Walk Free Ministries

Sermon: Run Free with Christ

December 30, 2018 at 10:13 pm | Posted in Run Free | Leave a comment

This is the sermon I use when I present the Run Free with Christ handout

Time and again the Apostle Paul said

Being a Christian is like Running a Race

I consider my life worth nothing to me;

My only aim is to finish the race

And complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—

The task of testifying

To the good news of God’s grace. (Acts 20:24)

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.

Everyone who competes in the games

Goes into strict training. …

I do not run like someone running aimlessly;….

No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave

So that after I have preached to others,

I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.  

(1 Cor 9:24-27)  

No one wins an athletic contest

Without obeying the rules. (2Tim 2:5CEV)

I have not yet reached my goal,

And I am not perfect.

But Christ has taken hold of me.

So I keep on running and struggling

To take hold of the prize.

My friends, I don’t feel that I have already arrived.

But I forget what is behind,

And I struggle for what is ahead.

I run toward the goal, (Phil 3:12,13)

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,

Fixing our eyes on Jesus,

The pioneer and perfecter of faith. (Heb 12:1,2)

I have fought the good fight,

I have finished the race,

I have kept the faith.  (2Tim 4:7)

Running the race . . .

Sanctification

Or our salvation walk

Is done with purpose

Daily deciding to . . .

Realize Christ is within us,

Love others like Christ loved us,

Transform into honorable and holy people.

Sanctification

Or our salvation walk

Is God and working together with us:

“God who works in you to will and to act,” (Phil 2:13)

“You hold firmly to the Word of life.”  (Phil 2:16a)

You encourage others and they encourage you.

For example

God gave us the Bible

We have to read and know the Bible.

We have to encourage others with the Bible.

We have responsibility
Be self controlled and alert …

Resist (the enemy) standing firm
But God enables
God … will make you strong, firm, and steadfast
1 Pe 5:8-10

So Sanctification is the work God does in us

Spiritual Formation is the work we do with God’s help

Paul says is like training for a race

Kampala Marathon … 40K or 20K or 10K

A race in Kampala with thousands of runners

How does one get to be able to run that far?

How does one get to be able to run that fast?

By wishing and hoping?

By going to meetings?

No by training.

Daily training in running.

Even when tired

Even when the weather is bad.

Even when we would rather not go.

Time and time again the Bible says

About our Salvation walk …

“Make every effort …”

“Continually …”

“Always ….”

If the Christian walk is like running a race …

We could think of God as the coach

He is the boss and guide.

He can not run the race for us

It is our duty to actually run the race

But the coach is the reason we run.

God is the coach

Grace:  who chose us before we chose him.

Forgiven:  whose son was the sacrifice for our sins.

Faith :  who has saved us not of ourselves

Grace: who has given us the gift of salvation.

God is the coach

Who selects the race we run.

Purpose: God has a purpose for us in the kingdom of God.

Receive:  God is the coach whose HS helps us when we are weak.

Depend:  Christ intercedes

Relinquish:  God is the coach who fills us with life and peace

Sanctified:  He works sanctification into

Equipping:  Equip you for every good thing.

Team mates encourage us to push harder.

Team mates run with us.

Encourage:  When we are weary they encourage us

Comfort: When they are weary we encourage them.

Serve one another

Correct one another

No divisions: avoid negative team mates

No obstacle: do not be a negative team mate

The people watching are like people in the world.

The people watching may be cheering for us

Such as people from other churches in Christ
But maybe the people are cheering for the others

Such as people who do not believe in Jesus Christ.

Would be cheering for other religions to run the race

To Run a Race

Rules need to be followed

What you are allowed to do in the Race

What you are not allowed to do in the Race

Need the Bible know the rules of the race of life.

Study  “All Scripture is God-breathed

And is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting

And training in righteousness,

So that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped

For every good work.” (2Tim 3:16,17)

So we learn the rules of the sport.

So we read the Bible with the rules of life.

So we obey the rules of the sport or lose the race.

So we obey the rules in the Bible or lose this race.

Discern best plan to follow

Challenge negative thinking

Resist lies of the evil one.

Be joyful, pray, give thanks

Run to the Glory of God.

To Run a Race

We need air to breath

The Holy Spirit is called breath.

Prayer is like the air we breathe.

Prayer is our spirit

Communing with the Holy Spirit.

A review of the Steps to Freedom in Christ.

The Steps to Freedom In Christ.

Has 7 Steps of things to renounce

“Let us throw off everything that hinders

And the sin that so easily entangles.”

There are 7 areas to release

When training for a race.

1.  Can’t follow other coaches
2.  Can’t believe lies
3.  Can’t hold bitterness
4.  Can’t be rebellious
5.  Can’t be proud or feel worthless

6.  Can’t have sinful habits
7.  Can’t have follow in sins of parents

Step 1

Just like you may not follow after other gods,

A runner can not follow another coach.

Only the one coach,

Only the One God,

Is to be followed.

Step 2

Just like you must not believe the lies of satan.

A runner can not believe lies in his head.

Do not believe lies about your coach.

“Your coach does not care about you.”

God your coach loves you very much

Do not believe lies about yourself.

“You are too tired and can’t go on.”

God says he will give you strength.

Do not believe lies about your team.

“Your team can not win.”

God has already won.

Step 3

A runner can not do best

When bitter and angry.

It causes one to live in the past

Taking away from that future motion of running.

Forgiveness renews the mind and soul.

Releasing the runner to run ahead in freedom.

Allowing the runner to be a blessing.

Step 4 Rebellious

Can’t run a race if rebelling against coach.

Can’t run a race if rebelling against rules.

Can’t run a race if rebelling against team.

Must submit to the coach, rules and team.

To run the race in power.

Step 5 Proud or feel worthless.

Can’t run the race if too proud.

Can’t run the race if too worthless.

Must have true humility
Must know who in Christ.

Step 6

Can’t run race if bad habits.

Can’t run race if drinking or drugging.

Can’t run race if eating too much.

Can’t run race if impure.

God wants us to replace bad habits

With holy honorable habits.

Step 7 Ancestral sin

Can’t continue in the sins of for fathers

God wants to break spiritual bonds

So Paul says being a Christian is like running a race.

God is like a coach.

Who does many things for us.

Team is like fellow Christians.

Who encourage us to preservers

But we must run the race for the prize

We must obey Jesus commands to love and encourage.