If you will remain standing and take your Bibles and go to the book of First Corinthians. First Corinthians in the New Testament. Chapter nine is where we'll start this morning. First Corinthians, chapter nine, verses 24 through 27. This is the word of the Lord. Do you not know that in race all the runners run? but only one receives the prize. So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath and we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly. I do not box as one beating the air, but I discipline my body and keep it under control. lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." This is God's word. Let us pray. Our Father in Heaven, we thank you for this day and for the gift of your scripture and the gathering of your people. And now, Father, we ask that you stamp with your own seal of approval and blessing on the reading and the preaching of your infallible word. Amen. Please be seated. Well, weeks ago we started this ninth chapter of 1 Corinthians, and in a very unique way, Paul has showed us things about ministering in the first century church. From his perspective, Paul talked about his rites as an apostle, rites he was willing to lay down so that they would not burden a weaker brother. And then he spoke of his compulsion to preach the gospel and that he was entrusted with the stewardship over the gospel. Next, he informed us, along with the Corinthian church, that he is not under the old covenant law, but under the jurisdiction of the law of Christ. And finally, he tells us that he has become all things to all people that he might save some. This morning he speaks of another of his personal considerations in relationship to the Corinthian congregation, that of his personal self-control and what it means not only for apostles, but also for individual Christians. So let's go to the text again. Verse 24 says this. 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. Paul says to the Corinthians, Don't you know that in a race all runners will be running? And yet only one receives a prize as the winner of the event. Then if that's true, make up your mind to run the race so that you can win the prize. Did they know about runners and races? Oh, you bet they did. There were the Isthmian Games, held every two years in Corinth, and the Olympic Games, conducted every four years. And any competitor who planned to compete in any of the Greek Games had to be registered in formal training ten months prior to the event, and then thirty days prior to the contest had to reside in the area, the community, where the contest would be held. They also had to go to training every day and be checked out by the event organizers. And only when they fulfilled the stated conditions were they permitted to enroll their name on the sheet and compete in the event. And when they ran in a race or through the javelin or the discus and won, They received a wreath, a wreath for the head. And in the case of Corinth, it was a pine wreath. For the Olympic Games, it was a wreath of the olive leaves. And the athlete who won his event was immortalized among the people. In fact, the highest honor that a man could be given during that time was to be recognized as an Olympic or a Corinthian champion. This shouldn't seem strange to us, should it? Especially with our modern fascination with sports. We do the same thing today, don't we? Super Bowl MVPs, champions at the Masters tournament, and on and on. Our modern addition to the process is the fantastic amounts of money that have been added. So whether they ran or jumped, or through, or whatever their skill was, they did it for the glory of the moment and beyond. Because there can only be one winner. And Paul says at the end of the verse, so run that you may obtain the prize. Now we are reminded throughout this letter that the Corinthians, and by extension us, were urged by Paul that our race, our contest, is winning souls. And while the Grecian games only had one winner, that is not the case with winning souls. In the Christian life, the prize is available to everyone. This is one of the few places where it makes sense that everyone sincerely participating gets a trophy. Indeed, the person you help lead to Christ or influence on their path to Christian discovery That person is your trophy, your immortal trophy. For many of the Corinthians, they were so busy competing for their rights along the way that they were missing the prize of what their faith was all about. Many in the Corinthian church were conducting their lives as if they were the center of all things. And here at this church. Here at GRBC, we are in training too. Hopefully rigorous training for the prize that awaits us. Because we are here so that we can be trained by the Holy Spirit and to win human souls for the cause of Christ. We are not the champions. We are the instruments. The instruments of the true champion. And if that is true, and I believe it is, And we must run in a way so as to gain the prize. And our trophy, our wreath, our prize is the approval of our master. Now, verse 25 says this. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. I heard the words in Tom's prayer this morning. This is really about self-control. Self-control. You can't break training rules. The Greek athletes were on a special regimen, special training rules. They were subject to dismissal if they decided to do their own thing. It's been said that there are two kinds of people in the world, those who are disciplined and those who are not. You'll readily know who the disciplined ones are. Success in any endeavor requires discipline. Success in business, academics, even spiritual activities. Discipline is required to hit the mark, or at least to strive to hit the mark. All of that requires self-control and discipline. Here's how Peter puts it in 1 Peter 1, verse 3. According to the Father's great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice. Though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Listen, running the race, running the race, the Christian race requires discipline. It requires self-control. Note that our prize, our inheritance, Peter says, our inheritance is imperishable. It's not like the perishable crowns or wreaths worn by the Greeks. Theirs were made of olive or pine or Laurel, or even, and I can't even believe this, one group, the Nemeans, even made a wreath out of celery leaves. I hate celery, just so you know. Celery leaves. The point is that all of their crowns were perishable. They didn't last beyond a few days. As disciplined as these ancient athletes were, their honor, their glory, It only lasted for a wisp of time. And if a man will strain and even torture his body for the recognition of men and a perishable wreath that lasts just a short time, what should a Christian do for a crown that is imperishable, incorruptible, undefiled and does not fade? In 2nd Timothy chapter 4, which is the last letter we have from the Apostle Paul, Paul says this, 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 me on that day. And not only to me, But also to all who have loved his appearing. This imperishable crown to which Paul refers is the very listen to me. This is very important. You hear this. What is his crown? It's not like the ones that the Greeks received. Paul refers to the righteousness of Jesus that is imputed to his people. This is what it means to receive the crown of Christ. to receive ultimately the righteousness of Jesus. We don't have it yet, do we? And the proof is that we still sin. But we repent and God forgives us. In this world, we fight on and we run. We run in pursuit of righteousness. And one day we will receive the crown of Jesus's righteousness. You know, the athlete, the runner, the one who is seeking the prize. He has he has the right if he wants to. To go ahead and take a gallon sized jug full of chocolate milkshake and down it right before the race, he has that right, doesn't he? But it's not a very smart thing to do. But he does have the right. It isn't wrong. It's just not smart. And so athletes deny themselves lots of lawful pleasures, and they lay aside many rights that they have. So much for Christian. We lay aside our rights, especially rights that are harmful. so that we can obtain the crown of righteousness from Christ. Verse 26 says this, So I do not run aimlessly. I do not box as one beating the air. Here in verse 26, Paul now mixes his metaphors. He goes from a race to a boxing match. But when you think about it, this life It is like a race and it's also like a fight. First, he says that he does not run aimlessly with no direction and no rules. In other words, he knows where the boundaries are and where the goal is. The runner with no goal and no end point to the track will not run with any concerted effort. But Paul is saying that he knows his race. He knows where his goal is, the boundaries of the track and what he has to do to win people to Christ. And he has settled that he will pay any price to see that happen. Now, we know how to bring into focus and then submission the parameters of our own race here. Philippians chapter three, verse 12, says this. It was part of our New Testament reading this morning. Not that I have already obtained this, he's talking about the righteousness of God, not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 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 or the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Paul knows his course and we should know ours too. Secondly, at the same time, Paul cautions. He cautions the reader that while he is running, he is fending off an opponent. I do not box, he says, as one beating the air. He has an opponent who is trying to knock him off the track, and who is this opponent? It is himself. He buffets and brings his body into subjection for the purpose of winning the race and acquiring the prize. Hebrews chapter 12, verses 2 and 3 says this. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and sin that clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. And so a conditioned, a prepared athlete has two things in his favor. First, he has the mental toughness and fortitude to know what his goal is and how to get there. And second, he knows how to subdue and maintain his body. A mental desire to put out the effort combined with a firm commitment to subdue the body to perform. Self-control and the power of the spirit. And then verse 27. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest, after preaching to others, I myself should be disqualified. This is an observation that comes straight from the Isthmian games. At the beginning of the games, a herald stood up and a trumpet was blown to get everyone's attention. The herald would then announce the events, the names of the contestants and the rules for the event. Then the contestants were carefully examined and officially entered into the event. Any violations of the rules for entry and the contestant was disqualified. And now Paul says here in verse 27 that the one thing he would not want to happen to himself would be to be the herald of all the rules, in his case the gospel, And yet he would then break the rules and be disqualified. See, Paul is playing the role of the herald, isn't he? He comes to tell us about who Jesus is and what he requires. He's summoning the contestants to the event. The apostle is summoning the people to the gospel itself. And what would it mean that he was disqualified? And he could be disqualified if he allowed himself to lose his self-control, to break the special regimen that was required, and to give up the benefits of the discipline that allowed him to subdue his thoughts and emotions and dictate what he does to Jesus. You and I know that it's possible, don't we, that a person, even a famous, trusted person, can be disqualified in their Christian service. Unfortunately, it happens far too often. They don't subdue their bodies or their egos, or they flaunt their rights or believe that they can easily discipline their thoughts and actions. There are far too many instances of disqualification in the contest, the events of life. The apostle has demonstrated that we can win. The events of life, though. It takes self-discipline, a life of self-discipline and self-control. And Paul has shown how the Lord will use the man and the woman, the boy and the girl of God to great effect. He's not talking about perfection here. But he means those who are striving and straining for the great worth of knowing Christ Jesus, our Lord. And not earning Christ's righteousness, we could never earn his righteousness. But we can reflect it. Reflecting it to a lost and dying world, we, as his people, press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Well, I've got another conclusion today, but it's another one of those longer ones. but I'll be quick and we're on time well before time. First Timothy chapter 6 verse 12 says this fight the good fight of the faith take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In 1981 the Motion Picture Academy gave the award for the best picture to a movie called Chariots of Fire. The story of Harold Abrams and Eric Little, two track stars who were teammates on the British Olympic team preparing for the 1924 Olympics in Paris. Both were very strong sprinters in the hundred meters and both were expected to compete for first place. Unfortunately for Little, who was a committed Protestant Christian, the qualifying heats for the finals of the 100 meters were scheduled by the French for Sunday. And Eric Little refused to run on Sunday and withdrew his name. And there was a national furor in the United Kingdom, and the headlines in the papers read, King or Christ? And it was a national discussion about what Eric Little had done and if it was appropriate or not. Abraham's his teammate would win the gold medal. Eric would, he'd be able to run in another event in the Paris Olympics, the 400 meter race, but it was much too far for a sprinter like him. But he shocked the world. when he won the gold medal in the 400 meters. The movie emphasized the emotion of a hollow victory by Abrahams, because he wanted to be the true champion, but since Little had not run in the 100 meters, it was a victory that lacked the full glory of the triumph. As good as the movie was, it missed the whole point. The real hero, Little, had already won the crown. Not just in his running, but in every aspect of his life. He displayed a self-control, a discipline of the mind and body that was remarkable. See, Little, though a Scotsman, was born in China and he would die in China because his parents were Christian missionaries there. As a child, he grew up surrounded by Chinese ministering to their physical and spiritual needs. And then in his mid-teens, his parents sent him back to a boarding school for missionary kids in London. From there, he enrolled in Edinburgh University, and it's there he excelled in his science and math studies and his gift for running very fast. After his experience in the Olympics, everyone expected Eric to go on a world tour, participating in a slate of races that would be very lucrative to him. But Eric had other things on his mind. He was drawn back to China. And so in 1925, the next year after the Olympics, he returned back to China, a country wracked by poverty and civil war and increasingly being threatened by a militant Japan. Eric, over the years in China, met and married a Canadian missionary girl, Florence McKenzie, who was stationed with her family in China. Eric and Florence would have three daughters. In 1941, the Japanese who had invaded China made life very difficult for foreigners there. Most missionaries left the country. Eric sent his wife Florence and the children to live with Florence's parents in Canada. Eric, however, was determined to continue his work among the Chinese teaching math and science and especially the gospel. Eventually the Chinese rounded up all the foreigners, including missionaries, and confined them to internment camps, effectively cutting off most of their contact with the Chinese people. Eric was interned in 1943 in one of the camps at Weishen. Little was camp leader, and everyone attested to his strong moral character. One of his fellow internees wrote about Eric. He was the finest Christian gentleman it has been my pleasure to meet. And all the time in camp, I never heard him say a bad word about anybody. Eric lost weight in camp. The food available was meager. And Eric was known to have given his share to other people. He fell ill one day in early 1945 and shortly after died of an inoperable brain tumor. Five months later, the war was over and the camp was liberated by the American Army. Another acquaintance of Eric's in the camp said this about him. As he was dying, he gave me two things. One was his worn out pair of running shoes. But the best thing he gave me was his manner of forgiveness. He taught me to love my enemies, especially the Japanese, and to pray for them. It seems that Eric Little was pressing on ultimately for the goal of the prize, not of an Olympic gold medal, but of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. In ancient Roman times, A conquering general returning from military campaigns was allowed a triumph, a parade through the streets of Rome. But Caesar commanded that a slave was to be required to stand next to the general in his chariot, continuously whispering in his ear the statement, all glory is fleeting. See, like the perishable wreaths of the Grecian games, Hopefully, especially the celery ones. Human glory dies quickly. But there is a glory that is lasting. There is a divine glory that is imperishable. God's glory always was and always will be. And he has given us, as he has done through the Apostle Paul and Eric Little and countless others, he has given us the great honor of playing apart as a faithful instrument in his own hands. Let's pray. Our Lord and our God, you have honored us by calling us through the proclamation of the gospel, not by human wisdom or reasoning, but by your power. Bring to our minds that all that we are and will be is tied to the reality and the truth of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Help us to run our race that is set before us, that we might be worthy to claim the prize that is imperishable. We ask that you make us more like Jesus, give us the heart of a lion, and help us all to be prepared for our calling to share the gospel with everyone we encounter. Be our sword and our shield, In the authority of Christ we pray, Amen.