustain that relationship which opened the “fountains of heavenly joy” in him in the first place. Yes, even if it means dying as a martyr, if the situation so demands. In the midst of all suffering, note the Pauline declaration emanating from the “Rivers of Joy” flowing in his heart…
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day."-2 Cor 4:7-16
“No I cannot live for a moment, in the absence of the comforting presence of my Lord. It would be like living on hell”…so goes not only my refrain but that of countless born-again Christians in the last two thousand years. How amazing is this Christian race, where the “juiced up” runner (with the Coach –the Holy Spirit- empowering him from inside-Eph 3:16/Heb 13:9) can NEVER LOSE!!!
After enjoying the Fruit of the Spirit, with passage of time with continual obedience come the gifts of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life. This would vary from person to person (1 Cor 12), depending on the kind of Ministry the Lord has planned for him. Anointing of the Spirit a Christian receives at the point of his regeneration and one at the beginning of his service unto the Lord are different. It would not be plain joy but a joyous experience nevertheless even as the FIRE passes through him. I would never forget the experience of FIRE settling on me one, rainy July evening in 1989 (after six years of my walking with the Lord), as I began preaching my FIRST sermon in a youth service in St Georges Church, Abids, Hyderabad. Truth to tell, afterwards for a few hours, I was afraid even to go to the washroom…
Without the inner equipping it would not be possible to be an effective “Lord’s spokesman”. Imagine, Yours Truly preaching on Oct 17th, 1983 in the Youth Service of St Georges Church…the very next day after being Born again. NO WAY…HEY, BABY NEEDS TO GROW, LEARN TO WALK BEFORE RUNNING…
C-CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST
“…And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”- 2 Cor 3:18
Action: Display of picture of "different stages" of sculpting of Christ’s face.
With consistent Cross-bearing (Ah, yet another C) which is all about saying YES to all God-honoring acts and NO to all selfish desires- I repeat with the indwelling Spirit empowerment- a Christian slowly but steadily becomes conformed to the image of Christ.
Here, I would like to proclaim the COMPLETE purpose of the Final Adam’s (Read Jesus-1 Cor 15:45) First Coming. Figuratively put, if “searching and saving the Lost” is step one of His 2-step Grand design, then step two is all about “re-forming” in us the pristine, God-like image the First Adam created with the same (Genesis 1:27) had lost due to the FALL. If by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5), does it not follow that by His marred image/disfigurement that Crucifixion brought upon him (Isaiah 52:14), He set the process rolling of restoring the original God-like image in us?
Long before Apostle Paul penned his dying declaration (2 Tim 4:7) on completing the course, a look at his approach to the “Christian race of life” would seem to be the very definition of the Olympics motto…Citius, Altius, Fortius…Faster, Higher and Stronger…here goes…
"I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us"-Phillpians 3:12-14
Hmmm…didn’t somebody say Christian life is also like riding a bicycle…if you do not keep pedaling forward, you are bound to fall down!!!
Action: Display of animation of a Cyclist pedaling
By the way, the words enshrined in the Olympics motto were penned not by the founding Father of the Modern Olympic movement namely Baron de Coubertin but by a Pastor friend of his…thanks Pastor Henri Martin Didon (his picture is given below). As a Pastor myself, am I not proud of this fact!!!
Action: a) Display of an animation of a proud little teddy bear somersaulting with joy
b) Display of picture of Henri Martin Didon
Oh yes Marathon calls for a long haul. If there is one virtue in Christ which stands tall, it is His infinite patience borne out of His infinite love. Truth be told, if one is called Christ-like, it simply means that He is as patient and long-suffering as Christ, which takes us to yet another Pauline personal account under the next sub-heading
E-Endurance
"Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm."-2 Cor 11:24-27
Add to this the “thorn in his flesh” which refused to go away (2 Cor 12:1-10) and the picture emerges of a marathon runner battling exhaustion chugging along one weary mile after the other, with the flesh crying halt but the spirit spurring on. Here I am reminded of a true-life account...
At ten minutes to seven, on a dark, cool, evening in Mexico City in 1968, John Stephen Arkwari of Tanzania, painfully hobbled into the Olympic stadium-the last to finish the marathon. The winner had already been crowned, and the victory ceremony was long finished. So, the stadium was almost as empty as Arkwari was. His leg bloody, and bandaged, he struggled to circle the track to the finish line.Documentary film-maker, Bud Greenspan, watched from a distance. Then,
intrigued, Greenspan walked over to Arkwari and asked why he had continued the grueling struggle to the finish line even after injury.The young man from Tanzania answered softly, ’My country did not send me 9,000 miles to start the race. They sent me 9,000 miles to finish the
race.’
Get this straight...the Master did not sugar-coat the demands of walking in the straight and the narrow nor did Paul (Acts 14:22). Yes Christian life is not only tough but impossible if you try to go it alone. John Stephen may have hung on thanks to his sheer determination, however in Christian life the winning combo is your will power laced with God’s indwelling power. In conclusion, I would like to remind everyone of the Scripture portion, which best sums up the Christian life
‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord (Zech 4:6).
Christian life, simply put is as easy or tough as letting Christ live in and through us.
But justifiably to Apostle Paul should belong the LAST WORD.
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”-Gal 2:20
Action: Display of animation of Five different types’ of Crowns
Who then would begrudge Apostle Paul the Imperishable Crown (I Cor 9:24-27) for disciplined Christian living , the Crown of rejoicing (1 Thess 2:19-20) for stupendous evangelism , the Crown of Glory for Pastoral work (yes, he was a Pastor at Ephesus for three years preaching the full counsel of God-I Peter 5:4/Acts 19:9-10/Acts 20:27/31), the Crown of righteousness (2 Tim 4:8) for constant anticipation of Church rapture and the Crown of Life (Rev 2:10) for eventual martyrdom . Was there a greater warrior…opps sorry…GREATER RUNNER FOR THE LORD? NONE, IF YOU ASK ME.
The moot point now is, with stalwarts like him watching us from the Heavenly stands (Heb 12:1), how are we running our race? Carry on Christian…
Suresh Manoharan
PS: This Sermon replete with pictures/map/animations is also available in the URL given below...
http://www.jandsmministries.com/message_aug1_12.asp
