Losing to Win! 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:5

Septuagesima Sunday                                                           31-January-2021
Sermon Text: 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:5             Sermon Theme: Losing To Win!
I.N.R.I. “The sorrows of death encompassed me, and the flood of ungodliness made me afraid.”(Ps. 18:4) David, the shepherd anointed king and serving his nation as a warrior, confesses the real fears that plagued him. Living with a pandemic the sorrows of death encompass us. Mourning for 62 million unborn human persons executed on the altar of choice in our nation since 1973 and our nation again seeking to export this slaughter - encompasses us with the sorrow of death. The flood of ungodliness filled David with fear, yet he refused to harm King Saul whom the Lord anointed to be king and called to rule the nation of Israel. The flood of ungodliness fills many in our nation with fear as ‘evil’ is hailed as “good” and “good” is deconstructed and labeled “evil.”
        Where did David turn when death threatened to swallow him up and ungodliness like a devastating flood swept through his nation? In today’s introit you echoed David’s answer to all your fears. “Psalms 18:5-6 The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. (6) In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears. “David fixed his eyes on Jesus and cried out to God the Father through Him for deliverance from every evil as the Holy Spirit comforted him through God’s Promise.
        St. Paul’s congregation in Corinth was far from being picture perfect. Members argued which pastor or former pastor to follow. They tolerated sexual sin in their congregation that made even the pagans in Corinth blush. Instead of settling disputes within their congregation as brothers and sisters in Christ, they sought to air their grievances in public even to the point of dragging each other before the local judge. They fought over food - can you eat meat sacrificed to an idol? They turned the Divine Service into a circus and lost the Lord’s Supper for a drinking fest for some and a time to starve for others. So what? Learn from Corinth not to allow Satan or your own sinful reason to deceive you into breaking fellowship with your congregation because we are sinners and struggle over disagreements at times. Don’t listen to the world telling you how life in the Church is supposed to be - it is ignorant and blind to the things of God. As God the Holy Spirit teaches, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned”(1 Cor. 2:14).
    St. Paul sees his beloved congregation through the eyes of the Crucified. He begins his letter, “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:” (1 Cor. 1:2) For all their warts - they are God’s Church at Corinth, just as you are God’s Church in Tell City. They are made holy - sanctified -set apart for in baptism - they are in Christ Jesus. As you are set apart by baptism living now “in Christ Jesus.” They are called to be “saints” - clothed with Jesus’ perfect righteousness, innocence, and blessedness by the Holy Spirit through baptism. Just as you are called by God the Holy Spirit through the Gospel to be saints. What God calls you is what you are - furthermore you, like Corinth, are united with the one Holy Christian and apostolic church - here together with all who in every place upon this globe call on the name of Christ Jesus our Lord.
      Therefore let us learn this morning that in the race that is set before us as Christians we are “Losing To Win!”
  “It’s not fair!”we cry out when Jesus tells us a parable of vineyard workers who only worked one hour getting a full day's wages. “Not fair!” we shout from the stands at a sporting event when a referee makes a call and we don’t agree. “Not fair!” we complain when a race doesn’t go our way - be it political races, NASCAR races, or a foot race. We want to be #1 at all costs - if not we judge it all unfair, get angry, want to quit and go home.
      The city of Corinth was located in southern Greece. The Greeks reveled in athletic contests. Every three years the Olympic Games were held near Mount Olympus, every two years near Corinth the Isthmian Games were held. In the archeological dig at Corinth an athletic stadium was uncovered - the Corinthian congregation were well versed in athletic competition. (vs. 24) This statement seems self-evident. The Romans and Greeks didn’t hand out participation ribbons - only the winner of the race was lauded and remembered. To win you had to run according to the rules, staying in the path set before you. (vs.25) Participants in the Isthmian Games had to commit to ten months of rigorous training. Their diet was restricted, daily they repeated the basic exercises, and they ran in all kinds of weather. They learned to discipline their bodies learning as all who have endured basic training - “no pain - no gain.” They gained quiet endurance silencing griping and complaining. Would you do it? Would you give up a year of life and family training to run a race? Would you do it all for a wilted wreath of celery placed upon your head? Parents encourage children to sacrifice all for a sport. Children commit to memorizing entire play books, dance moves, spend hours repeating the basics, and give up their favorite foods to win. Winning our culture teaches us is worth the sacrifice.
    Is Jesus worth it? (vs.25-26a) We aren’t running for withering celery, but for a crown that can never perish - as the Holy Spirit comforted the persecuted congregation at Smyrna in Asia Minor, “Revelation 2:10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. Pay close attention to Paul’s use of “pronouns” it isn’t “I” , but “we” run for an imperishable crown. The Corinthian congregation had an “I” problem - they thought their congregation was about “I” winning and not “we” working together to build each other up in Christ Jesus. Paul’s words are echoed in Hebrews 12:1-2 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,  (2) looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
 It isn’t “I” who wins the race, Jesus has already won the race for “us!” He took our sin which tore us apart from God and tears us apart from one another - into His sinless flesh that He might reconcile us to our God and Father and to one another. Fixing our eyes on Crucified and Risen Jesus we run the race together encouraging each other towards the goal. Again this is echoed in Hebrews 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (24) And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, (25) not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
      Dr. Luther writing on this epistle reminds us that it is part of a four chapter long instruction how in a Christian congregation the strong in faith should deal with the weak. Following Christ isn’t just running, but running towards the goal. As Paul later confesses to the Philippians, Philippians 3:12-14 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. (13) Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, (14) I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” We stumble in our running the race of faith together when we have flabby faith - that is faith that isn’t exercised in good works - humble love towards our neighbor. (Vs.25b -27) Paul, an apostle, disciplines his own body - he gives it a knock-out punch - so that he doesn’t fall from the faith after preaching to others. He will not let his sinful flesh demand that “his will be done”, but only God the Father’s good and gracious will - that is that we together are kept in God’s Word and Faith until we die.
      The goal of our congregation running the race together isn’t so that my will or your will is done - it is that Christ Jesus’ will is done. He is the Head of every congregation. His will is revealed in His Word and apostolic doctrine. His will is clearly confessed in our Lutheran Symbols - that is our Confessions - of which the Small Catechism is the cornerstone. Dr. Luther wrote, “The goal is removed when the Word of God is falsified and creations of the human mind are preached under the name of God’s Word.”...”And these things readily come about when we are not careful to keep the unity of the Spirit, when each follows his own ideas and yields to no other because he prefers his own conceit...Such must be the course of events where love is lacking.”(Luther’s Epistle Postil, para. 3. Pg. 94)   Daily return to your baptism and give your old sinful adam the knock out punch - drown him through sorrow over your sin and looking only to Jesus as your forgiveness - then let God the Holy Spirit raise you up daily to a new life of faith towards God and love towards one another within our congregation as we run the race together.
      The journey is too long, the desert is to dry - we can’t make it! Freed from 430 years of slavery the congregation of Israel, 600,000 men strong, quarrel with Moses their preacher. The Lord tells Moses to strike the Rock - the Lord who stands before them and water shall pour out from His side for the people to drink and be refreshed. Our journey together through the barren dessert of this world is too great for us, but we aren’t going at it alone. (Vs.1-4) From the beginning our Creator has spoken His life giving Word and accompanied it with a sign. Adam was given God’s Word and the Tree of Life to feast with God. When he sinned the Lord restored him to a life of faith with the promise of Jesus - the Seed of the Woman - the Head Crusher of Satan. Along with the sign of sacrifice. Noah was given God’s Promise of deliverance with the sign of the boat he built. After the flood the Lord spoke His Promise and gave the sign of the rainbow. Abraham was given the Promise of Jesus and the sign of circumcision. Luther writes, “Circumcision was Abraham’s baptism, just as the ark and the flood were that of Noah. So also our baptism is to us circumcision, ark and flood, according to Peter’s explanation. (1 Peter 3:21). Everywhere we meet the Word and the Sign of God, in which we must believe in order to be saved through faith from sin and death. “(Luther’s epistle Postil. Para. 10, pg. 98)
      Our Lord and God is with us in our journey towards the Last Day and the promised land of the Life of the World to come. Here we have no continuing city. We journey towards Home. Our Emmanuel - Jesus sustains us by His Word and Gifts - baptism, absolution, preaching, and the Supper - manna from Heaven. (Vs. 5) Of the 600,000 men who left Egypt - only two were allowed to live in the promised land. Moses losing his temper, striking when God said speak - wouldn’t enter. Cling to God’s Word and promise. Lose all to win. Confess with David: Psalms18:1,2 I will love You, O LORD, my strength. (2) The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalms 18:27 For You will save the humble people, But will bring down haughty looks.”   Amen.