2 Timothy 4: 6 (NIV) For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Mark 10:17(NIV) As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'" 20 "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 22 At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
“His success was killing his opportunity at the race that he was asking Jesus to join in!”
“We find our place running God’s race.”
The Race
1. It’s a grace race
“Grace is not simply about covering our lack, But about empowering us to run the race.
His race requires grace.
His race is not ABOUT you but it INVOLVES YOU.
“We find our place running God’s race.”
Ephesians 2:8-10 (NIV) 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
2. The race is a chase
Matthew 6:33-34(NIV) 33 But seek first HIS KINGDOM and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own
3. The race has a pace
“Intenders are as productive as pretenders!”
“The kingdom is at hand but you got you got to let go of what is in your hand to take hold of it.”
1 Corinthians 9:24 (NIV) 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. 25 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. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. (NLT) So I run with purpose in every step.)
Ministry:
1.Get in the race.
2. Back back on track.
Galatians 5:7 (NLT) You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth?
3. Weary in the running?
Hebrews 12:1(NIV) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Acts 12:1-17 (NIV) 1…King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them.2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. 6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance.7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists. 8 Then the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals." And Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me," the angel told him. 9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. 11 Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating." 12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!" 15 "You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel." 16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Tell James and the brothers about this," he said, and then he left for another place.
The Church is experiencing revival.
The Church is experiencing persecution.
The Church is hurting.
The Church is experiencing uncertainty.
“When trouble comes our way people that pray keep the mission in play”
Stability in the midst of uncertainty
1. Community of Faith
-All that is concealed won’t get healed.
-Me issues are we issues.
Romans 12:4-5 (NLT) 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
1 Corinthians 12:26 (NLT) If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
“The more isolated we become to more powerless we will be.”
2. Fervency of Prayer
Worry is an invitation…to fear.
“Reacting in fear is giving glory to the darkness.”
Worry is an invitation…to pray.
Acts 12:5 (NIV) …the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
Acts 12:12 (NIV) ….where many people had gathered and were praying.
James 5:16 (NKJV) …The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
They were uncertain about the outcome.
-Faith is not the absence of uncertainty, but trusting God in the midst of it.”
-Our certainty does not lie in the answer we want but in our God who hears us.
3. Urgency of Mission
“When trouble comes our way people that pray keep the mission in play”
Stability is not mean immobility. The church is most stable when it’s moving.
Ephesians 2:10(NIV) For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.
Luke 10:25-28 (NLT) One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” The man answered, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”
“We work best at loving God by loving Him in our work.”
John 15:10 (NIV) If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
2. What are you working for?
What is the treasure?
“When we stand before him our reward will not be the reward in his hand but the look in his fiery eyes!”
3. Where are you working from?
Ephesians 2:4-10 (NIV) 4 Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
By Grace through faith….
Our New Nature
Now work is not dreadful it’s delightful!
1 John 5:2-3 (NIV) 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.
“To weaken the striver let love be the driver.”
Developing a healthy hustle muscle
1. Seeing yourself as an Investor(not a earner)
“We are investing in a relationship not earning a wage.”
2. Setting our attention & affections
3. Start Responding
1 John 4:19 (NIV) We love because he first loved us.
“To weaken the striver let love be the driver.”