Spiritual Habits

Introduction

Read 1 Cor. 9:24-27

Funny how this one isn’t used for sports like Phil. 4:13

Coach — 2 kinds of people, winners and losers, if your dad says different he’s a loser

Is Paul really worried about sports here? Of course not.

Explanation

Background

The church at Corinth held the Isthmian Games every two years

Second only to the Olympics

The winners received a pine or celery wreath

The One Who Won

Paul is not saying only one person is saved; it’s a metaphor and he’s not talking about team sports

He might say to us “Don’t you know that everybody these days except Auburn makes a bowl game and only one wins the national championship?”

He didn’t intend to (see Phil. 3), but he points to Jesus

Jesus is the 1 who won the prize for us

We have to keep our focus to get to the finish line and not run off track in pursuit of something else and be disqualified

3 Points of Discipleship

If Jesus already won the prize, what’s the point? And if we’re not trying to get to heaven, what’s the goal? To look like Jesus.

The point(s) of discipleship

To honor God who saved us

If you’ve been changed by Jesus you want to honor him

To experience “life to the full”

Virtue theory basics

To get others to the finish line with us

Jesus and the parable of the runners (workers)

The runner who starts at the end still gets the prize

Herm Edwards — “Hello! You play to win the game…It matters”

• An Intense Focus

The main thing Paul is talking about is running the race with discipline

I mentioned Johnny’s documentaries at Guys’ Group

Couldn’t help but think about Alabama football

Nick Saban and “the process”

Not a single meal is left to chance

The in-facility barber helps prevent distraction

Paul isn’t shadowboxing. There’s a real opponent! He’s not taking an adventure jog, there’s a real race!

Not necessarily try harder (although Paul does say push on in Phil. 3), but focus better

Is Alabama football more focused on winning scrap metal than you are on looking like Jesus?

Priority being singular for the first 500 years

Main point: Don’t be “out-focused” by people who are running the wrong race!

Application

Wheel Diagram

Prayer

Word

Community

Evangelism

Jesus at the center of it all