CHAMPIONS FOR JESUS
Those of you who are sports fans probably remember the opening monologue to the TV broadcast, “Wide, Wide, World of Sports.” The opening shots depicted professional atheltes of all types. As the footage rolled on, so came those immortal words: “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.”
I guess those words don’t just apply to athletes. They could apply to all of us in general. Life itself seems to be a series of victory and defeat. It has its ups and downs. I suppose the point the ABC network was trying to instill is that no victory lasts forever. All but one, that is. There is a conquest that is eternal. It’s the victory we have in Christ. Today we will briefly explore this victory, as we learn what it means to be CHAMPIONS FOR JESUS 1) In the Victory Parade, and 2) Showered and Ready.
1) In the Victory Parade
I don’t know if many of you remember the last time the Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl, but I do. My wife and I were living in Milwaukee at the time. Mind you, I’ve never been a Packers fan, so I was a little tired of hearing all about the hoopla on the evening news. As much as I tried not to pay attention, one incident stands out in my mind. It was the victory celebration that was held in Green Bay, WI after the Super Bowl. Here it was in the dead of winter. Below zero temperatures, and yet, fans filled up Lambeau Field for a victory ceremony. Later they all filed along the city streets until midnight celebrating with a parade. The players – Brett Farve and Reggie White included – were in an open-air bus, leading the way through the frigid temperatures. The parade went around and around the city with everyone cheering. I thought it was a bit crazy, but the Cheese Heads had something to celebrate. Their team was champion. And that meant they were champions, even if just for a day.
The Holy Spirit takes us to another celebration. And here the apostle Paul is thanking God for the parade of sorts in which he participates. Take a close look at why Paul is celebrating, however. He didn’t win any trophy or Super Bowl ring. Consider his life. He was shipwrecked, beaten and flogged, left for dead, imprisoned, he even had a physical ailment that kept him from doing some of the things he dreamed of. Yet, he isn’t concerned with the procession of his life. He’s concerned that the Corinthians appreciate the parade known as the Gospel Ministry. Notice how Paul describes it. He says that God always leads us in a triumphal procession in Christ. Now, Paul is referring to himself and other ministers of the gospel. Yet, he has each of us in mind as well. We’re all part of this triumphal procession. We have a reason to march through the streets with a smile on our faces. The reason is that Christ leads this procession. Jesus is the reason for our joy.
What’s interesting is that much of the world wonders why we celebrate. Just like people who aren’t Packers fans and wonder why anybody would stand out in below-zero wind chills, so many people in the world look at us and wonder what we have to be happy about. A lot of people might wonder why you’d get up early on Sunday morning, with the threat of a tropical storm approaching, get showered and dressed, and go to some little church. “What are you celebrating?” your neighbor might be wondering.
Could those wondering eyes be right? After all, look around you. How many of us are rich and famous. Are we truly successful according to the world’s standards? Not really. We might seem more like those who suffer the agony of defeat. Many of us are trying hard just to get by. We don’t have any Super bowl rings of our own. We don’t have any trophies in our lives that serve to be our claim to fame. And you see that’s not even the point. We could be champions in the world’s eyes, but that would not be the reason for victory. The celebration is not about us. We’re not the lead-baton in this grand march. We’re part of the triumphal procession in Christ.
If we look at ourselves the procession might not seem all that grand. What are we? We are weak, frail, sinners who so often fail. We don’t seem like champions. And then we look at what we accomplish. Sure, we have our devotions. We say our prayers. We try to share our faith with our little circle of family and friends. Often times we might be led to think that we sure aren’t in triumph. More often our attempts might seem like a series of failures. Remember whose victory parade this is, however. We’re champions for Jesus. He’s made this procession possible. And any work he accomplishes through us is all according to his will and purpose. Also keep in mind that when you leave your home and come to church, you’re not alone. Countless thousands did that today as well. Down through history, millions have learned to pray to God and have wrestled with his Word; growing in their faith and understanding of Christ. We are not alone in this. What seems to be an individual struggle that begins in our living rooms is really a colossal accomplishment because of God’s grace. This victory parade flows right from heaven, into our lives, and to the next.
In fact, this parade began a long time ago. It began with every promise God made in the Bible concerning the Savior. It began with Adam and Eve. It continued down to Noah, to Abraham, to Moses. The victory parade carried on through the streets with all the prophets and apostles. The reason this procession is so wide-spread is because it is so unique. This is Christ’s parade. It celebrates the victory he has won. The empty tomb of Easter morning is the reason for celebration.
2) Showered and Ready
Christ is leading us with his Gospel. He makes us worthy champions. He does so by forcing us to hit the showers. As the apostle says, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.” The truth is we need to hit the showers because everything about us stinks to high heaven. The very fact that we are born into this foul world stinks. The psalmist says, “Surely I was sinful from birth; sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” This world is tainted with sin. Our flesh is born in this world and this corrupts us inside and out. Our thoughts, words, and actions are completely corrupt without Christ. We’re born into this world thinking we’re champions in our own right. We think we ought to be leading our own parades. The sad fact is that our sinful flesh thinks it smells like roses when we’re the farthest things from it.
We are quite arrogant in our thinking. Quite often we’re tempted to go against God’s will. We’re often tempted to praise ourselves for the triumphs in our lives, and all the while, not even to give a second thought to God. Then, suddenly tragedy strikes – a sudden illness, loss of a job, or a death in the family – and all-at-once we want to bargain with God. So we gather up the filth we call a life, and we stumble before God (don’t forget to straighten that crown – we’re the champions of our life!). We go before God with our piles of trash; reeking of selfishness, greed, arrogance, self-pity, jealousy, anger, lack of self-control. We toss our piles of filth in front of God and say, “O.K. God make me feel good. Tell me something I want to hear.”
And what does God do? He refuses to allow that garbage in his house, so he gives us a good scrubbing. First, he makes sure he scrubs behind our ears. The Lord almighty makes sure we listen to him as he points out the sin that covers us. He shows us our wrongs. Then he shows us our hands. He leads us to see how guilty we are; how we have failed to do as God asks. Next God looks at our mouths. What messes we’ve created with our tongues! What hurt and pain we’ve caused with just a word!
Once God points out the need for a shower, he scrubs us clean. Our Lord hoses us down with the blood of his Son and leads us to see that there is hope. Forgiveness is ours. Jesus has paid for our sins. We have been showered in God’s mercy. All those foul attempts to be the champion of our own lives have been washed away. The stench of our selfish egos has been replaced by the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ.
In the apostle Paul’s day, whenever a war-hero would return home, people would burn incense and cover the streets with flowers, the odor of both filling the air. Those who share the gospel are bringing a sweet fragrance to people, the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ. This is what makes us champions for Jesus. We don’t make ourselves champions. God does it for us. He washes away the filth of sin. He showers us and makes us fresh.
After most big sporting events, there’s a press conference with the athletes and coaches of the winning team. A lot of the time, the athletes will hit the showers and get cleaned up before they sit in front of the cameras. After all, who wants to watch someone sweat and pant all over the microphone? It’s not very appealing. It’s better if the athletes clean off the dirt and sweat and get refreshed before they talk.
That’s exactly the approach God takes with his champions. He showers and refreshes us with his abiding love. He gets us ready before he sends us out to share his good news with anybody. That means we don’t have to worry if we are champion material or not. God determines and makes it so by his grace. And he sends us out to share his grace with others.
A young boy was depressed after his little league game. His face hung low as he walked to the locker room. When the coach asked what was wrong, the young boy replied that he was a failure. “I never get to bring in the scoring run,” the boy explained, “I just stand in right field and catch fly-balls. I never get in on double plays or outs at the plate. Just once I’d like to know what its like to be a winner, a real winner.” To which the coach replied, “But you play right field. That’s what makes you part of the team.”
Sometimes we might feel down and depressed, thinking we don’t really matter go God. There’s no need to think that way, though. You are a champion for Jesus. You’re not a loser. Christ has made you his own. You are part of his triumphal procession. You’ve been showered in God’s grace and made clean. God has made you a worthy champion. Whether we play right field or shortstop, God has made us equal champions on his team.
That means we have a reason to celebrate. The true thrill of victory is ours now and forever. And it’s ours to share. Amen.
