Hosanna Restoration Church

I think it is safe to say that everyone likes to win prizes. It is also true that even though everyone would like to win, some people don’t even bother to enter the contest because the odds are too much against them. If you receive any mail at all, you have received offers for sweepstakes. Some say you have already won, but then their is the fine print, and it just does not seem worth it. So in the trash it goes. Others may take the what have you got to lose attitude and send them all in. Still others are convinced that one day they will win and their future is planned around that win.

Then there is gambling. The lottery is continually placed in front of people and for some it is the prize that is going to take care of the future. Every quick stop along the road has a casino it seems and the amount of money that is wagered in these and a multitude of other games is astronomical. For some, the prize is no longer the goal it is simply the game. Still, it is safe to say, that people do desire to win prizes.

The truth is, none of these prizes, no matter how great, are anything compared to the prize of the high call of God in Christ Jesus. JESUS IS THE PRIZE!!! Yes, Jesus is the ultimate prize. He is the one from whom all blessings flow. He is the goal. He is the high call. He is the one in Whom we live and move and have our being. He is the breath of life. He is life. He came that we might have abundant life. Where do we get abundant life? We get it in Him. We no longer live, it is Christ living in us. He is the only prize that can truly satisfy.

A billionaire without Christ has nothing. That is why he is never satisfied. A billionaire with Christ on the other hand has everything, with or without the money. He sees it as a blessing with which He can bless the kingdom of God.

The great thing about Christianity is that everyone who enters wins the prize. Then comes the question. What are we going to do with the prize? What are we going to do with Jesus? He is one prize that we do not want to treasure for a while and then just stick away in a closet somewhere. We can’t just fritter Him away like some have done with cash prizes. What are we going to do with this, the greatest of all prizes.

First, we must establish in our hearts just how valuable this prize is. Jesus is more valuable than money in the bank. He is the source of all wealth. He is more valuable than health. He is health to all flesh. He is peace, provision, and protection. He is priceless. If we do the one thing, press into Jesus, “The Prize;” then we have the best thing and God can add all the other things to us.