PLAYING HURT
I Peter 4:12-16
INTRO..- ILL.-A college football coach walked into the locker room before a game, looked over to his star player and said, “I’m not supposed to let you play since you failed math, but we need you in this game. So, what I have to do is ask you a math question and if you get it right, you can play.”
The player agreed, and the coach looked into his eyes intently and asked him, “Ok, now concentrate hard and tell me the answer to this question. What is two plus two?”
The player thought for a moment and then he answered, “It’s four.” “Did you say four?” the coach exclaimed in pleasure.
At that, all the other players on the team began screaming, “COME ON COACH, GIVE HIM ANOTHER CHANCE!”
It’s Super Sunday! And for all football fans, that means Super Bowl Sunday! But for the Christian, every Sunday should be Super Sunday and that’s because of the One we assemble to remember and honor! The Lord Jesus Christ!
Why all this excitement about football and football players? What’s going on? Has football become our national pastime? Could be. Or has football become a god to us? For some, it has.
ILL.- I read an article just the other day entitled, “Addicted to Baseball.” (Or it could be football or any other sport). The author Mary Roach wrote, “According to the book NOT NOW, HONEY, I’M WATCHING THE GAME, my husband is addicted to baseball. I, in turn, am addicted to my husband, Ed. This means that 5 or 6 times a year I accompany him to the ballpark, though I care nothing about the San Francisco Giants and understand few subtleties of the game. I would love it if my husband were addicted to me rather than to Dusty Baker and his merry spitting men... “ Ouch! Sound familiar?
Any sport can become addictive and idolatrous. Now the other side of the coin is this.
I Corinthians 10:31 Paul said, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
I believe in this verse very much. We should try to glorify God in everything we do, including the sports we enjoy watching on TV or participate in. And I believe that we can honor and glorify the Lord in them!
ILL.- Many people have seen the popular movie CHARIOTS OF FIRE of 1981 which received the “Best Picture” Oscar. It was said that Eric Liddell trained for months with the idea of winning the 100 yard footrace at the 1924 Olympics. Many sportswriters predicted that he would win. He had already won the 100 and 220-yard races in Scotland, England and Ireland. He joined the British team for the 1924 Olympics in Paris.
When Liddell learned that the qualifying heats for the 100 yard dash were on Sunday, he dropped out of this, his best event. He believed he could not honor the Lord by running on Sunday. His fans were stunned by his refusal to run. Some who had praised him, now called him a fool. BUT ERIC LIDDELL STOOD FIRM.
Liddell entered the 400 yard dash but instead of participating in the heats, he preached a sermon at a Paris church. The 400 was not what he had trained for, but he ran anyway. He finished the race 5 yards ahead of his nearest competitor and set a new world record of 47.6 seconds! That was a victory that he attributed to the Lord.
Following the Olympics in 1924, Eric Liddell went to the mission field in China. Dr. David Michell who knew Eric Liddell after he was captured by the Japanese and put in their prison camp, said of him, “None of us will ever forget this man who was totally committed to putting God first, a man whose humble life combined muscular Christianity with radiant godliness.
“What was his secret? He unreservedly committed his life to Jesus Christ as His Savior and Lord. That friendship meant everything to him. By the flickering light of a peanut-oil lamp early each morning he and a roommate in the men’s cramped dormitory studied the Bible and talked with God for an hour every day.
“As a Christian Eric Liddell’s desire was to know God more deeply, and as a missionary, to make Him known more fully.”
Brethren, you just have to admire a man like Eric Liddell. A man who stood strong in his faith in Christ in spite of being an Olympic champion runner and in spite of being imprisoned during WW II.
Matthew 6:33 Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteous....”
If we put the Lord Jesus first in our lives then He will be first on the Lord’s Day! And that’s exactly what Eric Liddell did!
What about watching the Superbowl on TV? Obviously, there is nothing wrong with that. And it’s one of the biggest, if not the biggest sporting event ever on TV! It’s party time for many people. Although I wish people would learn to party without drinking! Drinking dulls the senses. It makes one numb and dumb. And if you don’t believe me, read Proverbs 20:1, 23:29-35. But that’s another subject.
One thing is sure about football: IF YOU ARE GOING TO PLAY THE GAME YOU ARE GOING TO GET HURT! Football is not for whimps! And neither is life! Both will beat you up and bruise you. But you don’t have to let them beat you down to nothing and overcome you.
PROP.- In this message I want to talk about playing the game even though you are hurt. Playing hurt.
1- You’re in the game - Don’t hide.
2- You’re surrounded by others - Be a team player.
3- You’re going to get hurt - Play the game anyway.
I. YOU’RE IN THE GAME - DON’T HIDE
Many people want to run away and hide when life treats them badly.
ILL.- A telemarketer called a home one day, and a small voice whispered, “Hello?”
“Hello! What’s your name?”
Still whispering, he said, “Jimmy.”
“How old are you, Jimmy?”
“Four.”
“Good. Is your mother home?”
“Yes, but she’s busy.”
“Okay, is your father home?”
“He’s busy too.”
“I see. Who else is there?”
“The Police.”
“The Police? May I speak with one of them?”
“They’re busy.”
“Any other grownups there?”
“Yes, the firemen.”
“May I speak with a fireman?”
“They’re busy too.”
“Jimmy, you have all those people in your house and I can’t talk with any of them? WHAT ARE THEY
DOING?”
“They’re looking for me!”
I bet little Jimmy was in trouble. If he wasn’t, he was certainly going to be in big trouble! He was trying to hide from his parents. No telling what he did.
ILL.- Joe Louis was the world heavyweight boxing champ from 1937 until he retired in 1949. In 1946 he was preparing for his title defense against a skilled fighter named Billy Conn. Louis was warned to watch out for Conn’s great speed and ability to move out of his opponent’s range.
In a famous display of confidence, Louis replied, “HE CAN RUN, BUT HE CAN’T HIDE.”
Some people try to do both because of life’s trials and difficulties. They try to run away and hide.
Jonah 1:1-2 “The word of the Lord came to Jonah...’Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it...’ BUT JONAH RAN AWAY FROM THE LORD... He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard...”
Jonah 1:5b “But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.”
Jonah tried to run away from his troubles. Or what he considered would be a lot of trouble. PREACHING IS A TROUBLESOME JOB, JUST IN CASE YOU DIDN’T REALIZE IT! Of course, that may depend on where God decides to send a preacher. But basically, no matter where you live, people have problems and preachers have to deal with some of those problems. BUT THAT’S WHY I’M HERE.
And If I can help you deal with something you’re facing, please let me. I CARE ABOUT YOU! People have cared about me and have helped me. And I want to share that comfort and care! Please let me help you!
But old Jonah didn’t care about the Ninevites. In fact, he was a racist. He hated them. He wanted God to destroy them. He didn’t want to help them and preach to them with the hope that they might repent of their sins and be saved. SO WHAT DID JONAH DO?
Jonah ran away. Hid on a ship. And then he went and hid below deck. He was so depressed that all he wanted to do was sleep. That’s what many depressed people do. And that’s what life causes many people to do. However, too much sleep makes a person only more depressed. DON’T DO IT!
Don’t try sleeping your problems away nor sleeping your life away. Some sleep is necessary. At least, that’s what they tell me, but too much is not good for you.
Please don’t try to run away or hide from life! Please don’t keep to yourself, thinking, “If I just stay away from people, life will get better, life will be better, because people hurt you.”
ILL.- Many years ago, in Missouri I bedded down a hitchhiker in our church building next to the parsonage. He was walking through town and had no place to stay. And it was winter, cold and snowy. After I turned up the heat in the church and fixed a place where he sleep for the night, I took time to visit with the man.
He wasn’t much of a talker. In fact, I discovered he was a true loner. Basically, he didn’t want anything to do with anybody. He had been walking back and forth, across the United States for over 20 years. He lived and slept in ditches, abandoned cars or whatever he could find. AND THAT’S HOW HE LIVED. THAT WAS HIS LIFE! And what a miserable life it was!
I tried to befriend him and witness to him. I tried to show him that people could be nice, warm, friendly and helpful. But sad to say, I think he continued his nomadic way of life. He lived something of a miserable life, with no friends and no family to love him. How sad!
Brethren, I know that life can be pretty tough and sometimes, downright miserable! But, please, don’t withdraw from society. Don’t hide from people who truly care about you and love you. And there are those kind of people.
II. YOU’RE SURROUNDED BY OTHERS - BE A TEAM PLAYER
Phil. 2:4 “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
We’re not in this life by ourselves. We are surrounded by family and friends. Consequently, we should be team players. We should consider others, look out for the interests of others.
ILL.- A man by the name of James Edwards tells this story on himself. He said, “While leading a college study tour to the Middle East, I was hiking up Mt. Sinai in the darkness before dawn in order to be on the summit at sunrise. The hike up the 7,500-foot Mt. Sinai is tame in comparison to Mt. Everest.
“As my students and I neared the top of Mt. Sinai we were passed by two Bedouins carrying a man down the mountain. The man was unconscious. His sporadic breathing, rattling and gurgling indicated he was in critical condition. He was, I suspected, suffering from pulmonary edema, which is fatal unless the climber affected is taken rapidly to a lower altitude.
“For a brief moment I considered halting my ascent and helping the Bedouins carry the man down the mountain. But my desire to make it to the top checked my impulse. Without further thought, I gave one of the Bedouins my flashlight and continued upward. ‘They seem to be doing all right by themselves,’ I assured my uneasy conscience.
“The sunrise from the summit was glorious, but it was overshadowed by what transpired on the way down. Not far below the place where we passed the Bedouins, a figure draped with a blanket was lying on the ground. Two shoes protruded from under the blanket.
“The man carried by the Bedouins was dead. Whether he died while being carried down, or was put down and died, I do not know. I do know, however, that every step down the mountain smote my conscience.”
Brethren, that man was convicted! He was both guilty and guilt-ridden! Have you been there and done that? I mean, have you ever passed by someone needing help and then later felt guilty for not helping them? WHO HASN’T DONE THIS SORT OF THING?
James 4:17 “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”
We’re all guilty of failing to show interest in others, to do good things for others, to watch out more for ourselves than others.
ILL.- Actress Shirley McClaine once said, “The most pleasurable journey you take is through yourself. The only sustaining love involvement is with yourself...”
Huh? Is she crazy or what? We are not to be in love with ourselves to the point of not caring for others! GOD DIDN’T PUT US HERE TO LIVE FOR SELF!
But that’s what we do so much of the time. It’s my wants, my desires, my wishes, my plans that often come first in life.
I hear a lot of talk these days about, “I am doing this for myself. I am helping myself. I must take time for myself.” WHATEVER HAPPENED TO TAKING TIME FOR OTHERS? Whatever happened to caring for others?
Galatians 5:13 “Do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; RATHER SERVE ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE.”
Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:9-10 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Scripture talks and scripture is very clear about being considerate of others! Is it talking to you? IS GOD TALKING TO YOU?
You’re surrounded by people - be a team player. Consider others. Help others. Care for others.
ILL.- One time on “The Merv Griffin Show” the guest was a body builder. During the interview Merv asked him, “Why do you develop those particular muscles?” The man stepped forward, flexed his muscles and the audience applauded.
Merv asked again, “What do you use all those muscles for?” And again, the man flexed his muscles. Merv Griffin persisted, “But what do you use those muscles for?” AND THE MAN DIDN’T HAVE AN ANSWER. He didn’t have a clue!
And neither do a lot of other people in our world today. God gave us muscles and money, brains and bank accounts, cars and cash to help people. To minister to people. To care for people.
I Peter 4:10 “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others (help others), faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”
ILL.- One cold winter day a crowd of people stood in front of a pet shop window and watched a litter of puppies snuggling up to each other. One woman laughed and said, “What a delightful picture of brotherhood! Look at how those puppies are keeping each other warm!”
A man next to her said, “No, ma’am, they’re not keeping each other warm - THEY’RE KEEPING THEMSELVES WARM.”
There are two ways to think of this story but I prefer this way: WHEN YOU SEEK TO KEEP OTHERS WARM, YOU WILL KEEP YOURSELF WARM.
Proverbs 11:17 “A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.” Or a selfish man brings trouble on himself.
You’re surrounded by others - be a team player.
III. YOU’RE GOING TO GET HURT - PLAY THE GAME ANYWAY
If you play the game of football, chances are, you are going to get hurt at some time or other. In fact, in most sports you will get hurt in some form or another. AND THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS NO DIFFERENT.
I Peter 4:12 “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.”
ILL.- On April 15, 1998, I went into the St. Francis Medical Center at Cape Girardeau, MO, to have my right hip replaced. Before they wheeled me into the operating room I remember saying goodbye to Shane and Elaine. The next thing I remember was they were shoving me into my bed in my room. And I was making noises like, “Agghh! Oooh!”
And I thought, “Hey! What is this? This is not supposed to hurt like this.” NO, ON THE CONTRARY, SOME THINGS ARE SUPPOSED TO HURT. Like having surgery. Like getting drilled by the dentist. Or like having the chiropractor pop your neck and back. Like playing football. Or like living life. And even the Christian life.
ILL.- I have read that the greatest football team ever assembled was the University of Sewanee, TN. That squad of 1899 played 5 games in 6 days against some of the most powerful teams in the country. They traveled by horse and wagon some 2,300 miles and won every game by shutout!
They played against Texas University and beat them 12-0. Next they beat Texas A & M, 32-0. Then it was Tulane University 23-0. Then Louisiana State, 34-0. And finally, Memphis, 12-0.
You know that some of those men were hurting during those games, BUT THEY PLAYED THE GAME ANYWAY!
When you play the game you are going to get hurt, but you have to play the game anyway. No matter who you are or what you do for a living and no matter how much money you have, you are going to get hurt. But you have to keep on playing the game.
ILL.- My Hermano Ruben Casas wrote me again. Who? What? Hermano. I pronounce this one way and Elaine pronounces it another way. Let’s take a vote on who you think is right.
My Brother Ruben Casas in East Los Angeles, CA, game me permission to share his story with you.
“I was born in a small village state of Nayarit, on the west coast of Mexico, between Guadalajara and Mazatlan. I am the oldest of five brothers. My mother passed away a week after my youngest brother was born. He also died five days later. My father took us to live with our paternal grandparents. He remarried seven months later. His new wife did not want to deal with us, so my father left my two younger brothers with my grandmother, my other brother went to live with a cousin and I went to live with an uncle. I was seven years old at that time.
“I only did three years of elementary school because there were no other grades offered in the small village school at that time. I lived a life of misery and scarcity. There were many nights when I went to sleep on the floor with an empty stomach. My first pair of shoes were used, and most of the time I went with ‘huaraches’, a special sandal widely used by the peasants of that region of Mexico.
“Poverty was our way of life. We worked extremely hard for long hours. I remember waking up at five in the morning to help my aunt grind corn to make ‘tortillas’, a special form of bread. Then I went to school. When I turned nine, work in the fields was very hard, and almost no pay at all.
“My first contact with the Gospel of Christ was in 1966, when I was eleven years old. American missionaries from the Baptist tradition took the Good News to us there in Nayarit Mexico. I used to visit their humble one room church. Classes for children on Sundays were held under the shade of neighboring trees. I gave my life to Christ on Sunday, September 1, 1974.
“That day tragedy struck our family. My paternal grandmother and my uncle, the one I lived with, were both killed by a drunkard. That night I was in a youth gathering in church. We heard a series of five gunshots, then two minutes later we heard another four gunshots. My uncle’s house was only about 50 meters away from my grandparents house. Someone came into the small church yelling that my grandmother was dead. We left the service.
“I was one of the first ones to arrive. I saw my grandmother on the ground. Blood was all over the room. One of my younger brothers told us that he saw the fire coming from the gun. He was outside the room at the time getting some ‘chiles’ from a plant in the rear of the house. He said he heard screams and came back, but did not go in the house. He peeked through the door, and that is when he saw the gunman shooting.
“By the time I arrived at the house, my grandmother was already dead. I ran toward my uncle’s house to let him know about what had occurred. Another group of persons was coming towards my grandparents house to let them know that my uncle had been killed. There, in the middle of the street, around six o’clock, I asked God to take my life away, and to give my grandmother’s and my uncle’s lives back. Nobody needed me, but a lot of people needed them.
“My uncle had six more children ranging from 16 to 1 years old. My grandmother had my two younger brothers, a young uncle, and a girl cousin under her care. I was willing to die so that God would return their lives. Of course God remained silent, or so I thought. Because the visiting preacher heard my cries and went to talk to me.
“I gave my life to Christ that evening. And since then, I have not faltered. God has been faithful and has fulfilled all of His promises.I came to the US eight months later, on may 1975. I came without a visa like many others. To cross the border was such an odyssey. My life was at risk, but it was worth the try. Life back in the village was becoming worse. I wanted to see if I could find work in the US and send some money home.
“My plans were to stay here for a few months. I did not speak a word of English then, but I decided to go to school at night. God showed His goodness to me, and I obtained my Eight Grade Diploma. A few years later I received my High School Diploma from the Wilson-Lincoln Community Adult school. I enrolled in college and earned an Associate Degree. Later I obtained my BA degree in religion.
“Currently I have a Master of Divinity from the American Baptist Seminary of the West. It has been a long road but God has been with me all along. I have not mastered the English language, but I keep trying. My call to the ministry came in 1978 when I was still working for my High School Diploma. I have been ordained by the American Baptist Churches USA. I have only pastored in Iglesia Bautista Emmanuel church, here in the barrio.
“I have had calls to move from the ghetto into other areas, but the Lord has not confirmed in my heart that the time to move on has arrived. So I must continue working here. It is extremely difficult because of all the social evils around us here in El Sereno, as the ‘barrio’ is known. We try very hard to make the church grow so that more resources will be available, but is really difficult. Perhaps we have between adults and children 120 in the main service. Sunday School attendance averages 80.
“I am married and have two boys ages 9 and 6. I waited to get into marriage because I wanted to complete my studies. I turned 45 years old on October, so my children could easily be my grandchildren. God was great to me, and three years ago I became a US citizen.
“Well, it is a long story, but it gives you my background so that you can pray for my family and ministry.
God bless you. Ruben
Quite a story, is it not? Brother Ruben Casas has definitely experienced some pain and anguish, but he’s not giving up playing the game! AND NEITHER SHOULD YOU!
CONCLUSION---------------------------------------
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. FOR MY YOKE IS EASY AND MY BURDEN IS LIGHT.”
ILL.- A Sunday School teacher asked, “Who can tell me what a yoke is?” One little boy said, “A yoke is something they put on the necks of animals.”
Then the teacher asked, “What is the yoke God puts on us?” A little girl responded, “IT IS GOD PUTTING HIS ARMS AROUND OUR NECKS.”
Brethren, we have to play the game even though we get hurt in life. But the beautiful thing about it is....WE DON’T HAVE TO PLAY IT ALONE!
The Lord has promised to be with us, to strengthen us, to give us grace. He will never fail nor forsake us. Give your life to Him!
