On Your Mark, Get Ready, Get Set, Go
In Christ we are covenant people who belong to a covenant keeping God. (Tell a couple of folks “Get ready for blessing and favor from God”) Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”.… We don’t make Jesus, Lord. God the Father has already done that, whither we do it or not. God the Father has exalted Christ to the absolute highest place. On the Mark, is about getting everything in proper alignment. The question I want to ask is, “Does Christ occupy an exalted, prominantposition in our life?” Is our focus dedicated to seeing Christ exalted in our homes, on our jobs, in our decisions, in our marriages, in our relationships in general, in our future plans, in our free time, in our finances and all of our pursuits? Is anyone witnessing the exaltation of Jesus in our life? Is anyone bowing to Christ and confessing He is Lord because of the exaltation of Christ in our own life? How often this past week did you use the name of Jesus (in the proper context) in any kind of demonstration that Christ is Lord of our life? If we aren’t centering things around Him, how will anyone know He is exalted in our day to day interactions? Talking about Jesus will keep us from talking about things we shouldn’t be talking about....amen (come on!) What I am trying to say is that the Lordship of Christ in our lives is something that should be easily seen and heard by anyone who may be around us. That’s about being aligned and on the mark as we enter each day, each activity, each interaction.... Ethan Suplee got serious about his life. He was over 500 lbs. when he realigned his priorities.....In one year, he went from the picture on the left to the picture on the right. Ethan had to replace old patterns and habits, with new patterns, in order to change his life. I think too many folks believe that they can just add Jesus to their lives like they add an exercise class or a doctor’s appointment. Jesus isn’t an “add on.” He is to be our “new life style!” We don’t just add Him to a list of other activities and relationships, we center onHim and our new life revolves around Him! He’s not the dessert after the main course! He is the main course.
Theologian A.W. Tozer likens the Christian life to runners in a race. He comes up with 4 things they have in common.
1. If they can’t obey the coach, they can’t be on the team
2. They can only face in one direction, and that’s forward. 3. They can never turn back, once they start. 4. They no longer have plans of their own, because the race comes first. When I was in High School, I competed on the track team. (Don’t I look good) I specialized in the 100 yarddash, the 300, and the relay.... All of these have three common denominators, preparation, getting to the starting line and trying to outrun everyone else on the track....When the coach said run 10 laps, he never said, “If anyone feels like running 10 laps, I would like for you to give it a try”.... So, you ran 10 laps because the coach knew what was best for you. Your feelings, your emotions, and what is convenient, aren’t always your best counselors.... Shortly after joining the Navy, a new recruit asked his officer for a week-end pass so he could attend a wedding. The officer gave him the pass, but told the young man he would have to be back by 7 p.m. Sunday. “But sir, You don’t understand, sir,” said the recruit. “I’m in the wedding.” “No, you don’t understand,” the officer shot back. “You’re in the Navy!”
When Christ is Lord, we don’t make plans and then ask God to bless them. We ask God what He will bless and then we do it. If our lives don’t show that Christ is Lord, our witness means nothing.
I had a lady in one of our churches who listened to all the Christian CDs, watched Christian TV, attended church faithfully, but one day her frustrated teen ager played several recordings to me, they had secretly made, of her at home, having a tirade and cussing a blue streak that would make an auctioneer blush.... Well, those kids, are not going to think much of her brand of Christianity.... And they are away from Christ today! .....You think they’re not paying attention.... Oooooh, yes, they are!
If we’re not making it our prime objective, to be witnesses for Christ, then we’ve forgotten why we’re even in the race....
On your mark, get ready, get set! Acts 1:8 “And you (put your name in there) will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth (everywhere you go, in everything you do).”
Meet Nathan. On the track, he’s usually out in front...He enrolled at University to study Math. During his first week, he tried out for the University track team, along with nearly 200 other freshmen. At the end of the tri-out, Nathan was ranked in the top five of those recruited. He’s an extremely good athlete, and achieved a lot of acclaim at His High school. So when the first string was announced, there was no surprise that he’d been chosen.
Leading up to the first event, he was told he needed to be initiated into the squad, which involved him getting blind drunk along with the rest of the lads. Now, Nathan is a Christian so he refused. And as a result, he was dropped from first string. And when the team lists were announced for the first event of the season, he had been put at the very bottom on the seventh team.
Following Jesus takes commitment. How do you stand for Jesus in that kind of situation? I like what Teebow had to say... “I love sports, but sports has to come last after Jesus. Jesus comes first”
(On Your Mark, get ready, get set)
1 Peter 3:15 Amplified bible “In your hearts set Christ apart (as holy—acknowledging Him, and giving Him first place), as Lord. Always be ready to give a [logical] defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope and confident assurance (by faith)that is within you, and (do it) with wisdom, sensitivity and respect”.
I Peter tells us to always be prepared, to always be ready and be open to the tug and pull of the Holy Spirit in your life. God could have you witnessing in some of the oddest and most unexpected places.
We’re not called to be judges, we’re called to be witnesses.... Although you can be a fruit inspector.....
A week ago Friday, we were at Denny’s and a new waiter came to our table. We were talking and Winnie asked him if we could pray with him about anything.... He told us that he had come here from Texas and was trying to get settled. He started away from the table, and we told him we would be praying for him, and invited him to church and gave him our information.....We will follow up next time at Denny’s... Everybody say “Get Ready, Get Set”....
Listen, no single approach to witnessing is better than another. If we are going to share effectively, we will need to share sincerely and authentically out of our own personality and experience. It’s the Holy Spirit’s job to convict and convince, if we’re living the life....
GET READY CHURCH.... God has some great opportunities waiting for you....People are looking for answers in these troubled times.
As I was putting this message together, I remembered when I pastored in Weathersfield, Ct. we decided to just pick an area and start knocking on doors and giving out information. About the fifth house I went to, they invited us in. They prayed and received Christ and Diane and Lloyd were in church that Sunday, with their family. After a while, she told us about her sister. She said, pray for my sister Barbara... she is one bad gal... cusses, drinks, and has a terrible temper... I can’t ever see her in church. We’ll Diane brought her kids to church, and the sister came to see them in the Christmas program, and at the end I gave a short message and invited anyone who needed to receive Jesus. Barbara came to the altar at the end, and got saved. Barbara had a Divine transformation. She brought more people to that church than anyone else, ever had, and became a real evangelist and witness for the Lord.
Come on, Get Ready, Get Set....
I love the story of Philip as he walks south on the road to Gaza. Acts 8 :27 “So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” 30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. 31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him”.
Someone say “GET READY”
Believe it, the same Holy Spirit that’s speaking to you, is speaking to that person He’s leading you to, so you can get on the mark and get set!
We don’t know how many were brought to Christ as a result of that meeting, but we do know around that period of time, Ethiopia became a Christian nation....Because one believer ... stayed on the mark....
I have led many individuals to Christ and they have gone out and won thousands to Christ, that I would never have been able to meet or reach.
I love those kinds of stories and I believe it should be your story.
But the most famous Christian you never knew, may have spent years working behind the scenes in Children’s church. They may have spent decades serving in Women’s Ministry, or Men’s ministry. Or perhaps they were a faithful witness for many years at a job where their biggest roll was to be a light for Jesus there.
They never led anyone famous to Jesus. No one went out after encountering them, to change the world in any visible way that we know of. So how could they be the most famous Christian you never heard of.
Because they did what Jesus called them to do. They stayed faithful to whatever they were given to do. They never gave up. They may have served in many locations and positions. But they stayed on the mark!
On Your Mark, Get Ready, Get Set... Two gas company servicemen, an experienced supervisor and a new trainee, were out checking meters in a neighborhood. They parked their truck at the end of the alley and worked their way to the other end. At the last house a woman looking out her kitchen window watched the two men as they checked her gas meter. After finishing the meter check, the senior supervisor challenged his younger coworker to a foot race down the alley back to the truck to prove that an older guy could outrun a younger one. As they came running by the house, they realized the lady from that last house was huffing and puffing right behind them. They stopped and asked her what was wrong. As she gasped for breath, she said "When I see two gas servicemen running as hard as you two were, I figured I'd better start run too!" Hey, if you start running your race, and they see you running, you may inspire someone else to run their race as well!
Get ready by submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Get on your mark, by being where God wants you. Get set by knowing the voice of the Spirit and knowing your testimony. Then GO with “determination, wisdom, sensitivity and respect.”
I came across a list titled: “Top Ten Greatest Canadians.” I knew Wayne Gretzky had to be on it, and he was number 10. Alexander Graham Bell was on it. So was the First Prime Minister of Canada. At the number two spot was a person that I had never heard of. It just said, “Terry Fox, athlete.”
Terry was a young man who was diagnosed with a form of bone cancer. To save his life, they had to amputate his leg, well above the knee. When he was getting treated, he was frustrated at the care and the lack of cancer research at the time. He didn’t want to sit at home and do nothing. He felt that there was something he could do about it. So he committed to run across the entire country of Canada to raise money. He wanted each Canadian citizen to donate at least a dollar. To accomplish his goal, he would run a marathon’s distance each day until he finished. He started in St. John’s in Newfoundland with just a few people there to see him off. Word quickly spread about his run, which he did with one prosthetic leg. By the time he reached Ontario, he was a national celebrity, and treated like one. However, his run was not easy. He often got horrible blisters from the constant running. He got shin splints and extreme fatigue. Despite this, he pressed on. Terry’s run lasted 143 days and 3,200 miles, before he had to stop due to the cancer coming back. But he raised 25 million dollars for cancer research.
In Philippians 3, Paul compares our Christian life to a race, similar to the one that Terry did. Like him, the apostle says we have a reason to run. Like him, we keep our eye on the goal. Like him, we are also encouraged along the way. Terry ran to raise money for cancer. Our race has a far, far greater cause. It’s about the eternal souls of mankind.
GET ON YOUR MARK, GET READY, GET SET.....
Listen Church, we can afford to waste time, looking back. When you spend time looking back in a race, it slows you down and you might even trip and fall.... In Christ we have been made righteous, we have been made right with God, we are forgiven, we are given favor, so we press toward the prize, which is the high calling of God in Christ, till we cross the finish line. Don’t look back..... stay on the mark!!! 1 Corinthians 9:25“Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable. 26 Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air. 27 No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified”.…
In one cross country race... the folks along the way had tables set up with water and oxygen available if needed... Once the runners had all passed, the tables would be folded up and everything put away. But there was a young girl who was way behind everyone else. But she wouldn’t quit. Her face was blood red, her hair a sweaty mess, and her body language said she was exhausted. She could hardly continue on. But next to her was her mom and brother, who were encouraging her to continue on despite her frustration and exhaustion to make it to the finish line and finish the race.
Listen, child of God, run the race He’s given you! People are praying that you’ll make it, that you won’t give in to the fatigue, the discouragement or the lie that you’re not making any difference. No matter what someone else’s race is, only you can run your race. But Hallelujah, Jesus is in it, to win it with us! As we live our Christian lives and head toward the finish line, and we’re tired, our body may ache, we may be out of breath, but the Lord doesn’t sit or stand on the sidelines. He doesn’t yell encouragements from afar. Rather, He is running right with us, like the girl’s mother and brother. He takes hold with us, and encourages us forward. He strengthens and cheers us with His Word when we are tired, and faint, and feel like we can’t take another step sometimes.
Song.... It reaches to the highest mountain, and it flows to the lowest valley, Oh the blood that gives me strength, from day to day, it shall never lose its power!
Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give wayand the mountains fall into the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake. 4 There is a river whose refreshing streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5 God is “within her, she will not fall. God will help her, though 6 Nations are in uproar, and kingdoms fall, He lifts His voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord Almighty is with us,the God of Jacob is our fortress. 8 Come and see what the Lord has done.”
I believe the Holy Spirit is saying to someone today....Get Ready, Get Set, and you will see what the Lord has done.... The workman is worthy of his hire.... Your labor in the Lord is never in vain!
Come and see what the Lord has done!!! You need to get ready and get set for your harvest.... You’ve sown in faith and you shall reap in due time, and this is your due time, your harvest time!!
Matthew 9:36 “When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to his disciples, (and to us)“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Pray to the Lord of the harvest, (the Holy Spirit), to send out workers into His harvest field.”
The Lord of the harvest is Holy Spirit.... Jesus said, and when He is come, He will convict of sin and convince of righteousness... That deals with the person who has never made Christ Lord of their lives, and the person who has fallen away from Him.
Let’s stand and obey what the Lord is saying here....
The harvest is ready, join together and release workers for the harvest....
I’m starting with the harvesters in this room.... Let’s believe together for each personal harvest that is represented here....
The seed is the word, the water is your prayers and tears, the fertilizer is support, encouragement and our example, the harvest equipment is obedience. Join with someone and call out some names in agreement, break down the barriers of resistance, and enter in to the harvest cycle...
