Striving for the Mastery – Part Three
“Know you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beats the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (I Corinthians 9: 24 – 27)
Every athlete who participated in the Isthmus games had assigned to him a coach. The coach was a person who knew more than he about what it took to be the best competitor in his sport. Every athlete regardless of his sport did the same exercises. What made the difference was knowing the finer point of his competition in his sport. The athlete had to be COACHABLE.
The athlete’s coach was his master. What he said the athlete did. If we are going to be spiritual victors, we must submit to Christ as our master/trainer.
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22)
In a more modern day Coach John Wooden, renowned UCLA basketball coach, would always call his team together before each game and say the same thing to them. “I have done all I can to help you. The rest is up to you. Now go do what I have taught you.”
Jesus has taught us all we need to know to win life’s game by His standard. It is time for us to do what we know to do.
A popular modern day discipline is group Bible study. That is good, but it is time to start doing what we already know to do.
There was a church member who needed coaching. Every time his pastor endeavored to instruct him he would say, “Let’s pray about it.” Finally the pastor said one day, “It is time to stop praying and start playing.” Keep studying, but by all means get in the game. Do what you know to do before you look for more to do, because if you don’t do what you know to do the Lord is not going to give you more not to do.
As a college freshman basketball player I got in the game near the end and scored two points. We won by one point. The next day I was spouting off to friends in the campus post office. I said such things as, “I should be the go-to man on this team. I am hot. I should be a starter. If you see the coach tell him.” They said, “You just told him. He is standing right behind you.” I ran laps that day.
Don’t try to tell Jesus what He should do. You do what He has taught you to do. Prove you are coachable. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22)
Striving for the Mastery – Part Two
“Know you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beats the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (I Corinthians 9: 24 – 27)
In striving for mastery an athlete had to be CONTROLLED.
One common characteristic of every great athlete is self-control. To participate in the Isthmus Games every athlete had to check into the training facility nine months before the games. When they checked-in they checked-out of society. They went into isolation from the public and were completely cut off from everything and everyone outside.
The Greek word describing this experience is AGONIZOMAI. Various translations of the Greek New Testament make its meaning more understandable. Some are:
“Every man who strives for mastery trains himself by all manner of self-restraint.”
Josh Davis, the swimmer who won three gold medals, spoke of his twelve years of training that resulted in a few moments of glory. Our lifetime of discipline will result in an eternity of glory.
“Anyone who enters a contest goes into strict training.”
The many splendid athletes who compete in the Olympics have done so. There is an English word that has come from the Greek word describing this intensive training. It can be heard in the Greek word AGONIZOMAI. Our word is “agony.” A hymn written by Isaac Watts in 1724 speaks to this.
Sure I must fight if I would reign;
Increase my courage, Lord;
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by thy Word.
Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follower of the Lamb?
And shall I fear to own his cause,
Or blush to speak his name?
When thine illustrious day shall rise,
And all thy saints shall shine,
And shouts of vict’ry rend the skies,
The glory, Lord, be thine.
How controlled by Jesus and His Word are you? Recommit today.
A Secret Source of Strength 6/14/98
Psalm 31:19-24
Page 820 Come Alive Bible
JESUS CHRIST loves the hopeless. He loved Zacchaeus who was hopelessly lonely. He loved Mary Magadalene though demon possessed. He loved Mary and Martha whose brother Lazarus died.
A sense of futile hopelessness is so foreign to the Lord that the word “hopeless” does not occur in the Bible.
Knowing human nature our Lord realizes it exists and proposes an antidote. The Psalmist describes himself as a person for whom persons have set a snare and caught him in their net. Have you ever felt trapped, hopeless? Framed in such a feeling three release principles are noted.
God’s people need to know God’s word in order to know what to do in times of uncertainty. Recently we visited the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem to see the famed beautiful stained glass windows by renowned artist Marc Chagall. The twelve Jerusalem Windows in the synagogue represent the twelve tribes of Israel. The captivating window of the tribe of Issachar is stunning. Issachar was an agricultural tribe that loved the land so much they would not even leave to go to war (Genesis 49: 14,15). Tradition says that Zebulun and Issachar made a pact. Zebulun would enter the commercial arena in order to allow Issachar time to study the Torah. Therefore, the gift the Issachar tribe gave David was that they “had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do” (I Chronicles 12: 32).
God’s people need to study God’s Word in order to understand our times and know what to do. In this time of uncertainty and apprehension let’s explore a rich passage.
I. BE OF GOOD COURAGE (Psalm 31: 24a)
This brings to mind what has been called Jesus’ favorite text: “Be of good cheer.” This He said to the helpless paralectics, the woman who touched the hem of His garment, the terrified disciples in the storm, before His ascension – “In this world you shall have tribulation but be of good cheer.”
Fear of conditions might cause some to try to retreat into the past or flee into the future, but reverence for God brings us to confront the current with courage. Almost anyone can show physical courage. It refuses to stand by convictions. Don’t be a moral turn-coat. Be courageous enough to die rather than compromise.
In the day of Charles II, Margaret Wilson, a woman of great faith, was falsely accused and sentenced to death. She was tied to the stake on the beach at low tide and offered release for recanting as the tide rose. Her last words – “Christ only is my Master.”
Our word COURAGE comes from the Latin word meaning resulting from two basics: cor and ago. “Cor” is the word for “heart” and “ago” the word for “to put in motion.” When the heart is put in motion there is courage.
Courage refers to the condition of the heart. Richard I, King of England, was called Richard Coeur de Lion, Richard the Lion-Hearted. Meaning King Richard who has the heart of a lion. It was a reference to his courage in battle.
The opposite of courage is not only cowardice, but conformity. There is a story of a soldier in Alexander’s army with an incurable disease. He was always at the front of the fight. Alexander ordered his doctors to spare no effort to find a cure for such a brave warrior. Miraculously they did. Once healed he coward toward the rear of the ranks in protection of his life. It is better to be stunned into courage by pain than healed into cowardice.
II. HE SHALL STRENGTHEN YOUR HEART HEART is the Hebrew word for mind, purpose, intention, or insight.
If you have been mentally wandering these last few minutes come on back and fix your mind on what is about to be said. It is a revolutionary concept that can change your life.
It is said of God “He will strengthen your heart.” Such a concept has been veiled in meaning. The organ of the heart is a marvel. This rugged four-chambered, four-valved pump which handles 5,000 gallons of blood a day, almost enough to fill a railroad tank car. It supplies the circulatory system through 12,000 miles of vessels, and in the course of the average lifetime beats two and one half billion times. There is an additional strategic function of the heart long unknown.
Now without regard for that statement a British researcher at Southhampton University and author Dr. Alan Watkins help our understanding. In his book Mind-Body Medicine: a Clinician’s Guide to Psycho/neuro/immunology he speaks of the heart as the body’s powerhouse which has a “hitherto unrecognized role in balancing the entire human system.” He states the heart produces 50 times more electrical energy than the brain and a thousand times more electro- magnetic energy. Being the strongest power source in the body it coordinates all the other body systems, including the brain, commonly thought to be the dominant organ.
The process is known as “entrainment.” It produces harmony throughout all of the body.
He illustrates it by observing a flock of birds. Have you ever seen a large dense flock of birds flying along and all at once they all instantly dart in the same direction in response to a threat. That togetherness is entrainment. Dr. Watkins says biological systems entrain. The heart sets the pattern. In humans it only happens in response to a positive emotional state. All body systems have their body clocks which have their own rhythm. When there is a positive emotional state these rhythms synchronize. When this happens the brain works better, the immune system functions better, and your hormonal systems is at its best.
Have you ever been engaged in an upsetting conversation and when it is over and you have calmed down you think of so many good things you wish you had said. Well during that upset state your entrainment wasn’t good and your brain wasn’t at its best.
When our Lord says He will strengthen our heart He is saying He will help your brain, immune system, and hormones work together to your fullest advantage. All of this happens when the Lord is allowed to strengthen your heart by you thinking with the mind of Christ. That is, having His thought on each issue. Such positive thoughts impact all of your life.
When Stephen (Stefano) of Colonna, a man of great faith was captured by assailants they asked him in derision, “Now where is your fortress?” Placing his hand over his heart he said, “Here is my fortress.” It is our citadel of defense against all opponents.
Little wonder the Scripture says, “Man looks upon the outward appearance but God looks upon the heart.”
Your heart is the center of your intellectual, moral, emotional, and spiritual life. Is it right with God?
Anxiety is replaced by acclaim. Praise acknowledges the Divine Person. Love accepts His purpose.
III. HOPE
HOPE is the happy anticipation of good, favorable and confident expectation. Earnestly anticipating and expecting through experiencing delay and disappointment.
Little wonder God calls hope “the anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:19 [NASB]).
Hope realizes that it sometimes takes God time to work. It is the catalyst which makes divine ferment possible. It is the incentive which leads to unrealized perfection. Without hope man is less than a beast, he is a malfunctioning organism.
The media has exposed us to persons devastated by hurricanes, tornadoes, raging fires, floods, and crimes in homes, schools, and streets. Many have been absolutely inundated with sorrow and grief resulting from these tragedies. Some have rebounded some have not. Often one thing makes the difference —- hope.
Doubts often slip into our lives like termites in a building. These termite-like thoughts eat away at our faith. This happens when:
A. Things I think should not happen, happen.
B. When things I think should happen don’t happen. Then what do you do?
C. When things I think should happen NOW, happen later.
God knows what He is doing regardless of the waiting period.
These three things cause termites of doubt to work. It is then the All-Pro of termite extermination is needed. That is, hope.
Famed American cardiologist, Dr. R. McNair Wilson remarks in his autobiography, Doctor’s Progress, “Hope is the medicine I use more than any other …. Hope can cure nearly anything.”
“Saturday Review,” reported, “Hope …. is medicinal. This is not merely a statement of belief, but a conclusion proved by meticulously controlled scientific experiments.”
To be most effective this hope must be Christo-centric. Timothy expresses this in four all- inclusive words: “Christ Jesus our hope….” (I Timothy 1: 1).
Victor Frankel in writing of his days in a Nazi prison camp wrote: “The prisoner who lost faith in the future – his future was doomed. With his loss of faith in the future, he also lost his spiritual hold; he let himself decline, and become subject to mental and physical decay.” Hope ties us to eternity.
There are two ways of looking at life’s defeats and delays:
THE WAY OF THE DISILLUSIONED – Some attribute the disillusionment of hope to youth. Life having not fulfilled the disillusioned one’s aspirations, thus, they resolve to make the best of it by being tough. Such a one guards self against the awareness of hope. They become fearful that it is a sign of weakness. They become oblivious to it as a source of strength.
Hope in the future fills the present with energy.
THE WAY OF THE CHRISTIAN – Hope accepts trials. It exists alongside the potential for despair. Hope isn’t blind – it sees through the eyes of God.
“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness.”
Striving for the Mastery – Part One
“Know you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beats the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (I Corinthians 9: 24 – 27)
The athletic metaphor in the text alludes to participation in the Isthmus Games, which were larger than the Olympic Games, but had similar requirements.
First the athlete had to be a citizen of the city state he represented.
Citizenship was basic. It is in the spiritual realm. If one professes to be a follower of Jesus they must be a citizen of the Kingdom and prove they belong to Him. That is, that you have by faith trusted Him in the forgiveness of sin. Do you represent Him? Do you practice what you profess? Becoming a citizen is as simple as A, B, C.
A – ACKNOWLEDGE you are a sinner.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). That’s us.
B. – BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ.
“For with the heart one believes unto righteousness…”
C – CONFESS Christ as Savior.
“…with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10).
If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? How about last night?
Jesus warned of pretentious citizenship.“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness…” (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV)
A sure sign of citizenship is noted: “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him….” (I John 2: 3, 4).
With citizenship established it is essential to become a competitor for the Kingdom of God. Some have established their citizenship, but failed to become competitors.
Striving for the Mastery – Introduction
“Know you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beats the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” I Corinthians 9: 24 – 27
Jesus should be our primary source of motivation. The Olympic games provide many illustrations of athletic motivation for victory. This text provides metaphors that serve as a framework for spiritual striving for mastery. Several posts will be dedicated to this theme.
Mike Marsh, Barcelona Gold Medalist in the 200 meters, tells of a friend who was a coach urging him to participate in track without success. He finally motivated him to watch one of the world’s greatest athletes run on TV. Mike watched Carl Lewis and was fired with excitement. He was motivated by Carl’s example as no one had ever been able to motivate him. That motivation created an Olympic Gold Medalist in the person of Mike Marsh.
You may lack motivation for life. You may be without motivation to achieve your best in life. If you study the life of Christ you will find inexhaustible motivation in Him. He then can create in you the best “you” you have the capacity of becoming. Contained in that “best you” is the most happiness and contentment for which you have the capacity.
Turning to Christ in faith and trusting Him as Savior might not make you a Gold Medalist, but it will make you the best “you” you can be. Trust Him and see! He will motivate you to strive to be your best at everything you do.
Our text is a vivid summary of the drive and dynamic resulting from following Christ. The letter is addressed to Christians in Corinth. This great city with a population of 500,000 was the “Vanity Fair” of the Roman Empire. It was one of the most famous “good time cities” of all time. It was an athletic crazed city. The Isthmus Games, which were larger than the Olympic Games, were held there.
There were certain requirements for participating in the games. In considering what was required to participate in the games we can gain insight into what is involved in serving our Lord Jesus. To participate in life for Jesus you’ve got to meet His standard. Posts will illustrate these requirements. In it all Jesus must be our coaching motivator.