It Is Written Script: 1389 Running to Win Page 1 Running to Win Program No. 1389 SPEAKER: JOHN BRADSHAW Every four years the whole world forgets momentarily about its quarrels and problems and focuses for two weeks on something that seems to be a fascination for just about everybody the Olympic games. You can t get away from them. Around the world, warnings were given to people about the problems of coming in to work in the morning tired and the effect that this might have on their health. But of course, record numbers of people watched the games in spite of the warnings of the health professionals. Before the London Olympics in 2012, there were reports about some of the issues that were plaguing the games: there were structures buildings that might not be ready on time. It was thought there might not be enough security people to make sure the organization ran smoothly throughout the event. Once the games started, all those concerns were forgotten. The minds of people were turned to their nation s competitors and the question of whether or not they would win medals with gold being metal of the preferred kind. One country that entered the London Olympic Games with stellar expectations was Australia. Over the years, the Aussies have always punched well above their weight in the Olympic Games, and in London they were expecting to do the same thing especially in the swimming pool. They had assembled a strong team of swimmers, many of whom had been successful at the Beijing Olympics four years earlier, as well as at the world championships. So when the Australian swimmers took to the pool, there was an expectation in Australia that they d do well and bring a significant number of medals back to Australia. And one of their mostly highly favored swimmers was a man named James Magnussen. Now, James Magnussen was the reigning world champion in the 100-meter freestyle that s one of swimming s glamour events. At the 2011 world championships in Shanghai, China, Magnussen became the first Australian to win the gold medal in that event.
It Is Written Script: 1389 Running to Win Page 2 He was a national hero in Australia. Aussies nicknamed him the missile. Understandably, he placed great expectations on himself. In fact, he said he thought he would win in London. He was now the best in the world and he had swum the fastest time in history over 100 meters for any swimmer wearing a conventional swimsuit. Now, that s in contrast to those high-tech swimsuits that were worn a few years ago but then banned from competition. No one was able to match James Magnussen in his favored event. So when the London Olympics arrived, James Magnussen was expected to win gold for Australia. Before the men s 100 meters was the men s 4 x 100 meter relay, and Australia was expected to dominate that race as well. They won their heat comfortably and all the country thought that they would win the final in a canter. Magnussen swam first in the final and went out hard. In his second lap, Australia waited for the missile to fire, but it didn t happen. When Magnussen finished his leg of the relay, Australia was placed third and they ended up winning bronze. In many countries, third in the world would be cause for celebration. But for Australia, there was real disappointment. Magnussen himself was dejected. The weight of a nation was on him. He felt like he had let his country down. At the post- race interview, he couldn t find words to speak and he faded into the background. There was no real explanation. The game plan simply hadn t worked. Now the whole of Australia began to worry about how James would do in the 100- meter race itself. After some soul-searching and time with his coach, Magnussen lined up in the 100-meter heat. He swam well and came second. He won his semi- final quite convincingly. It seemed like the missile was back. The whole of Australia was there with him, it seemed. In his hometown of Port Macquarie a beautiful seaside city on the coast of New South Wales almost the whole town got up in the early hours of the morning to watch the final. There was a big screen in the town center. Many people went down there to watch. The big screen event started at 4:30 a.m. James race would start at 5:15. All sorts of people from Port Macquarie showed up to watch their hometown hero. The result of the final is now in the history books. James Magnussen competed. He swam incredibly well. When the race ended, many Australians thought their man had carried the day. But the cruel truth for Australia was that James Magnussen had been beaten by Nathan Adrian from Bremerton, Washington, by the smallest measurable margin in swimming: 1/100th of a second. This much. Magnussen was gracious in defeat, but the smiles were forced and everyone in Australia was feeling what he felt the disappointment of being so near and yet so far.
It Is Written Script: 1389 Running to Win Page 3 And then Australia began the post-mortem. For the first time since Montreal 1976, Australia hadn t won an individual swimming medal. Instead, they had only won a single gold (in a relay), six silvers and three bronze. Only five countries won more swimming medals than Australia. Yet one Olympic champion swimmer from Australia said that the swimmers didn t try hard enough. Coaches were blamed for not adequately preparing the athletes, and the coaches themselves said that they didn t have enough resources, which were being diverted to other programs...and on it went. Now, contrast that with another Australian Olympian. Jessica Fox raced in the final of the K1 canoe slalom. She wasn t expected to do very well, but Jessica made the final. Now, her mother had won a bronze in the same event at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. After her final run, Jessica found herself with the fastest time of all the competitors, and she held onto the top spot until a French paddler paddled her final run. Jessica was ultimately beaten by just six-tenths of a second. Eighteen years old and a silver medalist. So how did Jessica react? She was ecstatic, and when being interviewed, she said that she was still in the clouds. What a contrast between Jessica and James Magnussen. They both competed. They both came in second. Neither of them won. They both walked away with a silver medal. They both felt very differently about it. But let s shift this just a little bit. What is it that God wants most from our lives? Is God sitting on the edge of His throne during the Olympics waiting to see who will win gold? Is he cheering competitors on? The truth is, God wants every one of us to win something golden but His sights are set on far more than simply a gold medal. I ll have more in just a moment. EVERY WORD DEVOTIONAL I get asked every now and then about this. We re saved by grace through faith, right? But then Revelation 22:12 (KJV) says: And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. It sounds to some people as though this is saying we re not saved by God s grace, but by our works. Now, let s look at this carefully. John writes that we are judged by our works, not saved by our works. The point is that our works how we live our lives demonstrate or give evidence regarding the reality of our profession. Anyone at all can claim to be a follower of Jesus, but it isn t what you say that really matters. It s how you live. That s where the evidence really is. In the judgment, it isn t just a profession God is looking for; He s looking for the real thing. I m John Bradshaw for It Is Written. Let s live today by Every Word.
It Is Written Script: 1389 Running to Win Page 4 RETURN TO PROGRAM You know, in the book of Mark, in chapter 10 and verse 45, the Bible says this (Mark 10:45 NKJV): For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. When I look closely at the words of Jesus, I find it hard to think that Jesus is going crazy over the Olympics that He is setting His clock so that He does not miss any of the events, that Jesus entered into the sorrow that James Magnussen experienced at his loss. I don t think that Jesus is going to be spending His days planning for that great Olympics in the sky when He will assemble the greatest athletes ever to fight for the title of swimmer of the galaxy. I don t think it s going to happen that way. I don t think that when Jesus is taking His people into His Kingdom, He will be lining them up according to the amount of Olympic gold medals they have won, or even by our professions so that the brightest scholars all line up first. No, God will be lining us up according to our characters. Now, am I saying that God is not interested in what you or I are doing or what athletes are doing? No, I don t mean that. In fact, the Apostle Paul speaks at some length about the athletes of his day. The beginning of organized games began with Alexander the Great after he had conquered the world. He had organized games for Greece and for his soldiers. Sports were introduced into Palestine and a gymnasium was erected in Jerusalem. During the time of the Apostle Paul, the games were well-established, and by then, everyone had heard of the Greek Olympic Games. The Gentiles loved the games, but they were repugnant to the pious Jews because they were of a demoralizing character. And there was good reason for the Jews to be put off. Those who took part in the contests were completely naked. The Olympic Games were held every four years in Olympia in honor of the god Zeus. They had a variety of games including leaping, racing, quoits, spear-throwing and wrestling. They had chariot-racing, boxing, running in armor. Now, you just didn t turn up on the day and compete. The competitors usually went on a special diet and preparation, they stayed under supervision at one place, they exercised their bodies regularly, and when they competed, they had to obey all the rules. Very much like today. Paul was aware of this when he wrote to the Corinthians. He wrote to the Corinthians and said these words (1 Corinthians 9:25 KJV): And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they
It Is Written Script: 1389 Running to Win Page 5 do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. And to his young friend Timothy he wrote these words, he said (2 Timothy 2:5 KJV): And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. When an athletic event was completed, a herald proclaimed aloud the name of the victor and the city from which he came. He was presented with a palm branch by the judges, and the prizes were given out on the last day of the games. There was only one winner per event, crowned with an olive wreath made of wildolive leaves from a sacred tree near the temple of Zeus at Olympia. This was a matter of honor for the competitors. But nevertheless, Paul says their reward was something they strove after even though there was only one reward per event. But then Paul contrasts the reward that the athlete received with the reward that the Christian receives. He s saying, So run to win! They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. (1 Corinthians 9:24, 25 NLT) So we are called on to run to win. Peter had the same thought in mind when he wrote this in 1 Peter 5:4 (NKJV):...you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. James Magnussen was clearly disappointed when he lost, and yet he was only reaching for something that WOULD fade away. According to he Bible, it s a whole lot better to be a nobody who is striving for the crown that God will give to those who love Him. God wants to give us something that we can have for all eternity not simply a prize we have for just a short time before the memory of it becomes consigned to the history books. Do you remember the name Johnny Weissmuller? Johnny Weissmuller won two gold medals for swimming during the 1920s. You might remember that he went on to become the Tarzan of his era. But I can t think of any other Olympian from that time. They have faded from the mind of mankind and now the only memory of them is held online or in the library. And even it I read about them, I doubt if I would have heard of any of them. Paul said (1 Corinthians 9:25 KJV): They do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. This will be placed on our heads by Jesus own hand. What a day that will be! For each of God s children, there will be a crown of victory. Each of us will receive the
It Is Written Script: 1389 Running to Win Page 6 victor s palm and the shining harp. Then we will live with God for all eternity. In a moment the Apostle Paul compares himself to an Olympic athlete. I ll be right back. BIBLE QUESTION How can a person really believe the Bible is true? It was written years ago, it has been copied so many times, it was written by a lot of different people and those people wrote different parts of the Bible at different times. Help me believe the Bible is believable. Great question. Thank you. I ll do my best. You know what s funny? There are historical books that not many people question when it comes to authenticity. For instance, a historian named Tacitus wrote the Annals of Imperial Rome. Few people question its accuracy or its veracity, even though what is available today comes from a copy and doesn t nearly date back to the original. Now, I m not knocking Tacitus and the Annals of Imperial Rome. I m just pointing out that there s a bit of a double standard when it comes to considering the accuracy of the Bible. Now, there are several reasons you can trust the Bible. I ll name just a few. Historically, it stands up. Luke who wrote the books of Luke and Acts is a very accurate historian, and the historical details found in what he wrote stand the test of thorough scrutiny. Archaeology has validated the Bible again and again. On numerous occasions, it has been said that portions of the Bible couldn t be trusted because they couldn t be validated by the archaeological record. But again and again, archaeologists have found records of cities or other evidences that show the Bible record was accurate after all. It has happened many, many times. Then there are the manuscripts. There are hundreds of old manuscripts or portions of manuscripts that show us that what has come down to us today is consistent with what was written hundreds and hundreds of years ago. The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in the late 1940s and early 1950s, are compelling evidence that the Bible is legitimate. They date back as far as before the time of Christ, and they show us that the Bible we read today is fundamentally the same as what was written way back then. The differences that exist in manuscripts are generally so small that they re just irrelevant. You don t find a manuscript where Jesus says He is not the Son of God, or where the Christ is teaching something bizarre. And consider prophecy. Many prophecies of the Bible that have been fulfilled and
It Is Written Script: 1389 Running to Win Page 7 this demonstrates I think conclusively that the Bible can be trusted. When you ve got predictions made that name a king before he is born or that name a certain invader or conqueror before he is born and then these things come to pass...when you have all those prophecies about Jesus coming to the world one saying He would be crucified, another saying not a bone would be broken, another saying He would be born in Bethlehem, another saying He would die in dishonor, another saying He would be rejected by the ones He came to save, and on and on... You ve got a real problem if you want to argue against the inspiration of the Bible. What are you going to do with all that evidence? But you know what? At the end of the day, we accept the Bible by faith. The Bible s critics do raise fair questions at times sometimes questions that aren t easy to answer, especially to everyone s satisfaction. But there is enough clear (what I would call) evidence for us to know the Bible really is the Word of God. You can accept it by faith not blind faith, but reasonable, studied faith. There are many good reasons to trust the Bible...so many that I m not sure how somebody can really be confident in rejecting the Bible. If there s a question you d like answered, please send it to me at www.itiswritten.com. I ll do my very best to get your Bible question answered. RETURN TO PROGRAM Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written. The Apostle Paul compared himself to an Olympic racer when he wrote these words (Philippians 3:14): I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. And he says in 2 Timothy 4:7 (KJV): I have finished my course. The writer to the Hebrews sees the Christian s race as being run with endurance before a great crowd of spectators. We read this in Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV): Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. And that advice belongs to us today. Paul refers to this when he talks about wrestling, a modern-day sport for sure. The contest with Satan he likens to a wrestling match. In those wrestling rounds in the ancient Olympic games, the winner was the wrestler who succeeded in first throwing down, and then holding down his opponent with his hand upon his neck. When Paul wrote to the Romans: Strive together with me in your prayers (Romans 15:30 ESV), he was wanting them to put the same energy into their
It Is Written Script: 1389 Running to Win Page 8 prayers as a wrestler would put into his efforts to win his contest. In writing to the Corinthians Paul also refers to boxing. Here is what he says (1 Corinthians 9:26, 27 NKJV): Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. He is thinking of keeping his body under control lest if he fails to do so, he be disqualified as an effective Christian worker. And what applies to Paul in that situation certainly applies to us. As we can see the Apostle Paul was fond of making use of popular sporting events to illustrate truth. To the Philippians, he spoke of striving together for the faith of the gospel. (Philippians 1:27 NKJV) The words striving together actually mean acting as athletes in concert. In the language of modern athletics, he was thinking of the importance of what we call team spirit in the church. When Jude urged his readers to earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (you read that in Jude 3 NKJV), he was using another athletic word. One of the chief forms of amusement among the Romans the early Christian era was to condemn criminals, and especially Christians, to fight with lions, bears, elephants or tigers in the amphitheaters of the empire before huge crowds of spectators. The crowds would urge on the beast by throwing darts or by shouting in sort of a maddening spirit. Then they d watch the poor victim be torn to pieces by the animal. Paul referred to this practice when he said (1 Corinthians 15:32 NKJV): If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus... So what is God s counsel for us to do today? Most of us will never have to prepare for an Olympic Games. But we do have a far greater prize to reach for not a medal that will eventually be forgotten about, but a life that we will live for all of eternity with Jesus. That is a wonderful thing to strive for. We can explore the universe with Jesus as our guide. There are some simple things that Jesus advises us to do. In the book of Joshua (Joshua 24:15), Joshua said:...choose you this day whom ye will serve...but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. What good advice. You can wake up each morning and put the day into God s
It Is Written Script: 1389 Running to Win Page 9 hands. The first thing we can do every day is to reach out to God and say, Lord I dedicate this day to you; please use me in your service that I might serve you and give honor to you during this day. In Luke 13:24 (NKJV), Jesus tells us to strive to enter through the narrow gate. Like an athlete striving for a gold medal, God wants us to strive. In the days of Paul, there was only one winner. Everyone else was a loser. With God, we can all be winners. He doesn t line us up according to what we have won or achieved in this life. If that were the case, only the fortunate, or well-off, or well-educated would reach His Kingdom. God looks upon us according to our characters and the good news is that He will give us His righteousness and live His life in us. You can t be a loser and you ll always be a winner when you choose Jesus as your own. Let s pray together. PRAYER Our Father in Heaven, we thank you today for the certainty that we can win through Jesus. Salvation never has to be for us a loss or even a matter of coming in second. I thank you that you encourage us to strive that is, to strive to yield, to strive to surrender, to put the important things first, and to press toward the mark. Bless us this day because we know Jesus is coming back soon. On that wonderful day, we will receive as Paul said, Not a gold metal, but a golden crown...a crown of gold that will never fade away. I ask that that day will come soon. In Jesus name, Amen. It Is Written PO Box 6, Chattanooga, TN 37401 USA Tel: 423-362-5800 Fax: 1-877-507-3239 www.itiswritten.com