I’m Ready Series #4, Ready to Run

Sermon: I’m Ready – “Ready to Run”

Impact Church London

May 2nd, 2021

Recap: Psalms 57, a Golden Psalm of David in a cave.

In that cave he fixed his heart, became steadfast and determined that nothing would move him.

In the cave he learned the power of community. He embraced community, he got involved, he served, he poured his life into the people around him:

1 Samuel 22:2
“…So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.”

In the cave, a deep dark and rotten spot, we saw the power of music, worship and song to not only transform us, but each other and the world around us.

Intro: “Ready to Run”

The Christian life is portrayed in the Bible as a race.

Hebrews 12:1-2
“…and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…”

1 Corinthians 9:24-26 (NIV)
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 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. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly;

“On Your Marks: Getting to the Starting line – Getting Ready

When we talk about getting ready, about running your race, about a journey or process in Christianity you have know and be settled in this… we are talking about purpose not perfection.

We are not on a journey or running a race towards sanctification. We are not on a journey or a climb towards God. We are not running our race and living our lives with intentionality to become more perfect, to become more Christlike, more pleasing to God, to earn rewards in heaven or to attain the lofty heights of spiritual attainment.

Readiness and preparation in all its forms is not a matter of perfecting ourselves, but a question of faith, acceptance and a willingness to embrace who he is, what he has done, what he has, and what he is doing.

Whether you know it or not, believe it or not, you are complete in Christ.

Colossians 2:10
“…and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”

Hebrews 10:14 (NKJV)
“For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”

By one offering he has, past tense, perfected.

Perfected/ teleióō – to bring to an end, complete, perfect

“to consummate, reaching the end-stage, i.e. working through the entire process (stages) to reach the final phase (conclusion). See 5056 (telos).”

We have been in a personal sense, by the offering of the body and blood of Jesus, brought to an end stage in our development, worked through the entire process of acceptance and righteousness and sanctification to God.

Sanctification is not a journey or a race… it’s a matter of being set apart, dedicated, separated forever unto God, made holy, made pure. He his our sanctification. It does not come though a race or a lifetime journey, but by the one offering of Jesus.

Colossians 1:28
“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man PERFECT IN CHRIST JESUS.”

You do have race to run, and purpose, mission, vision from God to realize. Paul did! Jesus did! David did! But its about purpose, and trust, not performance and perfection.

1 Samuel 16:13
“So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.”

Romans 1:1
“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God”

John 17:4
I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.

Jesus started is race from a place of acceptance and approval, he didn’t run to get it !

Get Set… Ready to Run

Jesus sent his disciples out in partnership before he even taught them to pray? How qualified were they? Luke 9 sent. Luke 11 he teaches them to pray.

Luke 9:1-2
Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

3 Reasons why you are Ready to Run — right now!

The Call (called)
The Blood (Qualified)
The Oil (Equipped)

The Call

Lev. 8:2-3
“Take Aaron and his sons with him, …”

Aaron and his sons were called and separated to something special to do with God. They had a purpose. You didn’t just decide to be a priest, God determined it.

You have a special purpose.

John 15:16
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain..,”

2. Blood.

The same blood that sanctifies and perfects you, also qualifies you for purpose.

Leviticus 8:14
“And he brought the bull for the sin offering. Then Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull for the sin offering, and Moses killed it.”

For the priests who were called to be qualified, they first had to be purified. They were first “perfected by the blood of the sin offering.”

But then, they were also consecrated and set apart to service by the blood.

Leviticus 8:23-24
“And he brought the second ram, the ram of consecration. Then Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram, 23 and Moses killed it. Also he took some of its blood and put it on the tip of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.”

There was a blood sacrifice that when applied to the ear, thumb and foot of Aaron and his sons, qualified them with a mark of approval for service. Not for perfection, they were already perfected in Gods eyes through the sin offering.

In the old covenant there were literally tonnes of different sacrifices, goats, rams, sin, thanksgiving, consecration, atonement, etc., all different animal sacrifices that when seen through the right lens all point to different aspects of Jesus’ one time offering of his own body and blood on the altar of the cross.

The one time one offering of Jesus in not just a reference to the fact that he doesn’t need to die again and again for our sins, but that his one sacrifice for all time, incorporated all the different aspects of all the many sacrifices in the old testament into his one offering of himself.

The blood of Jesus not only perfects you, but consecrates you to walk in purpose, makes you ready and qualifies you to run your race.

3. Oil

The oil in the Old Testament usually represented the person, presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

1 Samuel 16:13
“Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward…”

Leviticus 8:30
Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar, and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him; and he consecrated Aaron, his garments, his sons, and the garments of his sons with him.

You have the Holy Spirit. If you have not been baptized in the Holy Spirit, an experience that Jesus himself gives you freely and without cost, you can be right here and right now because the only prerequisite for the Holy Spirit, is the blood.

You don’t need to spend years earning the power and gifting of God. Jesus gave it to his disciples before he even taught them the Lord’s prayer. Im Ready, You’re Ready, We’re ready.. whether you know it or not!

Summary

Revelation 1:5-6
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

You are perfected in Christ already. You are free to engage life with him in a race towards purpose, not perfection; partnership, not performance

Sermon Notes- Ready to Run