VIDEO: ROPE SKIP DRUM ROLL
Walkout with me jump roping badly, Seth better, Corrie amazing!
MAIN SLIDE: FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT
SCRIPTURE SLIDES:
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
2 Timothy 4:7-8 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the LORD, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
A new definition of what it means to win:
NOT A ME WIN, BUT A GOD WIN
2 Thess. 1:12 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live
Round 1 – People and their Problems
Round 2 - SELF
Round 3 – the devil
Round 4 – the toughest fight of all – when we fight against God
You say, that’s impossible, God would never get in the ring against me. That’s not true.
He doesn’t want to, but we pick fights with him – and he’s not shy about reminding us we are not in his weight class.
Think about all the times God stirred you up to a good deed that you refused to pick up
Think about all the times God convicted you of a sin you refused to put down
Think about all the nudges, tugs and shoves God’s Holy Spirit has laid on you that you ignored.
He convinces us of his presence, his reality and we refuse to believe and commit.
We do these things and we figure we can get away with it...but….
When we do these, we are fighting against God
We are reminded of the Bible verse that says:
Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
We want to do the right thing
We want to obey God
We want to walk the walk
But at some time, all of us have fought against God
MAIN SLIDE
Before we go into the scriptures to talk more about FIGHTING AGAINST GOD and what we can do about it.
Let me tell you about 4 more world class boxers who love Jesus.
Andre Ward
Ward is a devout Christian; he regularly shares his faith within the boxing community.
“A lot of people look for you to change. Everything has stayed the same. Financially, this is God’s money, and my wife and I are just stewards of it.” – Andre Ward
Andre Ward beats up people for a living. But just because he’s a born-again Christian doesn’t mean he has to repent for fighting.
As a child of God—who just happens to be the undisputed WBA/WBC/Ring Magazine super middleweight boxing champion of the world—Ward says his motives are pure every time he steps into the ring and that he’s simply doing the job with which the Lord blessed him.
“It’s a heart condition,” says the 28-year-old Ward, who defended his titles against light heavyweight champ Chad Dawson in Ward’s hometown of Oakland, Calif., in September to run his professional record to 26-0. “If I truly was honest with myself and I intentionally and permanently wanted to hurt someone, then that would be a problem.
“It may sound like an oxymoron, but I don’t have a heart to hurt anyone in the ring. I always pray for myself, my opponent and for our families’ sakes that neither one of us gets hurt during a fight. That’s only one of the reasons that God has blessed me so much in my life.”
Ward has myriad reasons to feel that way. Not only is he on top of the boxing world in his division with three titles around his waist, he has yet to be defeated as a professional. The former Olympic gold medalist also was named Sports Illustrated and Ring Magazine’s Fighter of the Year for 2011.
Above all these accolades, however, Ward is grateful for how his status as a successful athlete has allowed him to become an effective witness for Jesus Christ and a role model for youngsters. His mantra, S.O.G. (Son of God), which is prominently displayed on his trunks, is something he borrowed from Galatians 3:26, which states: “For all of you are sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ.”
Chris Byrd is an American former boxer who competed in 1993 to 2009. He was a two-time heavyweight champion, having first won the WBO title in 2000. In 2002 he defeated Evander Holyfield to win the IBF heavyweight title for his second time as world champion.
Throughout his boxing career, Byrd professed his love for Christ publically, including wearing T-shirts with the words “Jesus Christ” on it, as well entering into the boxing ring accompanied by gospel music.
“You go to the Lord in prayer and believe in what you say in prayer that God will answer you.” – Chris Byrd
Tyson Fury is a British professional boxing fighter; he has held the Ring Magazine and lineal heavyweight titles since November 2015, after defeating Wladimir Klitschko. In October 2016, Fury relinquished the WBA, WBO, and IBO titles following ongoing medical and personal issues.
“I got on my knees and I spoke to God and I said ‘listen, I believe.” – Tyson Fury
Robert Guerrero is a former two-weight world champion, known as “The Ghost” for being elusive in the ring. He held the IBF featherweight title twice, from 2006 to 2008, and the IBF junior lightweight title from 2009 to 2010.
Guerrero has never been shy about his faith; he regularly praises Jesus when commenting before and after his fights.
“Big believer in Jesus Christ.” – Robert Guerrero
LET’S HEAR FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH ROBERT GUERREO about his faith in Jesus Christ.
VIDEO: ROBERT GUERREO
MAIN SLIDE
God has called all of us to spread his word – good words from Robert Guerrero. To turn our lives from self-focused to God focused, focusing on others…that’s a life worth having.
I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t want to take a punch from any of those guys.
Why on earth would I ever want to resist and get in the ring with God.
He loves me but the bible says he disciplines “get’s in the ring” with those he loves.
PROVERBS 3:12 12 For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.
Hebrews 12:5-6 5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you.
6 For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”
This is a Biblical truth that we may wish wasn’t there, but because of God’s love, he resists our disobedience. He has our best interest in mind, so he works to keep us in his ways, on his path. We can still go our own way, and many do, but don’t expect God to look the other way. At least at first, expect some heavenly pressure.
You say, God would never fight me, he loves me, he would never be my opponent!
Ok, I understand your reasoning, but you need to look at some passages before you lock down that idea.
1 Peter 5:5 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
You say who in their right mind would ever fight against God. We all do, and I think its right to say, “we’re not in our right mind when we do it.”
Let’s look at some examples of those who got in the ring against God.
JACOB – had a life of manipulating people, God would require something more of Jacob and this produced a struggle. The manipulator faces off with God’s messenger – it appears he wins but he is left with a limp for the rest of his life as a reminder that walking in God’s ways is best.
Genesis 32: 24-30
24 This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break.
--
25 When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket.
--
26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
--
27 “What is your name?” the man asked. He replied, “Jacob.”
--
28 “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”
--
29 “Please tell me your name,” Jacob said. “Why do you want to know my name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there.
--
30 Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.”
Maybe you are wrestling with God. He wants to change something about you and you resist him. He wants to give you a new name, why are you fighting him. Drop your gloves and let him have his way.
Another biblical person who fought with God was the Apostle Paul. An opposer of all things Jesus, he would meet Jesus on the Damascus road. He was decked by God on that day and it would take a while for him to recover.
Here’s the play by play of that match:
Acts 9
Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest.
--
2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.
--
3 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him.
--
4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
--
5 “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!
--
6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
--
7 The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one!
--
8 Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus.
--
9 He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.
--
10 Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord!” he replied.
--
11 The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now.
--
12 I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.”
--
13 “But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem!
--
14 And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.”
--
15 But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.
--
16 And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”
--
17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
--
18 Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized.
--
19 Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength. Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days.
--
20 And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!”
Are you going to wait until you are knocked off your high horse before believing? Truth is solid, unmovable and absolute. You cannot change it. You can resist, you can deny but you cannot change truth. Your best bet is to comply, to received, to allow the impact of the truth of Jesus to affect you.
An elder in my first church, Bob Farmer told me his story of conversion. Bob, an intellectual, a high school teacher, spoke of his resistance to the idea of religion and God and Jesus. He didn’t want to believe.
He told of an event he attended where the Gospel was presented. He stood in the back waiting and wanting it to be over. An older man in the gathering who knew Bob was wrestling came up to Bob and shook his shoulders, “let go Bob.”
Bob went forward at an alter call and received Christ. How many people have taken on cultural views resisting Christ, only to push away the One who loves them most. Let go friends, God loves you, stop wrestling with God.
And there are many other stories other than Jacob/Israel and Paul
Adam and Eve
King Saul
King David and his silly census
Jesus disciples
Thomas and Peter especially
Simeon the Sorcerer
Jonah
The entire world in Noah’s day…that didn’t end well
Just a short list of those who decided to get in the ring against the Almighty. And guess how that went for them?
Well actually there are two outcomes:
GOD WINS
YOU WALK AWAY
If God wins, you enter a new life of not opposing God but joining him in helping people find his love and live their best lives.
If you “win”, or “walk away” – you think you won but you are abandoning the One who can advance you, heal you, deliver you, forgive you, use you, prosper you in ways you cannot imagine.
Romans 1
28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.
--
29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.
--
30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents.
--
31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy.
--
32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
Not a pretty outcome for those who fight God and walk away from God forever. We become moral in our own eyes, but we are the ones who define what moral is and end up fooling ourselves.
And another verse in Romans 11 tells us that if we don’t let the nudges of God wake us to faith, he will let us sleep
Romans 11:8
8 As the Scriptures say, “God has put them into a deep sleep. To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not hear.”
God’s love for you is great, but he will not fight you forever.
Genesis 6:3 And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”
As long as there is life there is hope, but a day comes when we stand before God. Such a moment is in all of our future. Do I desire to stand there as his child or as his opponent?
The promises of cooperating instead of fighting God makes all the difference.
He gives us GRACE
1 Peter 5:1 “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
He gives us Victory
1 Corinthians 15:5
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our LORD Jesus Christ.
We become OVERCOMERS
1 John 5:4 For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
Prayer of Faith
“Heavenly Father, I know that I’m a sinner in need of a Savior. I believe that Jesus’ death on the cross is payment for my sins. Lord Jesus I humbly ask for your forgiveness. Come into my life and make me into the person you want me to be. I choose to follow you.”
