What believers must do to obtain the glory of victory

“Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News!…Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭9:16, 24-27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Faith of the Saints is the same as running a race
     •for those who finish the race for God awaits the glory of victory to enter the
       Kingdom of Heaven
     •you must start the race
     •you must stay in the race and persevere through he suffering
     •you must stay qualified in the race

Believers must spread the gospel
     •Evangelization is the most important duty of a believer
     •to evangelize you must believe and live according to God' purpose, serving
      God

Believers must use everything in their power to dedicate to the Word and to serving God
     •we must invest and grow to apply the talents we have been given
      (Matthew 25:14-31)
     •be ready to serve
     •“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts.
       Use them well to serve one another.” 1 Peter‬ ‭4:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Believers must actively LOVE
     •The love of God is great… God is love - “But anyone who does not love
      does not know God, for God is love….We know how much God loves us,
      and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love
      live in God, and God lives in them.” 1 John‬ ‭4:8, 16‬ ‭NLT‬‬
     •The saints should resemble and follow the will of God ◦Ask God what His
      will is in everything that is happening in your life, for each moment
           ◦“This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have
             loved you.” John‬ ‭15:12‬ ‭NLT
           ◦“So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children
             of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love
             other believers does not belong to God.“ ‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬


Believers must put on their full effort to earn the crown
     •Types of crowns in the Bible ◦Crown of righteousness: “And now the prize
      awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
      Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me
      but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.” 2 Timothy‬ ‭4:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬
      (also 2 Tim 2:5; 4:8; Rev 3:11)
           ◦Crown of life: “Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil
            will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten
             days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you
             the crown of life.” Revelation‬ ‭2:10‬ ‭NLT‬
          ◦Crown of love and tender mercy: “He redeems me from death and
             crowns me with love and tender mercies.” Psalms‬ ‭103:4‬ ‭NLT‬‬
          ◦Crown of never-ending glory and honor: “And when the Great Shepherd
             appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.”
             1 Peter‬ ‭5:4‬ ‭NLT‬‬
          ◦Gold crown: “Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four
            elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold
            crowns on their heads.” Revelation‬ ‭4:4‬ NLT‬‬ (and Rev 14:14)

     •We must run with all our strength
     •We must learn to have restraint and self control
     •We must have clear goal

Believers must lay down all burdens

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” Hebrews‬ ‭12:1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Believers must keep our focus on the final goal

“We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” Hebrews‬ ‭12:2

“But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”” Luke‬ ‭9:62‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Philippians‬ ‭3:14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Believers must stay qualified by keeping to the rules set forth by God

“And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules.” 2 Timothy‬ ‭2:5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Application

Be the light

“For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!” Ephesians‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Be the witness of God's beauty

“But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter‬ ‭2:9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Set a clear and precise goal in life and use all of our strength to focus on and reach that goal

“We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” Hebrews‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Finish the good race as athletes of God

“I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Philippians‬ ‭3:14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

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