GOING FOR MORE THAN GOLD

August 17, 2008

Psalm 81:16, 2 Timothy 4:7-8

I have absolutely enjoyed the Olympics this year. Every chance I get, I’ve been watching some of the most amazing athletes in the world compete. As I watched one young lady well up with tears during our National Anthem after winning the gold medal, I was struck by how much goes into an athlete’s life in order to reach that pinnacle in life.

And I thought about our lives as Christians. What we live for is worth far more than a gold medal- even eight gold medals that swimmer Michael Philips has achieved. Without taking away from the tremendous achievements that this represents, one day those gold medals will fade away and mean nothing in the scope of your eternal destiny.

How do we live our lives for the cause of Jesus Christ and go for more than gold in our lives? Let us begin by looking at…

1. The Christian on Steroids.

On of the saddest days for sports fans came when United States sprinter, Marion Jones, admitted to doping in the time leading up to the 2004 Olympics in Australia. It wouldn’t have been so bad for her to have to give up her medals for cheating but those who ran with her in the 440 Relay lost their gold medals as well.

Its one thing for your behavior and actions to affect only you. But the sad truth is that just like Marion Jones whose actions affected her teammates, so to our actions as Christians affects those on our team.

I think about the problem of steroid use in any athlete and wonder how they can lay down and sleep at night knowing that they have cheated their way to the top. Rather than do the things they are supposed to do in proper training, they tried to short-cut. And sometimes to the detriment of their own health.

When any Christian strives to live the Christian life without God, they are doing much the same. This is short-changing the work of the Holy Spirit in their life. Let me share three examples of what I’m saying:

a. Ways of the World.

1 Corinthians 3:19 warns us by saying, “For the wisdom of the world is foolishness…” So often it is easy enough to look at the wisdom of the world and use that as a grid for our Christian life.

I get concerned when Christians begin to dabble with “positive” thinking gurus who promote a self-centered guideline rather than the Scriptures in order to live properly. I have very little regard for people like David Dwyer who calls on you to see within yourself.

b. Thoughts without God.

God warns his people in Psalm 81:11, “If you would but listen to me.” It is so easy for you and I to get caught up in our own thoughts and our own way of thinking and ignore what God is saying.

God wants us to listen to him through the preaching, teaching and reading of His word. He desires for us to consider Him within our thought processes. How easy it is to forget God in the times we need him most.

c. Strength of Self.

In verse 12 of that same chapter, God goes on to point out that his rebellious people “follow their own devices.” Again, how easy it is to ease God out by not only following the ways of the world, not listening to God and depending on our own strength.

These same folks will claim faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and eternity in heaven. What they forget is the life of holiness in between. What we do with our lives between salvation and death does matter.

You cannot cheat and become spiritual no more than an athlete can cheat and be a better athlete. They may show incredible feats of strength but in so doing short-cut the system.

Likewise, the Christian who claims Christ but then follows self, short-cuts their own spirituality. And in the end, those closest to them suffer the worst.

Not only are their Christians who are on steroids but there is also the…

2. The Person Lacking Faith.

How deep is your faith in the good news of Jesus Christ?

Consider this wee bit of triva:

How many gallons of water it takes to fill an Olympic size pool?

An Olympic pool is 50 meters in length and 25 meters in width and 2 meters minimum depth. In proper American dimensions: 164 feet long, 82 feet wide and 6 ½ feet minimum depth. Total gallons of water: 660,253 gallons. Your typical backyard pool would use between 10,000 and 30,000 gallons of water. (Just in case you were thinking of putting in a pool some day.)

I encounter too many Christians whose Olympic pool of faith looks good on the surface but is only a centimeter deep.

Here’s the skinny about faith: Faith is not believing in the impossible; faith is trusting God for the impossible. But yet too often there are far too many Christians who have strived to live a life of faith but fail to do so because they are too easily deceived by what faith really is all about.

An athlete must have a certain level of confidence in what they are doing in order to achieve the impossible dream. In a similar sense, a Christian must have a level of confidence in their Christian faith (in the living sense) in order to achieve the potential God has raised them for.

Remember, Romans 10:17 teaches us that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.” We must be listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit in order to have a strong, Biblical faith.

But what about the people of God in Psalm 81? They stopped listening to God and it affected their faith in God.

So what are some of the evidences of a person who is lacking faith in their walk with God?

a. Fantasy Camp Faith.

This is the faith that is surrounded by something other than God. This kind of Christian lives in some kind of fantasy world. They don’t consider the Christ-filled life but yet desire to have all the benefits of the Christ-filled life.

So they go to fantasy camp every Sunday- if they have time. They proudly carry their Bible and scribble the notes but then forget what it’s all about by the time they eat their Sunday dinner.

b. False-Positive Faith.

There are those with the false-positive faith. These are the people who put their confidence in the wrong things. They truly believe in their heart that they have faith but it’s a faith that simply sits back in comfort and acceptance.

c. Flouting God’s Principles.

In essence, the Christian without true faith in God- a faith that is then reflected by Godly behaviors and attitudes- may not really be saved. They become like the people in Psalm 81 who have embraced the idols of the world and put their trust in government first and their trust in their friends first and their trust in their selves first. In verse 11- “…Israel would not submit to me.”

What a sad testimony for the person who is believing they are going for the gold and then achieves it only to find out that this not what it’s all about. God has something more than the gold and silver of this world.

The Christian of true faith refuses to simply accept the status quo in their life. Faith moves mountains and changes lives. Faith involves prayer- intense God fearing, Holy Spirit driven and Christ believing prayer. This kind of Christian has discovered…

3. The Life in the Spirit.

This run for more than gold calls for us as Christians to find that life of love, faith and hope. And the midst of that life, God provides us with all that we need.

The problem for the people of Israel was that they were rejecting God’s offering of Himself for their lives. Instead they longed to do their own thing rather than God’s. They preferred the idols of wood and stone over the living presence of God. They chose their way rather than God’s way.

a. Salvation from God.

In 81:6-7 we find that not only is the burden of slavery removed but that the people of God were rescued from the enemy’s hand.

Likewise, for you as God’s child, he lifts the burden of slavery and then delivers you from the enemy. No longer does Satan have dominion over you. You are now bought with a price- the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

Now you have…

b. Sustenance from God.

God not only lifted the burden of slavery off of his people and delivered them out from under the leadership of Pharaoh, but he also provided for them in the wilderness as they headed towards the Promised Land.

Did you know that gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps eats 6000 to 10,000 calories a day. (I don’t but feel like I do every time I go to the China Buffet!)

Michael Phelps' breakfast menu includes three fried egg sandwiches with cheese, lettuce, tomato, fried onions, mayonnaise; then throw in an omelet, a bowl of grits, three slices of French toast with powdered sugar, and three chocolate-chip pancakes. Yummo!

In verse 16 God has promised the “finest of wheat” and “honey from the rock.” God is not content to spiritually starving his people. He wants us to have the best if we would just let him feed us through His word and from the Holy Spirit.

This salvation and sustenance results in something more glorious than any world fame or acclamation:

c. Satisfaction from God.

Within the heart of every one here today, you want that sense of peace and joy that can only come from God. God calls on us to “open wide your mouth” so that He “will fill it.” (v. 10)

When God gives us the spiritual provisions that we need, there is a deep satisfaction that feeds our spirit and gives us that spiritual rest from the works of our own hands.

This satisfaction allows us to receive…

4. The Believer’s Reward.

I am really proud to be an American (most of the time). What really gets me going is to watch amazing feats achieved by amazing athletes. And when they win, what a tremendous reward for them and for us as a nation.

The reality is that we are in more than a race for eternal life. We are in a war. And this war requires for us to utilize weapons of the spiritual realm if we are to be victorious- as God’s word promises. To be victors calls on us to fight the good fight of faith.

To the one who overcomes, God promises a reward that is far greater than that of the world.

a. Enabled to Compete for the Prize.

1 Corinthians 9:24 tells us: “Run the race in such a way as to get the prize.”

We have too many Christians lolly-gagging their way around the track of life.

One of the amazing things to see in the Olympics is not only the winners but those who almost win or even those who couldn’t finish due to debilitating injury. One American female runner wept because she couldn’t go on due to illness. These players give everything they have- literally- in order to win a prize they can’t take with them.

We have the privilege to run in a race that is far greater in importance and reward. It’s not a matter of giving it everything you’ve got; it’s a matter of living everything you’ve been given by the Holy Spirit.

This will then result in our…

b. Experience of Completing the Race.

No player ever wants to win a gold medal by default. At times it has happened. Too many times I wonder how many would not make it were it not for the gracious patience of God!

The experience of completing the race is when our Lord looks at us and says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

So what do we say in regard to all of this?

Conclusion: Never quit the race of life!

In 1968, the country of Tanzania selected John Stephen Akhwari to represent them in the Mexico City Olympics.

Along the racecourse for the marathon, Akhwari stumbled and fell, severely injuring both his knee and ankle. By 7pm, an Ethiopian runner had won the race, and all the other competitors had finished the race. There only remained a few thousand spectators in the huge stadium when a police siren at the gate caught everyone’s attention.

Limping through the gate came number 36- John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania. His leg was wrapped in a bloody bandage. Those present cheered as the courageous man completed the final lap of the race.

Later, a reporter asked Akhwari the question on everyone’s mind: “Why did you continue to race after you were so badly injured?”

He replied: “My country did not send me 7,000 miles to begin a race; they sent me to finish the race.”

My friends, our Lord does not save us so that we can merely begin a race but saved us so that we might finish the race despite the frustrations and disappointments in life.

“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out or us.” (Hebrews 12:1)