Back in the days when Paul wrote to the Corinthians, the Greeks were sports crazy.
Near to the city of Corinth were held the Isthmian games,
in their day only surpassed by the Olympics. From Paul’s sporting references in 1 Corinthians (and elsewhere) we can
assume that he himself was a sports fan and probably a competitor at some time in his life.
Paul is usually pictured by artists wearing classic Greek attire - flowing robe, scholarly posture, sandals, maybe carrying
a scroll, and wearing a worried look across his brow. The image he projects in these few verses makes a stark contrast. Here’s
Paul, tracksuit and Reeboks, coming out of the gym after his morning workout, ‘Bible’ in one hand, ‘Sports
Illustrated’ in the other. Here’s Paul writing in terms that he knows his sports crazy listeners could understand.
At times, as Peter complains in his second letter (2 Peter 3:16), the way Paul writes can be ‘hard to understand’.
Sometimes you have to really dig deep to get to the bottom of what he has to offer. But in our reading this morning, this
is Paul, the coach, in simple terms instructing the team as to how the game had to be played.
“Listen up, this is Coach Paul laying down the law here. You want to be out there on the running track? Then get
out there and as soon as that pistol fires the starting shot, you have got to run like the wind, run as though the only thing
that mattered in life was getting to the tape first. Anything less just doesn’t cut it.
And those of you who want to be great athletes? Got one word for you... Train! Train, train, train, train and keep on
training. Be ready, always ready, so that if you are called on to compete today, you’ll do well, and if you are called
on to compete tomorrow you will do even better because you are ready to rumble.
Are you up to this? Are you prepared to enter the ring? Can you take the blows and the hard knocks? Practice. Practice.
Practice. Practice. Get yourself a sparring partner and learn how to get up when your knocked down, pass through the pain
barrier, fight to win, because there can be only one.
And those of you who are trying to coach others? Be careful. Don’t become so tied up with teaching others that
you neglect to train yourself. The best way to lead is by the example of your own expertise. Go Team!”
Coach Paul the Apostle. Sports Person of the Year, Ad 45.
Or maybe not!
Paul’s real concern, as you know, is not with coaching sports but instructing in discipleship. To be a disciple
he is telling us, takes application, commitment and constant vigilance.
1. Discipleship
takes discipline.
The words disciple and discipline are very similar. In a race, although everybody competes, only one person wins the
first prize. When it comes to running the race of discipleship, he encourages us to behave like we are going to be the winner.
There’s something about a winner. They stand out. They hold their heads up high. They exude confidence. Paul encourages
to be like that in our Christian walk. Be bold. Be Confident. Walk Tall. Why? Because in Jesus Christ every one of us is a
winner. Every one of us is a number one. Not because we run the fastest, but because Jesus died for us, pleads our cause at
the Father’s side, and has a prepared a place for us in the Kingdom.
We are number one. But there are two sides to a winner’s perspective. The
other side is that they have done their homework. They’ve put in the time.
Golfing superstar Gary Player always had an answer when people would say: “I’d give anything if I could
hit a golf ball like you!” He would reply, “Would you? Do you know
what you have to do to hit a golf ball like I do? You’ve got to get up at 5:00 every morning, go out to the golf course, and
hit a thousand golf balls. Your hands start bleeding, and you walk to the clubhouse and wash the blood off your hands, slap
a bandage on them, and go out and hit another thousand golf balls! That is what it takes to hit a golf ball like I do!”
Whilst our salvation is assured in Jesus Christ, that does not remove from us the obligation of striving to be the best
disciples that we can be. Winning teams are composed of numerous winning athletes. If you don’t put in the practice,
you disqualify yourself from staying on the team.
What sort of disciplines does discipleship call us to? Faithfulness in worship and service. Being in church and involved
in our church as God enables us so to do. Giving time and effort to the activities of Bible Study and prayer. Being faithful
in our stewardship of time, tithes and talents. There’s nothing glamorous about these disciplines. It’s good old-fashioned
commitment and dedication. That’s all.
Paul also uses the imagery of boxing. He speaks as though he’s the fighter in the ring. He’s not running
around aimlessly, he’s not just throwing punches in a haphazard manner, hoping one of them may connect. The man is focused. He knows that he is going to have to take the hits and he knows that when he gets knocked
down, he’s got what it takes to get up again.
That too is part of the discipline of discipleship of Jesus Christ. Getting up again when life knocks you flat. Being
down, but not out. Being faithful to Jesus Christ means we will get hurt, if not physically, then certainly emotionally and
maybe spiritually.
Do you think this
world wants you to be a disciple? Do you think there aren’t forces around that are totally opposed to the message of
Jesus Christ? Then think again. Hear one of Paul’s comrade in Peter in 1 Peter 5:8 “Discipline yourselves,
keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour.”
Discipleship involves
focus. But, is it really worth the effort? I mean I like coming to church, but “Yo Adrian,” you’re making
it sound like hard work! So remember…
- We’re
competing for a prize that lasts forever.
In Paul’s
day athletes would be rewarded on the podium, not with a cup or a big check, but with a wreath to show the world they were
number One. The main ingredient of the victory wreath at the Isthmian Games was withered celery.
So you have to ask
the question, “If people are willing to go to tremendous lengths just to stand on a box and have some dead vegetables
wrapped around their necks whilst enjoying a brief moment of quickly fading applause… should not we, who are promised
the prize of eternal life in Christ Jesus, be willing to give our all for the gospel’s sake?”
Activity expended
for the Kingdom of God has lasting results. Think of the benefits that the gospel message has bought to the world. Think of the tremendous
impact the message has had on everything from medicine to education, from democracy to equality, from politics to government,
from the arts to architecture.
Invest time and
effort in the Kingdom, and it changes the world! We’re promised that whatever we do for Christ in this life reaps benefits
in the next life. I have no idea exactly how that works out. But it does remind
of a story I heard about 3 men who die and go to heaven.
On arrival they
are greeted by the angel Gabriel, who tells them they will be rewarded with vehicles in order to drive down the golden roads
to their mansions in the sky. The first man has been tremendously faithful during his earthly life. Gabriel pulls off the
covers and unveils a gleaming Ferrari as his reward.
The next man is
handed a pair of worn out keys. He’s told to go around the back where he will find a fifteen-year-old Ford Focus that
needs a bit of work, but it should get him to his mansion just fine. Obviously this man hadn’t been so faithful.
A while later, the
man in the Ferrari notices the Ford Focus parked at the side of the road. He stops to see if he can lend a hand, but finds
the man is sitting on the floor with tears of laughter rolling down his face. “Whatever is wrong?” he enquires.
Through his laughter the man replies, “Nothing at all. I just went by the pastor. He was riding a bicycle!”
I share that story
to emphasize that whoever you are, pastor or part of the priesthood of all believers, how we practice our faith makes
a difference not only to our today, but also to our tomorrows. I also want to move on to Paul’s’ third point,
that one of the dangers in serving others is that you can neglect to take of your own spiritual fitness.
3.
Watch yourself.
Paul talks of taking
care to disciple himself “lest after preaching to others, I myself should be disqualified” (verse 27).
In a similar fashion to physical fitness, spiritual fitness is not a road that anybody else can travel on our behalf. Somebody else cannot say our prayers or do our bible study or take our pew in church
or fill our position on that committee or put our tithe in the collection plate.
God holds you personally
responsible for the state of your soul. We live in a culture that is always trying to apportion blame. “It wasn’t
me. They made me do it. It’s the circumstances I grew up in. You can’t blame me.” It’s an evasive
trick as old as the Garden of Eden. Adam said, “It wasn’t me, the woman gave me the fruit.” Eve declares,
“It was the snake’s fault, how could I resist?”
Returning to the
race imagery, who’s responsible for seeing that you get to the finishing line? Is it your coach? Is it your team? Is
it your parents? Is it your church family? Is it your friends? It’s up to you. You have the responsibility for your
own spiritual development, for your personal discipleship, for your commitment to Jesus Christ.
Jesus gave all for
us. He died on the Cross for our sins. He was raised that we may live with ‘Hallelujah’ for a theme song. God
sends the Holy Spirit as our helper and teacher in the faith. We have the Scriptures for a game plan. We are in the company
of brothers and sister in the body of Christ who love us and pray for us. We are surrounded by a great cloud of unseen witnesses
- angels and saints in glory.
You want to live
a holy life in an unholy world? Then run to win! Look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Recall that discipleship
takes discipline. We are competing for a prize that lasts forever. Watch out for yourself.
And to God’s name be the Glory. AMEN.
