Game Day - Pt. 2 - Draft Day Series

Draft Day

I. Introduction

It has become a spectacle or event that at times seems to rival the hype, excitement, and production of the Super Bowl or World Series. People line up. They put on their favorite team gear. Hold signs. Paint themselves from head to toe. It is the rabid craziness you would think was reserved only for a championship game and yet all of this buzz for draft day. Honestly, I never have understood the fervor or fanaticism since no one scores, no one obtains points or improves their record. That was until I recently I came across this stat and I suddenly realized just how special an event draft day really is. Did you know that in 2018 out of 480,000 students who competed in NCAA sports only 1210 were selected for pro teams (baseball, women’s basketball, men’s basketball, football, ice hockey and men’s soccer)? So, that alone makes the draft special for the athlete! Then when you consider the teams have such a limited opportunity to fill gaps and holes, fix deficiencies, and improve their chances to win in the future you suddenly get some perspective on just how incredibly crucial the selection of teammates has become. You suddenly understand the rallying, the amount of study, and the resources that are exerted around this moment of player selection! Especially if a team is committed to be victorious and play at championship levels. Every selection is loaded with potential and risk.

Last week I told you that it was essential for you to get in the game. However, this week I want to take you one step further. Join me in

Luke 5:1-7 (NLT)

One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.

There is a draft that occurs here that I want us to examine and mimic. A few simple truths that may help us first.

1. Excuses hinder execution.

Notice, if you will, that these men who had already tried to catch fish are instructed by Jesus to try again but to do it His way (wrong time of day) and a miracle occurs. Just as a side note to repeat something I have said over and over . . . miracles always occur on the other side of obedience. So often we get no harvest because He gets no obedience. Too many of us allow exhaustion, past efforts, and past failures keep us from obedience so we are kept from harvest. Our excuses keep us from executing the very thing that would bring a harvest or a miracle! Next week we will talk about the playbook. If we are not careful we hear the play, then we make excuses as to why we can't run the play. Our excuses cause us to miss harvest. They had every excuse ready . . . we tried already, we are tired, we have already served before . . . excuses.

2. The Number of hands determines the size of harvest.

I want you to see the truth here. The disciples in boat #1 catch a ton of fish. That isn't the same as landing a ton of fish or benefiting from the catch. This may be a record breaking number of fish because it is this catch that causes these men to cast their nets aside and walk away to follow Jesus. I have caught the biggest catch I'm ever going to catch and I am stopping while I'm on top. But what I want you to notice is this . . . The number of hands determined the size of the harvest. If there had been no help, then there would have been no harvest. In fact, the incredible catch would have been lost without help! Said simply . . . No help no harvest! No draft no fish! It wasn't until they increased the number of hands that they actually secured the harvest!