Choices Part 6
Finish Your Race
Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Matthew 7:13-23; 25:31-46
Introduction
This message is part six and the conclusion of my series “Choices.” In my message on last Sunday I asked you to choose love. The reason that I asked you to choose love is because who we are as Christians has love as the foundation. Everything we do as Christians should be based on our love for our fellowman. If we do not have love as our foundation, nothing else matters. As I shared with you on last Sunday, Jesus said that if we are His disciples, we would be known by the love we have for one another. He also said that if we loved Him, we would keep His commandments. Our love for Him is demonstrated through our actions. This morning I am closing this series with a simple request – finish your race! This is the first day of the rest of your race – finish it! Our foundational Scripture, which you should know by now, comes from 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. Let’s read it one last time. “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus; not with uncertainty. Thus I fight; not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) This morning I want to focus our attention back on verse twenty-four, specifically where Paul says, “Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” He was talking about winning the prize based on how we run the race. As a backdrop for this message I want to use the story of Kayla Montgomery.
I. But Lord Jesus, I Knew You!
On the first of February, my daughter Clarissa sent me a video of Kayla Montgomery. Kayla Montgomery, for those of you unfamiliar with her, is a college student at Nashville’s Lipscomb University studying molecular biology. At the age of fourteen she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease of the brain and spinal cord where the immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibers and causes communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body. The symptoms and severity of the disease is different in each individual. After Kayla was diagnosed she decided and devoted herself to running, competing and setting new records – something unheard of for someone with MS. To accomplish her goal, as Paul said “Run in such a way that you may obtain it,” she began to train six days a week and run distances of 40 miles each week. When she began competing in races, she realized that about one mile into the race her legs began to go numb. Kayla’s MS affects the areas that are in control of how she feels her legs so when her body temperature rises (as she runs) the symptoms of her MS reappear. Think about it, the more and harder she runs, the more her symptoms worsen. Can you see this in your mind? As you visualize this, turn with me to Matthew chapter seven and I will come back to Kayla shortly.
In Matthew I want to use two teachings of Jesus to describe our individual races. One of the teachings focuses on false Church leaders while the second one focuses on every person who considers themselves a Christian. I shared with you on last Sunday that the “qualification” for our race, and there was only one, is love. When we accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, we were filled with His love. That love was not to be contained within us, but shared with others so that they too could have this relationship with our risen Savior. I have talked about the primary goal of our race is to win souls for Christ and this is done, not necessarily by the preaching from the pulpit, but more often from our individual interactions with others. What I want us to see this morning is that it’s not just the action, it the motivation behind the action as I shared last week. Let’s begin reading at verse thirteen of Matthew chapter seven.
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me you who practice lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:13-23)
In verses thirteen and fourteen Jesus talks about how narrow the gate is that leads to life and that few will find it. In contrast, He said wide is the gate that leads to destruction and many will find that gate. He was telling us that the race we are in is not an easy race and because it requires effort to run it, few will actually finish it – get through to the right gate. He said the way, or the road to the gate that leads to life is narrow. When I was a child, we would go visit my grandmother in the country. Right before you came to her house, you had to cross a one lane bridge. The road narrowed to the bridge and you had to be careful how you crossed it. Only one car could go across at a time. This is the picture that I see when Jesus talks about entering the narrow gate. Two lanes becoming narrower into one. But some of you have not seen that, so let me give you this picture. Interstate 35 travels north and south, from state to state. It goes through the heart of Kansas City. When you’re driving on Interstate 35 you can go non-stop with the miles per hours going from 50 to 70 depending on where you are on it. Interstate 35 can be visualized as the wide gate, it has six lanes (3 going in both directions) and you have the freedom to just drive. There is another road that runs parallel to Interstate 35 and its call Pflumm. It does not take you from state to state, but if you live in Kansas, you can go from Olathe to Shawnee. This road is a two lane road with stop lights. You cannot drive right through – you have stop every so often. This road is like the road leading to the narrow gate. Why? Because as a Christian we can no longer run in the fast lanes, we have to slow down. There are times when we must stop – our lifestyles have changed. Stopping at a red light or stop sign is obeying the laws – practicing self-discipline versus speeding on the interstate. Can you see the difference or does this only make sense to me?
After Jesus spoke of the narrow and wide gates, He transitioned to a warning about false prophets who appear in sheep’s clothing (harmless) but are really ravenous (extremely hungry) wolves that would destroy us. These individuals are Church leaders whose hearts are not aligned to Christ. Jesus said we are to watch their fruit and by their fruit we will know them. Why is this true? If our foundation is love, it will show from the inside out. However, if our foundation is not love, we can fake it and still get some results, but in the end the truth will come out. Jesus said that you will know the tree by the fruit it bears. A good tree will bear good fruit likewise a bad tree will bear bad fruit. We need to be looking at the fruit of those we look up to. Their fruit will show us what is in their hearts. Now Jesus gets to the heart of what I want us to see this morning.
In verses twenty-one through twenty-three Jesus transitions again to when all will stand before Him on the Day of Judgment. He says clearly that not everyone who cries “Lord, Lord” will enter into heaven, but those that does the will of His Father. But He did not stop there, He went further. He said in verse twenty-two “Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?” Do you see this? Look at their actions which they raised to Jesus: they prophesied in His name; they cast our demons; and they performed many miracles. These are things they did in the name of Jesus and it worked! If we witnessed someone doing these things we would be so impressed that we would follow their ministries and attend their revivals. We would be believers and according to our standards these people would be the first to enter into heaven. They did things many of us have not even thought we could do. But what was Jesus’ response? He said, “And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me you who practice lawlessness.” Why didn’t Jesus know then when they were obviously running in His race? They were doing “Christian works!” He did not know them because while they may have been doing the work, their hearts were not aligned to Him. They were doing the work for other reasons. They were living dual lives – a wolf in sheep’s clothing. They looked good on the outside but inside they were something different.
I need you to see this. Just because someone works miracles and do Christian works, it does not mean that they are saved and walking with the Lord. Not everyone who claims to know the Lord does the Lord know! Some people are “aware” of the Lord and think they know Him, but Jesus does not know them. It’s like being aware of a famous person that you’ve never met. You know of them but they are clueless as to who you are. This is the relationship that some have with Christ based on “how” they are running their race. The power is in the name of Jesus and demon will bow to that name. Sickness will be healed through that Name. Miracles will be done through His name. The power is in the name of Jesus, not the individual calling on His name! However, the one using that name must love Him otherwise as I shared last week, the work is meaningless to the one doing it – even though it might bless those around them. This is serious. I believe these verses were written to Christian leaders – those who stand out amongst the Church. For this very reason we need to watch their fruit. Over time a person’s heart will be shown in how they live. They can fake it for a while, but it will eventually show itself. Now some of you may be thinking, ‘Pastor I am just a member doing my best, and those you just describe does not include me.’ Well let me get on your street!
II. Profession In Action
James 2:14-17 says “What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.”
What James captures here is what Jesus had taught – what we will read in Matthew chapter twenty-five. James said that if we have faith, we would have accompanying works. Simply stated, if you are a Christians, you should be running your race, not sitting on the sideline. James used the example of seeing a brother or sister in need and doing nothing about it. Jesus gave a few more examples. Turn to Matthew chapter twenty-five and we will begin at verse thirty-one.
"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:31-46)
In these verses Jesus captures the heart of all of our races – what we are doing for others and the motivation/attitude we have when we do it. Are we doing something for self-gratification or to check a “spiritual” box, or are we doing it because of our love of Him. Jesus gave several examples that we can all relate to. His children fed the hungry, gave water to the thirsty, helped strangers, clothed the naked, visited the sick, and visited those in prison just to name a few. These things were done, not to check a box, but because it was the right thing to do and they loved Jesus. How do we know this? Because when Jesus praised them for their work, they were confused because they did not see themselves as doing anything “for Him” specifically. Jesus then explained that when they had done it for the least of those around them, they were actually doing it to Him also. Do you see this? This is our race. Likewise Jesus said to those who were being sent to hell, they did none of these things. When they too asked Jesus when they had ever denied Him, He told them the same, when they had not helped the least of their brothers, they had denied Him help.
I want you to see that it’s not just what we do, it what, how and why we do it. I can spend my life focusing on me and never helping anyone else and die and go to hell because it’s impossible for me to say I love and serve God and do nothing to help those around me. The Bible makes that very clear. Likewise, I can do everything to help others, but do it out of an obligation and without any love for Christ and still die and go to hell. Why? Because my heart is not aligned to Christ! However, if I am saved and I truly love Christ, I will live out my salvation in my actions towards others. I can’t help but want to spread the love that is within me. Do you see this?
Series Conclusion
I want to close with a reminder of how we should be running – we should be running so that we can obtain the prize. And with that I want to finish the story of Kayla Montgomery. I told you she was fourteen when she was diagnosed with MS. She started training and started running long distances. She started competing as a long distance runner. She told her coach she wanted to run fast and that is where she focused her mind. She ran faster and faster. She began to break records and still she ran. What is so amazing about her story is that the way MS is manifested within her body, when she runs she begins to lose the feeling in her legs after about a mile (a short distance for a long distance runner.) By the time she finishes the race, she literally cannot feel her legs and her coach must be at the finish line to catch her otherwise she would fall to the ground. She runs directly into his arms and collapses. By this time she cannot feel her legs and the feeling does not return until they get her body temperature down. She told CNN in an interview, “Every day that I run, it might be my last day – I could easily wake up tomorrow and not be able to move.” As I told you earlier, the more and harder she runs the worse her symptoms get. Many people would stop running as a means to control their symptoms – but not Kayla. She is running her race(s) and she continues to win! And, after each and every race, her coach is there with his arms wide to embrace and carry her off the track.
We are running in a spiritual race. All of us have things that we are fighting against to compete in our race. Sometimes we too get numb with religious practices and go through the motions of running because we are on autopilot. Sometimes we need this just to make it to the next day. But we are still running. At the end of our race, we too will have a coach standing at the finish line with His arms wide open to embrace and welcome us – but we need to get to the finish line. Imagine Jesus at our finish line – His arms spread wide as He welcomes us home. Imagine falling into His arms as you finish your race. Your legs are tired, you can’t catch your breath and all of your energy is spent. Imagine Him picking you up and saying softly in your ear – “Well done faithful servant, you’ve won your race!” If we finish our race, I believe we will experience this!
As you walk this earth, believe that your life is not your own, you are a vessel. Allow the love that God placed within you to come out and touch the world. Stop doing religious activities and start serving God just as you can do. You can touch a life that no one else can, do not let up! I hope that you have gained something from this series. May God continue to bless and keep you and may you know it!
Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
