Mission: Impossible
Part 1
“Winning”
Introduction
If I were to ask you this morning,
“what is the mission of . . .
“… the Washington Redskins?” What would you say?
(Answer) To Win the Super Bowl.
How do you know if they are accomplishing their mission?
(Answer) Whether or not they are winning their games.
How do you know if they are winning their games?
(Answer) They keep the score.
I mean can you imagine what a game would be like if the teams just lined up and played each other going up and down the field but didn’t bother to keep the score? What would be the point? It would seem pretty aimless to me don’t you think? I mean can’t you just picture the teams blocking, hitting and pounding each other to get the ball into the end zone, only to realize that no one’s keeping score? The whole scenario is absolutely preposterous isn’t it?
The Mission of the Church
What if I were to ask you this morning,
“what about the mission of the church? what’s the mission of . . .
“. . . the church?”
I would dare say that most of us would point to Jesus’ words in Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)
According to Jesus, our mission as the church is to go into all the world and teach all people the life changing message of the Gospel, making disciples of those who
believe. If “Making Disciples of All People” is our mission, then how do we know if we’re winning? Or is church just one of those deals where you have a lot of activity of going up and down the field without keeping score? And if the score is important, just how do you go about keeping it? How do you keep score in the church?
New Hope Baptist
Our first church, New Hope Baptist kept score with an old oak board that hung on the wall just to the left of the platform. There were three ways that our church kept score and those three items were faithfully displayed every Sunday morning on the oak board. And they were:
• Worship Attendance
• Offering
• Hymns
I’ve come to realize that many churches are still keeping score this way. And while I don’t totally dismiss it, I am totally convinced that there are other ways to measure the churches’ effectiveness.
The Church At Corinth
I find it interesting that we’re not the only ones to ask or consider how to measure a churches’ effectiveness. Way back in the first century when the church was in it’s infancy, there was a local church in Corinth who were struggling with some of these same issues. In response to their questions the Apostle Paul pens what we now know as the Letter of 1 Corinthians. And for our time together, I would like to focus our attention on chapter nine, beginning with verse twenty-four.
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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. 25 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. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 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 (NIV)
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I absolutely love this passage of Scripture because this it is an autobiography of the apostle Paul himself. And if anyone was ever considered a winner in the Christian Life and in the Church, Paul would undoubtedly qualify. And so in these short four verses Paul Personally Models Three Characteristics of a Genuine Winner in both the Christian Life and the Church.
And I don’t know about you, but I really need to know what it means for our church to win as well as in my own walk with Christ.
Three Characteristics of Genuine Winners
The First Characteristic of a Winner is That . . .
#1. Winners Are Contenders.
Run in such a way as to get the prize. v.24
The First Characteristic of a Winner That Paul models is found in verse 24; notice what it says,
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.
1 Corinthians 9:24 (NIV)
If ever a word described the Apostle Paul, it would be Contender. He didn’t just live life, he attacked it. In Acts 14, Paul was preaching to a crowd in Lystra. Some of his enemies were able to turn to crowd against him, and they stoned him, dragged him outside the city and left him for dead. As soon as Paul came to, the Bible says "...he got up and went back into the city." He had such a burning desire to preach the gospel that even the threat of physical violence could keep him away. Talk about a Conteder! No wonder Paul could say at the end of his life...
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:7(NIV)
There is a huge difference between contenders and pretenders.
Pretender
Contender
• Concerned about Image and Impressions.
• Concerned about Authenticity and Integrity
• Settles for Mediocrity
• Strives for Excellence
• Quits in Difficulty
• Grows Through Difficulty
What Paul was trying to say is that if you really want to “win” in the Christian Life and in the Church, then you must be a contender!
Two Characteristics of Contenders
• They Are Competitive
• They Are Goal - Oriented
Run in such a way as to get the prize. v.25
(1) Contenders Are Competitive.
Contenders are competitive. And while athletes compete against one another, as Followers of Christ, and as the Church, our competition is much different. We compete with three influences:
• Societal Influences
• Satanic Influences
• Selfish Influences
Spiritual Contenders are competitors. And they have come to realize that every day of their lives is a competition for their heart. Paul called it “The Good Fight of Faith”. And whether you realize it or want to admit it friend, if you are a Follower of Jesus Christ, you are involved in a heated competition for your heart. In fact, this is one of the ways we know whether we are winning or not. Are our hearts gaining or losing ground? Are our hearts being strengthened through faith or weakened by fear? And you may be here this morning and feel as though you’re anything but a contender. In fact, you may feel as though you’ve fallen completely out of the race. I have good news for you! Get up and get back in the race! With God’s help you can be a contender again. With faith in Christ, you can not only compete, but you can win this race!
Contenders are not only Competitive, they are also …
(2) Contenders Are Goal-Oriented.
Run in such a way as to get the prize.
Winners are Contenders who reach for the prize.
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which
God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:14 (NIV)
If our goal is the win the prize and if we’re to “run to get the prize”, then wouldn’t it be nice to know what “the prize” is? What is the prize in the Christian Life? What is the reward? I dare say that most of us would say heaven. And we would be partially correct. Because heaven is part of the prize, but it’s not the prize. You want to know what the prize is?
The prize is a Changed Life.
And there are three dynamic changes or Transformations that God desires for each of our lives. And regardless of who you are, or where you are in your spiritual journey, you need one of these changes. What are they?
(1) Justification –(Salvation) – Darkness to Light
Saved from the Penalty of Sin.
(2) Sanctification – The Process of Becoming Like Christ.
Saved from the Power of Sin.
(3) Glorification – Ultimately Transformed into the Likeness of Christ.
Saved from the Presence of Sin.
Friends that’s the first characteristic of a winner. Someone who “runs to win”; a contender who is competitive and goal-oriented. Someone who refuses to settle for less than God’s best in their lives.
The Second Characteristic of a Winner is found in verses 25-26 of our text.
25 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. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.
1 Corinthians 9:25-26 (NIV)
The Second Characteristic of a Winner is That . . .
#2. Winners Are Always In Training.
Winners are always in training. It never stops. It’s a continual process throughout everyday of our lives. Now I know some people that I have talked to who actually get depressed about this. I don’t know about you, but I find this to be one of the most exhilarating aspects of the Christian life. To think that there’s always room to grow … that no matter how much we age, we can still be learning and growing!
Let’s look at two aspects of Spiritual Training according to Paul in this passage.
First of all there is . . .
(1) The Motivation for Training
v. 25 . . .
“They do it to get a crown that will not last;
but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”
• Internal Motives – Pride
• External Motives – Monetary Rewards, Popularity, Prestige,
• Eternal Motives – Life is a test and there will be a final exam.
“… train yourself to be godly. 8For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
1 Tim. 4:7-8 (NIV)
(2) The Method of Training
v. 26 . . .
26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly;
I do not fight like a man beating the air.
Our training must be purposeful, meaningful and applicable to our lives. I believe that people who “win” at the Christian Life and churches that win focus on three fundamental aspects of Spiritual Training.
And while these aspects are certainly not exhaustive, I think they are foundational and essential for every believer.
1. Spiritual Intimacy With Jesus Christ.
2. Authentic Community With Believers.
3. Compassionate Influence With Seekers.
So far Paul’s model of a winning Christian is that they are
• A Contender – they run to win
• Always in Training – they never stop growing.
But there’s one more characteristic that describes a winning church and a winning Christian and it’s found in verses 26-27.
26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 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 9:26-27 (NIV)
The Third Characteristic of a Winner is That . . .
#3. Winners Are Self - Controlled.
Self-Control provides two key if not essential ingredients for winning in the Christian Life.
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 9:27 (NIV)
(1) Self-Control Releases Power.
(2) Self-Control Creates Credibility.
The Secret of Self-Control: The Holy Spirit
Conclusion & Response
So let me ask you this morning, are you winning when it comes to the Christian Life? And I think the same question must be applied to our church. Are we winning?
I think there’s really only one way to know . . . are lives being changed? Because that’s what it’s all about . . . Changed Lives. In fact, that’s what we have adopted as our mission statement as a church.
The mission of Gateway Bible Church is to guide people into a growing relationship With Christ. And you can write it down, if you’re growing, you’re changing because there is no growth without change.
Remember the three dynamic changes or transformations that we discussed earlier? Have you experienced them?
• Have you been justified or made right before God by believing in His Son Jesus to save you from your sins?
• Is your heart growing stronger in faith or weaker in fear? Are you winning over temptations and habitual sins?
• If you died today, are you assured of heaven?
And I know that some of you would love to say to me,
“Jay, no offense, but, win? I’m just trying to survive. I haven’t won in so long that I ashamed to admit it. Winning for me has become impossible.”
Believe me when I say, I know. I’ve been there. But I’ve also been to Matthew’s Gospel which tells me,
With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
Matthew 19:26 (NIV)
