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Winfield FWB Church
The Agony of Defeat
January 14th Morning Worship
Locations & Times
Winfield Free Will Baptist Church
1960 US-43, Winfield, AL 35594, USA
Sunday 10:50 AM
Vinko Bogataj
Every boy grows up yearning and longing to fly. Most boys will express this by putting on a cape and running through the house reenacting the flight of superman. That same boy will soon find himself outside and spreading his arms and simulating the flying motion of an airplane. Vinko Bogataj was such a boy and he found a way to spread his wings and fly when he discovered the sport of ski jumping.
Every boy grows up yearning and longing to fly. Most boys will express this by putting on a cape and running through the house reenacting the flight of superman. That same boy will soon find himself outside and spreading his arms and simulating the flying motion of an airplane. Vinko Bogataj was such a boy and he found a way to spread his wings and fly when he discovered the sport of ski jumping.
Speeding down the ramp the rush of wind over his created the same rush in his heart as the end of ramp approached. With one strong thrust of his legs, Vinko was flying. He took that skill and thrill to Germany where he would represent his home country, Slovenia, in the international ski jump competition in 1970. His first jump ended somewhat successful. He grabbed good air at the end of the ramp and as he flew through the air he soared toward the landing area. Upon landing he lost his balance and harmlessly finished his jump, which ending in a crash at the end of the slope.
One sports commentator who saw his Vinko’s first jump noted that he seemed wobbly and was an accident waiting to happen. The time for Vinko’s next jump arrived and the weather had turned for the worse. But Vinko pressed on and his jump is one that has been seen around the world.
One sports commentator who saw his Vinko’s first jump noted that he seemed wobbly and was an accident waiting to happen. The time for Vinko’s next jump arrived and the weather had turned for the worse. But Vinko pressed on and his jump is one that has been seen around the world.
The Agony of ________________
Now when you saw that jump you thought of something and this morning your thought can be uses to prove how easily our minds are conditioned.
What did you think?
The thrill of victory and the agony of ________________?
But this morning its wise to take that saying from the Wide World of Sports and turn it around to remind us that there is agony in victory.
Sporting victories only come to those who are will to endure the agony of training. Applied to the Christian life:
Now when you saw that jump you thought of something and this morning your thought can be uses to prove how easily our minds are conditioned.
What did you think?
The thrill of victory and the agony of ________________?
But this morning its wise to take that saying from the Wide World of Sports and turn it around to remind us that there is agony in victory.
Sporting victories only come to those who are will to endure the agony of training. Applied to the Christian life:
DEDICATE YOUR LIFE TO CHRIST (24)
Note #1: the Christian does not run the race in order to go to heaven!
Note #2: we don’t compete against each other but against obstacles and forces that would hinder our spiritual progress.
Note #3: the “victory” that is alluded to in verse 24 is possible for every believer, not just the spiritually elite.
If you know Christ as Savior, and are willing to pay the price in dedicating your life to Him, you can be successful and “win the prize”. Every believer decides whether or not he will say with Paul, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Note #1: the Christian does not run the race in order to go to heaven!
Note #2: we don’t compete against each other but against obstacles and forces that would hinder our spiritual progress.
Note #3: the “victory” that is alluded to in verse 24 is possible for every believer, not just the spiritually elite.
If you know Christ as Savior, and are willing to pay the price in dedicating your life to Him, you can be successful and “win the prize”. Every believer decides whether or not he will say with Paul, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
An executive hired, a “head-hunter” who goes out and hires executives for other firms, told this story. He said, “When I get an executive that I’m trying to hire for someone else, I like to disarm him. I offer him something to drink, take my coat off, undo my tie, throw up my feet and talk about baseball, football, family, whatever, until he’s relaxed. Then, when I think I’ve got him relaxed, I lean over, look him square in the eye and say, ‘What’s your purpose in life?” It’s amazing how many top executives fall apart at that question.
“I was interviewing a man one time, had him all disarmed, with my feet up on his desk, talking about football. Then I leaned up and said, ‘What’s your purpose in life, Bob?’ And he said, without blinking an eye, ‘TO GO TO HEAVEN AND TAKE AS MANY PEOPLE WITH ME AS I CAN.’”
“I was interviewing a man one time, had him all disarmed, with my feet up on his desk, talking about football. Then I leaned up and said, ‘What’s your purpose in life, Bob?’ And he said, without blinking an eye, ‘TO GO TO HEAVEN AND TAKE AS MANY PEOPLE WITH ME AS I CAN.’”
Ultimate Goal
That’s exactly what Paul’s desire was. In verses 19-23 he states that his life’s goal was to win as many to Christ as possible! What’s your purpose, your ultimate purpose or goal in life? Our goal in life is not winning gold medals no matter what form that may take: making money, having fun, chasing after rainbows or whatever.
Our ultimate purpose or goal in life should be to go to heaven and take as many people as possible with us!
That’s exactly what Paul’s desire was. In verses 19-23 he states that his life’s goal was to win as many to Christ as possible! What’s your purpose, your ultimate purpose or goal in life? Our goal in life is not winning gold medals no matter what form that may take: making money, having fun, chasing after rainbows or whatever.
Our ultimate purpose or goal in life should be to go to heaven and take as many people as possible with us!
DIRECT YOUR LIFE TOWARD ETERNITY (25b)
A fellow pulled his car over to ask an old man how far it was to a certain town. The old man said, "Well, sonny, if you keep going the way you're headed, it's about 25,000 miles. But if you turn around, it's about three miles." We need to have direction in life.
“corruptible crown”=perishable wreath
In the Isthmian games the prize for winning was a pine wreath. The wreath, however, represented fame, acclaim, and the life of a hero. Winners were immortalized, much as they are today. But that “immortality” was just as mortal as the wreath itself, and lasted little longer. Both were temporary. Both were perishable.
Christians do not run for a short-lived pine wreath or for short-lived fame. Or do they? So often believers sell their soul for temporal pursuits, for fleeting pleasures, for earthly treasures.
A fellow pulled his car over to ask an old man how far it was to a certain town. The old man said, "Well, sonny, if you keep going the way you're headed, it's about 25,000 miles. But if you turn around, it's about three miles." We need to have direction in life.
“corruptible crown”=perishable wreath
In the Isthmian games the prize for winning was a pine wreath. The wreath, however, represented fame, acclaim, and the life of a hero. Winners were immortalized, much as they are today. But that “immortality” was just as mortal as the wreath itself, and lasted little longer. Both were temporary. Both were perishable.
Christians do not run for a short-lived pine wreath or for short-lived fame. Or do they? So often believers sell their soul for temporal pursuits, for fleeting pleasures, for earthly treasures.
DISCIPLINE YOUR LIFE FOR EFFECTIVENESS (25a, 26-27)
“Striveth for the mastery” is the translation of one word in the original—it’s a participle form of our key word agonizomai, to agonize.
Obviously, no half-hearted effort is intended! Every competitor had to undergo strict training.
The strenuous self-denial of the athlete in training for his fleeting reward is a rebuke to all half-hearted, flabby Christian service. Notice that that athlete is “temperate in all things.” He denies himself many lawful practices:
Donuts, candy, soft drinks, fatty foods
By application then.......
“Striveth for the mastery” is the translation of one word in the original—it’s a participle form of our key word agonizomai, to agonize.
Obviously, no half-hearted effort is intended! Every competitor had to undergo strict training.
The strenuous self-denial of the athlete in training for his fleeting reward is a rebuke to all half-hearted, flabby Christian service. Notice that that athlete is “temperate in all things.” He denies himself many lawful practices:
Donuts, candy, soft drinks, fatty foods
By application then.......
Live Purposefully (26)!
Paul was not like a runner who didn’t know where the finishing line was. He didn’t run aimlessly. He ran purposefully! He wasn’t a boxer who merely “shadow boxed.” No! He lived life with purpose. Everything he did was done with an expressly Christian purpose.
Paul was not like a runner who didn’t know where the finishing line was. He didn’t run aimlessly. He ran purposefully! He wasn’t a boxer who merely “shadow boxed.” No! He lived life with purpose. Everything he did was done with an expressly Christian purpose.
Don’t be a slave to bodily desires (27)!
“keep under my body”—better rendered “I buffet my body” (literally, “I give my body a black eye”).
“bring it into subjection”—i.e. “I make my body my slave.” Paul leaves no room for doubt regarding the vigor with which he sought to subdue his flesh.
“keep under my body”—better rendered “I buffet my body” (literally, “I give my body a black eye”).
“bring it into subjection”—i.e. “I make my body my slave.” Paul leaves no room for doubt regarding the vigor with which he sought to subdue his flesh.
Paul's Self Control
Here he could hardly be more out of sync with contemporary American life. ". . . I box in such a way as not beating the air, but I buffet my body and make it my slave." The body is not evil in itself. God created it. And he will raise it from the dead to exist for ever. But the body is the base of operations for sin, and sin uses it to give rise to many impulses that are destructive to spiritual life.
Paul says that when he exercises self-control it is like boxing, and the enemy to be struck is the body, and when he swings he does not miss and hit the air. He connects, and pommels his body and makes it his slave. He will not be mastered by the appetites and impulses and cravings and lethargy of the body. "The body is for the Lord" (1 Cor. 6:13). So Paul means to make his body serve the glory of the Lord.
Here he could hardly be more out of sync with contemporary American life. ". . . I box in such a way as not beating the air, but I buffet my body and make it my slave." The body is not evil in itself. God created it. And he will raise it from the dead to exist for ever. But the body is the base of operations for sin, and sin uses it to give rise to many impulses that are destructive to spiritual life.
Paul says that when he exercises self-control it is like boxing, and the enemy to be struck is the body, and when he swings he does not miss and hit the air. He connects, and pommels his body and makes it his slave. He will not be mastered by the appetites and impulses and cravings and lethargy of the body. "The body is for the Lord" (1 Cor. 6:13). So Paul means to make his body serve the glory of the Lord.
Jesus on self control
This is exactly the spirit of Jesus when he said, “If your eye leads you to sin pluck it out or if your hand leads you to sin cut it off. For it's better to enter eternal life blind in one eye and maimed in one hand than to go to hell with both” (Matt. 5:29-30). Paul said, It's better to beat my body into submission than to be disqualified from the race.
Now gouging out the eye does not overcome lust, and cutting off the hand does not conquer theft or battery.
The point is: fight these impulses with that kind of seriousness. Both Jesus and Paul mean: there are impulses that must be put to death. And the fight to put them to death is like a boxing match with direct blows to the face.
This is exactly the spirit of Jesus when he said, “If your eye leads you to sin pluck it out or if your hand leads you to sin cut it off. For it's better to enter eternal life blind in one eye and maimed in one hand than to go to hell with both” (Matt. 5:29-30). Paul said, It's better to beat my body into submission than to be disqualified from the race.
Now gouging out the eye does not overcome lust, and cutting off the hand does not conquer theft or battery.
The point is: fight these impulses with that kind of seriousness. Both Jesus and Paul mean: there are impulses that must be put to death. And the fight to put them to death is like a boxing match with direct blows to the face.
“You can pay me now or you can pay me later."
Fram oil filter commercials: “You can pay me now or you can pay me later."
The person who “pays later,” always pays more.
o If we let our cars go, the cost always goes up when we decide to fix them.
o If we let our marriages go, its going to cost us a lawyer and alimony and tremendous heartache.
o If we let our finances go with no self-control and discipline, it’s going to cost us increasing interest and maybe even bankruptcy.
o Whatever we let go is going to cost us and we will pay whether we want to or not. If we don’t pay now we will pay later and we will always pay more!
Listen to the cost of discipline versus the cost of regret:
o The cost of discipline is hard work, the cost of regret is wasted years.
o The cost of discipline is dedication, the cost of regret is insignificance.
o The cost of discipline is diligence (promptness), the cost of regret is a purposeless life.
o The cost of discipline is delayed gratification, the cost of regret is a superficial life.
Fram oil filter commercials: “You can pay me now or you can pay me later."
The person who “pays later,” always pays more.
o If we let our cars go, the cost always goes up when we decide to fix them.
o If we let our marriages go, its going to cost us a lawyer and alimony and tremendous heartache.
o If we let our finances go with no self-control and discipline, it’s going to cost us increasing interest and maybe even bankruptcy.
o Whatever we let go is going to cost us and we will pay whether we want to or not. If we don’t pay now we will pay later and we will always pay more!
Listen to the cost of discipline versus the cost of regret:
o The cost of discipline is hard work, the cost of regret is wasted years.
o The cost of discipline is dedication, the cost of regret is insignificance.
o The cost of discipline is diligence (promptness), the cost of regret is a purposeless life.
o The cost of discipline is delayed gratification, the cost of regret is a superficial life.
Disciplined Life
What is discipline? Its hard work; its diligence; and its delayed gratification.
There is an old saying that says, "Champions don’t become champions in the ring – they are merely recognized there." Champions become champions by discipline.
We could find people with an embarrassing track record of repeated setbacks and repeated disasters and repeated failures. If we get close enough to these people and if we listen to them we will hear sentences like:
"Well, things were going fine for a while but I just let a few things slip. I guess I just didn’t think it through. I stopped making calls or I just sat out for a while. I got lazy or the competition was too tough."
o I didn’t take care of myself.
o I didn’t listen to the warning signs.
o I didn’t spend enough time with my family.
o I let the spending get out of control.”
The list goes on and on, but we can boil them all down to one common denominator and that is: lack of discipline.
What is discipline? Its hard work; its diligence; and its delayed gratification.
There is an old saying that says, "Champions don’t become champions in the ring – they are merely recognized there." Champions become champions by discipline.
We could find people with an embarrassing track record of repeated setbacks and repeated disasters and repeated failures. If we get close enough to these people and if we listen to them we will hear sentences like:
"Well, things were going fine for a while but I just let a few things slip. I guess I just didn’t think it through. I stopped making calls or I just sat out for a while. I got lazy or the competition was too tough."
o I didn’t take care of myself.
o I didn’t listen to the warning signs.
o I didn’t spend enough time with my family.
o I let the spending get out of control.”
The list goes on and on, but we can boil them all down to one common denominator and that is: lack of discipline.
Some people seem to have everything go right. Some people seem to succeed at everything they try.
o They have successful careers.
o They relate well to their families.
o They have an active growing relationship with God.
o They have good friends and they are fun people to be around.
o They are confident and usually physically fit.
o Once we get over our initial jealousy of these kinds of people and we get close enough to find out why they’re so successful, we’ll discover the common denominator about all of them is discipline.
It’s not luck; it’s discipline.
The sign in the dentist office read, “Ignore your teeth and they will go away!”
o They have successful careers.
o They relate well to their families.
o They have an active growing relationship with God.
o They have good friends and they are fun people to be around.
o They are confident and usually physically fit.
o Once we get over our initial jealousy of these kinds of people and we get close enough to find out why they’re so successful, we’ll discover the common denominator about all of them is discipline.
It’s not luck; it’s discipline.
The sign in the dentist office read, “Ignore your teeth and they will go away!”
No Disqualification
Paul trained rigorously so that after he had preached to others, he would not become a castaway or disqualified. At the Greek games, there was a herald who announced the rules of the contest, the names of the contestants, and the names of the cities of the winners. He would also announce the names of any contestants who were disqualified.
Paul saw himself as both a “herald” and a “runner.” He was concerned lest he get so busy trying to help other in the race that he ignore himself and find himself disqualified.
This is not a matter of losing one’s salvation, but rather losing one’s rewards (cf. 3:11-15).
Paul trained rigorously so that after he had preached to others, he would not become a castaway or disqualified. At the Greek games, there was a herald who announced the rules of the contest, the names of the contestants, and the names of the cities of the winners. He would also announce the names of any contestants who were disqualified.
Paul saw himself as both a “herald” and a “runner.” He was concerned lest he get so busy trying to help other in the race that he ignore himself and find himself disqualified.
This is not a matter of losing one’s salvation, but rather losing one’s rewards (cf. 3:11-15).
Many believers start the Christian life with enthusiasm and devotion. They train carefully for a while but soon tire of the effort and begin to “break training.” Before long they are disqualified from being effective witnesses. They do not have what it takes, because they are unwilling to pay the price. The flesh, the world, everyday affairs, personal interests, and often simple laziness hinder spiritual growth and preparation for service.
Ben Johnson won the dirtiest race in Olympic history but was disqualified because of his short-cutting the training process. A lack of disciplined led to his award being taken away. His lack of discipline and character was what prevented him from receiving the award he longed for.