Sermon Tone Analysis

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell © 2002

 

 

The Story of John Landy   

 

In 1960 there was a famous race in Canada between two great runners.

The four minute mile recently been broken by both John Landy and Roger Banister.

Now they were racing each other.

John Landy was leading the race and there was only about two hundred yards left to go.

As they were coming out of the last corner John Landy looked behind to see where his opponent was placed.

At that very moment Roger Banister passed him on the outside while he was looking back on the inside.

He lost the race and will go down in history as the runner who looked back.

He should have concentrated on his own race.

By taking his eyes off the finish line he lost the race.

Introduction

 

Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church regarding the Christian life.

The Corinthians thought they could live as they pleased now they were saved.

They believed their spiritual freedom gave them rights and privileges others didn't have.

They coined phrases, like, /all things are lawful for me,/  and  /food is for the body and the body is for food./

Paul responded to this attitude in *1 Corinthians 6:12-13:*/ All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful.

All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them.

Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

/   

Paul continued to challenge the Corinthians regarding Christian liberty till the end of chapter 11.

In chapter 9 he defended the right of those who preach the gospel to be supported by the church.

But Paul hadn't use his right, so that he could preach the gospel freely and not have it identified with the religious huxters and philosophers of his day.

Paul was denied himself his rights for the benefit of others and he told the Corinthians to do the same.

They shouldn't place a stumbling block before unbelievers and weaker brothers by living for themselves.

At the end of chapter 9, Paul used the analogy of running a race to describe the Christian life.

The Christian life is like running a marathon.

This requires both preparation and endurance.

In *1 Corinthians 9:24 *Paul asks them this question*:* /Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?

/

/ /

Paul used the analogy of a race to show that although many run in a race, only one wins the prize.

Paul was not saying that if we lose the race we lose our salvation.

Neither was he saying that only one will win the prize.

Paul is saying this, just because we are in the Christian Race does not mean we will automatically win a prize.

Just like the recent Commonwealth Games in Manchester, athletes must compete according to the rules to receive a prize.

Sunday School Races

 

I used to love running in the junior races at Sunday School picnics.

Because it didn't matter where you came in the race everyone got a prize.

Similarly, in the Christian race everyone can win a prize, as long as they run according to the rules.

Paul gives the only *command* in these 4 verses:  */Run in such a way that you may obtain it./*/

How do you run the Christian race?

/Paul says, you* Run To Win !* /How do you win the Christian race?/ Paul gives three requirements, */Denial, Decisiveness & Discipline/*.

The first quality a good athlete needs is: I. Denial 

 

*1 Corinthians 9:25 *says this: /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 says that those who compete are /temperate/ in all things.

The word */temperate/* ejgkrateuomai means */to be/ /self controlled/*/, *to practice abstinence*./

This involves a choice to abstain from the nicer, less healthy things of life.

To be self controlled in mind and body allows runners to prepare physically for the race.

Christian athletes */deny/* themselves the pleasures of life so that they can win the prize.

The Greek Games

 

Athletes who entered in the Greek Olympic Games or Isthmian Games were subject to a ten month training period.

They were under the direction of judges for this training period.

They had to observe a strict diet, that prohibited them from eating delicacies and drinking wine.

They had to live on spare food and abstain from confections.

They had to exercise at the appointed times in the gymnasium whether it was hot or cold, and get the necessary rest.

They were to live in isolation from their wives and denied the pleasant things of life.

This was so that they could concentrate on being in the best physical and mental condition possible.

If the athlete did not train according to the rules he was disqualified.

The NIV brings out this idea: /" Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.

"/

 

*Hebrews 12:1 says:* /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,//  /

 

The writer to the Hebrews says we are to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us.

A weight is not the same thing as a sin.

A weight does not break God's law, but it does hinder us in the Christian race.

It is something that distracts us from more important things.

An athlete wanting to win will remove it so that he can focus on running his race.

The Christian Runner

* *

In the same way believers need to be self controlled in the race that they run.

We must put aside our rights for the benefit of others.

We need to refrain from those things that would encumber us in our race.

*/We are free to eat and drink what we like!/*/

But what if our freedom to drink alcohol causes our brother or a non Christian to stumble? /Good food is one of pleasures of life that we all enjoy.

/Should we show restraint in how much we eat?

A/ well balanced diet complements a well balanced spiritual life.

/Should Christians smoke?/

The Bible does not directly address this issue.

But if we are running to win, smoking must be considered a hindrance and not an advantage.

We should remember that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

/If athletes abstain from drinking, smoking and eating the wrong foods, how much more should runners in the Christian Race absatin from them?* */

*/All things are lawful for us, but not all things edify/*./

Do you want to be in bondage to those things that harm your spiritual fitness?

/We are free to watch many things on T.V.

But very little of what is shown on T.V. is edifying or good for us.

Music is something we can all enjoy and there is a great amount of variety even in Christian music./

But is our music building us up in our faith or weakening it?

Are your favourite musicians people that God would approve of?/

The Corinthians thought they had freedom to go to pagan feasts, they thought they had freedom to eat and get drunk as they pleased.

Paul rebuked them for such selfish thinking!

Both drinking and smoking are addictive.

They lower your physical fitness.

Because they affect people's behaviour they spoil our Christian witness.

God wants His runners to be healthy in body and soul.

He wants them to be self controlled, to be temperate.

* *

Paul shares his race philosophy in *Romans 14:20-23:* /Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food.

All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.

*It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.*

Do you have faith?

Have it to yourself before God.

Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.

But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.