The End Zone Series

Get In The Game

“The Believer’s End-zone”

Good morning and thank you for choosing to worship with us today here at Central.

It is our desire that you enjoy the warmth and fellowship of the people of God, that you have a life changing experience with God, and that you discover the plan He has for your life.

Let’s make our profession together, this is my bible, God’s holy word, it is a lamp …

*VIDEO*

Today will be the last Sunday of our “Get in the Game” theme, and we want to focus on the end zone.

For the life of the believer, the end zone is heaven.

In our focus today, we want to look at things that will hinder us from reaching the end zone.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NIV

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 a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 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.

Philippians 3:4-14 NIV

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

What is a goal?

A goal is something we work toward or an objective we have in our mind.

The members of a football team are concerned about moving the football into the end-zone, or through the “H” shaped poles.

Their goal is to cross the goal line and score points.

The objective of goal of each teem member is to win.

Many times young people graduating from high school are asked the question: “What are your goals?”

Some may say, “My goal is to be a doctor, or lawyer, or nurse, etc.”

Another might say, “My goal is to go to college so that I can be a teacher.”

Whatever a person desires to do with their life is their goal.

The apostle Paul had goals in life. He was the son of a Pharisee.

He was born a Jew and he was raised in the Jewish faith.

He was taught by Gamail, one of the leading scholars of that day.

His credentials were the best that anyone of his day could possible desire.

Paul was proud of his heritage.

While a great heritage is and can be a wonderful thing, a heritage is based upon what someone else has done.

It is based on another’s goals and how they accomplished them.

Paul’s heritage carried great respect in the man’s eyes, but God asked him, “Why do you persecute me?” His goals did not include a personal relationship with the Lord.

What are your goals, and do they include the Lord?

You can all say, “HEAVEN,” and that is wonderful, but what are you doing to make sure that you accomplish your goal of Heaven?

This morning, I want to look at some things that will hinder us from obtaining our goal, “Heaven.”

The first this that will hinder us from heaven is …

1. SIDELINE’S: “Boundaries”

Let’s look at a football field it has boundaries.

Area of play: 120 x 53 1/3 yds.

Each end-zone is: 10 yds. deep.

Goal posts are: 18’6’’ wide.

The game must be played within the boundaries.

If you just step on the line you are considered out of bounds and the play is over. You cannot progress.

If you catch a pass, both feet must stay in bounds for it to count.

There is no lee-way in this.

God has given us boundaries in life; they are called the Ten Commandments.

We cannot violate God’s law in any way and stay in bounds.

I was floored this past Thursday night as I watched Nightline after the 10:00 news.

The discussion was about adultery. “BORN TO CHEAT”

There was the commentator, an adulteress, a man who provides a website for adultery, a man who was a former sex addict, and Ed Young Jr.

• The woman said that if it was not done in secret, it was not adultery.

• The man who provided the website said that it was just a money making business and that he was not a part of adultery.

• I was proud of Ed Young Jr. for taking a stance against sin and not backing down.

• If you watched, you would have seen that the view of the crowd was clearly in unity that it was adultery.