Run Your Race

[00:00:01] Speaker A: Hello and welcome to Tal Paul's preaching for episode number six. There are many scripture references in preparation for this episode, if you would like to read along. The first three Scriptures read will be Hebrews chapter 12, verses 1 through 3, first Corinthians 9, verses 24 through 27, and then Galatians chapter 5, verses 4 through 10. That's Hebrews 12, first Corinthians 9, Galatians 5, followed by a few others. The title of this sermon is run your race, and it was recorded on July 8th of 2018. [00:00:47] Speaker B: Well, good morning. My wife is not here today. She is in California for a wedding of her cousin. It's getting married down there in San Diego. Her and my daughter and my granddaughter are all down there enjoying the sun and the beach. I'm sure. I'm sure that's where she is. All right, let's bow our hearts in prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you. We worship and glorify your name. And we thank you for the worship that prepared our hearts for your message. Lord, we thank you for the day that you've provided, and we thank you for the goodness that you are. Lord. You are the great physician. And a lot of us are in need of healing. We ask that you heal. And so we just pray for healing for all of those and a spiritual healing for those of us not physically hurt. That you would renew your spirit in us, teach us and grow us and heal us, Lord, as we walk through this dark world, Lord. We also pray for our country, Lord, for your guidance and that your will would be done among this nation and you would guide us and that we would return and seek you, Lord, a little revival. And, Lord, as summer is here and it gets hot, we do pray for the fire season that's coming, that they would not start, and if they start, that they would be put out swiftly. Lord, it is a destruction and. And we just pray that we do not have a terrible fire season, Lord. So, Lord, you just touch our hearts and plant that seed of your word in our lives and remind us of how great you are and what we're here for, Lord. We're here to worship you. And so we ask this in your name, Jesus Christ. Amen. Well, my wife isn't here, but I'm still going to honor her with a message about running, running your race. And so this is for her benefit or in her honor. I'm going to start out with a couple running jokes. During the Sydney Olympics, a Kenyan long distance runner, Kip Legat, was asked why his country produced so many great runners. It's the road signs, he replied. They say beware of lions. I'm sure that would get me running, too. What do you get when you run behind a car? You get exhausted. Very good. Very good. What do you call a free treadmill outside? Why do runners go jogging so early in the morning? They want to finish before their brain figures out what they are doing. How do you know when you've married a running enthusiast? When you have more running clothes than regular clothes in your laundry pile? Why can't you take a nap during a race? Because if you snooze, you lose. And who is the fastest runner of all time? Adam, because he came first in the human race. Well, I'm going to be touching upon quite a few different running scriptures today, and the first is going to be Hebrews 12:1 3, and in the previous chapter, it's what they call or refer to as the hall of fame, and it is referring to all those that went before us, those witnesses and their faith. And so that's what the wherefore is going to start out about. It's going to be talking about those who went before us in faith. So Hebrews 12:1 3. Wherefore, seeing we are also encompassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. 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. Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself. Lest you be worried and faint in your minds, what is the race that is set before us? There's lots of different races we run in this life. There's family and careers. Some people run for power and money, and some never run the right race. They're too focused on things that are vanity. They don't even know they're lost, but they're running hard. We run through this life either with or without God, and the best race we should all be running is a right relationship with God. We should be racing and running for that everlasting life. Salvation is the prize. Another scripture is 1 Corinthians 9:24,27 and this is on how we should be running. 1st Corinthians 9:24 27 do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the Prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly and I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize in a race. We're going to go through the progressions of a race and we can all envision that starter guy with the starter pistol and, and ready, on your marks, get set. And he blasts that gun. Well, that starter pistol for us is when we were saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. That is our starting point. It's not the end. When we come and accept Christ, that's not the end. That's the beginning. That's our launching point in our race. We begin a new life in Jesus. We have a new and different view of life, different goals and a new morality. We have biblical standards now that we're going to live our life by. We have that understanding that God gives us, that wisdom from God. We live this life differently. Having been saved through Jesus Christ and man early in that race, aren't we excited? We are like oh, so energetic. We're hopeful, we're childlike, we're joyful, running free. We got freedom. You know, just praising God for being set free. It's like all that burden and weight was just lifted from you and you found this freedom. You're just running, you're racing through life with fresh and brand new legs and everything just seems easy. You're so excited in that new life you found in Jesus Christ. Hallelujah. You can't contain it. You've got so much energy. But soon many lose that feeling. We hit some hills and mud running through mud, up a hill and our race in this life becomes a drag, a monotony, boring. Or you know, we look at it with despair because we forgot the bondage that we were freed from our sin that so easily beset us. And many are bogged down by others opinions. You know, they tell you you're not doing it right, you should do this, you should do that. You need to speak in tongues. You can't speak in tongues. You need to worship on this day and do this and do that. And they've got all these added rules and regulations and really they're bricks that they're loading you up with, putting in your backpack and you're trying to run and they come along and bog you down. And they are those that are. They're running the wrong race. They're running that race of pride, thinking that if I can just get ahead of that person, that's how we're supposed to live this life. And that's not it. Galatians 5, 4, 10. Galatians 5, 4, 10 speaks to just that, that cause. It's talking about living our life under the law after we've been set free. Christ is become of no effect unto you. Verse 4. Whosoever of you are justified by the law, you are fallen from grace. For we, through the Spirit, wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails anything nor uncircumcision. But faith, which works by love. You did run well. Who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth? This persuasion comes not of him that calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. And 10, I have confidence in you through the Lord, that you will be none otherwise minded. But he that troubles you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be. We need to run by faith, faith and not by works. We can think that climbing a position in the church, or by serving or giving or whatever, that's how we run. But we need to run by faith. See, it's an individual relationship, this race of ours, that relationship with God. To some it's all work, and to some it's song and dance. I'm reminded of Mary and Martha. Mary was at the feet of Jesus, didn't want to leave, and was so focused on everything Jesus had to say. But Martha was running around and serving and. And it was just two different personalities, two different styles. Some are serious, won't crack a smile, and others are all laughter and smiles. Some say you have to feel they have to be in a suit and tie, and others in shorts. We don't all have the same gifts. Some might fly by us making it look easy, you know, as we're running along. And I might struggle and excel or excel in an area where someone else is, you know, either better or whatever. And it's okay. It's okay to be different because it is a unique relationship each of us have what the Savior and he's given us all different talents and skills. At times someone else will hinder your race, or even we ourselves can be discouraged. But don't give up. Shed your burdens. That starting verse I started out with in Hebrews, let us lay aside every weight. Jesus described himself as the living water and you picture that runner. And they got those drink stations along the way, and they take that cup and they drink it for hydration. We need Jesus, who is our living water as we run through this life. God is our strength. The Holy Spirit will fill you up. That's what we need. See, they call it the runner's high. And it's when a runner's running and they hit a wall, not a physical wall, but they. In their mind, they get to the point where their body's just can't go any farther. Can't go any farther, and they push through and the body releases those endorphins and those chemicals that make them feel new again, like when they started. And that's the renewal that we need as well, that renewal of the Holy Spirit as we're running, because it's a spiritual race. It's not a physical wall that we run into. It's a spiritual hindrance. We don't fight against flesh and blood, but it's spiritual and we need to push through that. And another famous running verse, Isaiah, chapter 40, verses 28 through 31. Many of you will recognize this one. It's about that renewal. Isaiah, chapter 40, 28, 31. Have you not known, have you not heard that the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, faints not. Neither is weary. There is no searching of his understanding. He gives power to the faint, and to them that have no might, he increases their strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon the Lord, they 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. It is in Christ. It's not by our power that we're going to run this race. We're all running this race by the power of God. And the cool thing about this race is you can be running and advancing while on your knees in prayer. You don't have to be out there physically running hard. You can be sitting down and reading God's word and be covering miles and miles. Because running is building our relationship with God. There is something called an inclination, which I had something larger. But when things are inclined, they have a lean or a bent. And this pin has an inclination that if I were to just let it go, it is going to continue that path in that way. Our inclination is our focus. A good coach teaches a long jumper and even a runner, that it's where your eyes are that matters. That long jumper if he's looking into that sand when he's trying to run down and jump, if he's looking down, that's where he's going to go. That's his inclination. That's where he's going to go. So they teach those long jumpers to look up, up into the sky as they run down and not to look down. And the same with runners. If you're looking at your feet, you're. You're looking. You're bent towards the ground, and you need to look up towards the horizon. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Our focus is where we're going to head, and so we need to put our treasure where our heart needs to go. That's where your heart will be focused. We should focus on the finish, on the eternal. Let us lean towards God and lean towards that finish. Psalms 118, 2837. Psalm 119:2837 says, My soul melts for heaviness. You strengthen me according to your word. Remove from me the way of lying, and grant me your law. Graciously I have chosen the way of truth your judgments have I laid before me I have struck unto your testimonies. O Lord, put me not to shame. I will run the way of your commandments when you shall enlarge my heart. Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep your law. Yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me to go in the path of your commandments, for therein do I delight. Incline my heart unto your testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken me in your way. I got three more verses on inclination, and they're just one verse, so I'll just go through them quickly. Here. Joshua 24:23 now therefore, put away the strange gods which are among you, Joshua is telling them. And incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel. And 1 Kings 8:58 says, that he may incline our hearts unto him to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers and Proverbs 2:2 says, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding our inclination matters. We should lean on God so much so that when he moves, we know it, and we can go with him. Lean on God, because we're not alone in this race. God and the angels, they're the crowd, they're the Cheerleaders, they're cheering us on as they watch from heaven as well as many others here, our brothers and sisters in Christ, we should be encouraging, strengthening others. When the Olympics come around, they've got that torch, and it's an honor to carry that torch as they run. And they'll pass it along and they'll actually run the distance from wherever the last Olympics was to the next Olympics, and they'll pass that torch along the way. And it's an honor. We carry that torch, we carry the light to the world. We're that salt. We're running all over, across the world, really, and we should be carrying that light to others. Now, back before Facebook and telephones and every other communication device, back in Jesus Day, they had messengers and they were runners if they needed to get the word out or some communication of what happened in this city. And hey, they're attacking or whatever else, they would send a runner. We're the messengers as we run through this life, we're those messengers. We need to take to the world the message that God sent his only begotten son to die for our sins. And through belief and trust in him, our sins are forgiven. That's the message the world needs. We need to strengthen and encourage and have that faith and understand that we're not competing with others. It's a spiritual race. It's a relationship. We're not trying to pass people, but we should be running parallel alongside of them. And though we run alongside, you know, each of us finish at a different spot. The distance we run is not all equal. And even though we're running alongside, our friend might be running uphill in the mud while we're sailing downhill. But we should support and pray and not hinder. Our times might be different and God's the timekeeper and he knows when we're going to finish. He's got that written on his calendar. Oh, look, today Paul comes home. If you want as an example of the extremes, look at the thief on the cross. How short of a race he ran, you know, in a matter of a day, he started and finished. Whereas Billy Graham, the years that man ran that race, so faithful and strong. God knows our time, he knows when we'll finish. How sad would it be to watch a marathoner run the race. And as he comes around and he sees that finish line, for him to stop, to quit, to either lie down or walk away, that is sad. We should finish strong. We should keep our eyes on the prize, that hope of salvation. We should run your race, run our own individual race and that relationship with Christ, we should run strong in Jesus Christ. We should have that incline to the finish line as they would come around, and that first runner, they'd have that tape stretched across. And right at that finish line, he would dip his shoulder and do everything that, you know, try and get whatever part of body across that finish line first. That's how we should be at the end of our race, looking at that finish line and going strong, as strong as when we started that race is God's will. See, we want a race course that's easy sometimes, and that's our own will. The course that we should be running is God's will. When we run our own course and take the easy way, and we're often just satisfying ourselves and not loving others and loving God. Philippians 2, chapter 2, verses 5 through 18, speaks of that vanity. Philippians 2, 5, 18. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which works in you both to will and to do his good pleasure. Do all things without murmuring and disputing, that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do you joy and rejoice with me. In the end we win. Read to the back of the Book. We win in Christ, in Jesus. Take comfort in that. Our Lord God is powerful. He loves us, and he is encouraging us and will do everything in his power to hold us through our race. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, you are so good to us. When we stumble and we fall, we can turn to you and you love us so much. You have already paid and purchased our ribbon, our trophy, our prize through the death of your son Jesus. Lord, thank you for that. Thank you for that prize you purchased, Lord. That is what we run for. We love you because you first loved us. Thank you. And as we offer our tithes and offerings, we just pray that you would bless it, Lord, and bless our lives. And may we run the race that you have set before us, Lord. And we pray all this in Jesus name. Amen. [00:30:57] Speaker A: Thank you for listening to this message. We hope you enjoyed it. Our prayer is that the message, in some way or another, helped in your walk with God and that your relationship with God was strengthened, grew more intimate. If you would like to contact us with questions or comments, you can email us at the following address. That's medletters.com or M E D L E T t e r s.com thank you.