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PUSH: Persevering through Unity, Sacrifice, and Humility

July 14, 2025

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

“Luther Barnes sings I’m still holding on. They said I wouldn’t make it…They said I wouldn’t be here today, they said I would never amount to anything…But I’m glad to say that I’m on my way…And I’m growing more and more each day. There were many that started out with me… But now they’ve gone astray but I’m still holding on …I’m still Holding on…I’m still Holding on to my God’s hands.. “

That’s a message for someone today. You can run this race. Regardless of what’s happening right now, you can run the race, regardless of the news you received last night or what you think will happen tomorrow, you can run the race. Keep holding on to Jesus. Hold on!

The Corinthian church had a lot of things going on, a lot of problems, and struggles of a church following after Christ in a nonbelieving society. After beginning to bloom, Satan reared his head and trouble came. Divisions over lifestyle issues, immorality, abuse of spiritual gifts and even abuse of the Lord’s Supper, all within the church. It was a church under attack.

Even now in our modern, technologically advanced 21st century society, it is possible that there is a body of believers just as confused as the church at Corinth. Unsure of how to speak Biblical truth to complex social issues, unsure of legal rights for various groups of people who are different from us, unsure of education and the implications of critical race theory, unsure about how to reach a younger audience, unsure about prosperity gospel teaching, unsure of other areas affecting our lives, our families, our communities, our nation. My God, we pray our strength in the Lord.

So the Apostle Paul, under the power of the Holy Spirit, addresses these issues in his first letter to the Corinthians from the world of athletics. He likely had in mind the Olympic games as well as the Isthmian games which took place every other year in Corinth. Races were a common event in such competitions, and the Corinthian society was highly competitive.

As he watched athletes training for and competing in their games, the Apostle Paul saw an illustration of the struggles and victories of the Christian life. He saw the results of good athletes who train hard – they win. Listen to Paul in the New Living Translation v.24 – 26 “Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. They do it to win a prize that will fade away but we do it for an eternal prize.” Paul’s emphasis is on the effort, focus and dedication of the athletes.

Our two sons participated in sports from the age of 3 through high school. From T-Ball, to baseball, soccer to basketball, even little league football. For years, many weeknights and weekends we were at some athletic competition cheering them on and urging them to stay focused and determined. On many occasions their father took the boys to a local park and they would throw and catch the baseball, over and over, training to win. They played basketball with a group of other boys, hours on end. Training to win. They went swimming in the neighborhood pool, training to win.

Like players on athletic teams, as Christians, we play to win. We are in the race for the life and salvation of those for whom and with whom we run this race. We are in the race for the prize of a crown in eternity in the loving and glorious presence of Jesus Christ, eternal, immortal, invisible, an imperishable wreath. Paul aims to win a prize that will live forever, the salvation of souls. He also trains himself to avoid being disqualified before crossing the finish line.

There are four lessons to learn from this message:

Perseverance. Not stopping until the job is done. Not stopping until the race is run. How to press through when life is hard. How to keep dancing when the music stops. Running when you are tired, discouraged and hope seems lost. Philippians 4:13 speaks loudly- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Perseverance in gratefulness for the prayers that were lifted on your behalf when you didn’t know to pray for yourself.

Perseverance in remembering where you came from so you can look back and thank God.

As our nation faces critical moral issues, we are reminded of the Perseverance of our ancestors who ran the race to win. They won some races, they lost others. They passed the baton to us with a banner waving high, “Stay in the race” . I can hear them now “Don’t you quit child. Don’t you stop Man of God. Don’t you give up Woman of God. Stay in the race until justice and righteousness roll on like a river, as in Amos 5:24. Stay in the race. Perseverance.
Unity – working together, unified, on the same page, with the same purpose, being of one mind.

Ephesians 4:3 reminds us we were all called to travel the same road and in the same direction, so stay together. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who rules over all, works through all and is present in all. The Christian life is not lived as individuals alone.
In the world today, in too many case, brotherly love is greatly lacking. Many who profess to love the Lord neglect to love their neighbors. Yet, we are members of one family, all children of the same heavenly Father. And the world is watching us, to see if our faith is real. Let us not give them any occasion to question our faith.

In the end, the athlete in Paul’s example does not strive for his own sake but for the sake of God’s call to God’s people. It’s easier done together.

Sacrifice. Deeply imbedded in sacrifice is the wait. Psalm 27:14 “Wait on the Lord, and be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord”. There is sacrifice in the wait. It is a wait worth waiting for. Sacrifice.

In the race of life we are not boasting, we are not strutting around, we are not puffed up. We are kind, lending a listening ear, we are benevolent, giving out of our resources to bless someone, we are unselfish, showing love and concern.

In Luke chapter 1 we read of a young woman who was called to be the mother of Jesus himself. The angel spoke to her “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you. So the baby born to you will be holy and he will be called the Son of God.”

In humility, Mary answered “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants.”

God blesses humble people.
Humility – knowing that it is the grace of God, and not of ourselves that defines our journey. 1 Corinthians 11: 28 Paul addresses the issue with communion “That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup that you are not judged by God.” As Christians, we examine ourselves to check our heart condition.
Sacrifice – delay present comforts for long term achievements. Three weeks ago we celebrated our graduates, and we read of their accomplishments and goals. It was clear that they learned to sacrifice quick cuts, short cuts – anything worth doing is worth doing well. We commend them and their village for their sacrifices.

The P in Perseverance, U in unity, S in sacrifice, H in humility, spell PUSH. PERSEVERING THROUGH UNITY, SACRIFICE, AND HUMILITY. PUSH! In Apostle Paul’s illustration of athletics, PUSH became a race to win. PUSH through the good and bad, PUSH to find peace in unlikely places, PUSH through with God’s presence and Christian fellowship.

PUSH to be an answer to someone’s prayers. PUSH for God’s best in our lives, PUSH through the radical path of faith, PUSH past our weariness, PUSH to stay in prayer, PUSH as we approach the finish line.

The reward that awaits us is not a medal that is displayed somewhere, our reward is eternal and intangible. PUSH to be steadfast, unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as you know your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

PUSH my brothers, PUSH my sisters. Amen.