Bible Study 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

How do we win in the Christan Life?

Introduction

Have you known great athletes? They are cut from a different cloth aren’t they?

There is an article on Balance the grind.com entitled, “Tom Brady-Daily Routine” written on Feb. 6, 2024.

The sub statement was this “From Underdog to G.o.a.t.:Discover the meticulous daily regimen that shaped Tom Brady’s journey to becoming a football legend.

On Daily Routines, we profile successful leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, executives and athletes to explore their routines, schedules, habits and day in the life.

Tom Brady’s scouting report from the 2000 NFL Draft reads as such: “Poor build, skinny, lacks great physical stature and strength, and gets knocked down easily.” As a result of this less-than-favourable report, Brady wasn’t selected by the New England Patriots until the sixth round, as the seventh quarterback, and the 199th player overall.

To this day, Brady still gets fired up by that scouting report and uses it to fuel his motivation.

During his playing days, Brady would wake up at 6am and begins his morning by drinking 20 ounces (just over half a litre) of water with electrolytes. “I add electrolytes to virtually everything I drink,” Brady wrote in his book, The TB12 Method. After that, he showers and drinks a breakfast smoothie, which typically contains “blueberries, bananas, seeds, and nuts,” he says. “It’s nutrient dense, high in fat, high in protein, and high in calories.”

Lunch is “often a piece of fish, but always with lots of vegetables,” and dinner is similar – “another nutrient-dense meal that includes a lot of vegetables.” In between meals, Brady often snacked on protein shakes (“his self-branded protein powder, almond milk, and — of course — more electrolytes”), TB12 snacks which are usually an assortment of fruit and nuts, as well as chips and guacamole, hummus and raw vegetables.

On game day, though, Brady liked to keep his diet simple — opting for a smoothie and an almond butter and jelly sandwich.

When it comes to his off-season training routine, Brady aimed to workout four to five times a week. Training sessions usually begin (and end) on a massage table with deep muscle work by his trainer Alex Guerrero. Brady is a big fan of resistance bands, using them to perform a variety of squats, lunges, shoulder and plank movements. For the quarterback, hitting the gym isn’t solely about building strength and muscles, but rather about increasing functionality on the field.

Another one of Brady’s strategies for maintaining longevity at the highest level is getting plenty of sleep and recovery time. The Super Bowl MVP usually goes to sleep at 8.30pm every night.

“I do go to bed very early because I’m up very early. I think that the decisions that I make always center around performance enhancement, if that makes sense,” he once explained in an interview with WEEI radio in Boston. “So whether that’s what I eat or what decisions I make or whether I drink or don’t drink, it’s always football-centric.”

“I want to be the best I can be every day. I want to be the best I can be every week. I want to be the best I can be for my teammates. I love the game and I want to do it for a long time. But I also know that if I want to do it for a long time, I have to do things differently than the way guys have always done it.”

Dearly beloved, I shared excerpts from that article because we are athletes as well. We are training to be the most christocentric that we can be. Turn with me in your Bibles and it will all make sense in a moment.

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 NKJV

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

You may remember from our last times together that Paul addressed the subject of exercising Christan liberty, but do not do so at the expense of bulldozing the Holy Spirit’s work in the life of your fellow believers or those that could be potential converts. In other words, gain spiritual sensitivity to the needs of others in promoting their spiritual pilgrimage. Paul specifically addressed the subject of food sacrificed to idols.

I will not belabor the issue, but the Corinthian converts found it offensive for the Jews to buy the meat that had sacrificed to idols. Conversely, and we have not discussed this, but I imagine the Corinthian converts ate food that was not kosher and played on the conscience of the Jews that were still battling the struggle of being Judaizers. Meaning, they were attempting to keep Jewish customs and still live in the liberty of Christ.

I imagine Paul many times asked, “how is that going for you?” Both groups were having struggles from their former lives and both groups needed to be careful in the exercise of their privileges and rights that they be more considerate of their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. They may need to give up something as Paul said in the verses before.

Last Wednesday night you will remember that Paul used himself as the example of being compensated for the ministry he shared with Corinth. He chose not to be compensated because He sensed there would be wrongful attitudes and He gave up his right to compensation so to further the gospel and its effectiveness in the region.

Paul shared in the four verses before that ranking higher than our rights, our liberties and our freedom is sharing our faith by all means possible to win the lost to Christ.

1 Corinthians 9:19 “19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more;”

1 Corinthians 9:22–23 “22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.”

It’s almost as if I hear Paul saying:

You are focusing on your rights. I’m focusing on the redemption in Christ Jesus.

You are focusing on your Christian liberties and I’m focusing on Christ’ lordship in my life.

You are focusing on the struggles in the church and I’m focusing on getting people saved in Christ Jesus.

Oh listen dearly beloved, Christocentric focus and Conflict focused thinking does not align. Jesus comes as the great fence mender of our lives. Jesus is the great bridge of our lives to the Promised land offered in the Lord. Amen.

Paul lived in a region around Rome where he had seen both the isthmian and the Olympic games. He admired athleticism. It amazes me how many Pastors enjoy athleticism and spend time watching sporting events.

I just wander with Paul never having been married if he enjoyed athleticism as a past time or hobby? He uses a great deal of athletics as his examples.

Now let me say at the onset that there is no danger of losing your salvation nor is only one going to win the prize of salvation. Amen?

Our salvation is secure in Christ. You can almost sense Paul is saying:

You acts as if you have joined a club and you are focused on rights and privileges. You are joined to Christ and let’s think about our responsibilities and our practices.

Paul says church, Christ did not save us to be mediocre Christians, Christ saved us with the motive of us being missional Christians.

Paul is describing the Christian life that is lived effectively and finishing well.

A Race Comes with a Purpose

“run in such a way as to get the prize”

1 Corinthians 9:24–25 “24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.”

Paul had never met and I have never met a runner or a boxer for that matter that just wanted to participate.

A. Not Just Running-Running to Win

Howard Cosell never heard Muhammad Ali recite “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, all I fight for is mediocrity.” He never heard that.

I’ve never heard Howard Cosell or any of the Sports Commentators brief the fighters before a big fight and them respond “well, I’m just thankful for the opportunity to get in the ring.” No, the real truth is every boxer and every runner enters with the sole purpose of winning. I’ve never met someone that was content with just placing in the race. Every racer that has ever put his feet in the stirrups of the starting block did so to win the race.

There is no praise and glory for anything less than winning. There are many that participate, but who is about participating, I want to dominate. The runner wants to win the field of runners he is competing against.

Now, we know the message is a metaphorical message. Verse 25 reveals that He is not just talking about winning the race of life, but the race of the Christian life.

IN the Christian life, we’ve won if we accepted Christ and we allow Him lordship of our lives. We say the battle is finished. But as we know, when we accept Christ and we enter the baptismal pool, our life in Christ has only begun. We are on the journey of becoming more like Christ each day.

The point: The runner runs for a purpose winning. Winning the prize, the trophy, the goblet. Does your life have purpose? Now, many people in this room tonight could say, oh yes, my life has purpose. I gain great enjoyment giving better quality time to my spouse at this stage of my life. I am enjoying watching our grand kids grow up. I am getting to do somethings now that I could not do when I was working.

I am going to a new school and I’m enjoying making a whole new group of friends. All of those are great ways to have purpose, but as far as Christ is concerned, I have to believe that is just a very mediocre fire insurance type of Christian life.

Christocentric lifestyle means that every action you do in the day has an end purpose in what you are going to do for Christ this day. Who will you share Christ with today? Who will you love on in Jesus’ name? Who will you have more patience with today because Jesus would? Who will you accept their invitation to something because Jesus would? Zaachaeus, I’m going to your house today. Matthew, I will come and eat with you. Mary, you can wash my feet with that perfume. Jesus, I think I will just wander over to Samaria today. What lost person will you cultivate a relationship with?

Write this down. Christianity is not a passive life, its’a purposeful life.

Philippians 3:12–14 “12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

B. The Prize is eternal, not earthly.

v. v. 25b “now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but for an imperishable crown.”

In the Isthmian or the Olympic games the runners would run and would receive a wreath made of pine type wreath material that would fade.

There are many crowns we can work toward that are corruptible and will fade and there are imperishable crowns we can receive.

1 Corinthians 3:12–15 “12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

And I follow that text with :

Matthew 6:19–20 “19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

What are the imperishable crown we can receive? What is the prize of the upward call in Christ Jesus?

One way in Bible Study that we understand the author’s mindset is to see his word meaning in his other epistles.

Philippians 4:1 “1 Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.”

Those beloved borthers and sisters that had came to know Christ that Paul evangelized and led to the Lord was his crowns of joy in ministry.

Vine/Branches Parable

John 15:7–11 “7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

I want to say it again. Christocentric focus for daily living is joyful living, its prize living, its crown living, its Christ honoring living.

Are you running to win, or just jogging along in our faith?

The Race Requires Personal Discipline

“Everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.”

A. Athletes train with Sacrifice

I described Tom Brady but I read a similar story about Simone Biles-10,000 hours of practice before she ever entered her first Olympic event. 32 hours a week as a child practicing. Parent built a gym at home. Interestingly,, in many cases especially the older athletes that continue to compete, they in some cases, have spouses, family, parents, times of leisure, other activities they enjoy-but yet they prioritize certain routines every day to keep in shape for their skill set. There are no compromises.

Paul lived out this spiritual athleticism to the fullest.

1 Corinthians 9:19–23 “19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.”

Now lets’ be clear what Paul did not say in this text:

I learned to cuss to win those that cuss. I learned to drink so that I would win those that drink. I learned to gamble so that i would win those that gamble.

Paul did not compromise his own conscience or his own walk in the Lord. But, he did not have stock responses in how he would choose in making a new relationship.

Ill. In my former church we had devout woman of the Lord in our church that had to separate from her husband and they got back together and she took care of him as his caregiver when he became sick. He almost broke them by gambling at the casino in Wetumpka. She had to separate to segregate some assets out so they could eat. For that reason among many others, I have chosen not to go into casinos here in our area where I pastor. When I set up at trade shows I was always in Casino hotels exhibiting and all I ever enjoyed was affordable hotel rooms and great meals at a decent price at one time if you can believe that because they were trying to draw people to the tables.

MY neighbor across the street at the lake’s daughter got married and they had the reception at the Casino Ballroom in Wetumpka. It was a nice venue and we both enjoyed ourselves. We do not want the Christian life to come across as we are old sticks in the mud either.

B. Self Control is Essential for Spiritual Victory

Galatians 5:22–23 “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

Self Control can be times of restriction, but it can also be times of retraction. We need to make choices on a case by case situation.

When we control our lives like Christ, there may be actions that are not normal for us, but the Holy Spirit never calls us that it feels normal. Usually we are put in a position of faith walking.

Let me ask you a question and be brutally honest.

Do you get invited to something at times and at first glance its:

-at night

-you have to dress up

-you have to drive some distance

-you feel you may not know anyone or the group is a little out of your comfort zone

-but, take that same activity for a child or a grandchild-ask yourself the question-would I go?

Now if we believe that God does all things for good, for those that are called according to His purpose, do we not believe that God make have a mission there for us to accomplish?

Now, please understand-I’m not saying fill your social calendar for 364 days of the next 365 days a year, but the next time you are asked to get out of your comfort zone-get out of your comfort zone. You may be getting invited not into the twilight zone, but the Christ Zone, in that upward call of Jesus where real joy comes about when you get home and you say, “aye hay” I see what you were doing Lord and I enjoyed every moment of it.

Listen to me here. To be Christocentric, I will never approach such a subject that I will not say staying in the Word will accomplish that, prayer, will accomplish that, worship, Christian friends are all a vital pat of living a Christocentric life. Those things are the required things to perform as a topnotch Christan athlete.

What are we sacrificing for the sake of running well? Are we exercising spiritual self-control?

Are you so highly structured that salvation opportunities are not in the cards?

Is your calendar so tight that Christ moments can’t fit in?

Are your footsteps so predictable that faith steps won’t happen?

Are your monies so spent that there is not enough for friendly meals with an unbeliever?

The Race Requires a Focused Mindset

“I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.”

A. Running with Direction

Many people drift through the Christian life without a goal.

-Ill. Go into the local boxing gym. You see the supposed boxer. He’s got on the shorts, He has on the gloves, he has on the mouthpiece, he has the head protector. He has the boxing shoes on. he is skipping the rope. he is shadow boxing, he is hitting the bag. He even spars with fellow boxers in the local gym. But he never has entered into a match.

You know what that is the same as. The person that is at church consistently, in Sunday School consistently, gives their tithes and offering, reads their Bible, but never carries what they learn to the highways and byways of life in leading another to Christ. Practicing without purpose.

Hebrews 12:1–2 “1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

-Jesus compassion compelled Him to face the cross and the crucifixion for crown laid up for you.

B. Fighting with Precision

The Christian life is not shadowboxing-it’s intentional Christocentric warfare.

Ephesians 6:12 “12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Are we living intentionally for Christ are we just going through the motions.

The Race Requires Self-Discipline and Sacrifice

"I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified."

A. Paul’s Fear of Being Disqualified

Paul is not speaking of losing salvation but of losing effectiveness in ministry.

2 Timothy 4:7–8 “7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

B. The Cost of Neglecting Discipline

If we do not discipline ourselves spiritually, we risk

losing our testimony, influence, and rewards.

Oh my goodness, the day we get to go to heaven and see our loved ones, those that have gone on before us, to see my Lord and Savior face to face, oh what a glory day that will be. “Eye have not seen and ear has not heard all that the Lord will have in store for us.”

But may I ask you a heart stirring question? Will anyone come up to you that will say, “I’m here because you cared about me and shared Jesus with me.” “I just want to thank you for sharing Jesus with me.”

1 Corinthians 3:13–15 “13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

What areas of our life need greater spiritual discipline?

Key Takeaway: Paul calls us to run with purpose, discipline, focus, and sacrifice—not to earn salvation, but to live effectively for Christ.

Encourage the congregation to reflect:

Are we running with purpose?

Are we exercising discipline?

Are we focused on eternal rewards?

Are we bringing our lives under submission to Christ?

Final Challenge:

2 Timothy 4:7-8—"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

Will we be able to say the same at the finish line?