Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Introduction

People fall into sin, but we do not fall into holiness.

We have to be intentional.

Introduction

By show of hands, how many of you have done poorly on a test?

How many of you have done poorly on a test simply because you did not prepare?

How many times have you prayed for God to see you through a test that you never studied or prepared for?

In this Christian life, we are faced with tests every single day.

There is always going to be someone that tempts you to pull out that old person.

You know the old person that was supposed to have died when you gave your life to Jesus…Yes, there will always be someone that tempts you to resurrect that old person.

There is always going to be someone that gets on your last nerve and tempts you to knock them upside their head.

There is always going to be someone that gets on your last nerve and tempts you to knock them upside their head.

There is always going to be someone or something that appeals to your sexual desires and tempts you to fulfill the desires of your flesh.

There is always going to be that boy or that girl that texts or dm’s you late at night that tempts you to engage in a sensual conversation that you know momma and daddy would not approve of.

There is always going to be someone or something that that test your patience, your love, your temper, and that will tempt you to sin.

Matter of fact, this past week as I was writing this sermon I was tempted to go off on someone, but by the grace of God I was able to remain silent.

We are born into sin and shaped in sin.

We are Christians called to live holy, but living in an unholy world.

Therefore, temptation is inevitable.

Say that with me “Temptation is inevitable.”

Jesus said it best himself in where he says “"There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting!”

Temptation is inevitable.

So if temptation is inevitable, then the question is how do you prepare for the inevitable?

How do you prepare your temper when someone talks to you sideways or cuts you off on the freeway?

How do you prepare for that moment when you are unmarried and dating someone, and you find yourself behind closed doors and hormones raging?

How do you prepare to die to yourself when someone tells you that you are wrong and you are tempted to be prideful?

How do you prepare when someone close to you talks about you behind your back?

How do you prepare for when you are at an event that has good food, you have eaten all that you can eat, but yet you are tempted to go back for another plate?

How do you prepare for that moment of peer pressure when you are hanging with some people that offer you an alcoholic beverage and you are underage?

How do you prepare?

Or better yet, do you prepare, or do you just pray to God, asking him to allow you to just do decent on the test that you never prepared for?

How do you prepare for those moments when you are fighting with the person that you love and you are tempted to say something that you know will pierce their soul?

How do you prepare to walk in victory over your sin?

How do you prepare to win?

Or better yet, do you prepare?

Or do you just pray to God, like that math test you never studied for, asking him to miraculously help you do decent on life’s tests that you never prepared for?

Because of Jesus, we have victory over sin.

Jesus defeated the power of sin on the cross () How many of you believe that?

So then why do we continue to struggle with the same sin day after day, year after year?

I recognize that the sin that I still struggle with is not due to the fact that I’m human, and it’s not due to that fact that Satan is stronger than me, but rather it’s primarily due to the fact that I have not prepared myself to walk in the victory that I say that I have in Jesus..

I haven’t prepared to win.

And what I want to suggest to you today is that if you want to walk in the victory over sin that is given to all who believes in Jesus, then you must PREPARE TO WIN.

That’s the subject today “Prepare to Win.”

When your best friend calls you to gossip about someone you know.

Cuts you off on the freeway

-You ever been at an event where there is a lot of food, and you know you need to stop eating, but you find yourself with another plate?

-You ever found yourself in a compromising situation, behind closed doors looking at things and/or doing some things you knew you had no business doing, but you did it anyway?

And what I want to suggest to you today is that if you want to walk in the victory over sin that is given to all who believes in Jesus, then you must PREPARE TO WIN.

That’s the subject today “Prepare to Win.”

-You ever text or dm somebody something that you knew momma would not approve if she saw it, but you did it anyway?

And today, I want to take us to a passage of scripture that I think will teach us how to prepare to win.

-Have you ever been in a situation where someone rubbed you the wrong the way or cut you off on the freeway, and you reacted in a way you knew was ungodly, but you did it anyway?

(To be stated while reading the Scripture)

Scripture

Everyday we are presented with choices.

Athletic contests were common in the Greek world, and the Isthmian Games, second only to the Olympic Games, were held every two years at Corinth.

Athletic contests were common in the Greek world, and the Isthmian Games, second only to the Olympic Games, were held every two years at Corinth.

Paul often uses imagery from the Games, and in this case, the foot race.

Athletic contests were common in the Greek world, and the Isthmian Games, second only to the Olympic Games, were held every two years at Corinth.

1 Corinthians 9:

Think Like a Winner

Athletic contests were common in the Greek world, and the Isthmian Games, second only to the Olympic Games, were held every two years at Corinth.

Paul draws on imagery from these Games, and specifically in verse 24, he uses imagery of the foot race.

A foot race yielded but one winner.

But when Paul compares the foot race to the Christian race, it’s not fully complete because in the Christian race, the good news is that there is not just one person that can be a winner or be saved, but anyone who calls on the name of Jesus and accepts him as their personal savior and Lord can be saved and therefore be a winner.

So if there is not just one winner in the Christian race, then what is Paul trying to say to these Corinthians when he says “Do you not know that in a race all runners run, but only one gets the prize?”

to these Corinthians?

Well before we get there, it’s important to first understand that the Corinthians were the type of people that would take advantage of God’s grace.

They were the type of people that would hear certain Pauline messages such as “You can’t earn your salvation,” “you are no longer under the law of sin, but under the law of grace,” “God is a loving and forgiving God,” and

all that is true, but they would twist that to mean I can live however I wanted to live and still get to go to heaven.

First, it is important to understand that the Corinthians were the type of people that would take advantage of God’s grace.

And so it’s this mindset that Paul is trying to challenge when he says in verse 24“Do you not know that in a race all runners run, but only one gets the prize?

Run in such a way to get to prize.”

Paul is not trying to say that you earn your salvation or work for your salvation, but he is trying to do away with the mentality of people that think it’s okay to sign up for the Christian race, run like a loser and still expect to make it to heaven.

He is trying to encourage them that if you are going to sign up for the Christian race, at least run like a winner.

Run like you want to stop gossiping.

Run like you want to stop smoking.

Run like you want to stop sleeping around.

Run like you want to get closer to Jesus.

Run like you want to stop gossiping.

Run like you want to get rid of that nasty attitude.

Run like you want to get over your depression.

Run like you want to get over what happened in the past.

Run like you want to stop getting drunk.

Run like you want to stop smoking.

Run like you want to stop sleeping around.

Run like you want to get rid of your pride.

Run like you want to get closer to Jesus.

Run like you want to grow in the Word of God.

Run like you want to grow in love.

Run like you want to go to heaven.

Run like you had victory over your sin.

Run like you want to win.

If you are going to sign up for the Christian race, at least run like a winner.

And that’s the first point.

If you are going to prepare to win, you must think like a winner.

Kobe Bryant, no matter what you may think about him, was one of the greatest players that has ever played the game of basketball.

And he had a certain way of living he called the “Mamba Mentality.”

He explained the mamba mentality as the continual quest to be great.