Biblical Truths from the Football Career
Introduction: We are in the midst's of football season. Much of the world is captivated by the game, they long for game after game until we finally reach the Super Bowl.
Proposition: I would propose to you that there are men of the Lord who serve in the game of football, men who grasp truths we can learn from as we endeavor to reach the lost for Christ and encourage the Body of Christ.
Interrogative Sentence: Why is so key to reach souls every opportunity possible? Why is so key to have good Godly Christina coaches in our lives? And what is the Blue Print in the game of the Church of Jesus Christ?
Life is a Mist
Living God’s Best for You
In boasting about tomorrow James, the half brother of Jesus wrote, “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, …carry on business and make money.’ Why you do not know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.’” (James 4:13-15)
A key truth to grasp in living out God’s best for you is, “life is fragile”. You have now to have a lasting impact on those you are called to influence.
While coaching the Washington Red Skins, Joe Gibbs was awakened to this truth when he received a phone call from his boss, Dan Snyder. The call, “Sean Taylor, their superstar safety had been shot in the leg.” Sean was a Pro-Bowl player in 2006 and 2007. The media said “Sean had the talent to become one of the greatest NFL safeties of all time.” Sports Illustrated name Sean as the hardest hitting NFL player. His teammates gave him the nickname, “Meast,” because they saw him as being part man and part beast.
During their phone conversation, Joe asked, “How bad is it?” He was thinking, “Shot in the leg, how bad can that be? Certainly, not life threatening.” To Joes’ horror and the devastation of the whole team, Sean died the next day.
One year later as Joe was sitting in his office the incident of Sean Taylor still weighed heavily upon him. While doing business with a friend, Joe remembered George Tharel, a man who had a strong spiritual influence in his life. George, who had died 17 years earlier, had taught Joe how to understand spiritual truths from God’s Word, truths he still lived by. One year later, Joe thinks about the man who had taken him under his wing, taught him about the Lord’s truths enabling him to find and enjoy God’s best for him.
Life is a mist. You have now to live a life that has a lasting effect on those around you. The Bible says you are living letters, “…known and read by everybody.” (2 Corinthians 3:2) Surround yourself with men who love the Lord and who can teach you the truths of God’s Word. Become a person who teaches others the truths of God’s Word and point them to the Christ of the Bible.
You have now to affect others for Christ!
““Good Coaches”
Living God’s Best for You
I once read a truth written by Tony Dungy, “Any head coach will tell you the task of setting himself with the best assistant coaches can make or break his season.” An eternal truth worth grasping is, “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:7)
This spiritual truth has life application not only for service in the things of God, such as church, but truth for enjoying all that this life has for you now. No matter your circumstance in life, the Lord through His grace and mercy has set before you leaders who have a Super Bowl mentality.
The Super Bowl is played every year and no one playing in the Super Bowl this year got there on his own merit or by just showing up at the game. All NFL Super Bowl participants received playbooks at the beginning of the season. They also receive specific playbooks each week containing information about their opposing team, along with game plans full of strategy, assignments and techniques that can enable them to successfully play a good game. Each player must discipline his life by giving full devotion to studying the playbooks, scheduling practice time, and exerting effort in applying the plans on the game field. Each player has had several coaches help him assimilate what was in the playbook so he may enjoy the maximum success. Even when players failed, they had coaches to guide them in paths to getting back in the game. The Bible says, “If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:10)
NFL Coach Joe Gibbs and Quarterback Kurt Warner discovered the greatest playbook, God’s Word. By assimilating His truths, they have surrounded themselves with Godly assistant coaches who know the Lord thus enabling them to enjoy God’s best for them. These men sense God’s pleasure in their labors with Him.
Surround Yourself With Godly Coaches!
Enjoy His Best for You.
Church's Play Book”
Offering His Guidance to the Church
The Bible tells us to "Preach the Word, be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and carful instruction." (2 Timothy 4:2) God, has given us a written account of His guidance for the church of Jesus Christ. Much can be said about this passage of Scripture, our focus will be on "careful instruction." Careful instruction (äéäá÷Þ didach?) means the act of teaching, instructing, tutoring in such away that it incorporates the authority of what is taught.
At Kole's Kicking Camps they teach young football players about the art of being a place kicker. They have the authority of ESPN, to seek out potential place kickers that have the ability and drive to go on from high school to college level and then on the NFL. Koles Kicking Camps have teachers who understand what it means to instruct and tutor young players to reach their full potential as a kicker as well as make the right connections to move forward in reaching the goal set before them. Kole's instructors have applied the hard of writing a handbook that gives clear instructions on the art and dynamics of the kicking career. Back in the early days, at the beginning of the camp, students were give written material that: First, substantiate their call. At the front of the handbook is a list of several hundred names of kickers that are presently kicking from Community College level to the NFL. An impressive list indeed. Second, the handbook gives detail instructions on how to condition for being a kicker. Third, there are clear instructions on how to kick a football from whatever position on the field they find themselves in. Lastly, this kicker training manual instructs kickers how to approach a college to receive a scholarship as well as help a kicker approach the NFL before their college kicking days have completed. That is a practical application of what it means to give careful instructions.
Imagine, what hope, joy and vision it would bring into a Christian's heart if he could walk into the church he attends and be handed a well written handbook that list the 20+ Holy Spirit Gifts. A handbook that has a list of names of Christians who are sacrificially exercising their Holy Spirit given gifts presently in the church. (1 Corinthians 12-14) A handbook with clear instructions on Whom to seek, how his gifts are to work and how to effectively use them for the good of others. A handbook that clearly instructs Christians how to discern from trials and chastisements from the Lord. A handbook that has practical helps birth from Scripture placed in real life circumstances so one can grasp how to respond in key life situations. A modern day hand book which gives clear Biblical instruction on how to exercise their Spiritual gifts along with real testimonies of those Spiritual gifts being administered to real people. Could that be the answer to this large exodus from modern day church attendance? I believe it would be antidote to post church service depression that many pastors suffer every Monday. I believe such a handbook could fire-up God's team, to be hungry for the prize they will receive on that day of the Judgment one's work with the Lord.
In Closing: Life is a Midst, you have today to plant seeds of the Gospel in peoples lives. You need good Christians coaches in your life and you need to be a Christians who point people to the play book of life. The church needs written material that people can take home, read and re-read that gives clear instructions on what the Holy Spirit gifts are, how to exercise them and how to discern the difference from trials and chastisements from the Lord. They need a handbook that is full of modern day testimonies of God's purpose, promises and direction, all substantiated with the whole of Scripture.
