Printer Friendly Version[Clip from “Miracle,” 2004, Disney. Scene 6, “Training,”
32:48-34:52]
How would you like to have him for your coach? Whew! It kind
of shows you that the miracle on ice had more than a little effort behind
it. It’s like he’s asking these gentlemen, “How bad do you
want it?” Maybe that’s what God is asking us through the words
of the Apostle Paul this morning. Please take your Bibles, turning to 1 Corinthians
9:24-27, and let’s stand in honor of God’s Word. [Read Scripture.]
It’s that time of year again [Olympic theme playing in
the background]. The very best athletes from around the world are gathered
to compete at the very highest levels. The Olympics set an amazing series
of images in front of us. I love to watch the luge! The speeds are mind boggling!
I miss the Jamaican bobsled team! We see speed skaters with monstrous legs,
suffering on the ice for 10,000 meters, making it look easy! We see downhill
skiers taking terrifying risks to be the first to the bottom. How about the
ski jumpers? How amazing it must feel to fly through the air from amazing
heights! Then the figure skaters show us grace and beauty on ice! We see amazing
athletes whose bodies obey their every command. It’s truly inspiring!
What kind of shape are you in? Anyone here ready to compete
for an Olympic medal? Do you sometimes wonder what it takes to get from where
you and I are to where these athletes are? It takes an airplane ticket, because
that’s about as close as you and I are ever going to get! Just kidding!
Actually, more and more people are becoming top-level athletes later in life.
From the commercials, it seems like Home Depot is the place to work if you’re
chasing Olympic glory and need to train 30 hours a week! What it takes is
the kind of thing Coach Herb Brooks was trying to teach his team.
Paul was trying to teach his Corinthian team these same principles.
It seems Paul and people in his culture were also impressed by top athletes
in action. He saw in them a worthy life lesson. We hear from him a great metaphor
for spiritual life, wrapped up in Olympic glory. “In a race, all the
runners run (or skiers ski), but only one gets the prize” (v. 24). Isn’t
that why they have the Olympics, to get the prize? This past summer Lance
Armstrong was riding in the Tour de France. He already held the record of
6 wins in a row. Therefore, someone asked if he was going to take it easy
this Tour. He said, “I didn’t come here to finish second. I came
here to win.”
Oh, but you’re saying, “I’m not like these
Olympic athletes! I’m not even as good as Paul! I never even win the
free scratch-off game at the hamburger joint! I’m not a winner. Certainly
not spiritually. I’m not as strong as the next guy.” Paul says,
“Great! I know exactly how you feel! When I felt the same way, God told
me, “My Grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in
weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses so that
Christ’s power may rest on me…for when I am weak, then I am strong”
(2 Corinthians 12:9, 10b). We come to Christ just as we are. He accepts us
in our current condition. He forgives, heals, transforms, and builds us up!
We admit our weaknesses. He pours in the spiritual strength we need. Then
He gives us a purpose! We are to grow in relation to Him the rest of our lives.
Paul says more than that. He wants us to aim for the prize!
Now, Paul is shifting his Olympic theme here for a moment. The prize we seek
is not only for the first person across the line. The prize we seek is for
all who finish strong in the Lord. At the Olympics, merely finishing is not
winning. But in life, to finish God’s way is to overcome the world and
have total spiritual victory! It’s more like the Tour in that way. It’s
a 21-day journey. You can’t dig too deep into the suitcase of courage
just to look like a hero on the first day. It’s about having the legs
to cross the line in Paris on day 21. If you cross that line without cheating
or compromising, you are forever known as a Tour Finisher. You’ve got
to do right and take care of yourself everyday to join that elite club. In
general, high level athletics will make you holy to a certain extent. You
will cut out all junk food, bad habits, and wrong thinking. It has a cleansing
effect to reach for your full potential. Paul asks, “Why should Christians
who are aiming for an eternal prize settle for less?”
What does an athlete do? They totally restructure their lives
around the training necessary to win. What do many Christians do? Totally
restructure their lives around their favorite reality TV show! Can you see
the contrast here? Are they running to get the prize? Have they lost sight
of their vision? It’s a good thing you’re not anything like those
other Christians!
God offers us a much more worthy focus for our lives, “Therefore
I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating
the air. 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). We know it is possible to lose out on your relationship with God.
If you truly walk away from your commitment to Christ and deny it, you can
lose it. Sometimes Wesleyan people walk around worrying they might lose their
salvation. Paul points us in a much more positive direction. Give every day
the spiritual focus it deserves. Find meaning, a purpose, and growth in every
experience. Can you hear coach Brooks? “You’re going to have to
learn to grow through the pain, gentlemen!”
It’s as if Paul is our life coach and he’s challenging
us to achieve our potential. Coach Brooks said, “We may not be the best
team at the Olympics, but we will be the best conditioned!” You may
not be a spiritual giant, but you can fulfill your potential!
Okay, Pastor, I hear you, but does this mean I need to run laps or learn how
to skate?
Not unless God says you need to grow in that area! The discipline God is looking
for in our lives goes beyond the physical. God can bring us into a state of
total discipline, total obedience. Technically perfect spiritual discipline?
No, Jesus did that; you and I will fall short of that kind of perfection.
I like to call it purposefully perfect. In other words, God can perfect our
spirit, mind, body, and heart until we fulfill His purpose for our lives.
Paul says, “I don’t want to miss one bit of what God has for me
in this life or the next!”
What does spiritual discipline look like? It looks a lot like:
you praying, you reading your Bible, you listening for God, you fasting occasionally
and eating right, you getting some exercise, you taking time for others, you
loving even when you’re tired. It’s where you’ll find the
true meaning for your life! It seems like work when you first start out. After
a while you wouldn’t miss it for the world! “Have nothing to do
with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.
For 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 Timothy
4:7-8). Training yourself to be godly is your daily opportunity. Let its promise
be fulfilled in you.
To be successful in the Tour de France requires 20,000 miles
of training. To be successful in the Christian life requires a similar daily
commitment. The old-timers called it “being prayed up,” so when
crisis comes you can respond. There are so many different ways to pray. One
simple way to get started is called A.C.T.S. It stands for Adoration (worshiping
God for who He is), Confession (admitting our need for God and any sin in
our lives), Thanksgiving (counting the blessings of this life and thanking
God for answered prayers), and Supplication (presenting others’ needs
to God, then your own). This pattern helps us avoid the shopping list prayers
we often fall into. It balances praise and thanks with requests. It also keeps
the relationship up to date in case brokenness has crept in.
Another important form of prayer is contemplation. In this kind
of prayer we focus on one aspect of God’s character or on a piece of
Scripture. You can focus your mind on this one thing and reflect on what God
is saying to you through it. It will deepen and personalize your understanding
of Scripture, and/or God’s nature. This one is harder to do and requires
some concentration to feel the benefit. Richard Foster’s book Prayer
is highly recommended. The Upward Call is another great book on spiritual
discipline, available from NPH. The main thing is this: Spiritual training
is not just for professionals! Do try this at home! Dive in and give some
daily energy to growing your spirit God’s way. You and those around
you will benefit.
There are some athletes who have much more talent, but they
don’t fulfill their potential. Paul is trying to get our attention here.
“Run in such a way as to get the prize.” Some people train, but
then simply don’t apply their training when the time calls for it. Running
to get the prize means you give it your all. You lean into the tape. You don’t
look to see how your neighbor is doing. You don’t give up. Until the
race is over anyone could win. That’s why they run the races. The one
who is ready and giving their all will win, regardless of talent. These are
the ones who find success on the Christian journey, those who stay alert to
God’s plan. It would be a waste to spend three hours in prayer each
morning, only to schlep carelessly through your day distracted by the world.
Remember that it’s in living life that we really benefit from our training.
If we horde it all selfishly, we’ll stop growing. If we don’t
share our hope with others it will become less important to us.
It’s a two-pronged plan: 1) train like you really want to grow and 2) live like you really want to win with Jesus! Don’t wander into places you shouldn’t be. Stick to the training and racing God has for you. A couple of years ago we had some fun at our church as we challenged each other to “Go for the Gold with God!” We handed out gold medals to everyone and encouraged each other to be at our best for God! This bright journey we’re on shines better than any medal the Olympic Committee ever handed out. Go into strict training. Then run for daylight! Out of the darkness of sloppy living. Into the light of Jesus’ love! [If possible arrange to have someone from your congregation in appropriate athletic apparel. Have them appear from darkness, shine a spot light on them, if available. Have them run (they can look silly; it will still be memorable) right through the middle of the congregation and out the door with a Whoop and a shout “Yahoo!” like they’re having the time of their lives! (Be sure to provide for safety by blocking the aisle beforehand!)] There’s no better way to live! [If you have a media team, have them prepare a video sequence where the scripture passage scrolls past with inspirational music in the background, fading to black after “Run in such a way as to get the prize.”]
