Rev. Lin Smalec Salem Church, Waynesboro, PA
TRUE REALITY - THE AMAZING RACE
13 November 2005
How many of you have ever been in a foot race or marathon? Wow! I really admire people who can put out the physical effort needed to run in a race like that. Words like endurance, courage, persistence, and fortitude come to mind when I think about running in a race.
Now, how many of you have ever seen the reality TV show, “The Amazing Race”? I have to admit I had never seen it until I watched a few episodes to prepare for this message. It’s actually a pretty good show - in fact, it’s won the Emmy several years in a row for the best reality TV show. Let me describe it to you in case you’ve never seen it.
The competitors are teams of people who have a preexisting relationship, such as family, friends, or coworkers. The version on now is the family edition, so it’s teams of four family members. Other editions have been couples of one kind or another. Anyway, 11 teams compete in an “amazing race” around the world. They never know where they are going or what they’ll have to do when they get there. There are physical and mental tasks to complete at each destination in order for them to earn the next clue to the next destination. They are allowed limited financial resources, so the teams must rely on their creativity, courage, and sheer luck to get ahead. They are pushed to their physical and emotional limits. They are totally taken out of their comfort zone, competing in foreign countries where they don’t speak the language. At regular intervals, the last team to arrive at a specified destination is eliminated. The million dollar prize is awarded to the first team to make it to the finish.
I’ve found the few episodes I’ve watched fascinating. The families competing vary in age and makeup - but the biggest challenge for them is not dealing with foreign cultures or languages, but learning how to work together, how to tap into the strengths of each person,
in order for their team to get ahead. Those teams who can’t cooperate find themselves falling behind!
For the past few weeks we have been using the lens of reality TV shows to illuminate some facets of true reality - the reality of the Christian life. You’ll remember that I made the point that reality TV is not reality! Reality is defined as “the fact, state or quality of being real or genuine”. (1) Reality TV shows may be unscripted and the characters may not be actors, but that does not mean that reality TV is truly real or genuine!
But the true reality is that all of us, as followers of Jesus Christ, are participating in an amazing race! And our race doesn’t just take hours or days or weeks - our race lasts for a lifetime!
Turn with me to the letter to the Hebrews, chapter 12. (READ 12:1-2) This is one of many places in the New Testament where athletic imagery is used to teach spiritual truths. You see, the Greeks and Romans were passionate about sports and athletics - we Americans are very similar to them in this area. It was considered patriotic to be a good athlete and to bring
honor and glory to your city or country by winning an event. (2, pg 322) The popularity of athletics made such imagery very effective in preaching and teaching God’s reality to the early Christians.
The writer to the Hebrews says “let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.” What is he talking about? What race? How does this apply to us? Well, let’s think for a moment about some of the elements of a typical race.
First of all, a race has a goal. No race goes on forever and ever, mindlessly running around in circles. No race backtracks to the beginning. Every race has a goal - a finish line.
In the amazing race of the Christian life, what is our goal, our finish line? What is the purpose of our race? William Barclay suggests that “the goal is nothing less than the likeness of Christ. The Christian life is going somewhere, and it would be well if, at each day’s ending, we were to ask ourselves: “Am I any farther on?”” (3, pg 171). In his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul says this: “Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14, NASB) Remember that the word “Christian” really means to be a “little Christ”. If we are followers of Jesus Christ, then the ultimate goal of our amazing race of life is to become more and more like him in what we say, what we do, what we think and what we believe.
The next thing to notice about a race is that it usually has an audience - spectators that cheer on their favorite athlete right to the end of the race! Sometimes, those cheering are the ones who have already finished the race. Andy and I witnessed this at the Walt Disney World Marathon last January - those who finished the race early lined the race course, cheering on those who were still running. What a great attitude of support and encouragement!
Well, in the amazing race of the Christian life, we, too, have an audience - a very special audience. The writer to the Hebrews says “since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses...”. Who are these witnesses? They are the men and women of faith who have already successfully run the race. The Greek word for witness is “martus” - it’s where we get our English word “martyr”. This is a legal term, referring to those who testify to the truth. These witnesses of the faith have testified to God’s reality, and in many cases even died because of that testimony. They successfully ran the race of the Christian life. Now they surround us to both inspire us and to cheer us on.
One thing I have found fascinating in the “Amazing Race” TV show is how the teams either cooperate and support one another, or work against one another. In the Christian life, there is no room for competition. Let me say that again, because it’s important - in the Christian life, there is no room for competition! In our amazing race, we are not competing against each other! This is a race in which we all win when we continue to aim for the goal. So those who cheer us on and support us along the way should not only be those witnesses of the faith who have gone before us, but each one of us! We need to encourage those who are weakening; lift up, even carry those whose strength is flagging; and cheer and celebrate every individual victory along the way!
Now another thing I have noticed about races is that the runners usually run light. They remove every nonessential item of clothing, and don’t carry anything that will weigh them down. This helps them to devote all their strength and energy towards the race.
In the amazing race of the Christian life, we, too, must get rid of anything that weighs us down and slows us up. The writer to the Hebrews says, “let us lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely”. The weight referred to here is probably training weights that the runners would use just before the race. They wouldn’t try to run the race carrying those, would they? No, they would lay them aside when the race began. Well, what are the weights that we need to lay aside in our own amazing race? They are anything that might hinder our progress in becoming more like Jesus Christ. William Barclay suggests “there may be habits, pleasures, self-indulgences, associations which hold us back. We must shed them as the athlete sheds his track suit when he goes to the starting-mark; and often we will need the help of Christ to enable us to do so.” (3, pg 173)
And what about “the sin that clings so closely”? The picture here is of those things that entangle and trip up the runner. I’m sure we can all think of areas of sin that trip us up and entangle us as we run our own race - sins such as pride, greed, anger, jealousy - any sin that distracts us from the goal of being like Christ. Just as with those things that weigh us down, we need the help of Christ to enable us to rid our lives of clinging sin.
Now let’s think about the attitude we need to run our amazing race. How far do you think a racer would get if he entered the race with the idea that it was impossible to win? How about if he ran half way, and then decided it was too hard and quit? Well, in an athletic race of some kind that wouldn’t be so bad - but what about in the amazing race of the Christian life?
The writer to the Hebrews tells us the attitude we need to run this race - we are to run with “perseverance”! The idea of this word is steadfast endurance - we never give up, we never surrender. We keep pressing ahead, no matter how difficult the task, no matter how challenging the obstacles. As one writer says, “It is easy to begin, but hard to finish. The one thing necessary for life is staying power, and that is what so many people lack.” (4, pg 210) And this kind of staying power is often lacking among Christians. Sometimes people respond to the Spirit and turn their lives over to Jesus, but then as soon as they hit a tough time or their specific prayers aren’t answered, they give up on God. We need to toughen up a bit, folks! We need to run the amazing race of the Christian life with perseverance.
How can we do that? In the athletic world, most racers have a coach, someone who teaches and guides and pushes and helps them be the best they can be. Who do we have to guide us through our amazing race? Again, look at our text from Hebrews - “looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith...” (12:2) Jesus is our guide, our coach, our example. Look at what he had to endure along his own amazing race - persecution, torture, and one of the most horrifying and humiliating deaths possible. And yet Jesus stayed the course. Was it difficult? Yes. Was he tempted to give up? Yes. But Jesus knew how important it was that he finish his race - not only for his own sake, but for the sake of all humanity. So if we keep our eyes on Jesus, we are strengthened and encouraged to run our own race with perseverance.
And what is the reward? When we reach the final goal of our amazing race, to grow in Christlikeness, what is our reward? The Apostle Paul answers that question in his second letter to Timothy. At the very end of his life, as he faces execution, Paul says this: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8, NRSV)
The winner of a Greek or Roman athletic race would win a crown of laurel leaves. Modern racers win gold medals. The winners of the Amazing Race TV show win a million dollars. But when we finish the amazing race of the Christian life, we will win something that is truly priceless and will last forever - the crown of righteousness. This will be God’s reward for a faithful life - that moment when we hear Him say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!”
So are you ready - are you willing - to run the race that is set before us - the amazing race of the Christian life? Our goal is to become more and more like Jesus. Our cheering audience is the faithful witnesses of the past and our brothers and sisters in Christ. As we throw off anything that might hinder us and weigh us down, we run with perseverance, with Jesus Christ our coach and example by our side. And when we reach the end of this life, the end of our amazing race, we will receive the ultimate prize - the affirmation from God for a race well run! Brothers and sisters, let us commit this day to faithfully run the amazing race of the Christian life!
Let us pray:
Father God, thank you for sending Jesus as our guide and our coach, our ultimate example in this amazing race of life. Thank you for your love and patience with us. Thank you for forgiving us when we stumble and fall, for lifting us up again and setting us back on the path. We commit today, Lord, to run the race set before us with perseverance, with endurance. Surround us with those who will encourage us in this commitment. Strengthen us to meet every obstacle with faith and every stumbling block with courage. May we ever keep our eyes upon Jesus as we run this race, and may each and every one of us someday receive from you that crown of righteousness, and hear those precious words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!” In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.
RESOURCES:
1) Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary © 1980 by Lippincott & Crowell, p 665.
2) Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary Volume 2 © 1989 by S.P. Publications Inc.
3) William Barclay, The Letter to the Hebrews, Daily Study Bible, © 1976 by Westminster Press.
4) William Barclay, The Letters to Timothy, Titus and Philemon, Daily Study Bible © 1975 by Westminster Press.
5) Verlyn D. Verbrugge, editor. The NIV Theological Dictionary of New Testament Words © 2000 by Zondervan Corporation.
