Run like a boxer I Corinthians 9:24-27
(Pastor Kevin Mugi – Associate Pastors)
Amp – 24 [a]Do you not know that in a race all the runners run [their very best to win], but only one receives the prize? Run [your race] in such a way that you may seize the prize and make it yours! 25 Now every athlete who [goes into training and] competes in the games is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things. They do it to win a [b]crown that withers, but we [do it to receive] an imperishable [crown that cannot wither]. 26 Therefore I do not run without a definite goal; I do not flail around like one beating the air [just shadow boxing]. 27 But [like a boxer] I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached [the gospel] to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified [as unfit for service].
Intro
- First and foremost before we get started, I feel inadequate to preach on running your race -knowing that we have an international author in our midst who wrote – Run your race ( amazon) hence my title
- Paul has been speaking to the Corinth church and these guys know what he is referring to when he speaks of running, training and boxing
- Isthmian Games held near Corinth every two years. Many thousands of people from around Greece and further afield attended the games. The Isthmian Games were held in honor of the god Poseidon (Neptune), the god of the sea. At the center of the site of the games was a temple to Poseidon, together with a stadium for the foot-races, a theatre and a hippodrome for chariot races.
- Inside the temple was a small building called the Palaimon where athletes took an oath, swearing to obey the rules of the games and not to cheat, otherwise they would face disqualification. Athletes competed in foot races, wrestling, boxing, throwing the discus and javelin, the long jump and chariot racing. For each competition, there was only one winner, who received a crown of celery leaves. There was no award for second place.
- Interesting fact: Emperor Nero – He insisted that singing and poetry reading should be added to the games. Nero did not have a good singing voice, which was described by Suetonius as feeble and husky. No one was allowed to leave the arena during Nero’s presentation, and everyone was expected to applause enthusiastically. His performance lasted such a long time that women gave birth in the arena, and others pretended to be dead so they could be carried out. Of course Nero always won. He bribed the officials by giving them Roman citizenship and bribed or threatened other competitors to withdraw. In other words, Nero certainly deserved to be disqualified from the games.
- And we may all not go to the extent of Nero but most of us -if given a choice of running or getting a participation trophy- unfortunately we would take the easy route
- I have always said that one discipline translates to another, hence passiveness in the things that grows us can lead to spiritual laziness
- Hence Paul is calling all of us to exercise – to agonize in beating the body to submission
- The word for ‘exercise’ is ‘agonizomos’ from which we get the English word ‘agony’.
- To win at the games, the athletes needed to commit to an agonizing regime of exercise and training lasting for ten months, forsaking other pleasures in the determination to win.
- This evening, I want to rekindle your love for agony – Spiritual agony that give you a crown that will not perish
1. We are all in a race – Run with purpose
- Do you not know that in a race all the runners run [their very best to win], but only one receives the prize?
- Running is not an option – you either running with instructions or you are just running aimlessly – but you are running
- I understand that the Bible talks about Spiritual walk …however
- If you ask most runners (which am not) they don’t just say- I am just running until I get tired – they have a time and a mile goal
- Yet, when it comes to our spiritual walk we are super casual- am praying, am fasting, yah I worship
- A “walk” in the Bible is often a metaphor for practical daily living
- To walk in the Spirit means that we yield to His control, we follow His lead, and we allow Him to exert His influence over us
- 26 Therefore I do not run without a definite goal;
- Running without a goal is passive running and there is not passive Christian life
- John 16:33 (Nkjv) These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
- I liken this Spiritual run to a Jungle – there is always something that is trying to trip you on your race
- Ephesians 6:12 (Nkjv) For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of [a]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
- Run [your race] in such a way that you may seize the prize and make it yours!
- Run as one who will receive the prize – like a you are in a competition against the one that want to kill, steal and destroy you and everything you love
2. Training matters – runners vs athlete
- Vs. 25 Now every athlete who [goes into training and] competes in the games is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things.
- There is a big difference between wanting something and working towards it – I want to be a runner, but do I want to put in the work?
- Or do I just want the benefits that comes with identifying with runners
- Pastor Matts story of his football “career” comes to mind
- Paul is changing things on us – vs 25 – Now every athlete who [goes into training and] competes in the games is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things
- There is a big difference between a runner and an athlete – To be an athlete – you must be ready to train hard over and over again
- According to someone smart : “Runners run, and oftentimes aimlessly, which leads to injury or suboptimal performance. Athletes develop their brain, their body, and complimentary skills.
- In these games that Paul is using as an example – the athletes needed to commit to an agonizing regime of exercise and training lasting for ten months, forsaking other pleasures in the determination to win.
- Jorge and Venessa are a runner – the other day by 6:30am this dude had run 9:3 miles and could still had breath to converse with me
- Training matters – How do we as Christians Spiritually do 10 miles by 6:30am – it’s a metaphor
- Proverbs 12:1 (Amp) Whoever loves instruction and discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof and correction is stupid.
-
- The Bible has laid our instruction that leads us to discipline – are we following those instructions?
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (Nkjv) Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
- Matthew 6:16-18 (Nkjv) Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the [a]hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you [b]openly.
- Hebrews 13:15 (Nkjv) Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.
- Here at Faith and Victory you are given the Word, the opportunity to worship and pray – the question is, what do you do when you are not here?
- Does your training extend outside these doors?
- The story of Gideon and the 32000 soldiers
- Judges 7 – against Armies of Midian
- The Bible talks about the 300 that went to conquer with Gideon but no one preached about the 31,700 that were disqualified by the Lord
- Afraid 22,000 went home
- 9,700 were not alert
- The sad part is that these soldiers trained and to the naked eyes, they looked perfect only to have left a part that was important- they were not all in.
- From the outside they were good, they looked the part. Heck, they matched with the others but they were not all in- God checks the motives of our hearts
- God is not looking for 99% of you – He needs all part of you trained up
- We have to be careful that we don’t look the part yet, we find ourselves disqualified
- The other part of that, just like Paul says- Least I teach others and I get disqualified;
- Nothing against MOST American football coaches
- They have the solutions but don’t participate in the field – Soccer/football
- They can call every play- they can bench someone because they didn’t exercise however, they can never be the substitute incase the players got injured
- Training Matters- Don’t be a coach that gets disqualified
3. Run like a boxer
- Boxing is no joke – If I ask you to stand it two rows (Boxing vs Running) and you had to choose 10 months of intense training at which you will participate in an actual 12 rounds of 3 minute match against the heavy weight champion – Tyson Fury ( 34 wins -24 KO) or run a marathon – Your choice?
- 27 But [like a boxer] I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached [the gospel] to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified [as unfit for service].
- This verse is not any different as Jesus raising the standard when it came to law vs intention of the heart
- This call is that yes, your run your race but more so, you run and be ready to fight at the same time
- Roman boxing was brutal and vicious. The boxer’s knuckles were wrapped with leather straps, or even with pieces of lead or iron spikes, which would do serious injury to his opponent. The fight would continue for up to four hours or until the opponent was knocked out or left dead.
- Paul says that he does not shadow box (Boxing the air) which is sufficient for practice, but not for a real fight. The aim of boxing is to hit the opponent with an effective blow.
- Our Christian life is also a fight, a spiritual battle, which is why we should have our armor all the times
- Ephesians 6:10-13 (Nkjv) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the [a]wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of [b]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
- This is a call to run your race with your armor on and be ready to fight when necessary, so that you can still be standing after the fight
- How many of you can testify that the devil is not just sitting there watching you run – ooh he will be tired, ooh let just wait – he is actively seeking to Kill, Steal and destroy
- A boxer has to be fully disciplined, make his body obedient to the brains command regardless of our natural instincts – Think about someone hitting you – you want to run
- A boxer has to train regularly under high stress environment. They have to know how to react, pace themselves, breathe right under attack…and most important to know how to neutralize their enemy
- One cool thing that I learnt was about a boxer in the red-zone ( which means that they are in the maximum heart rate) for over 90% of the time
- In the red zone they perform high intensities, recover and repeat. – Sounds like a life of a devoted Christian
- Imagine if we worshipped, fasted and prayed with such intensity – Our praise would increase vs our complains and defeats
- Jeremiah 12:5 ( Nlt ) – “If racing against mere men makes you tired, how will you race against horses? If you stumble and fall on open ground, what will you do in the thickets near the Jordan
- Boxing roadwork essentially equates to long distance running. However, a modern approach incorporates interval training to break up the miles. Whichever method you choose, the conditioning goal remains the same. Roadwork for boxing focuses on alternating between high and low intensity activities.
- You cannot be a boxer without being a runner (Road work) – but you can be a runner without being a boxer
- With us being in the last days- is being a runner enough?
4. A lasting promise
- In the Roman competitions they won celery crown – a plant that would wither
- They did all these to win a crown that withers – how many of us have gone into old house and found trophy’s that collect dust – yet at that moment it meant everything- Vanity
- How much more should we have a goal, train and be ready for a crown of Gold that awaits those who finish the race?
- The call today is simple- Come to Him who is able to do above beyond anything that you can think or imagine
- Allow God to train you – Refine you
- John 16:7 (Amp) –But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the [a]Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you].
- Let us ask God just like the athlete that we keep the finish line in sight, that we have determination to get there and not to wonder off course least we get disqualified!
- Because when He trains you- You get to win a crown that cannot perish
For more sermons please visit our SERMON PAGE
Please subscribe to our YOUTUBE PAGE
