Lessons about Leadership (Part 3)

Paul’s Race & Reward

I would like to begin today’s message by jumping right into where we left off last time.

Review: We are in the section of Paul’s letter to the Corinthian believer, regarding the question they had… particularly here the question of eating food offered to idols.

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Some may wonder how Paul was able to make such a great sacrifice. We see the way Paul lived and we admire it, we are inspired by it, and may dare wanna try to live like that. I’m sure the Corinthian believer read these words from Paul and felt extreme conviction. Knowing what was God-honoring but feeling so uncertain and incapable of living that way. They too may have wondered how Paul was able to make such an incredible sacrifice, something that for us seems so unnatural. It’s unnatural because our flesh, our very nature (sinful nature) resists and opposes every limit to it’s freedom. It longs to do whatever it wants, to go where it feels, and to be whatever we want to be. It’s desire is to do anything that will please self, have it our own way!

Teenagers… resisting restrictions and boundaries parents set...

But that’s what makes Paul’s commitment even more incredible. He wasn’t crossing any lines. In fact, what he could have done in accepting his rights would have been God-honoring. It was free of any guilt or shame. He deserved it, He earned, and God has gifted it to him and to all those that serve and deemed it good, yet Paul did not accept it. We refused what was good for what was best!

How was He able to do this? To live this kind of dedication and devotion to God? I believe as we take at look at these verse in 1 Corinthian 9, Paul will answer this important question.

In order for us to make the big plays ~or~ have the big moments for Christ, we have to train in big ways.

Paul in addressing his young disciple Timothy, as the young man lead a church in Ephesus, writes to him...

1 Timothy 4:7 ESV

Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;

He tells him to train yourself for godliness.The word “train” is an athletic term denoting the rigorous, self-sacrificing exercise an athlete undergoes.

You might say, wait I thought it was God who produces these good works in us. Isn’t God the only one that can bring about godliness in us? How do these go together? Let me quickly take these verses as a great proof text of these concepts.

Philippians 2:13 ESV

for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

John 15:5 ESV

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

1 Corinthians 12:6 ESV

and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.

It is the Lord who produces the good works and spiritual fruit in the lives of the believer yet Phil. 2:12, the previous verse, still commands us to work.

Philippians 2:12 ESV

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,

To “work out” literally means “to continually work to bring something to fulfillment or completion.”

This is through the process we know as Sanctification. Phase one of sanctification is called “positional sanctification.” Our identity has been changed. We are a new creation. Permanently in Christ. God no longer sees our sinfulness but sees His sons redeeming power to wash us clean. Phase 2 is what we can “progressive sanctification”.

From the moment God begins His good work in us until the day of its completion, the Holy Spirit is chipping away, renovating our character, day by day reforming us into partakers of the holy nature of God. God does the work, but believers are also meant to be active in the process, yielding to the effort (Romans 6:13, 19; 12:1) and pressing on toward the upward call to holiness (Hebrews 12:14; Philippians 3:12–14).

Both concepts are present. God’s power to bring about change but also our effort to bring it about. We are held accountable to that. That is why Paul tells Timothy and in a way every believer to train yourself for godliness.

Train at an Olympic level. Paul will share with the Corinthian believer 3 things that their training needed to produce in us that same kind of godliness, and commitment that Paul had to make such a sacrifice.

In order to produce this kind of sacrifice…

I. It takes Passion (v. 24)

Paul’s imagery here is great. He understood the times and understood what concepts God has created to help us better understand His spiritual truths. Life is full of them. Jesus often drew upon physical things that happen here on earth to convey spiritual meaning. He did that with Nicademus when he talked about being born again. Paul does that here, using the visual imagery of Athletics.

The Corinthian believer would have been well acquainted with Athletic games. In greek culture, there were 2 high level Athletic competitions, the Olympics and the Isthmian games which were held in the city of Corinth.

(I)A. Passion for the Race

1 Corinthians 9:24 ESV

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

We as Christians are all part of the race, and we are responsible to run. But in order to run well, we need to be passionate about the race, enjoy the sport.

In high school, I ran cross country.... running 3.1 miles… you’d have to love it to do it!

I wasn’t passionate about it, that’s why I wasn’t that successful in it.

Well, how do you build passion for something...

*Disc golf

It’s the same thing in our spiritual lives..... sharing with someone the excitement, them pursuing it even more, exercising what they learn, being victorious… we become passionate about spiritual living. We realize it is the ultimate satisfaction and the greatest thing to live for, and we thrive on it. But we have to have a passion for it first.

But it’s not just a passion for the race that we need in order to succeed and make the “big plays” for Christ.... we also need to have a ....

(I)B. Passion for the Reward

If you’ve ever been around someone who is extremely into their sport, you know that they have there mind set on being the best, taking home the trophy. If they are gonna take home the trophy, they will need to keep their mind set on thinking of it.

It’s easy as a human being to be pulled away from what we want to accomplish. Think of all the failed New Year’s Resolutions. How does one keep their mind on the task so as to earn the reward. They put up reminders in their life. Ever been in an elite athletes room.

What’s covering their wall. The closest I’ve been to a high caliber athlete was being around one of my brother’s friend Dillon Jergens.

Posters on wall, pictures on phone, necklace or keyring, basketball always on hand, etc. reminders of what he is playing for.

Paul was like that...

Philippians 3:13–14 ESV

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

He called all the past and even the things present “dung” in the same chapter but continually rights about the things that he is fighting for.

We read these verses last week, but Paul’s prize was here in mind...

2 Timothy 4:7–8 ESV

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

Here also in our passage

1 Corinthians 9:25 ESV

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

An Olympic athlete’s dedication is simply astounding. I’m sure you heard of Michael Phelps daily routine of eating, exercising. He would exercise in the pool for 8-10 hours a day, six days a week. Then on top of that we would spend about a hour every other day “dry” exercising through weight training to gain strength. His “Olympic” diet” was like 10-12,000 calories per day. Leaving very fews hours of daytime left for him. His routine started everyday at 6:30 in the pool. He rarely missed that morning start in the many years he competed and trained. All this to become the most decorated Olympic Athlete. But the thing is all his accomplishments, all his notoriety will eventually fade away. Michael Jordan, who we consider greatest of all time is little by little being forgetten and replaced. Ask any of the younger guys and they’ll tell ya Lebron James. That’s cause legacy’s don’t last forever. Can any of us name the winners of the Isthmian games or the Olympic games of Paul’s time? Eventually these men like Michael Phelps and Michael Jordan will be obsolete.

But we are called to give Olympic level discipline to our calling for our prize which is Imperishable. It will last forever.

1 Corinthians 3:12–15 ESV

Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

We want to do it to here Christ say, “well done though good and faithful servant”.

Paul knew he would receive this prize, this incorruptible crown because of the level of sacrifice he gave for Christ and his love of bringing the Gospel to the lost, doing whatever he could so that they may hear. He had a passion to be found worthy and to receive those prizes. And we need to have that be our passion as well. All other things counted as loss… save for the prize of the high calling of God.

Our training takes passion in order to make the big plays, but secondly it take self-control.

II. It takes Self-Control (v.25-26)

1 Corinthians 9:25–26 ESV

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.

Self-Control – Removing or managing things that make you ineffective.

Self-control has us stop doing an activity we already do, perhaps in the middle of it.

Paul shares with his audience 2 types of Athletes that exercise self-control. One that we can learn from. We need to have self-control …

(II)A. As a Purposeful Runner

In cross country, we would meet at the course early and walk it… so as to know how to avoid pitfalls, know the route, and able to strategize our attack. If we didn’t do this, we would most certainly be more running aimless.

I remember one of my fellow teammates who didn’t make it for the pre-laps, ran with his head down and missed the right route, wasting his energy and making his race less meaningful and effective. He was just going through motions as many of us do in our Christian lives. We have no aim for no purpose to our steps and we need to exercise self-control by removing that which is making us ineffective.

Before I go further into that, Paul shared with the believers yet another Athlete that exercised self-control… this would be the....

(II)B. As a Strategic Fighter

I’m gonna share a bit from one of my favorite sports movie collections of all time., hey, If Paul can use something current from his time to illustrate the point, then certainly I can as well. I love the Rocky movies.

Rocky 3, Clumber lang, Rocky taunting “Ain’t so bad”, Clubber’s coach, “save your bunches.”

Christians can be guilty of both of these. Aimless, but exerting great energy.

CHANGES TO IGNITE...

It’s easier to keep just plugging along and doing what is good but it will never let us be most effective and it will keep us from winning the race. It will expire our energy but not produce any real fruit.

The church has noticed these in our programs.

Honestly, we as Christians do this in our daily lives constantly, but this is not what we are supposed to do. Take family for example. Is spending time with family good? It is often an excuse we make to keep us from being at church, ministring to others, making disciples, and evangelizing the lost. “Honey, we should have our neighbors over.” No, let’s just have some family time. Family time is good but when it keeps you from the other important things it can often make us ineffective in all areas of our live.

Remove what is good for what is better. Say no to those things that are inhibiting us from living right.

Hebrews 12:1 ESV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Sin- the things that obviously apart from God’s will and wreck our fellowship with God, but also every weight.

I’ve heard it said that weight is anything holding back from doing God’s will. Any athlete does that. Is food bad? Is have fun and doing out with other people wrong? No, but often times Athletes refuse these for what is best.

How do we do this as Christians? Take family for example. Is spending time with family good? Is it often an excuse we make to keep us from being at church, ministering to others, making disciples, and evangelizing the lost? Here’s one I’ve heard and have said. “Honey, we should have our neighbors over.” No, let’s just have some family time. Family time is good but when it keeps you from the other important things it can often make us ineffective in all areas of our live.

Remove what is good for what is better. Say no to those things that are inhibiting us from living right, because if we don’t we will never be able to do the big things that God is calling us to do. Live extravagantly for him.

We have got to start saying no, We have got to have self-control. Living aimlessly must come to an end. We’ve got to be strategic. We’ve got to evaluate how each decision we make will affect the future.

So it take passion, it take self-control… and finally...

III. It takes Discipline (v. 27)

1 Corinthians 9:27 ESV

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

Self-Discipline – Adding things to get better.

Self-discipline gets us to begin a new task or project and stick with it.

Self-discipline asks us to wake up and get up. Self-control keeps us from hitting the snooze button. Self-discipline says we should do something, even when we don't feel like it.

(III)A. Knowing the Enemy & What It Takes to Win

Allude again to Rocky, this time the second film. Learning to fight with his right-hand. “Ya gotta learn to be a right-handed fighter . . . to throw Creed off and keep his jab outta ya bad eye.”

Mickey says, “Ya gotta train for 45,000 min for a fights that last only 45”

It’s the same way in our spiritual lives, only the enemy isn’t an outside opponent, It’s our own selves. Discipline my body. Other versions state, “I beat my body” or “I pummel my body & make it my slave.” Term in greek literally means to hit under the eye. I other, he takes control over his body and forces it to do something it doesn’t want to do. Rocky didn’t want to train right handed. He wanted to give up, but because he stuck with it, he was able to win the fight.

How’s our routine. Are we deeply devoted to the Word, to prayer, to scripture memorization. Do we take the time to Journal. I have found that journalling is incredibly helpful in bringing spiritual growth to my life. Writing is a method to help us reflect, contemplate, and more fully digest the things of life.

Proverbs 4:20–22 ESV

My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.

Meditate on them… in Proverbs

We have to have good routines. The proof of our good routines is in how we live our life.

We can well see a person who is truly treasuring God’s Word and has a disciplined devotional life.

Luke 6:45 ESV

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

That’s where the power comes!!!

“I am more and more convinced that what gives a ministry it’s motivation, perseverance, humility, joy, tenderness, passion, and grace is the devotional life of the one doing ministry.”

-Paul David Tripp

(III)B. Knowing the Cost of Failure

“I myself should be disqualified”- it is important to understand what Paul means here. In the Isthmian games competitors had only so many days to train before the big event… but to even enter the competition, it was a requirement that the competitors travel to the city of the competition and train there at the training grounds for 30 days before the event.

Why would they require this? As the host of the event, they wanted to make sure that contestants were in peak form. Nobody coming to watch the games wanted to see easy victories. They wanted the games to be exciting. Putting an athlete on the field who hasn’t put in the time and was clearing behind in his training would bore the crowd. So athletes trained for 30 days under the watchful eyes of the host, then on that day, it was announced who would be involved in each event, what city they represented, but also announced was those that had been disqualified. Disqualified because they weren’t ready to compete on that level.

Never even getting a shot to even race.

Many of us never get the opportunity to experience being used of the Lord in those big moments. To sacrifice in amazing ways, to be an inspiration to others, to see lives transformed through your ministry. Many have never led a single sole to the Lord, of very few to say the least, and the route cause, they weren’t training themselves for godliness. They were ok with the status quo. Never pushing themselves like an Olympic athlete. As mature believers, is 15 min of devotions really ‘making the cut’. I don’t believe so, the church of Berea and Thessalonica soaked up the Word and what was the result of there lives.

1 Thessalonians 1:6–8 ESV

And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.

So what about you Christian, do you truly wish to win the race, do you truly want to hear well done though good and faithful, do you really want your life to have purpose and meaning, do you want to be used of God to the fullest. Then you have got to train hard. In order to be a leader, you have got to train yourself for godliness by adding passion, self-control, and discipline.