Share and keep sharing February 12, 2012

Now, THIS is a scripture with which we can all connect.  Races, boxing, competition, winning, prizes. We understand those things. In our sports crazed society where it seems the world stops spinning for the super bowl, every office has a pool for  March madness, where professional athletes are some of highest paid people in our culture, and where it seems childhood is not complete without participating in some team sports; this passage from Paul seems to fit right in.

There are a lot of people for whom Paul’s words about training, competition, racing and winning are a breath of fresh air after the preceding passages about eating meat sacrificed to idols and being all things to all people.

Remember, Paul is writing to the church in Corinth.  Corinth was home to the second most famous sporting event in the world.  The Isthmian Games were celebrated every other year.  Next to the Olympics, which were even in those days celebrated every 4 years, the Isthmian games were the most splendid and best attended of all the national festivals of Greece. 

Preparation for these events occupied the attention of the citizens of Corinth several months in advance, and when the throngs arrived to view the contests in the Isthmian stadium, the vendors, and entertainers from Corinth were on hand to reap profit from the occasion.

This festival drew thousands of people, both as competitors and spectators, from all over the empire. The greater athletes were honored in Corinth by monuments, statues, and inscriptions.

The games consisted of foot races, horse races, chariot contests, jumping, wrestling, boxing, and throwing of the discus and javelin.  Paul’s audience was just as familiar with the lure of competition, the drive to win, and athletic discipline as we are.

I can imagine all of this going on around Paul, so he uses the image of athletic competition as a way to teach about the Christian faith.

 

We might be tempted to see Paul’s athletic metaphor here as an appeal to a rugged individualism in our faith, an exhortation to individual training, self-control and self-improvement.  Since I Corinthians, however,  is an exhortation towards unity and community that individualistic interpretation just doesn’t fit in this case.

I think what we have in Paul’s athletic metaphor, is not meant to highlight the athlete, his discipline, or her achievements so much as to call us to examine our motivation compared to the athlete’s motivation, our determination compared to the athlete’s determination, our inspiration compared to the athlete’s inspiration.  He is asking, “what if we lived our faith the way we play or sports.”

Let me turn that around, what if Payton Manning threw with the same level of confidence and conviction that we have about our faith?  What if Tony Stewart drove with the same level of focus with which we live our discipleship?  Do you think he would have  Winston Cup,  a Nextel Cup and Sprint Cup sitting on his mantle?  Do you think Matt Gattens would average 34 points per game for the Hawkeyes if he worked as hard on his shooting as we work on learning scripture?

I think not.

And which is more important, a superbowl ring or your salvation?  Which is more important the NASCAR cups or the kingdom of God?  Which is more important making it to the final four in March madness, or making sure someone knows God?

Translating Paul’s metaphor here, I think his first point is, “How would our church be different if we paid as much attention to God as we do to sports?” “How would the world be different if we talked about our faith as much as we talk about the weather?” “How would our lives be different if we knew the Bible as well as we know the plot on our favorite TV shows?”

I think Paul’s focus here, is even a little narrower than that, though.  Let’s zoom in a little.  Paul says, I do not beat the air, like a boxer shadow boxing to show off for the crowd.  I do not run aimlessly.  I train so that after PROCLAIMING TO OTHERS… let’s stop there.  After proclaiming to others. . .  What is Paul talking about?  He is talking about the Herald of the games.

The Herald was a subordinate official who went to various cities to announce the games.  Then during the Isthmian games the Herald proclaimed the rules, conditions, and qualifications for each game, and when it was over, pronounced the judge's verdict of the winner.

When all the games were completed, the Herald announced the name, country, and father of each victor, and handed over the wreath of victory to the judge.  

I think what Paul is saying is that we are not only athletes in the game.  We are also announcers.  Paul calls us Heralds, and gives us all the responsibility of announcing the game to all who will hear.  Pointing others to the stadium.  Instructing others about how to get involved in the games. In other words, if (in the metaphor) our faith is the game- we are to be sharing Jesus with others.

If you have been here the last couple of weeks, you know that I have been talking about sharing our faith.

·       
First by doing love.  Unilateral acts of love that get our foot in the door. 

·        Second by developing relationships, being real friends with people who don’t know Jesus.

·        This week I want to say that being friends is great… but being a true friend is more than hanging out.  A true friend has to show their friend what it means to be a friend of Jesus.  A true friend heralds for their friend the opportunity to join the race.

You see Paul’s prize is not a dried up victory wreath that he could hang on his wall.  For Paul the prize was not even eternal life.  For Paul the prize was sharing the Gospel with others. You see Paul is saying that we train, work, and prepare, not that we might ourselves win the prize, but that others might join in the race.  The best prize is having others join the Jesus team.

This is not the only place where Paul uses the athletic metaphor.  And in almost every case where Paul speaks of the wreath or crown, he is says “YOU are winning the crown” He is talking about those to whom he has preached the gospel and who have come to believe, joining Jesus Team.

To put it in the simplest athletic terms I can, we are each a captain of a team and it is our job to recruit others to be on the team for Jesus.  Does that make sense?

 

Easy to say, harder to do, right?  Not really. 

I suspect you all have at least one friend who doesn’t go to church.  If not, go back to that tic-tac-toe board you drew last week, and make a new friend. 

What is ,almost without question, the most important quality of a friend?  Honesty.  Most people want friends who are honest.  If you are Christian and you are an honest friend, don’t you think your faith and your church will come up from time to time?  Sure, it will.

And when it comes up should you be all embarrassed and worried how they will respond?  No, because if you have really become friends they will accept you for who you are.  And some time.  Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday they may want some of what you have.  When they do, you give it to them.  Honestly and lovingly.

Do you give up after 6 months, when they haven’t come to church?  A friend wouldn’t.

Do you give up after 6 years, when they haven’t come to church?  A friend wouldn’t.

Do you give up after 60 years, when they haven’t come to church?  A friend wouldn’t.

Do you abandon the friendship when they say they don’t believe in Jesus?  A friend wouldn’t.

Do you run like a scared child when they say that they don’t like the church?  A friend wouldn’t.

Do you try to shove your faith down their throat?  A friend wouldn’t.

Do you try to trick them in to coming to church?  A friend wouldn’t.

Do you ever give up on a friend? A friend wouldn’t. And neither would God.

Had Drew Brees given up when he dropped the football the first time, where would he be? 

Had Tony Stewart quit the first time he hit the wall, where would he be.

Had Michael Phelps quit swimming because his fingers got too wrinkly, who would own those 16 Olympic medals now?

If God had given up on you when you lost your temper, or turned your back on Him, or ignored an opportunity to love your neighbor, where would you be now?

If God had not pursued me and chased me down to bring me back to the church, where would I be now?

No, as friends, we Share Christ with our friends--- and then, we share him again,

--- and again--- and again, never ever giving up because God never gives up.

 

Finally, I find one more interesting thing in this passage.  Paul writes "Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete...?"  Notice not the ordained runners.  Not the hired runners.  Sharing the faith is not a responsibility solely for pastors.

Not just the gifted runners.  Sharing the faith is not the responsibility solely of those who have the spiritual gift of evangelism.

Not just those who want to.  Not those who have time.  Not those who feel like it.  Not those who … anything else.  Sharing the faith is the responsibility of all Christians; young and old, new and experienced, lay and clergy. . .  no matter what.  Every Christian.

Perhaps you know that one of my favorite sports is fishing.   Listen to this fishing story.

Now it came to pass that a group existed who called themselves fishermen. The Streams and lakes were filled with fish, and they were all very hungry.

Week after week, month after month, year after year, people who called themselves fishermen met in meetings and talked about fishing, the abundance of fish and how they really should go fishing. They built large buildings to have these meetings, and recruited more fishermen on a regular basis. But they never fished.

 They organized a board to send out fishermen to other places where there were many fish.  But the staff and committee members just never got around to fishing.

Large, elaborate training centers were built to teach fishermen how to fish. Persons with doctorates in "fishology" were hired to do the teaching. They did teach, but they didn't fish.

After one stirring meeting on the "The Necessity of Fishing", one young fellow left the meeting and went fishing. He caught two outstanding fish. He was honored for his excellent catch and scheduled to visit all the big meetings, to tell about his experience. So he quit fishing in order to travel and tell his story.

Now, there were some people who wondered if these fishermen who never fished were really fishermen at all.   They and laughed at their clubs and rallies, when there was never any evidence of any actual fishing. But they continued claiming to be fishermen, even if they never found time to fish.

 And Jesus said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men". Matt 4:19