Order Of Service

1^st Corinthians 9:24-27

(24) Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. (25) And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. (26) I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air. (27) But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Introduction

The Apostle Paul used many athletic figures of speech to express spiritual truths.  In our Scripture today, he used two: the metaphors of a track star and of a prize fighter.

Evidently, he was a sports enthusiast. He probably became interested in sports when he was in Corinth. The city of Corinth was the seat of the biannual Isthmian games, which were second only to the Greek Olympic games.

When I read this Scripture, I zero in on the word “castaway” in verse 27, and think about the words of a sports commentator I heard years ago. He said, in sports competition there are three groups of people that can whup you. They can whup you up badly and even embarrass you.

The first group that can whup you, obviously, is the team you are competing against, if your team is not up to the task. They just outperform your team. They just execute better than your team. It is just that simple; they just play the game better than your team.

The second group that can whup you is the officials. Bad calls, especially during critical plays, can cause your team to be defeated. A series of repetitive bad calls is absolutely devastating. Sometimes, it is human error; during a game, things do happen in a split second. Sometimes, the line of sight of an official is partially blocked. Sometimes, it is sheer incompetence. The officials just don’t know what they are doing. Sometimes, the officials can be consciously or unconsciously bias and favor one team over the other team. They can overlook the infractions of the favored team and penalize the other team when there really were no infractions. Sometimes, officials can be accused of taking a bribe to throw the game.

The third group that can whup a team may be the worst one of all three. It is the defeated team itself.  How can a team whup itself? Sports fans know. They can make so many personal fouls that they give the opposing team a humongous advantage. Key players get ejected from the game for targeting, for pulling a face mask, or for poor sportsmanship.

In verse 27, Paul said he does not want to be like an athlete who gets ejected from the game. He did not want to be a castaway. He did not want to get disqualified from competition.  He did not want to whup himself. It does not sound good, but a lot of people are their own worst enemy, and they whup themselves in the game of life.

Let’s see how we can make sure we do not whup ourselves.

Exposition

1. Play To Win, But Follow The Rules.

   (Play Fair.)

   (Play Respectfully.)

  (Sometimes That Is Difficult When The Opposition Is Not Following The Rules.)

2. Don’t Allow The Opposition To Lure You Into Making Excessive Penalties And Mistakes.

(Minimize Fumbles.)

(Minimize Turnovers.)

(Minimize Interceptions.)

(Minimize Sloppy Hand-Offs.)

(No Unsportsmanlike Conduct.)

3. Remember, A Personal Foul Hurts The Whole Team.

(Self-Control Is The Key.)

(Think More Of Your Team Than Of Yourself.)

(We Belong To Many Teams: Family, Church, Friends, Etc.)

Closing Thoughts

Paul said he wanted to live, so that when he preached, people would see him as authentic and credible. Winning athletes, in that day, did not get trophies or rings; they got a crown made with tree branches. (Only the members of the royal family could wear golden crowns.) These crowns, made from branches, soon withered and became unsightly. Paul also knew the rules of heaven are different from the rules on earth. In heaven, the winners, all people of faith, would get a golden grown, because we are members of God’s royal family. Paul was running to win the race so that he would get his golden crown from the Father in heaven. He was not going to let the devil, other people, or even himself, cause his defeat. He was looking forward to crossing the finish line with dignity and honor.

Give God Glory! Give God All The Glory!

Related Scripture

Philippians 3:13-14

End Notes:

1. The Greek word the King James Version translates as castaway is adokimos. It has several linguistical connections. It is related to the idea of rejection or expulsion. It is also related to the idea of worthlessness or uselessness. So, when a player is kicked out of the game, he or she is useless or worthless to their teammates. Makes sense to me.

2. In verse 26, Paul says he does not constantly “beat the air.” Beat the air is a figure of speech for shadow boxing. He is not like a fighter who constantly shadow boxes, but is never brave enough to face a real opponent.

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