Sermon Tone Analysis

This past Friday the Olympic games opened in Pyeong Chang Korea, and once again athletes from around the world will put off political differences and national barriers to come and compete to see who is the best in the world.

Of course the ultimate goal will be to win the GOLD MEDAL - an Olympic medal saying that on that day you were the best in the world.

Athletes have sacrificed, trained, competed and been through great lengths to find themselves even competing at this level of competition.

Most will leave without the gold, but on another level - achieving a personal best or breaking a world record is also a goal.

As Americans we often remember big names in Olympics like Bruce Jenner or Michael Phelps and special moments as well...

One of my great Olympic memories was in 1980 when the American Hockey Team won the gold.

I remember going to KFC after church and then going home and my Mom set up a picnic in the living room on the coffee table (something we did not do to often) and we watched the American team battle the Russians to victory!

In First Corinthians Paul refers to athletes in the Isthmian games where large crowds gathered every 2-3 years to compete - some say a fore runner to the Olympics and others say during their day they were bigger than the Olympic games.

He talked about the competition of athletes and related it our spiritual walk.

Not that as Christians we compete against each other, but we all run in the same race and toward the same prize, and how we run is critical to our crossing the finish line.

One of the challenges I see in this passage are the challenge to always be training and working toward our own personal best is serving Jesus.

1 cor 9.

1. Discipline of Training

Olympians don’t sit around eating twinkies, and practicing once a week - they work hard, they train.

They mix:

- Cardio for stamina

They mix cardio for stamina,

- Weights for strength

- Distance for endurance

They discipline their diet to be effect for building muscle and maximizing energy

They hone their skills with repetition to ensure accuracy

Apolo Ohno - America’s most decorated winter Olympian was committed to achieving his goals.

His diet consisted of fish, oatmeal, fruits and vegetables and depending on when he needed a carb load for energy pasta - a strict Mediterranean diet.

He daily was committed to a rigourous workout consisting of:

Stationary Bike Warm Up

Turn-belt resistance training (they developed a seat belt harness that was strapped to his trainer and that wrapped around his waist and he skated with this belt on and his trainer in tow.

Ice training for 40 minutes

Stair workouts (a special effort of not just climbing stairs, but jumping up sideways to build his leg muscles for the intense turns when speed skating)

One mile run cool down

HE DID THIS THREE TIMES A DAY!!!

He was the best at what he did!!!

Over and over again!

What are we doing as Christians to bring discipline to our lives to be the best spiritually that we can be?

The Lord wants to develop things like patience, self control, knowledge into our lives so we can be the best Christian possible.

Paul uses this analogy of the athlete to challenge us to discipline ourselves for the course ahead -

Just like an employer seeks out employees who have had specific training, sticktuitiveness - knowledge and passion for what they do -

Shouldn’t we discipline our lives out of passion for who we are in Christ???

Spiritual diet is an important part of that training - if all we feed ourselves is the junk food from this world we will never be fit spiritually.

In addition, we need the MEAT of God’s Word!

Not just the milk.

We need to chew on and digest the deeper things, not just the fluff.

1 peter 2.2

We don’t want to be babes in Christ forever needing to be fed only the positives and easy portions of God’s Word, but to grow into maturity.

Paul had to tell the Corinthian church these words:

May our diet make us strong to stand for the Lord and to do His will in our lives, to make right choices, and to give us endurance in this race.

May our diet make us strong to stand for the Lord and to do His will in our lives, to make right choices, and to give us endurance in this race.

Likewise training ourselves in the things of God is not something to be ignored.

How much time do some give to physical training and bringing these worldly bodies into great fitness and shape - yet neglect their spiritual man

Discipline of making right choices, putting into action what we have studied in the Word of God, not just reading it - but doing it.

An athlete avoids certain behaviors and even places that would tempt them to get off track and becomes focused on the training --- shouldn’t we have the same discipline spiritually?

This is how we train and develop endurance!!!

If there is a specific area in our lives that we see weakness - we need to focus and build up muscle in that area.

Seek to develop strength where weakness existed.

Like specific jumps on the stairs, or belt resistance training --- study of God’s Word on topics of weakness in our lives, and then exercising that will help us to mature — spiritual training is effective

2. Purpose

Every athlete has a goal in mind - Olympians it is the gold medal - perhaps if they are so far off from that it is a personal best.

Paul says we compete for an eternal crown.

In the day of the Isthmian games they competed for a wreath of greens that withered and died, but not us - our reward is eternal.

We run for a prize!!!

We run to WIN!

No one competes without the hope of winning, or desire to win!

No one competes without PURPOSE!

Why do we run this spiritual life with no intent of VICTORY???

Would you want to watch a sports game if they guys did not care about winning???

If they had not trained or are willing to put in the energy for victory??

Yet as Christians many are like the kid in the school yard who is forced to play at recess and he goes and hides in the corner of the play yard hoping not to get called on!

matt 25.21-23

I want to hear those words when I reach the finish line!!!

I don’t want to get to the finish line and be told I sat out of the race - or ignored preparation, but that I grabbed hold of what the Lord entrusted to me and did something with it!!!

Bonnie Blair, another highly decorated winter athlete said,

“The distance between a person’s dream and their accomplishments can only be measured by their desire.”

Do we desire to win the crown God has in store for us.

It does not mean we have to come in first, but we have to finish strong!!!

There is more than just completing the race and making it into heaven, there is also being rewarded for how well we ran!!!

Are we being faithful to use the gifts and talents that God has given us for his glory?

Are we investing in His Kingdom with our time, talents, and treasure?

This is not the crown of life, but a crown of reward for serving the Lord faithfully on this earth and putting service for the Kingdom of God ahead of serving our own wants and desires.

Good sportsmanship, benefits of dedication in the training, competing according to the rules...

How maddening is it when we hear of athletes that cheat, use steroids and try and win by unfair advantage.

I am not sure if the Patriots will ever hear the end of deflategate until Tom Brady retires!!!

or the Russians be trusted to not cheat!!!

The reality is, when we get to heaven, we want to be considered GOOD AND FAITHFUL --- having run WELL - having SERVED WELLL

Having done something with what God has placed in our hands.

We will be rewarded according to our works:

Pastors and teachers are coaches to help each of us find the work and run the race that God has in store for us..

There is a prize and reward in heaven for those who are running the race and committed to serving and working for Christ.

v. 26 Paul said I am not shadow boxing (punching the air), but have a purpose in all I do!!

Not just the eternal life, but crowns and rewards for what we invested in this life for that which is eternal.

Works will not save us - that is by faith and God’s grace alone, but works will be rewarded when we reach the end.

RUN THIS RACE WITH A PURPOSE - not just ETERNAL LIFE - BUT BEING USED BY GOD FOR HIS KINGDOM!

3. ENDURANCE

Why do most people give up on athletics, jobs, diets and even serving Christ???

NO ENDURANCE!!!!

Athletic training is about ENDURANCE TRAINING!!!

Keeping on not when it is easy and fun, but when it is difficult and trying!!!

That is how we overcome and become a better competitor!!!

Who has not watched a race or sport and watched a weary team or athlete fight to come back and not give up until VICTORY IS ASSURED!!!

Why do you think Apolo Ohno used a resistance belt strapped to another person?

So when he skated in the real race - he was used to carrying such a weight, and now he can fly to victory!

We are in the race - get rid of the weights!!!!