Get Up!

Sermon

June 9, 2019

David Simpson –Lanier Christian Church (for Galilee Christian Church Special Message)

GET UP!

I played organized football for two years. Yep, I played on the defensive line for the Baldwin County Shriners. Last year, I saw my coach, Bill Milines, and he loves to tell the story that I had originally asked to be the fullback, one of the running backs for the team, but after being tackled by a group of about eight guys, I decided I didn’t want to touch the ball anymore.

You see, there is one very basic element of football that is the key to victory. When you get knocked down, whether blocked or tackled, you have to get back up and continue the game.

After I retired from the Youth Football League I moved on to play football with the neighborhood boys. We didn’t play two-hand touch, unless my mama was watching, no, we played tackle. Our yard was the most level playing field, so we played at my house. Well, as any football team does, you always try to size up the competition. You look to see who is bigger and faster and stronger. And when we played tackle football, it was my goal to avoid one player – the biggest guy in our neighborhood – Poof Space.

Poof was a giant of a young man. Tall, big and strong. We would elect a captain and each captain would choose players. I always wanted Poof on my team. I wanted him blocking for me, not tackling me to the ground!

But, even those days when Poof was the opponent, my goal when I was running the ball was to avoid him. If there was one thing in my favor, it was that I was fast and he was slow. Yet, from time to time, Poof tackled me and down I went with one of his famous one-armed tackles.

No matter what level of football you play – midget league, neighborhood, or high school, college or pros – know this: You will get knocked down.

What do you do when you get knocked down? Well, if you want to stay in the game, you get back up.

You don’t have to play football to get knocked down. There are circumstances in life that knock us down quite often. Accidents, illnesses, opposition, financial strains, broken relationships, job stresses, grief, depression, emotional burdens, challenges of every description.

How does a Christian deal with being knocked down? Our theme verse for the church this fall is: “We live by faith, not by sight.” It’s from 2 Corinthians 5:7

That’s who we are as believers. We are faith walkers. Does that mean we will never get knocked down? No, it just means we have God to help us get back up. You get up with God’s help and continue to live by faith.

Have you ever seen those football games where the quarterback is knocked on his back and another player offers him his hand to help him back up? Well, that’s what God does for us. 1 Peter 5:6 says: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”

Who lifts you up – God! His mighty hand reaches down to help us get back on our feet. Remember the old commercial for that alert system where the elderly person says: “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” Well….to a certain degree that’s exactly what God is waiting for. He’s waiting for us to say: “God, I can’t do this on my on. In faith I come to you knowing that you’ll provide the lifting – you’ll be my strength.”

But, the Lord wants you to get up. He wants you back in the game – back in the race. He wants you moving forward, not wallowing in defeat…because we live by faith, not by sight. The circumstances that knock us down could easily keep us down, but God made us to live by faith – not circumstances, the things we see. He gives us purpose and hope beyond the circumstances. So, you gotta get up and live by faith.

Throughout the Bible, we see God encouraging people to get up.

In 2 Samuel 12 there is a great story of King David dealing with grief, in fact the loss of a child. The prophet Nathan had warned David that the child of his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba would die. As prophesied, the child became sick. David pleaded with God, fasted and prayed. He would not eat. He was devastated. He spent time on the ground. He had been knocked down. His attendants tried to get him to eat or to simply get up, but he refused.

Then, the child died. And David’s reaction surprised everyone around him. He bathed, he put on fresh clothes, he ate and most importantly, he worshiped.