How To Run The Race (Pt. V)
Sermon – August 21st 2005
As children of God we are called to live our lives on a higher plane than the world around us.
The world goes by the tangible things that one can touch – we are told to walk by faith and not by sight.
The world will tell you that you need to look out for ‘number one’, we are told to consider others better than ourselves and to be the servant of all.
Proverbs 14:12
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
KJV
We are not told to follow God’s ways only when it seems prudent to us – we have to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
We have to make God’s ways our ways – in every area of our lives.
Sometimes God’s Word calls us to things that are pretty difficult.
What Is Faith?
FAITH is dead to doubts—
dumb to discouragements,
blind to impossibilities,
knows nothing but success.
FAITH lifts its hand up through
the threatening clouds,
lays hold of Him who has
all power in heaven and on earth.
FAITH makes the uplook good,
the outlook bright,
the inlook favorable,
and the future glorious.
—V. Raymond Edman
When we look at the circumstances of life through the lens of faith everything appears to us in a very different light.
(Brief review of Pt. 4)
1. Watch Your Days –
1 Timothy 4:16
16 Watch your life… closely.
2. Watch Your Doctrine –
1 Timothy 4:16
16 Watch your…doctrine closely.
3. Watch With Diligence –
1 Timothy 4:16
Persevere in them (life and doctrine), because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
James 1:2-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Here is an example of the need to look at life through the lens of faith! Genuine faith is a tested faith.
1. Perspective –
James 1:2
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds
The word for joy in this text is unambiguous – it means joy or gladness.
Notice we are to consider it pure joy when we face trials. It does not say “be joyful”
Another way you could say this verse is…
“When trials occur in your life consider it a circumstance in which to be joyful.”
We need to see trials as opportunities for God’s work to be displayed in our lives.
Acts 16:22-26
22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
Paul and Silas had the right perspective…
The issue is not that they were necessarily joyful for the trials they were enduring but they were joyful in the midst of them.
They were joyful because of the fact that the gospel was advancing as a result of their suffering as well as the fact that they were maturing in their own faith.
We also see the principle of perseverance at work here…
Romans 15:4-6
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
As they persevered together God gave them endurance and encouragement and a spirit of unity – they had the right perspective.
Martyrdom Of Polycarp
Polycarp, venerable bishop of Smyrna was a personal friend and pupil of John the Apostle. When he was age 86, he was urged by the Roman proconsul to reproach Christ and be set free.
“Eighty and six years have I served Him and He never did me any injury. How then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?”
The proconsul said: “I have respect for your age. Simply say, ‘Away with the Atheists’ and be set free.” Polycarp solemnly said, “Away with the Atheists”—pointing to the pagan crowd.”
He joyfully went to the stake, thanking God for counting him worthy to be numbered among the martyrs.
Polycarp had the right perspective…he considered it pure joy.
Nehemiah 8:10
This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
Perspective…
2. Progress –
James 1:4
Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature
If we will stand in the midst of our trials with our hearts and minds set on things above – fixed on Jesus, with our desire set on His will then perseverance will result in spiritual maturity in us.
Perseverance causes us to trust in the Lord – trusting the Lord brings about spiritual maturity.
The word for mature here speaks of a growth as a boy to a man, a completeness and it speaks of a moral completeness.
Philippians 3:12-16
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
Whatever level of spiritual maturity we have attained we should live up to with an eye on greater maturity in the Lord
We are not to seek out adversity…it will come…when it does we should consider it pure joy…God is going to do something in and through us.
“All that I think, all that I hope, all that I write, all that I live for, is based upon the divinity of Jesus Christ, the central joy of my poor, wayward life.”
—William Gladstone
2 Peter 3:17-18
be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
As we looked at last week, we must guard our doctrine closely because lawless men will seek to carry us away on the waves of false doctrine – this calls for spiritual maturity…spiritual growth
Acts 8:1-4
1 And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. 4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.
For those who allow it, adversity will bring about spiritual maturity as we persevere.
Perspective…Progress
3. Perfection –
James 1:4
Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
NT:3648
complete in every part, i.e. perfectly sound (in body):
KJV - entire, whole.
(Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright ©1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
God’s desire is that we lack nothing in our lives.
A point that is being made in this passage is (as was said earlier) that genuine faith is a tested faith. For some the thing that is lacking to be whole is the testing of ones faith.
There is only one other time that this word is used…
1 Thessalonians 5:23
23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
KJV
In the same way that we are not a whole, complete person without our spirit, soul or body – so we are not complete in our faith if we have do not persevere through trials of many kinds…we are lacking.
James 2:15-17
15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
The word ‘without’ in this passage is the same word for lacking in verse four.
The point is that just as a person without food or clothing is needy so faith untested is lacking.
Perspective
Progress
Perfection
