Rev. David Holwick ZE
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
September 16, 1990
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
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I. Athletic race motif. 9:24
A. Illustration - jogging around block...
... loop in front of Mino's.
... cross over bridge and down Canal Street.
... past Blewett's, past Hosner's.
... past McCollum's, past Emery's.
... gain speed by Rigg's Old Store.
... sprinting in front of church.
... whip around back at full throttle and across the line.
(In my mind, thousands are cheering.)
My time - 9 minutes, 30 seconds.
By shaving only 360 seconds off, I will shatter the world record.
B. Paul was like many of you - an athletic fanatic.
1) Used athletic imagery several times, especially races.
2) Final claim: "I have fought the good fight, I have
finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Tim 4:7
C. Isthmus games near Corinth.
1) Rival Olympics.
2) Paul may have made tents for spectators to earn his keep.
II. Sports and Religion.
A. Sports as a false religion.
1) Secular view of health as salvation.
One expert says Americans are addicted to health.
Michael Ignatieff sees us reducing the goal of life to the
glow of physical well-being.
The religion of "health" says we are masters of our fates,
and illness is due to bad thinking or lazy living.
So many diseases have been conquered that they see illness
as a moral failure.
Death is unjust and unacceptable. (Age covered?)
Health and fitness are nice, but they are not equivalent
to salvation.
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2) Sports-theology with a coating of Christianity.
Barry Rice is a football player at Jerry Falwell's Liberty
University.
He puts his sport in this perspective (quoted in Newsweek):
"If Jesus were a football player, he'd play fair, he'd play
clean and he'd put the guy across the line on his butt."
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B. Sports as an image of the Christian life.
1) Randolph coach's slogans for success. 49 straight victories.
a) Emphasizes hard work.
b) Emphasizes team effort.
c) Emphasizes clean living.
2) Christians seen value of sports for building body and
character for a long time.
a) Basketball, volleyball - all invented by Christians,
specifically the YMCA.
3) Christian life is like a race, but more serious.
a) It is not something you just show up for.
b) If you don't put your all into it, you may find you never
qualified to begin with.
III. Running with discipline.
A. "in such a way" / "strict training" a disciplined approach. 9:24-25
1) TV special this week on athletic kids.
Train for years, spend a fortune and may not make it.
Process is all-consuming.
2) Beating the body. 9:27
a) Misapplied to self-flagallation.
b) Refers to spiritual self-discipline.
3) Discipline requires a purpose.
a) No running in circles. 9:26
b) No shadow-boxing (or beating air.) 9:26
1> Boxing match with James Brewer?? Whipped my butt.
B. Areas of life that need discipline for Christians.
1) Physical discipline.
a) Lose weight, gain energy.
b) Body as God's Temple.
2) Spiritual discipline.
a) Read Bible.
1> Takes effort to become a habit.
2> With discipline, it becomes a joy and an adventure.
b) Prayer.
1> Jesus did it on a regular basis.
2> For extended periods of time.
A> Disciples couldn't stay awake. Would you?
c) Witnessing.
1> Takes a conscious effort and commitment.
2> Many talk more fervently about their favorite football
team than about Jesus.
d) Inner holiness.
Excellent Christian author Calvin Miller writes:
Many Christians are only "Christaholics" and not
disciples at all.
Disciples are cross-bearers; they seek Christ.
Christaholics seek happiness.
Disciples dare to discipline themselves, and the demands
they place on themselves leave them enjoying the
happiness of their growth.
Christaholics are escapists looking for a shortcut to
nirvana.
Like drug addicts, they are trying to "bomb out" of their
depressing world.
There is no automatic joy.
Christ is not a happiness capsule;
he is the way to the Father.
But the way to the Father is not a carnival ride in which
we sit and do nothing.
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3) Discipline is not always fun.
a) Church can be a drag.
1> Christian commitment can seem unfulfilling.
2> But consider alternatives.
b) Boxing match imagery. 9:27
1> Life can be tough, even for Christians.
2> Instead of giving up, get tougher.
IV. Running to gain a prize.
A. Earthly prize.
1) Examples.
a) Olympic medal.
b) Trimmer body.
2) Value.
a) Money value, but only for this life.
B. Eternal prize offered by God.
1) Prize for Christians is salvation & heaven.
a) Value cannot be estimated.
b) Benefits last forever, and start right now.
2) Possible to be disqualified? 9:27
a) Bulgarian team slinks out of town prior to drug testing
in last Olympics.
b) Can salvation be lost?
1> Hypothetical warning.
2> Real warning.
A> Would be terrible to find you were never in the
race.
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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