[Happy memorial Day! We are praying for those who have served in the military, for the families of those who have given their lives in service, and for those who are today risking their lives. You don't have to agree with the war or reasons behind it to pray for our soldiers. Pray for their safety and that God will become a part of their lives.]
1 Corinthians 9:24-26
“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.”
In life, you only get to run this “race” once. Paul’s telling us to run to win! Don’t just go through the motions, and don’t just do “enough” to get by. Olympians devote their lives to train for their sport, and the gold medals they win are just temporary prizes. But our gift from God is everlasting, truly a gift worthy of our devotion.
In the race, focus on the next step instead of the next lap, and soon you will have more laps behind you than ahead of you. Make every step count, let everything you do glorify the Lord. “Let us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in our way and get rid of the sin that holds us back.” (Hebrews 12:1)
Our training involves spending time with God, reading His word and being devoted to Him with our prayer life. We must grow spiritually and grow in the knowledge of our Lord, better understanding His Word, His Commands, and His direction for our lives. Paul tells us to live your life with a purpose at every step, so that you may further the Gospel and make an impact for the kingdom of God. Obedience is key.
Related Text: James 4:7
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Acts 17:5-7 – But the Jews became jealous, and when they had brought together some scoundrels from the marketplace and formed a mob, they set the city in an uproar. Attacking Jason’s house, they searched for them to bring them out to the public assembly. When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too, and Jason has received them as guests! They are all acting contrary to Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king—Jesus!”
At this point in the book of Acts, Paul and Silas were on a missionary journey spreading the news that Jesus was the Messiah and that He died for the sins of the world so that everyone who believed in Him could have everlasting life with God in Heaven. They were turning their world upside down by preaching that Jesus is the King of Kings, that there is only One True God, that Jesus is the only way to Heaven, and that love, joy, peace, and humility are greater than accumulation of wealth or power.
Take the truth of the Gospel to the people around you and rock their world! Go read the Sermon on the Mount starting in Matthew 5 and see how Jesus flipped this world on it’s head. Black is white, right is left, weak is strong, meek is powerful, humble is great, first is last.
Related Text:
Matthew 5:5-9 – “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”
Ephesians 2:8-10
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
Here are some ways that we can shake off everything that hinders us, and get to the things that God has planned:
1.) Reject your sin, but never yourself.
2.) Be quick to repent. Unconfessed sin is like a ball and chain; it will hold you down.
3.) Be honest with God and with yourself . . . about yourself.
4.) When God directs you, walk in His path. He won’t ask you to do something without supplying what you need.
5.) Stop putting yourself down. True humility is not self-hatred.
6.) Never have an exaggerated opinion of your own importance.
7.) Beware of having yourself on your mind too much. Romans 12:10 says, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”
8.) Take care of yourself physically
9.) Don’t let your education to become a point of pride, or lack of education a point of shame. God doesn’t use you because of your I.Q., He suses you because you say “I will go, send me.”
10.) Remember that your talents are a gift from God; they weren’t your creation.
11.) Do not despise your weaknesses. They keep you dependent on God and they reveal God’s strength.
Acts 14:19-22
“Then some Jews came [to Lystra] from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe. They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith.”
How much do you love people, and how much do you love God? Go ahead, think about it for a second . . . are you devoted to others in brotherly (or sisterly) love and are you devoted to your obedience to God?
The scripture you just read at the start of this Bible study is a section of the story of Paul’s first missionary journey. (He had 3, not counting his trip to Rome) When he got to Derbe, he turned around and went back through the cities he just preached in so that he could strengthen the new disciples (the people that accepted Jesus when Paul was preaching to them the first time) and encourage them the remain true to the faith they now professed.
But here’s the kicker - the first city he returned to (Lystra) was the city where he was stoned so badly, that the people hurling the rocks thought they had killed him, so they drug him out of the city and left him to rot. He’s going BACK to the place where the people tried to kill him. I mean, he was probably still healing from his wounds when he walked back into town. It’s like that clip from ‘Top Gun’ where Maverick says he’s going to put on the brakes in the plane, and GOOSE says, “You’re gonna do WHAT?” I wonder if Barnabas asked Paul, “We’re going BACK??”
My point is this – Paul loved God so much, and he cared so much about God’s people, that He risked everything, even his life, to share the Gospel and to encourage and strengthen the new believers. So, when you’re faced with a decision of obedience to God, or when the Holy Spirit guides you, are you obedient? Do you love God enough to say yes to whatever He asks of you? Do you love other’s enough to share the Gospel, no matter the obstacles or consequences?
(click play, but you may need to press “Pause” to let it load. It all depends on your internet speed)
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When I think about obstacles that hinder me from being obedient to God, for some reason I think about this old commercial way back from 1997. Sure, it’s ridiculous – a bunch of punks going crazy for a soda. But my imagination is weird like that, so just watch it and try to understand where I’m taking you, lol.
I know they are only jumping over couches and fighting off each other. But these guys aren’t letting anything stop them from reaching their goal, even IF their goal is to get the the Surge soda first. So, when you read God’s commands and instructions in your Bible, or when the Holy Spirit directs your life in a certain way, what obstacles are in your life that hinder your obedience? When you identify those obstacles (whether it’s selfishness or fear or money for missions or your reputation or your circle of friends or the high you feel from drugs and alcohol), do you give up without a fight? Or, do you tell God that you will be obedient to His call and His commands, and ask Him for the strength and wisdom to overcome ANYTHING that’s in front of you? Do you get a running start when you face things that could stop you from obeying God, or do you throw up your hands and give up?
Don’t let anything get in the way of, or scare you away from, sharing Jesus. Take all of your fears and excuses and throw them in the garbage. Submit your lives to God, no matter where He calls you to go, or who He asks you to witness to.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
“So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now [God's grace] will last forever.”
Luke 10:38-42
“As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the preparations that had to be made. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”
But the Lord said to her, ‘My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.’ ”
Hebrews 12:1-3
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
Luke 15:31-32 (Prodigal Son)
” ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”
What is your attitude toward someone who had “major” sin in their life, yet found God’s grace and accepted Jesus as their Savior? Are you willing to forgive them and withhold your judgement and “better-than-you” attitude? What goes through your mind when I tell you that David Berkowitz (the Son of Sam killer from New York in the 1970s) accepted Jesus as his Savior and Lord and is devoted o prison ministry and to sharing the Gospel with other inmates? Do you tell yourself it’s just an act? Do you rejoice when you hear about someone’s life changing experience with Jesus?
If you remember in the book of Acts, Paul (called Saul at this point) was on his way to Damascus to round up Christians, take them back to Jerusalem, and have them beaten (even to death) as a warning to all other Christians about what will happen if you are a follower of Jesus. When the other disciples heard about Paul’s conversion to Christianity, some believed it was a trick to get close to them so he could have them arrested. But God used Barnabas to show the others that Paul was genuine in his new love for Christ.
Back to the story of the prodigal son, the brother who stayed home was upset that his father was rejoicing when his “bad” son returned home. After all, the “bad” son had wasted money on prostitutes. One brother was in the prison of rebellion, and the other brother was in the prison of resentment, bitterness, and non-forgiveness. Hurt, when held too long, turns to hate. We must release our hurt and forgive others as Jesus forgave.
Colossians 3:12-14
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
(postscript: The mother of Stacy Moskowitz, one of David’s victims, wrote him a letter after many years, telling the imprisoned killer that she had forgiven him for what he did. She would often tell people, ‘This kind of anger can make you sick. Don’t let anger eat you up’.)
Colossians 1:16
Through him [Jesus], God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see.
Everything was created through him and for him.”
Since you didn’t create yourself, there is no way that you can tell yourself what you were created for. Only God can tell us that. Life is about letting God use you for His purposes, not using Him for your own purpose.
So the question is, how can we discover God’s will (or plan) for our lives? God’s Word says, “It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.” Ephesians 1:11-12
These verses tell us 3 important things: 1.) We discover God’s plan for our life only through a relationship with Christ. 2.) God determined life’s purpose before we existed – without our input. It is His plans for our life, and living obediently to God is living out His purpose for us. 3.) God’s plan for your life fit’s into a much larger overall purpose; God’s got something huge cooking and your life is one of the ingredients.
Colossians 1:10-12
“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has chosen you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.”
Matthew 5:38-48
38 “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. 39 But I tell you, don’t resist an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt, let him have your coat as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43 “You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing out of the ordinary? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
In Jesus’ famous Sermon on th Mount, Jesus enhances the Old Testament Law that the people were familiar with. He challenged people to take the Law one step farther: and these were no baby steps, they were giant leaps!
Jesus does this 6 times during Matthew 5. Here are two examples in addition to the 2 in today’s scripture. (That makes 4; go read Matthew 5 and see if you can find the other two times He pushes us to take it farther.)
Old Law #1: Do not murder, you will be judged. (v. 21) New Law #1: Jesus says if you are angry, you are in danger of judgement. (v.) 22
Old Law #2: Do not commit adultery (v. 27) New Law #2: But Jesus says whoever lusts has already committed adultery in his heart (v. 28)
Jesus is concerned with your heart, and any actions that don’t display the proper motives of the heart are empty actions.
Related Text:
1 John 4:7-8
“Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
Matthew 5:21-24
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”
So let’s all be practical. We’ll finish reading this scripture, eventually log out of facebook and step away from the computer, and step out into our lives. We’ll interact with our friends/family, coworkers and general acquaintances. We’ll also meet people who are rude, people who we don’t get along with, people we can’t stand, and people who don’t like us – for whatever reason. There will be people we do get along with and people we but heads with.
So what do we do?
We pray for the people we can’t stand. We pray for the people who are so dead set against being friendly to us. (the hardest thing we must do is to step back and ask ourselves if we are acting in an un-loving way toward anyone in our lives . . . if we are, the Bible tells us that we must go before God and correct it) We pray for those people who have driven us crazy for so long that we can’t even remember why they drive us crazy. We pray for them, and we also pray that God will change our attitude toward them. Then, we show them God’s love in words, attitudes, and actions.
When you are finished reading this, I encourage you to try to identify a couple of your “enemies” that you might cross paths with today, tomorrow, or when you go back to work next week. Be humble before God and let go of your pride, identify those people you don’t get along with (the reason doesn’t even really matter at this point), pray for them, pray for their hurts, and pray that God will give you the strength to change your attitude toward them so you can show them God’s love. Love them.
Related Text: 1 John 2:9-11
“The one who says he is in the light but hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and doesn’t know where he’s going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”
