RUNNING FOR GOD
 

Psalm 199:32

The average Christian, myself included, would look at David's life, his devotion, his desire, his dedication, and would wander why he would write what he wrote in verse 32. David said, "I will run in the way of they commandments..." Now wait a minute. You mean that David, with all of his devotion, desire, and dedication, was not yet running for God?

As I look at David's life and then look comparatively at my own life, David appears to be some type of world-class sprinter. David seems to be some type of spiritual Superman who is FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET, MORE POWERFUL THAN A LOCOMOTIVE, ABLE TO LEAP TALL BUILDINGS IN A SINGLE BOUND. How is it, that a man, who emphatically was declared to be "a man after God's own heart", should imply in our text, that he was not yet "running for God?"

I believe the answer is found in the fact that, the greater your devotion, desire, and dedication for God is, the greater you want it to be. In other words, David was never going to be satisfied until he obtained perfection. Look at Psalm 17:15.

What about this "Running For God"?

I. THE CONNOTATION

What does it mean to be "running for God"? Consider what one writer wrote, "Running is to be   distinguished from walking, as involving active determination and persistent energy. A man may   walk in simple habit and routine; a man only runs when he wills to run, and makes positive efforts.   So the psalmist is not satisfied with a kind of obedience to the Law of God which is a sort of regular   thing in which he has been brought up; he cannot be content without having his heart in it, putting   energy into it, and making a life-work of it; and this he expresses in the figure of running."

"Running for God" is not a common thing. Far too often, men are seen as running, but not for God.   Usually they are running full-speed in the opposite direction of what David spoke of here. They are   not running FOR God, they are running FROM God.

Those who are "running for God":

A. Mature at a Quicker Pace

1. Hebrews 5:12-6:1a

2. 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

3. Ephesians 4:14-15

4. Some who ought to be "running for God" are still crawling, or at best, they're toddling.

B. Marked by a Better Obedience

1. Those who are "running for God" will manifest a more speedy or ready obedience, without   delay.

2. Those who are "running for God", whose hearts are set upon being obedient, will not be   able to fulfill their responsibilities toward God soon enough.

3. Those who are "running for God" will not have time to criticize the lack of obedience in   others. They'll be to busy trying to keep up with God.   (THOSE WHO ROW THE BOAT, HAVE LITTLE TIME TO ROCK IT)

C. Manifest a Greater Joy

1. Those who are "running for God" are like marathon runners. The more they run, the better   they feel.

2. It's easy to recognize those who are "running for God", simply by the way they do things.   There's obvious joy in what they're doing.

3. Those who are not "running for God", find very little joy in what they're doing. They  manifest very little happiness in serving Christ. It could be that they're so busy running  after the world, that they have very little, if anything left over for God.

D. Meet with Fewer Hindrances

1. This is not to say that there are not hindrances, but even the devil knows that it's easier  to catch an animal when he's standing still than it is when he's running.

2. If you're "running for God", the devil's going to find in hard to trip you up.

3. Another key to avoiding being tripped up by the devil is to watch where we're running.

a. Hebrews 12:1-2a says, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so   great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so  easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,   Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..."

b. I remember watching a football game where a defensive back intercepted a pass and   began running it back toward the end zone. He was running down the side line, near  the other teams bench, when all of a sudden, out of nowhere there came a player from   the other team and tripped him.

c. If that defensive back had not been running so close to the other team's sideline, he   wouldn't have gotten tripped.

II. THE CONSEQUENCES

A. It will Improve our life Spiritually

B. We will Influence the lost with our Testimony

C. It will Impact our church Positively

1. FBC cannot help but be a better place when we start "running for God."

2. When we're "running for God", we're growing spiritually. That's going to help FBC.

3. When we're "running for God", we're going to be more obedient. That's going to help   FBC.

4. When we're "running for God", we're going to be more joyful. That's going to help FBC.

5. When we're "running for God", there will be fewer hindrances. That will allow us to   focus on the Lord, and His work. That's going to help FBC.

III. THE CAUSE

What will cause us to "run for God?" What will keep us "running for God?" David answers these   questions in verse 32.

The reason people aren't "running for God", is because they have a bad heart. The reason they don't   keep "running for God", is because they have a bad heart.

It could be that they're suffering from a:

A. Contracted Heart

1. The heart contracted at the fall, it shrank when sin entered into it.

2. Ever since the Garden of Eden, man has had little room in his heart for anything but self.

3. People aren't "running for God" because they're too focused on self.

4. They're too focused on self to give financially.   They're too focused on self to share the gospel with others. They're too focused on self to involve themselves in the lives of others and to try to be a   blessing.

5. Everything they do is for SELF.

B. Divided Heart

1. Listen to this from Spurgeon's Treasury of David Volume II, "And truly if all the faculties   of mind and body be dedicated to God, with a constant and vigorous step will man press   on in the way that leadeth to heaven. So long as the dedication is at best only partial, the   world retaining some fraction of the empire, there can be nothing but a slow and impeded   progress, a walking interrupted by repeated haltings, if not backslidings, by much of  loitering, if not of actual retreat; but if the man be all heart, then he will be all life, all  warmth, all zeal, all energy."

2. We'll never run for God until our heart is His completely. As the Bible says, we cannot love two masters

C. Bandaged Heart

1. Perhaps the devil still owns your soul. Perhaps your heart has never been set free from the  devil's bondage by the power of God's grace.

What we need is an:

D. Enlarged Heart

1. We need a bigger heart for God.

2. Listen again to these quotes from Spurgeon's Treasury of David Volume II.   "There are many believers, who for want of enlargement of heart art occupying a poor   position in the church of God. They are trusting to Jesus for life eternal, and He will   doubtless not disappoint them; He will be true to His word, that "he that believeth shall   be saved;" but they are still, alas! to a deplorable degree, shut up in self; they have   contracted hearts;...and however much they might be said to stand, or sit, or walk in the  way of God's commandments, they cannot be said to "run" in it. Running is a strong and   healthy action of the body; it requires energy, it is an exercise that needs a sound heart;  none can run in the way of God's commandments, except in strength and vigor imparted  by Him. The running Christians are comparatively few; walking and sitting Christians  are comparatively common..."

"Yes, the heart is the master; the feet soon run when the heart is free and energetic. Let   the affections be aroused and eagerly set on divine things, and our actions will be full of   force, swiftness, and delight. God must work in us first, t hen we shall will and   do according to His good pleasure. He must change the heart, unite the heart, encourage   the heart, strengthen the heart, and enlarge the heart, and then the course of the life will   be gracious, sincere, happy, and earnest..."

3. We need the Great Physician to perform spiritual surgery and enlarge our heart. It has to

be the work of God, man can't do it.

4. We need a bigger heart for God's Word.

5. We need a bigger heart for God's Work.

6. We need a bigger heart for God World.