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The race that
is set before us
Part II
August 24, 2008
By Pastor Young Joon Park
The Beijing Olympic games are over now.
During the past 17 days, the greatest
athletes from around the world gathered together from each country to compete
against one another to get to the top.
I really did not watch the games, so I do
not have much to say about it. I do know that it was one of the finest
games and that there were many exciting moments from around the world.
These Olympic games birthed many of the
finest and best athletes from around the world.
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Summary last
Message
I. We are in the Race
1. We
have witnesses for our race.
Hebrews 12:1
2.
Our goal is to be on top.
Philippians 3:12-13
Proverbs 29:18
One Glory Church Vision
Fulfill the Great Commandments
1.
Loving relationship with the Lord
2.
Loving relationship with our neighbors
1)
Mercy ministry
2)
Discipleship Ministry
3.
Our work
Philippians 3:14
I Peter 5:4
I Corinthians 9:25
II. Our Reward (5 Crowns)
1. The Crown
of Rejoicing (Exultation) – for the Fruit of Evangelism
I Thessalonians 2:19-20
2. The Crown
of Glory – for Leaders
I Peter 5:4
3. The Crown
of Righteousness - for all Christians who wait
for Him
II Timothy 4:8
4. The Crown
of Life - for who has gone through trials
James 1:12
Revelation 2:10
5. The Crown
of Joy – The fruit of Disciples
Philippians 4:1
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Before they come to these Olympic Games,
every athlete has to be at the top of their sport in that country.
To reach the top is not easy, and you
cannot receive the top position automatically.
They have to train for many years to become
an expert, and they have to go through numerous competitions to break through
and get to the top in each country.
When you are in the games you have a chance
to win and receive a reward.
We will win the race and we will receive
the reward from the Lord.
I want to share about the preparation
before going into the race so you can reach the top.
This is a very important step for every one
who is going to enter the race and wants to reach the top to get a reward.
III.
Before the race
A. You have to be selected for
the race.
Not all athletes will be selected for the
Olympic Games, but only the athletes who are qualified by meeting certain
requirements will be selected.
I have good news for you from the Lord.
You are born for the race, and you are
designed for the race before you were created.
1. You are chosen men
and women of God
1) John 15:16 – for fruit
You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you
to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you
whatever you ask in My name.
2) I Peter 2:9 – for the Kingdom of God
But you are a chosen people, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the
praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.
3) Ephesians 1:4 – for holiness
For He chose us in Him before the creation of the
world to be holy and blameless in His sight.
2. Requirements to be
chosen - faithfulness
1) Matthew 25:23 – for the Faithful One and their reward
His master replied, ¡®Well done, good and faithful servant!
You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many
things. Come and share your master¡¯s happiness!¡¯
2) Matthew 25:26,30 – for the unfaithful one and their reward
26 ¡°His master replied, ¡®You
wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest
where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?
30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.¡¯
When we do our best and are faithful to
what God has assigned to us, then God will shift us to a new level of the race.
In a practical way, do you attend church on
Sundays and attend regular church fellowship faithfully?
This is a very small issue for you, but
this is the step we need to take to be faithful.
B. We have
special Trainers for the race
1. The Holy Spirit
John 14:26
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will
send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I
have said to you.
2. Jesus Christ
Matthew 28:20b
And surely
I am with you always, to the very end of the age.¡±
3. Father God
Hebrews 12:9
Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us
and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of
our spirits and live!
4. Church
Ephesians 4:11-12
11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and
some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
12 for the
equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body
of Christ
1)
Spiritual Parents
I Corinthians 4:15 – father
Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you
do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the
gospel.
I Thessalonians 2:7 – mother
but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her
little children.
2)
Leaders
I Peter 5:5-6
5
Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you,
clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ¡°God opposes the
proud but gives grace to the humble.¡±
6 Humble
yourselves, therefore, under God¡¯s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due
time.
3)
Family in Christ
Hebrews 10:24
and let us
consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,
Proverb 27:17
Iron
sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another
C. We need to
be in training for the race
1. I
Corinthians 9:25a – exercise
Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things
2. Hebrews 12:11 –
discipline is needed for the race
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later
on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who
have been trained by it.
3. I Corinthians 9:27 – protection
from the fall
but I discipline my body and make it my
slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be
disqualified.
Training is not easy, but this training
protects you from the fall so you can fulfill your destiny.
4. Luke 9:23 – training daily
And He was saying to them all, ¡° If anyone wishes to
come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
I Corinthians 15:31
I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in
Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
One pianist – after his performance –
people praised him – some people said, ¡°you have a natural talent.¡± – he said,
¡°No, it is not the talent. I practice playing the piano more than 10 hours a
day throughout my entire life.¡±
D. The vision for the race
1. Our destiny
is an eternal matter with no exceptions.
Genesis 1:27-28
27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him;
male and female He created them.
28 God
blessed them; and God said to them, ¡°Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the
earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of
the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.¡±
God created everything on earth to exist
eternally, but death came to every living thing because of the fall of Adam by
satan. So we die, and no one can escape this physical death. Our physical life
is just a moment here on earth, but after that we are going to face eternity in
Heaven with God or in hell.
2. We will
receive the results by how we live on earth
Romans 8:13
For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die;
but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the
body, you will live,
Muslim – last week one woman suicide bomber
detonated herself in the middle of a crowd.
We keep hearing about the suicide bombers
continually. They believe that they will be in heaven and they will have an
exciting life after they fulfill their mission to kill people.
This is a great deception- wrong doctrine!
Right after they kill themselves, they will
find themselves in hell instead of heaven that was promised to them. Then they
will realize that there is no turning point at all.
We heard the tragic news last Thursday in
France. The French airline which carried passengers that had planned to enjoy
their time in the Canary Islands for vacation exploded right after take off.
Almost 200 lives were spared from this accident.
Among these passengers, some of them will
be rejoicing and spending their eternal life in the presence of the Lord in
heaven, but some of them will be in eternal torment in hell.
People are not interested in eternal
spiritual things, and because of their ignorance they focus too much on worldly
things for many reasons. The bottom line is that whether we like it or not we
are going to face eternal joy or eternal regret.
3. Your work
for the Lord will not in vain.
I Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast,
immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is
not in vain in the Lord.
The Lord
promised that whatever we do for the glory of God will not be in vain at all,
and we will have the reward from the Lord.
Conclusion
Luke 12:32 – God¡¯s
plan
Do not be afraid, little
flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.
I Timothy 6:11-12
– Our godly life
11 But you,
man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love,
endurance and gentleness.
12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take
hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good
confession in the presence of many witnesses.
I Corinthians 15:58 – commitment
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain
in the Lord.
Philippians 3:14 – we have the reward
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward
call of God in Christ Jesus.
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