“Keep Your Eyes on the Prize—
Press on Toward the Goal”
Philippians 3:12-14

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Pastor Kevin Vogts
Trinity Lutheran Church
Paola, Kansas
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost—October 11, 2020

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

It has been really weird the past seven months to have virtually no sports on television.  And the professional leagues are very worried that even when they have started broadcasting again the number of those watching has plunged.  For some reason that hasn’t happened in Europe, where ratings are actually way UP for the #1 televised sport in the world.  You may be surprised that the #1 sport in the world is soccer.  Although it’s never been too popular in the United States, soccer is unquestionably the favorite sport of the rest of the world.

The people Paul was writing to at Philippi were Roman citizens, so they were probably crazy fanatics about the favorite Roman sport: footraces.  It’s hard to imagine footraces being the favorite sport long before the invention of running shoes.  But, just as soccer is the world’s favorite sport today, footraces were by far the favorite sport of the Greeks and Romans.  And, by the way, they ran barefoot—ouch!

So, like an American pastor today making an allusion to baseball or football to illustrate his sermon, in order to connect with the people he is writing to, Paul uses the illustration of a footrace in our text from today’s Epistle Reading.  You are invited to follow along the outline on the last page of the bulletin insert as we continue our Fall Sermon Series on the book of Philippians.  Paul writes:

“I have not already reached the goal or already completed the course, but I press on to conquer, since I have been conquered by Christ Jesus.  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have conquered.  But one thing: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to receive the heavenly prize to which God has called us in Christ Jesus.”

The prize which runners competed for in a Roman footrace was usually a laurel wreath crown.  The spiritual prize set before us as we run the race of life is much more grand and glorious.  Instead of a laurel wreath crown, Jesus promises in Revelation, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

Paul says in 1st Corinthians, “Run the race in such a way as to receive the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”  Unlike a temporary laurel wreath crown, which soon wilts, Peter says, “You will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”

But really, this “crown of glory” is not a prize that WE are winning for ourselves.  The prize of eternal life has already been won for us, by Jesus Christ, by his perfect life, his death on the cross, and his resurrection.  As Paul says in Ephesians, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.”  Jesus Christ is your Redeemer, for his sake your sins are all forgiven.  Jesus promises, “I am the Resurrection and the Life; whoever believes in me, even though he dies, yet shall he live.”  Trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and you shall receive the prize he won for you, eternal life.

Paul says in Colossians, “Do not let anyone . . . disqualify you for the prize.”  That is exactly what Satan is trying to do.  In league with the world and your own sinful flesh, Satan is trying with all his might to “disqualify you for the prize.”

Imagine you are running a race through a gauntlet, not of well-wishers and supporters, but of adversaries and enemies.  They are trying to distract you, to get you off course, to trip you, to make you stumble and fall.  That is what’s happening when you face temptations.  Satan is trying to “disqualify you for the prize.”

Hebrews says, “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  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.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Paul tells Timothy, “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.  Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.”

There is an old saying in athletics, “Keep your eyes on the prize.”  It is the greatness of the prize that makes struggle worthwhile.  As you run the race of this life, like Paul “keep your eyes on the prize” of eternal life.

As Paul says:  “I have not already reached the goal or already completed the course, but I press on to conquer, since I have been conquered by Christ Jesus.  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have conquered.  But one thing: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to receive the heavenly prize to which God has called us in Christ Jesus.”

“Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”  “Do not let anyone . . . disqualify you for the prize.”  Near the end of his life, Paul wrote to Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

Like Paul, “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize” and “Press on Toward the Goal.”

Amen.