Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.12UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.11UNLIKELY
Fear
0.15UNLIKELY
Joy
0.57LIKELY
Sadness
0.47UNLIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.73LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.33UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.8LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.78LIKELY
Extraversion
0.13UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.37UNLIKELY
Emotional Range
0.56LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Intro - During my sabbatical I meditated on a number of passages but chief among them was this one that we’ll examine today.
The Pursuit
The pursuit has two aspects, bodily activity and directional sensitivity, first the bodily activity
The Pursuit has Bodily Activity
“exercises self control in all things”…
The Greek term for “competes”, which some of your translations will have, is where we get the term “agony” or “agonizing” from because without question it can be agonizing.
During the Isthmian games an athlete could be disqualified and not even race if he didn’t meet the requirements of the training regimen.
They voluntary put themselves through months and sometimes years of preparation, all for a single goal.
There are people who have started this walk with us and are no longer with us.
The training was too great and they have thereby disqualified themselves from the race.
The training regimen was two fold.
It involved participation and self-deprivation.
Participation
On one hand the athlete had to participate in the work, the labor, the training, the skill based training, the conditioning, etc.
The consistent diet to get into optimal shape to perform.
I remember thinking I should prepare for basketball season by running on the cross country team.
That was until that first bus ride home I paid attention to how far they ran.
There may have even been mental training, prayer and meditation to develop a mindset that could withstand the pressure.
They had to participate in what was required!
The “race” referenced in this passage is dealing with other people.
I realized while on sabbatical how much I had withdrew from dealing with ppl.
While physically present I was mentally away.
Some of us go through life that way.
The issue here for Paul was that there was the constant demand from those around him to do something, be something.
Always the pull, the incessant need.
The challenge to forebear, be patient, go where they are to show them Christ.
Jesus participated in our lives.
He did the heavy lifting with people.
He didn’t lecture them from a distance but brought them alongside himself.
Go into that person’s wheelhouse.
“I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some”
Our race is a journey with other people, many of whom not like you.
Is it worth enduring with them to be found faithful by God?
You must participate with them.
See where Jesus is already working in their lives and join in.
Part of the “prize” without question is the joy of seeing Jesus being victorious in people’s lives.
Do you share the Gospel with others???
Do you love those in this building and desire to see Jesus conquer the lives outside this building?
When is the last time you shared the Gospel with someone?
What are your conversations composed of?
Shooting the breeze or investing in people’s lives?
Participate in the race!!!
Deprivation
On the other hand the athletes had to deny themselves some forms of rest opting to get up early, deny themselves pleasures that were permissible but not helpful.
I have to deprive myself of wanting to sleep in all the time because I need to be praying, refreshing my soul, renewing my mind.
There were relationships, celebrations, delights that they would deprive themselves of in an effort to give themselves the best possible chance of winning.
What are you denying yourself of so that you can be found faithful.
One of the main things I fight to deprive myself of is the need to be right and to always be treated rightly.
What will you deprive yourself of for the sake of your brother or sister?
The Pursuit has Directional Sensitivity
How will you determine what to participate in or what deprive yourself of?
The race determines it!
What determined their self-control?
The race did!!! Whatever the race demanded, they did it.
There must be a level of sensitivity to what is required to win.
What does your brother or sister need you to be? Be that for them and lead them to Christ!
That’s literally what Paul is saying here.
Why?
So that he can delight in sharing in the blessings of the Gospel with them.
The pursuit of the heavenly race was one of directional sensitivity which required great situational discernment.
The race can’t be haphazard
Some of us are running aimlessly with all of our energy.
We are spending so much time either running for wrong prizes or haphazardly running for the right prize.
We run without a goal, we pray, read, attend worship, without a real thought out agenda.
I pray we can be more intentional.
I remember when I used to box we would drill technique by shadowing boxing.
Just getting the movements down.
I knocked out everyone that I ever shadow boxed.
It was different when you actually determined what was needed in the ring.
The race can be hindered by our desires.
Our desires wrestle for control and desire to be heard.
I learned about the spiritual discipline of fasting and how you flesh is like a spoiled child that always gets what it wants.
However, in this race you can’t get what you want all of the time.
Otherwise you’ll be a great shadow boxer but poor fighter when it actually matters.
TR: But why pursue?
Why deprive yourself?
Why participate in the struggle?
Because of the prize!!!
The Prize
What is the passion of my heart?
This is what I hounded myself with during my sabbatical.
The prize is two things, it is precious and it is permanent
The Prize is Precious
“do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize?”
The prize is rare...
There are many people that pursue the prize.
They stated a desire for it to some degree.
Yet for all of their running only one of them gets to win.
While we don’t compete against each other, the prize is nonetheless rare and thereby precious.
Literally in the Greek it is the word for “take”, only one runner “takes” the prize”
Their motivation to endure the training that is going to come, will all be dependent on how valuable they think the prize is.
Everyone has a prize!
To not have a goal is not an option for mankind.
We love our prizes.
Whether it be a certain job, status, relationship, experience, etc. we will do all in our power to chase that prize.
Being an entrepreneur.
Thought I could control my own schedule, make more money, leave something for my kids and invest in something else.
After a couple years I realized I didn’t control my time, I wasn’t making enough money, thereby couldn’t invest and I would rather leave my kids my dirty socks than this business.
I realized that my ultimate prize wasn’t any of those things....it was purely time with my family and the Body.
Do I still want those things?
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9