“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. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict train-ing. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

What Paul does in today’s word for the sermon, is actually noth-ing else than what a motivation coach does: He reminds the Chris-tians in Corinth of what they hope for in faith, and that it is worthwhile to fight for it. But why is such a kind of motivation necessary? It is, because sometimes we lose the grit in faith and get tired and lethargic. Partial defeats as well as injuries can cause such tiredness, not only in sports but also in faith. I am talking about defeats like seemingly unheard and unfulfilled prayers. Or injuries like the realization that one has done some-thing sinful, even though one intended firmly to refrain from do-ing it. To experience something like this in faith can be quite de-motivating.
Motivation is therefore everything: Not only in sports, not only in many other parts of life, but also in faith. Because: If we let our-selves go in spiritual lethargy; if we would say: It’s not worthwhile to pray any longer, because God doesn’t listen any-way. Or: It’s not worthwhile to fight the temptation to do something sinful, because I will fail again anyway; we are in danger of being disqualified. We are in danger to edge away from our saviour and his aid. It is for this reason that Pauls tries to prevent a disqualification in faith in every respect by motivating. And he does it not only by preaching. He says: It doesn’t help or motivate others, if one preaches to oth-ers, but doesn’t practise, what one has preached. It would be like a doctor, who, with a cigarette in his hand, would tell a patient to refrain from smoking, because it is unhealthy and causes lung cancer. Or a guy, who is drinking his sixth beer on the way to his car, and enlightens his buddy about, how dangerous it is to drink and drive. It isn’t very convincing, is it? How on earth should a young boy or girl comprehend that it is good, helpful and worthwhile to be confirmed, and to go to church, or to pray, if the parents hardly come to church, or pray at home? Or: How should a congregant be motivated to live in the hopeful and forgiving love of Christ, if the only thing he or she learns from the Pastor’s sermons is: How useless and failing he or she is? Please don’t misunderstand me: Christians should, following the example of Paul in today’s word for the sermon, definitely point out mistakes. A preacher and Pastor should point out mistakes or sinful behaviour in his congregation. Congregants should do the same in view of each other (including the Pastor) as well as in view of others. Because doing this, they act like a good coach, who tries to erase wrongs in the technique of his athlete. However, we never should stop there, but always motivate: A pastor should motivate the congregation to make it better in the future, and Christians should motivate each other (the Pastor in-cluded) and others in word and deed, in counselling and in setting examples. And let us always bear in mind when it comes to setting examples: If a coach shows a technique to his athlete, then it doesn’t happen to show, how great the coach is, but rather to mo-tivate and increase the technique of the athlete. A pastor or a con-gregant never ever should convey the impression to the congrega-tion that they are ‘better Christians’ than the rest. Nor should Christians pretend to be better people than Non Christians. Be-cause: First of all it isn’t our right to judge others, it is and remains God’s privilege, who alone is able to judge rightly, because he alone sees our hearts and thoughts. Secondly: We confess that no one deserves or can merit God’s favour, “since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). My teachers at the university gave me three simple rules in view of preaching, which we can actually see transformed also in today’s word for the sermon, and which also apply to the way, in which we as Christians should behave in view of others: 1st rule: Don’t pretend that everything is just perfect. Only naïve people would believe you, because every one of us actually knows that there are things in our lives, which are not perfect at all. And God wants us to see and realize these wrongs, to overcome them by means of his forgiveness and help. So we need to reveal faults and errors by means of God’s will and His perfect standards. Paul does this indirectly by encouraging the Corinthians to go into strict training. If we literally translate, Paul says: to exercise self control. And with it he refers to concrete misbehaviour in the Co-rinthian congregation, which he was writing about a couple of verses before today’s word for the sermon. However – and this is the 2nd rule –: Paul doesn’t leave it there. He starts his letter, and he continues his letter with positive moti-vation. He doesn’t disqualify the Christians in Corinth because of their faults! He doesn’t say: You are useless, and it is not worth-while to put more effort into you. No! He reminds them – and also all of us – that it was actually God, who put us in the race of faith. And it is God, who by means of his forgiveness and the help of his Holy Spirit enables us to run, and also to win this race of faith. So refrain from just preaching about our sinfulness and unworthiness. And most of all – and this is the 3rd rule –: Never, ever preach from above, giving the impression: You, as a preacher or a Chris-tian, have won the race already. Because: It is neither true, nor does it motivate the congregation or others. It will rather evoke their suspicion or scorn. Always include yourself! Include yourself, when it comes to God’s Holy Will that convicts us all of our sin. And also include yourself, when it comes to the Gospel that comforts us with the message of God’s forgiveness, and which motivates us by point-ing out the hope, which we have in Jesus Christ, because He is our motivation.
He is the reason why we are in this race of faith in the first place. He paid our dues and brought us in the righteous shape by sacri-ficing himself for our sins, and giving us faith and hope. He also supports and sponsors us in this race of faith, by accom-panying us and nourishing us with his word and sacrament. And in His resurrection, He has given us the sound hope that we live a new life in Him. It is the life, which has started in our Bap-tism, and which becomes visible, whenever we live according to his good and life giving word, bringing forth fruits of joy and happiness for us and others in love, compassion and forgiveness. And it is the life into which we merge completely, when He fi-nally takes us into his kingdom. Jesus has shown and proven to us that it is worthwhile to trust in God, because there is a victory waiting for us, and a price, which – as Paul says it – will last forever. And who doesn’t want to be a winner. Let us therefore refrain from doing what makes us tired in faith, but rather hold on to Christ and his word. Let us also refrain from behaving in a spiritual demotivating manner, but rather encourage each other by word and deed, so that we may run together, and receive together the prize, which is waiting for us in Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory forever and ever! AMEN