How To Slay Your Giants

How To Slay Your Giants

Faith Factor – part five

IN - February of 1980 I was in the Navy living in Saratoga Springs New York. 90 miles away in Lake Placid a group of 12 American amateur hockey players took the ice to face the toughest and best hockey team in the world, Russia’s national team. It was the Olympic games and two weeks prior to this game, the young American team was beat by the mighty Russians 12-2 in Madison Square Garden. But we all know what happened that night. The USA defeated the Russia’s 4-2 in one of the most stunning upsets in all of sports history. Most of us have seen the clip of the end of the game when as the clock winds down, the USA players begin their on ice celebration, and Al Michaels, the announcer who called the game for ABC yells- “Do you believe in miracles?”

When an underdog wins in sports – it’s awesome….

• Seabiscuit beating War Admiral

• The Amazing Mets winning the World Series over the Orioles in 69

• Joe Namath and the Jets defeating the Colts in Super bowl 3

• Buster Douglas over Mike Tyson

• Muhammed Ali over George Foreman

(one of the exciting things about College basketballs March Madness is the upsets)

AND – this year in the NBA finals the underdog Detroit Pistons brought down the mighty LA Lakers…

AND LISTEN – it’s just not in sports that we root for the underdog… I MEAN – we all rooted for that spunky little fin fish named Nemo… As he makes that daring escape from the fish tank and later rescues a huge net full of fish… AND – who couldn’t help from Cheering when Rocky beat Apollo Creed; when they Karate Kid assumed the crane position and kicks the smirks off those pretty blond boys… when the mighty Titans got the win, when Rudy ran out onto the field at Norte Dame…and when Pete not Tad Hamilton wins the heart of Rosalee…

Underdogs & upsets… ARE BOTH – powerful & inspiring.

228 years ago a group of 56 underdogs gathered in a room in Philadelphia Pa and signed a document written by Thomas Jefferson. "When in the course of Human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve a political bond which they have committed with another and to assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and nature’s God entitles them.... We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

That document was the Declaration of Independence signed in congress on July 4th 1776. Declaring America’s freedom from the oppressive rule of England. NOW – when they signed that declaration – nobody really believed that this ragtag group of militia, that this motley crew, that these farmers, printers, tailors and silversmiths even had a chance against the powerful British Empire.

I MEAN – it looked like the Red Coats were a sure bet… EVERYONE – was predicting a series sweep, a knock in the first round… BUT – 5 years later it was the Americans who were waving the flag and holding over their heads the trophy of freedom. AND – today all across the nation; there will be cook outs, flag waving and fireworks as we celebrate the great upset that founded this nation… (AND – as you Celebrate today… REMEMBER – our troops who are far away from home ensuring that you and I and our children will continue to enjoy the fruits of that great 200 years ago…)

Prayer…

YES – I love to see the underdog win… AND – this morning as we continue in our message series the faith factor… We are going to talk about what is not only the most well know story in the bible… BUT – what has become the classic, the granddaddy of all upsets.

IN FACT – this 3000 year old (one on one) contest is still used to summarize great upsets today… I MEAN - the mere mention of these 2 opponents that faced off back then , lets everyone know without a doubt that an undergo has just won a huge upset…

For example - after game one of this years NBA Finals… The USA Today had the following article…

UNDERDOG 1, GOLIATH 0: The Pistons remind us why everyone loves and underdog

The team that wasn’t supposed to win won Sunday night. This is what America is all about, right? The triumph of the underdog. Already, some fans are dreaming of a scenario that would make the Detroit Pistons seem like Norma Rae, Seabiscuit and that slingshot-wielding dude, David, rolled into one.