Day 335: Run the Race (2024)
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I'm in father makers and you're listening to the bible in the year podcast where we encountered god's voice and live life to the lens of scripture. The bible in the year podcast ch is a using the great adventure rival time and will read all away from genesis to revelation, discovering how the story of salvation on full in a week IT into that story. Today IT is day three hundred and thirty five, reading from the actually the bozzle chapter fourteen, from the first letter of same of the quizzes, chapters nine and ten, as well as the book of proverb after twenty eight per six, seven, three, nine is always the able translation on reading from is the revised stated version. Second cathos edition.

I'm using the great adventure revival from a sense, if you want to downtown your own bibble in the rating plan, you can visit a sentence impress dog comes lash bibble in the you can also subscribe to this podcast to receive daily episodes and daily updates, and you will know that the best day, three or or and thirty five ready, actually posted the chapter of fourteen first Green thens chapter nine and ten and prop per twenty eight verses seven and eight and nine, the active via puzzles fourteen paul and barn in iconium. Now at iconium, they entered together into the jewish synagogues. So spoke that a great company believed both of jews and of greeks, but the unbelieving jews stirred up the gentiles and poison their minds against the brethren.

And so they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the lord who bore witness to the word of his Grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. But the people of the city were divided, some sided with the juice and some with the apostles. When an attempt was made by both gentiles, Andrews with the rulers to move them and to stoned them.

They learned of IT and fled to lighter and derby cities of laconian into the surrounding country. And there they preached ed, the gospel, paul and barnabas in lister a and derby. Now at lister a, there was a man sitting who could not use his feet.

He was a cripple from birth who had never walked. He listened to paul speaking, and paul looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made, well said in a loud voice, stand up right on your feet. And he spring up and walked.

And when the crowds saw what paw had done, they lifted up their voices saying, in laconian, the guards have come down to us in the lightness of men. Barnabas, they called zoos. And paul, because he was the chief speaker, they called hermes. And the priest of zoos, whose temple was in the front of the city, brought oxide and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the people. But when the Apollo bound of us and paul heard of IT, they tour their governments and rushed out among the multitude.

Crying men, why are you doing this? We also are men of like nature with you and bring you good news that you should turn from these vain things to a living god who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In past generations, he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways, yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good and gave you from heaven, rains and fruitful ful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.

With these words, they scarcely restrain the people from offering sacrifice to them. But jews came there from anti oc and iconium. And having persuaded the people, they stoned paul and drag him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city. And on the next day he went on with bar of us to derby.

When they had preached the gospel to that city and they made many disciples, they return to listen and to iconium and to anti oc, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith and saying that through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of god. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church with prayer and fasting, they committed them to the lord in whom they believed they return to antioch in syria. And they passed through, paired a and came to pamphili lia.

And when they had spoke in the word in parga, they went down to attalia. And from there they sail to anti oc, where they had been committed to the Grace of god for the work which they had fulfilled. And when they arrived, they gathered the church together and declared all the god had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith to the gentiles. And they remained no little time with the disciples.

The first letter of same paul to the cinthie chapter nine the rights of in a postle am I not free? Am I not in a puzzle? Have I not seen the jesus, our lord? Are you not my workmanship in the lord? If two others I am not in a postle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the lord. This is my defense to those would examine me.

Do we not have the right to our food and drink? Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a wife as the other apostles and bread thread of the lord and cava, or is IT only born of us and I, who have no right to refrain from working for a living, who serves as a soldier at his own expense, who plants a venir without eating any of its fruit? Who tends of flock without getting some of the milk? Do I say this on human authority? Does not the law say the same?

For IT is written in the law of moses, you shall not muzzle and ox one of is treading out the grain is IT for axon that god is concerned, does he not speak entirely for our sake? IT was written for our sake, because the plan man should play in hope, and the fresher thresh in hope of a share in the crop if we have some spiritual good among you, is that too much? If we reach your material benefits, if others share this rightful clam upon you, do not we still more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything, rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.

Do you not know that those who who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings in the same way the lord commanded, that those who proclaimed the gospel should get their living by the gospel. But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing this to secure any such provision, for I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boosted for if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for booster, for necessity, is laid upon me. Vote to me if I do not preach the gospel, for if I do this of my own will, I have a reward.

But if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. What then is my reward? Just this, that in my preaching I may make the gospel free of charge, not making full use of my rights. In the gospel, the responsibility lies of the apostle, for though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all that I might win.

The more to the juice I became as a jew, in order to win juice to those under the law, I became as one under the law, though not being myself under the law, that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law, I became as one outside the law, not being without law toward god, but under the law of Christ, that I might win. Those outside the law to the week I became weak, that I might win the week I have become all things to all men, that I might, by all means, save summer.

I do IT all for the sake of the gospel that I may share in its blessings. Do not know that in a race, all the runners compete, but only one received the prize. So run that you may obtain IT.

Every athlete exercises self control in all things. They do IT to receive a parachute. Ref, but we an impartial, well, I do not run aimlessly. I do not box as one beating the air, but I pump my body and subdued, lest, after preaching to others, I myself should be disqualified.

Chapter ten warnings from israel's history I want you to know, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into mosses in the cloud and in the sea, and all at the same supernatural food, and all drink the same supernatural drink, or they drink from the supernatural rock which followed them. And the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them, god was not pleased, but they were overthrown in the wilderness.

Now, these things are warnings for us not to desire evil, as they did do not be idol latters as some of them were. As IT is written, the people SAT down to eat and drink and rose up to dance. We must not indulge in immorality, as some of them did.

And twenty three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put the lord to the test, as some of them did, and we're destroyed by serpent, nor grumble, as some of them did, and we're destroyed by the destroyer. Now these things happen to them as a warning, but they were written down for our instruction upon whom the end of the ages has come.

Therefore, let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed, less he fall, no temptation has overtaken you, that is not common to man. God is fateful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure IT. Therefore, my beloved sun, the worship of idols, I speak as a sensible men, judged for yourselves what I say, the cup of blessing which we bless, is IT not a participation in the blood of Christ.

The bread, wry break. Is that not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread. We who are many, are one body for we all partick of the one bread considered. The people of israel are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the alter.

What do I apply them? That food offers to idols is anything, or that an idle is anything? No, I implied that what pagans sacrifice they offered to demons and not to god.

I do not want you to be partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the lord and the table of demons.

Shall we provoke the lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he all to the glory of god? All things are laughing, but not all things are helpful.

All things are laughing, but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor, or eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question. On the ground of conscience for the earth is the lord and everything in IT. If one of the unbeliever s invite you to dinner and you are disposed to go at whatever is set before you, without raising any question on the ground of conscience, but if someone says to you this has been offered in sacrifice, then out of consideration for the man who informed you, and for consciously sake, I mean his conscience, not yours, do not eat IT.

For why should my liberty be determined by another man's at scruples? If I never take with thankfulness, why am I announced because of that, for which I give thanks? So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of god, give no offence to choose, or to greeks, or to the church of god. Just as I try to please all men in everything I do not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

The book of drivers chapter red twenty eight versus seven thirty nine he who keeps the law is a wise sun, but the companion of glutton shames his father. He who augment his wealth by interest and increase gathers IT for him who is kind to the poor. If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.

Father, and having, we give you prays, we give you glory. We ask you to hear our prayers, and we ask you to please help us to not turn away from your eye, help us to always be attentive to your word god. We ask you, open our eyes to see your will and your presence in all places and all things in all events.

Help us to open our ears. Let me ask you, please open our ears so we can hear your word and we can hear the voices of our brothers and sisters and respond in love. Give us hearts like yours or got, you love perfectly.

You love infinitely. You love well, help us to love more perfectly. Help us to love like you help us to love well, in jesus's name, praying a man and the name of the father of the sun of the holy spirit events IT.

Actually postles. We have polar barn of us, and they're continuing their journey incredibly. So after fourteen, they go to iconium and lystra and and derby theyve all over the place, as is one city in the city of lyster.

A there is a man he's been unable to walk, tire life is never walked and a the logic healed them through paul and barn, a business ministry and so they what IT happens if they want to worship them as zus and hermies um which horrifies paul in vantis. I mean, it's remarkable again, when IT comes to human beings were so fickle, right? We see this in the gospel every time we go to palm sunday.

And if the same, he was honor to the king of David and on friday of the same increase fy him. Here is another great example in this city. The city is of life.

A they want to worship paul and barto us. And then some juice come to that city from amani oc. And they persuade the people, and they stone paul like the same person they were about to worship as a god. They then stonier and again, IT just IT shows us IT shows us the truth.

The truth is the praise of men and the shame of men or the praise of men and the blame of men, the uh accusation of of men and the fame that belongs to human beings, who comes from human beings. None of IT matters. It's so fickle.

IT comes, that goes. And the same people who will say, we want to worship you today will literally kill you tomorrow. That's what they did.

The jesus. And this is in the city of the life state. This is what they do to to poll. This is what we can expect as Christians.

We never expect the world to love us, that I never expect the world to love you if you're going going to be along to jesus. This is just the reality. Not only that, but prepare ourselves.

We have to prepare ourselves for suffering. So paul, after he that leaves, he returns. He says they return to life state, to hicky um and to antioch.

What did he do? He in vara said diverse twenty two of chapter fourteen, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith and saying that through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of god. Now, a translation that I love is we use, we use IT at mass called the new american bible.

I said, I love you just because i'm very familiar with IT, but that translation says that IT is necessary, that through many sufferings, we entered the kingdom of god, something like that. That reality here is same paul ing this, after he just spent strowed, he says it's necessary. IT is necessary that we entered the kingdom of god through suffering, through tribulations, through many tribulations, in fact.

And this is so important, because he is polar bar of us, and they streng. They're strengthening the walls of the disciple by telling them this, by reminding them of this, that we entered the king of. I've got through many tribulations, so if I find myself in tribulation, I can surrender to that and say, okay, lord, I mean, can fight IT too, which is that makes sense.

That's a dignified thing to do. If we find ourselves in places of injustice, yes, of course we going to be able to fight that. You can always fight for justice, you can always fight for good.

But also we recognize sometimes where no matter what we do, no matter how much we fight, we're still in the midst that tribulation, whether that be sickness or loss or grief, whatever the thing is in and through many tribulations, we must pass in order to be saved. This is how polar barnabas strengthened. The souls of the puzzles is letting know this is common to everyone.

Speaking of comment to everyone, there is a line in the reading today where saying, Polly says this is remarkable. I want to go order, but i'm not going to go to order. We're going to go to chapter ten first where saying, police says, he says there is no temptation that is overtaking you that is not common to me.

This is chapter ten, verse thirteen, there is no temptation that was overtaking you that does not common to man. God is faith, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure IT. And this is just this is important for all of us because there are some of us, there are some of us who would say the temptations that I experience are just too much, or the suffering that I have to go through is just too much.

And yes, there are different levels in different kinds of temptations, different kinds in different levels of sufferings. And yet, one of the things the word of god is declaring to all of us right now is that we're more alike than we are different. We are more like than we are different.

There is no temptations that's overtaking you. That's not common to everyone you might will know in my case. No, no, there is no in my case, because the truth of the matter is every single one of us must endure many sufferings, must go through many tribulations in order to be saved.

It's just how IT goes, and therefore no temptations overtaking you that is not common to everyone. You know, god is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond strength again. It's not just what didn't you us bear down and then create your teeth.

And in White nuckles this whole thing, it's no god is faithful. He will not let you be tempted to be on your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to ensure IT. So important.

Oh my gosh, so important. Now, same paul in this section of I rely jump to first one thinks I apologized. If you catch that job, we have first one hundred thousand, nine and ten.

One of the things paul is making a claim to is making his claims to the rights of out of postal and basically says, know, when he went to current, he worked as a tend to maker. That was his trade, was that he made tense. And so he didn't ask for any money, didn't ask for any support from anyone.

Essentially, he's just simply worked. And here is paul, those saying that, remember, I could have and remember that is a real thing that you pay people who give you good service, right? You don't muzzle and ox.

When is treading out the grain that the priests in the temple they eat of the sacrifices that you remember? We went to the whole old testament. How did the priest? They don't get any land, they have the inheritance.

But how do they eat? Well, they eat because they take a portion of what's given in the temple. So what same policy thing is I can do? I also can, uh, demand that since I thought you the gas bm I served you, I can demand that you take care of me but he he is.

But I ve made no use of any of these rights and nor am I writing this to secure any such prevision. I'm trying to let you know that I love you. I'm trying to let you know that I care about you.

I'm trying to let you know that i'm not going to make any demands on you that are excessive, that aren't for your own sake. And this is just so important. But he, not only the same poll have rights, he has responsibility, lit ie.

s. And he says, though i'm free for men, I ve been as of a slave to everyone, but I might win more of them to the user. Became like a due to those under the law, like under the law, those outside the law, like outside the law. I become all things to all mean that I might, by all means, save at least some.

And then he talks about, this is the end chapter nine, which is one of my favorite, is one of those I just keep him him back to, not only because I like the idea that I am or wasn't athlete at one point, but because it's so true here. Sample, do you not know that in the a race, all the runners compete, but only one received the prize? There are no participation trophy, and heaven, apparently.

So run that you may obtain IT. Run that you may win. Every athlete exercises self control in all things. They do IT to receive a partial read. But we an impartial, again, think about that. Think about the people that compete in the olympics, how hard they work, how much they say no to themselves, how much they say no to to certain kinds of foods, or drinker, or alcohol, or or tobacco, whatever those things are.

How much they say yes to working long, hard hours, how much they say yes to to sleep, how much they say no to going out all these pieces in order to do that, he says, in order to win perishable read. But we are impartial now, if if an olympic athlete is striving for a gold middle more than i'm striving for heaven, this is convicting. This is why I love of this, because IT just pierced me to the heart.

Even an olympic thleep describe more for a gold medal that no one is going to remember next month. If they're striving more for that metal harder than I am for heaven. Who is the fool here? Say, yeah, but you know all things in moderation.

You don't win a gold metal in the libs through moderation. You don't champions, don't practice moderation. They don't.

They have a single minded devotion. There's single minded in their goal. And yes, there is such a thing as prudence.

Yes, there is such a thing as sense. And yes, virtue lies in the middle. But that isn't having moderate virtue, that having extreme amounts of virtue.

So same policies, I do not run aimlessly. I do not box as one beating the air, but I pumble my body and sub do IT number. They keep going back to fasting.

They keep going back to prayer. This is Normal for the apostles. This is Normal for disciples.

In the early church, I pump my body instead. Do IT. So people think, like, wow.

Catholic talk about modifications. We talk about doing pennies. That's strange.

It's not strange. IT is not strange at all. I pumble my body instead. Do IT less.

After preaching to others, I myself should be disqualified, because, yes, heaven is a gift. IT is free. That's Graces.

A gift is free. But I can disqualify myself. I can disqualify myself by saying no to god's will at some point. So through fasting and prayer, through relying upon god, through pulling our body and sub doing IT everything for your glory, and go back to this, if someone striving after olympic battle is working harder, striving for that thing more than I am for heaven, than something is off.

And so i've just ask god, please help me, help me to strive for heaven like a champion strives for the championship. Help me describe for heaven like a state high school, cross country for her, strives for the state high school, even to make IT the state. They work harder than so many of us do when IT comes to our faith. Lor god, please help us to be faithful.

Lor god, please help us to be faithful, help us strive after you, help us to strive out of not fear, but out of love IT for you, out of a desire to always be with you forever, not simply a desire to not be separated from you, but a desire to be with you, but that motivate every one of our actions from this day, from this moment until the last moment, until the final day, until the day we step into your presence. God, we ask this, please help us, my friends, I am praying for you. Please pray for you. And next one, mike, I cannot wait to see you tomorrow, bless.