CHRISTIAN OLYMPICS 8-10-08am  by Pastor Thomas

Text: Heb 12:1 "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."

Intro: these summer Olympics are again offering the races for the sports elite to compete to become the best in many categories. They have trained extensively and have traveled to Beijing China at considerable expense to compete. Most will return home defeated having won nothing. A few will bring home the gold, silver or bronze. Not everyone wins. Not everyone finishes first, second, or third. There is no prize given arbitrarily just so no person goes home without some kind of recognition to feel warm and fuzzy about their performance. There is stiff competition so that only the best win. In the Olympics it isn’t so that, "it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it’s how you play the game." In the Olympics, it isn’t so that winning is everything, winning is the ONLY THING!

Some may say they didn’t expect to win a medal and that they were "just happy to be there to compete." Perhaps they didn’t win simply because they didn’t expect it. They didn’t want it badly enough; didn’t have the drive to win that others had; wouldn’t train as others did; wouldn’t sacrifice as the winners did; or just didn’t have the will to win and merely wanted to be good enough to be in the game. They are willing to settle with coming in last. Defeat was expected. That’s what they got.

Christian experience can be compared to the Olympics in many ways. The text analogy suggests it to be like runners in a race and what each must do in order to achieve the rewards of a winner. In this race everyone will cross the finish line; but not all will participate in the awards ceremony! For some there will be no "well done’s." No accolades. No crown.

I. CONSIDER THE COMPETITION. "So great a cloud of witnesses."

1. Who are these witnesses? Most likely, the Old Testament saints. They are witnesses of this grand truth, namely, that faith will carry believers safely through all that they may be called upon to do or to suffer in the profession of the gospel. They are witnesses to encourage us in our race, their number being a great multitude; and their example of virtue and faith. We didn’t start the race, we merely joined in as each of us was born again.

As there was a cloud that went before the children of Israel to lead them in the wilderness, so this cloud of witnesses leads us up and down in the wilderness of this world, in the blackest night of our sorrows and sufferings; and they encompass us so that we can better endure our sufferings or miserable conditions, however distressing, which sometime come to the best of Christians. We can remember some of these O.T. examples like Job, Daniel, and David, and be encouraged by their perseverance in the face of trying circumstances.

2. This is a special recognition God grants to His departed saints who fought the good fight of the faith with honor and distinction. You see, even after they have been absorbed into the ranks as characters of ancient history, Hebrews chapter 11, they are still a cloud of witnesses to faith and obedience for all generations which have followed. We gain hope that if they could run the race well, so can we since we have so much more to guide and to encourage us than they had.

II. CONSIDER OUR CONVERSION EXPERIENCE AS THE STARTING PLACE.

1. One cannot run in a race in which he has not entered. Running implies having entered the race through Christ our Savior. Repentance for our sins, and salvation by God’s grace without our works, through faith in the atoning death of Christ for our souls eternal salvation.

2. However, there are many who attempt to run this race who have not been born again, but who are merely the victims of easy "believe-ism," or who made a mental "decision," which was not from the heart. Intellectual acceptance of the gospel is not salvation. I fear that many professions are made which are empty, pressured and not real. These are made in order to. They are made in order to satisfy a parent, guardian or friend. Profession of faith are made in order for the preacher to marry a couple, in order for the parents of a Christian child to allow someone to date their teenager. Others are made in order to gain the respect and/or the acceptance from a person or organization which has the ability to help them, include them, or advance them somehow. I.e. Belief in God is required to join some lodges. Some empty professions are made in order to qualify for food or financial help from a certain church. The desire to join a particular church might be so strong that a person will make a bogus profession without substance in order to become a member. I.e. The church in town with the most elite business professionals, the members who are high in society and has the highest social status gets joiners who do so for prospective business or social contacts. Others who are young might think it would be fun to get baptized along with their friends and so make a simple, but unreal profession in order to get accepted for baptism.

3. When ones conversion is a real experience it may be likened unto the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Everyone shows excitement, there is joy, there is amazement, there is public display of tears or smiles. It is a shared happening with many others present who feel the impact of being right there when a new child of God was born, when a soul passed from death unto life; when a sinner dead in trespasses and sins was quickened and made alive in Jesus Christ.

But wait, that excitement doesn’t last forever. The opening ceremony does end and the hard reality of daily running this Christian race in a faithful way sets in and is found to be really tough at times with obstacles to overcome, and sacrifices to be made to keep up with the demands of running to win the crown.

III. CONSIDER THE COMMITMENT TO TRAINING REQUIRED IF WE ARE TO WIN A PRIZE.

We have been assigned a running place in this race by our God, so it is our duty faithfully and perseveringly to run it. How do we train for it?

1. First, is to "lay aside every weight." This means casting off worldly burdens which might slow us down. These refer to the things or people in our lives which consume a lot of our time. Of course our jobs and families are necessary things to be taken seriously. Many other things are not. Are you one of those Christian runner who used to run well, but have gotten sidetracked and now sit on the bench? Who’s responsible for that? You are! Ga 5:7 "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?" Who hindered you? A parent? A co-worker? A friend? A relative? What hindered you? Pleasure seeking? Money making? Wrong priorities? Wrong acquaintances? Selfish ambition? Procrastination? Temptations or trials? A crisis? Or insidious apathy?

Other innocent things may distract us away from running this race well. Things like benign involvements, but they become weights against our growing in grace and running a good race when we allowed them to keep us from having a faithful church life. Your church needs you! Try walking down the street with one leg missing. It’s like that when even the least member of this body is carelessly absent from our assembly.

What is dead weight? Anything which impedes our running this race faithfully is dead weight and must be laid aside. Have you noticed how athletes do not wear clothing that would hinder them? The things of this world are heavy hindering obstructions to the practice of Christianity. Even family. Jesus said a mans foes may be of his own family. It is the inordinate love for these things which the Apostle John rebukes, "love not the world, neither the things of the world..."

Folks, over the years as a pastor, I’ve seen how the world has gradually invaded church life to rob it of its spirituality and to take away its glow. What attendees sought and wanted in church fifty years ago of doctrine, discipline, dedication, decency and order, is far removed from what attendees demand today in fleshly entertainment, dressing down, and in sloppy expressions of faith. I’ve even heard of one so called church that people can join even if they are atheists.

So we are to quit ourselves like men; and, as runners in a race, let us cast off all that hinders our race.

2. Second is to lay aside besetting sin. Peter was thinking of this when he wrote, 1 Pe 1:13 "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."

It could mean ones pet sin, or "the sin," something a person refuses to quit and thinks it does no harm and shouldn’t be anyone else’s business and so they continue to justify it perhaps on the basis that all of us have something similar in our lives which we won’t crucify.

Now here’s the deal. Our standing as Christians is this, Gal 5:24 "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." That started when we got saved, but continues as sanctification, a daily practice. In practice, we may still cling to some of our besetting sins in order to satisfy the desires of our flesh. But Paul tells us that if we walk in the Spirit we will NOT fulfill the lusts of the flesh. (Gal 5:16).

So to run this race successfully, we MUST be willing to hold ourselves accountable to a higher good. That is, to be all that we can be to the glory of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. A vessel clean and fit for the Master’s use. 2Ti 2:21 "If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, [and] prepared unto every good work."

So unready are we for the spiritual race, if we are entangled with the love of the world, or with any besetting sin.

3. And third, "Let us run with patience the race."

There are those inevitable and unavoidable troubles of the Christian life with which we must deal. They are many and varied and some of long duration. There can be no perseverance without patience and patience is the fruit of the Spirit known as "longsuffering."

Paul tells us of a chain reaction that comes from our troubles. Ro 5:3-5 "And not only [so], but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." It all works together for our good and His glory. (Rom 8:28).

IV. CONSIDER OUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF. V. 2

1. He is our example of commitment and endurance. "...finisher of our faith." What He starts, He finishes! Amen!

2. He is our example of completion. "endured the cross." He was mocked by one of the malefactors to come down. But He would not come down from the cross until he had paid the debt of our sins and then others took him down.

It was somewhat as Nehemiah told the enemies of the Jews who would have tricked them away from building the wall around Jerusalem, in Ne 6:3 "..... I [am] doing a great work, so that I cannot come down...."

3. He is our example of culmination. "Is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Remember His words of triumph from the cross, "it is finished." He had crossed the finish line. His race was done. His honor intact. His passion ended. His glorious resurrection in three days was the beginning of His coronation as he would begin, 40 days later, his ascent to His royal throne and the restored glory of His heavenly position with the Father. Remember, when Stephen was being stoned, he saw heaven opened and Jesus right there with the Father.

One day our work here on earth will be done. Hopefully it will be a culmination of a race well run with patience, faithfulness and love for Him who set the example. Remember there will be a pay day, some day. Ga 6:9 "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

The writer of the Hebrews letter next calls upon us to consider the facts about Jesus as our example not to grow weary in the work of God, Heb 12:3 "For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."

V. CONSIDER THE INCORRUPTIBLE CROWN AND REWARDS TO BE WON. No, we don’t want to miss out on this.

1. God wants us to obtain the rewards for running. 1Co 9:24 "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 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." (Disapproved)

In the Olympics, usually only one person in each category receives the gold. (Rarely there is a tie and both receive the gold). Mostly, it is just one who receives the high prize.

2. In the Christian race all of us can run to receive the reward prizes. There isn’t only one prize for which to compete. There are five different crowns, and many other rewards. 3. Some of our running may reap for us things we didn’t expect. Like the wood, hay or stubble that Paul mentions in I Cor 3:12, some like the gold, silver and precious stones.

1Co 3:13 "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

There will be winners and losers at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Some may receive nothing but their souls salvation, which is grand in itself, and that my satisfy them, but hey, if there are prizes/crowns/rewards being offered, it would be nice to win some of them. Amen? It shows our love & faith by working, and it show His love by giving. Many expect to do as the 24 elders of Re 4:10 did, ".... fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, thou art worthy, O Lord...."

4. We are not running to obtain salvation, but because we have already received it by grace. We are running to win the rewards, crowns, and to hear this: "His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." (Matt 25:23)

2 Tim 4:7 "I have fought a good fight, I have finished [my] course, I have kept the faith:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."

5. The running of this race may cost us something. Jas 1:12 "Blessed [is] the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him."

Jesus promised those in the church at Smyrna, Re 2:10 "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: .... be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Olympians are often injured in their run for the gold. Their bodies may in time suffer handicaps because of a fall, or excess wear and tear on joints and muscles. They will wear out long before those who sit in the grandstand watching. It’s better to wear out, than to rust out!

Grandstand Christians who clap and shout when someone else wins, will not themselves be prize winners. If we want to win a prize, we have to get away from our comfort zone, out from among the cheer leading grandstanders, out of our complacency and dilatoriness, and go out onto the courts of this world and run like the wind to win! "So run that ye may obtain."

Conc.: Let us dedicate ourselves to run straighter, faster, with anticipation and excitement. Ps 119:32 "I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart."

Song 1:4 Draw me, we will run after thee:...." Follow our leader, Jesus. Isa 40:31 "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint."

How do we want to finish this race? Carrying the torch way out in front leading the pack, or trailing far behind with no will to excel or move closer to the finish line and the prize? Php 2:16 "Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain."