WORSHIP SERIES:
Go for the Gold
At Peachtree City Christian Church
August 10 - August 31
Dr. George S. Dillard, Senior Minister

Rays of sunlight beat down on the stadium. Thousands have gathered to cheer on their hometown athletes: Acanthus of Sparta, Leonidas of Rhodes, Milo of Croton. Each one has been in training for years, preparing for this event, all hoping to win the crown of olive branches said to have been cut from the very tree of Zeus. Their preparation is not only physical, but also spiritual as they purify themselves and dedicate themselves to Zeus. The competitors, participating in the nude, cover themselves with olive oil, accenting their rippling muscles. Over these next several days the men participate in at least four types of running games, in boxing and wrestling matches, chariot races, and in many other contests. The names of these heroes will be immortalized and will be passed down from generation to generation. There is no greater honor on earth.

Of course, we know these events today as the Olympic Games. Though the games have changed since ancient times, much has remained the same. From August 8th to August 24th, the Olympic Games will be held in Beijing, China. Whereas the ancient games were only among the Greek city-states, the 2008 Olympics consist of 205 National Olympic Committees from various countries. Since its inception a few millennia ago, the Olympics have grown from a handful of events to a total of 302 events.

Paul and the unknown author of Hebrews often used metaphors and concepts that people were familiar with in order to teach Christian principals. Paul was familiar with the ancient games and probably witnessed the Isthmian Games in Corinth (there was a cycle of four games, the Olympic Games being one of these). Many times, he took concepts from the ancient games to illustrate his points. In our upcoming series, “Go for the Gold!” (August 10th-31st), we will be taking a closer look at some of these athletic metaphors and what they mean for us today.

Jesse Owens is perhaps the greatest hero of the modern Olympic Games. In 1936 Adolf Hitler used the Summer Olympics as a propaganda tool to try to prove the superiority of Germany and the Aryan race. Owens, being an African American, was seen as inferior. With intense training and perseverance Owens was able to overcome the stereotypes of the day and win four gold medals. These victories were highly symbolic and milestones in history. Though winning a gold medal can be very significant, receiving the crown from Christ is the ultimate prize. The Apostle Paul once said “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” (1 Cor. 9:25). This will be the topic of our first sermon and lessons in Sunday school classes. What are you running for?

In the movie Chariots of Fire, Abraham is a great young runner. However, he finally loses a race when he takes his eyes off the finish line. Before he reached the finish line, he looked to see where his competitor was. His coach later told him that this cost him the race. Paul understood the danger of taking one’s eyes off of the goal in the race of life. He says, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13b –14). Our second sermon asks, “Are you allowing other things to distract you in your race or are your eyes focused on the prize?”

There comes a point in everyone’s life where they are worn out and ready to quit. It’s easy to quit the race instead of persevering to the end. Paul was feeling weary toward the end of his life. He said in one of his final epistles, “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 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” (2 Tim. 4:6 – 8). Are you giving up? Are you tired of running? You must focus on Christ, just as Paul did, and endure to the end of the race. This will be our third sermon in the series.

Abel. Enoch. Noah. Abraham. Isaac. Jacob. Joseph. Moses. Gideon. Samuel. David. These are just some of the heroes of the faith listed in the “hall of fame” in Hebrews 11. After this, the author goes on to say, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 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” (Heb. 12:1-2). But these are no mere spectators. The “cloud of witnesses” were once athletes and victors in the race themselves. No doubt, Paul would have been one of these spectators. They achieved the prize. Knowing that these former athletes are now spectators to our race, how will you run the race? We will learn more about this concept in the final week of the series.

We also offer Children’s Worship,
Student Classes and Adult Bible Studies
in conjunction with our Sunday services.

Sunday Morning Worship:
9:30 am Café
9:45 am Traditional
10:45 am Café
11:00 am Contemporary

Wednesday Night Oasis:
5:45 pm Dinner
6:30 pm Classes and Choir

500 Kedron Drive
Peachtree City, GA 30269
770-487-9711 office
www.PTCChristian.com