Window
On The Word
... by Tim Greenwood - August
2007
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Running
Your Race To Finish and Win
Running
The Race of Your Life (Part
2)
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If
you remember from last
month, the Apostle Paul said that we as Christians have a
“race” to run.
So, this month I want to finish
what I started and teach you how to run your race to
finish
and win.
To
finish and win, you have to first show-up
and qualify for the race.
You
must hear
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Gospel is that good news
about Jesus, which is proclaimed or preached.
The word Christ refers both to Jesus the Anointed One and the anointing
that He is anointed with. So you have
to show up and hear the good news about what Jesus has done for you.
To qualify, you must also
receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
But what does that mean? The
word Lord in the Hebrew language means Eternal God. In the
Greek language it includes: king, supreme authority, God,
master, Savior: one that saves, frees, avenges, defends, delivers,
preserves,
rescues and provides salvation.
The idea of salvation in the
Hebrew language includes liberty, safety, deliverance and prosperity
and in the
Greek includes rescue, safety, deliverance and health.
Therefore, to qualify you
must receive Jesus as your personal God and King as well as the one who
saved
you, delivered you, healed you, defends and preserves you.
In
order to finish and win, you must be a participant
and not just a spectator.
You must
report to the starter out on the track.
Jesus is the Alpha and the
Omega, both starter and finisher because Jesus knows the beginning from
the
end, and because He IS the beginning and the end.
He was there “In the
beginning” and He will be there at the end.
His plans for YOU began back at the foundation of the world!
So, you cannot go sit in the
bleachers after you get saved. Paul
says that as a Christian, you are to RUN the race and that you must
participate
to win the prize.
To
finish and win, you must be built up and
properly equipped.
First, you need to
be filled with the Holy Spirit. Next,
you need to know what the Bible says.
There is a difference
between ignorance and stupidity.
Ignorance: People parish for lack of knowledge. Not knowing is
ignorance. But stupidity: Lack of
intelligence. Knowing but not doing is just stupid!
To
finish and win, you need to be discipled.
You need to
know what God expects from you and to learn Gods vision for you.
To
finish and win, you have to start the race.
Heb. 12:1 says that there is a race set before us that we are to
run. You have to move forward and keep
moving forward.
But how
do you run the race to finish and
win?
1 Cor. 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race
run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that ye may obtain (the
prize).
Refuse
to be distracted.
1 Pet. 4:4 They think it strange that ye run not with
them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you.
Refuse to be delayed.
Heb. 12:1 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.
Refuse to be detoured.
Gal. 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye
should not obey the truth?
Heb. 12:1 Let us run with patience the race that is
set before us.
Never
forget that others are
watching.
Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about
with so great a cloud of witnesses. . .
The Greek word for “race” is stadion, which is
where
we got the word stadium. Paul uses this word tells us that running the
race of
faith puts us right in the middle of the arena where people see our
faith walk,
see our struggles, and watch to see if we will win our battles.
We must always keep in mind that this is not a
private race that we are running, but a race that can influence many
other
people’s lives. Therefore we need to run our race so that it
encourages all
those who are watching from the sidelines to get into the race!
In
order to finish and win, you cannot weary, faint or
quit.
Isa.
40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD
shall renew their strength; they shall run, and not be weary; and they
shall
walk, and not faint.
2 Thes. 3:13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well
doing.
Gal. 6:9 In due season we
shall reap, if we faint not.
To win
the race, you have to finish the
race.
The winners of the Olympic competitions were
rewarded both materially and with great honor. The winners of these
events
became revered as heroes, gods, or icons in their society. Respect,
honor,
notoriety and fame became their lifelong reward.
But this life is no game; it is the most serious
competition we will ever face in this world. The rewards are enormous.
God
materially rewards us as we are faithful to His call, but He also
reserves
eternal rewards of honor and glory for those of us who run our race
well in
this life (Romans 2:10).
Obtaining
the prize.
You see, racers and runners have one thought
foremost in their minds - the finish line! With this analogy in mind,
Paul tells you to run your spiritual race with all your might, keeping
your
focus on the goal of the divine calling of your life as God has
revealed it to
you. You may ask, “How long am I supposed to keep running and
trying to reach
my God-given goals?” The answer is until you
“obtain” what God called you to
do!
Heb. 12:2 Looking unto Jesus
the finisher of our faith.
2 Tim. 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished
my course, I have kept the faith:
Conclusion.
Your attitude must be, “I’m
going to run this
race, and I’m going to finish it and I’m going to
obtain the prize! I’m not going to live my whole
life missing
out on what God has for me! I’m not
going to settle for just being average.
No matter what inconvenience I endure, no matter what price I have to
pay, or what adjustments I have to make, I am going to faithfully run
my race
so that one day I can obtain the prize!”
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