LEARNING TO PLAY HURT
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Adapted from a lesson by Wayne B. Smith, Lexington, Ky.
This is part one of a two part series.
TEXT:
John 6:60 THIS IS A HARD SAYING...
John 6:66 From that time many of the disciples went back, and walked no more with Him.
John 6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve: WILL YOU ALSO GO AWAY?
Acts 9:16 FOR I WILL SHOW PAUL HOW GREAT THINGS HE MUST SUFFER FOR MY NAME’S SAKE.
Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
22. But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within shall mourn.
I. A LESSON OF PLAYING IN PAIN FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT.
1. LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF JACOB’S JOURNEY
A. Abraham and Sarah had a son named Isaac.
B. Genesis 24 is beautiful story of the bridal search as the servant Eliezer returns to the home land and finds
Bethuel, Abraham’s brother, Rebekah and her brother Laban.
C.. Eliezer returns home with Rebekah and Isaac and Rebekah marry.
D. Rebekah bears Isaac two sons, Esau the red haired man that was very hairy and loved to hunt, Daddy’s BOY.
E. Jacob is Mommy’s BOY, he loves staying around the house and helping mommy.
F. THE HOME AND FAMILY LIFE IS VERY DYSFUNCTIONAL, and trouble lurks on every hand.
G. Esau sells his blessing for a bowl of lentil soup
2. JACOB HAS ONE MORE MEAL WITH HIS MOTHER AND FATHER.
A. Rebekah helps Jacob fix the last meal at home, and Jacob receives Isaac’s blessing.
B. The dysfunctional home finally falls a part.
Genesis 27:41 AND ESAU HATED JACOB because of the blessing ----
C. ESAU VOWS TO KILL HIS CHEATING, LYING BROTHER!
3. JACOB RUNS FOR HIS LIFE, he will never see his precious Mom or Dad again.
A. Jacob runs for his life, and HAS AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD.
B. Jacob sleeps and sees a LADDER WHERE ANGELS ARE ASCENDING AND DESCENDING TO HEAVEN.
C. Jacob travels to Haran and meets his UNCLE LABAN.
D. Jacob loves RACHEL, and is cheated and marries LEAH.
E. Jacob is cheated 7 times.
4. MANY YEARS HAVE PASSED, IT IS NOW TIME TO RETURN HOME AND FACE ESAU.
A. Jacob had cried many nights THINKING ABOUT HOME.
B. How would Esau accept his brother? What changes have happened at home?
Genesis 32:1 And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him!
5. JACOB LEARNED TO PLAY HURT AND GOD CHANGED HIS FUTURE!
Genesis 32: 24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of day.
25. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the
hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
26. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And Jacob said, I will not let thee go, except thou
bless me.
27. And he said, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob, (subplanter, cheater).
28. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power
with God and men, and hast prevailed.
JACOB HAD NOT ALWAYS BEEN FAIR AND KIND TO HIS BROTHER.
AS JACOB RETURNS HOME HE SENDS MANY GIFTS AHEAD OF HIM TO GIVE HIS BROTHER ESAU.
ISRAEL, NOT JACOB, JACOB NEVER FOUGHT IN PAIN, HE RAN...
ISRAEL LEARNED HOW TO PLAY IN PAIN AND HURT!
THE TOUCH OF THE ANGEL WOULD HURT THE REST OF HIS LIFE!
JACOB IS NO LONGER JACOB, THE CHEATER, HE IS A PRINCE WITH POWER WITH GOD!
NOT ONLY DOES HE HAVE POWER WITH GOD, BUT GOD HONORED HIM WITH POWER WITH MEN.
A TESTIMONY OF PLAYING HURT:
Genesis 32:32 Therefore the children of Israel eat not the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow
of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew that shrank.
THE BLESSING CAME AT A COST!
II. HITTING A BRICK WALL? Some of the ideas by Wayne B. Smith, Lexington, Ky.
1. I am told that playing in the National Footfall League is liken unto hitting a brick wall.
The players are trained and conditioned for endless hours, but all NFL players must LEARN TO PLAY HURT!
2. WHY DO PLAYERS PLAY HURT?
A. For the money?
B. For fame?
C. For the love of the game.
3. TOMMY BELL THE GREAT NFL FOOTBALL PLAYER TOLD A STORY ABOUT PLAYING FOOTBALL
AT HENRY CLAY HIGH SCHOOL IN LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY.
Tommy got hurt and came out of the game.
The Coach said, "BELL, WHY DID YOU COME OUT OF THE GAME?"
Tommy replied, " Coach, I think I broke my leg!"
The Coach said, "GET BACK IN THERE UNTIL YOU’RE SURE!"
4. Why do you do it?
One retired player was doing a TV interview FROM A WHEEL CHAIR.
HE PLAYED IN 383 GAMES, HAD 40 SURGERIES;
30 KNEE SURGERIES, 3 SURGERIES ON HIS BACK.
He played with 5 rods in his back.
The report asked: WOULD YOU DO IT OVER AGAIN?
Without any hesitation he answered: "ABSOLUTELY!"
III. THEY PLAY HURT, OR THEY DON’T PLAY!
A. The Lexington Herald Leader (8/1996) penned these words about making it to the Super Bowl.
" Athletes are willing to sacrifice body parts, pills, and needles, biting their lips and throbbing pain becomes
unbearable. Their job is to play regardless. They play hurt or they don’t play."
B. WALTER (JERRY) PAYTON LEARNS TO PLAY HURT.
Walter Jerry Payton played college ball at Columbia Mississippi...
Played 13 seasons (1975 to 1987) as a running back for the Chicago Bears.
Payton set the rushing yard record at 16, 726 yards, total yards made 21, 803,
touchdowns scored 110,
10 times Payton had a 1,000 yard season, a single game record in 1977 at 275 yards.
C. JOE NAMATH, Broadway Joe
Played college football at University of Alabama, played for the New York Jets.
Joe should not have even played in the game, his knees were in such bad shape that walking on
to the field hurt.
1969 lead the NY Jets to a surprising upset Super Bowl victory.
IV. PLAYING HURT AND MUSIC.
A. I have played the guitar many years. I have played music in many states and several countries.
I own some beautiful guitars, I travel weekly playing in many places. Music has opened many doors for me.
As I was learning to play, I practiced until my fingers would hurt so bad, I wanted to quit playing when the pain started. To accomplish the ability to play, I had to overcome the pain.
One Watch Night service I played the Bass Fiddle until all my fingers, all ten, were blistered,
I wanted to quit playing, but I didn’t. At break I soaked my fingers in ice water, and played more later.
When I was little my Dad would make me play. Dad would make me practice, when I wanted to play
games my Dad made my brother and me practice music.
As I was learning to play my fingers would hurt so bad.
Playing the guitar and hurting fingers are part of playing music. I am so thankful that my Dad could
see down the road enough to make me practice and play.
B. I have had many people come up to me and say: I WOULD PAY $1,000.00 TO PLAY LIKE THAT!
I reply, IT COST MORE THAN A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO PLAY GOOD MUSIC.
YOU HAVE TO PRACTICE AND PLAY UNTIL IT HURTS!
C. I played music at my Mom’s wake and at her funeral, 3 days I played with my family and friends.
Sure it hurt, I broke a blood vessel in my wrist, but this is what my Dad asked and my Mom wanted!
I owed them a debt of love! I played hurt!
D. This week I played Sunday in our two worship services and at our county jail, Tuesday I traveled two hours from home to play, Wednesday at church, Thursday at the resthome, Friday at a Bed and Breakfast, and Saturday at another rest home.
Still at times my fingers hurt, but today I play anyway.
I understand discipline pushes and achieves more than I can develop.
E. For this reason I taught my sons to play, it is not always fun, it is not always easy. I have spent a big part of my budget on guitars, amps, strings and a greater effort in practice and development of my talents.
WITH ORDINARY TALENT AND EXTRAORDINARY PERSEVERANCE ALL THINGS CAN BE ACHIEVED.
DO NOT HIDE BEHIND THE EXCUSE THIS HURTS! OF COURSE IT DOES! BUT LOVE PLAYS WHEN
IT HURTS!
V. SHALL I KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR YOU? FRED ARBANAS STORY!
Tommy Bell was a super college and a NFL player. When Tommy Bell retired from the NFL as a player,
Tommy became a famous NFL Referee.
At Tommy’s funeral, several thousand people gathered to celebrate Bell’s career.
Wayne B. Smith served Southland Christian Church 40 years as pastor. He was Tommy’s pastor.
Pastor Smith told Tommy Bell’s favorite story.
Tommy Bell was officiating a Super Bowl Game.
The Kansas City Chiefs were playing.
FRED ARBANAS was playing as an END and as he was running down the field FRED was hit so hard his
GLASS EYE BALL POPPED OUT AND ROLLED DOWN THE FIELD.
THE GAME STOPPED AND NATIONAL TELEVISION CAMERAS FOCUSED ON FRED.
No one knew Fred had a glass eye.
Fred picked up his glass eyes, washed it off, and put it back in the socket.
Referee Tommy Bell went out to Fred and said:
" Fred, I just don’t believe this. I mean, you know, you’ve got one eye.
You’re livelihood, your security, your profession, your future, everything depends on your eye sight.
You have already lost one of your eyes. What would you do if you lost your other eye?"
Fred Arbanas reply: I GUESS I WOULD BECOME AN OFFICIAL LIKE YOU, MR. BELL.
VI. SHOULD I STAY IN THE GAME? LIFE IS DISCOURAGING. PAIN GROWS, ARE YOU GOING TO KEEP
PLAYING. OR ARE WE GOING TO QUIT?
Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
22. But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within shall mourn.
A. NOTHING CREATES MORE DEEP SEATED ANXIETIES THAN THE FALSE ASSUMPTION THAT LIFE SHOULD
BE FREE FROM ANXIETIES.
B. THE GREATEST GIFTS OF GOD ARE GIVEN IN THE CRUCIBLE, AND FEW GIVE THANKS!
C. HARDSHIPS OF LIFE ARE NOT SENT BY AN UNKIND DESTINY, BUT BY A GOD TO CHALLENGE!
D. GOD HAD A SINLESS SON, BUT GOD’S SON WAS NOT WITHOUT SORROW.
E. 2000 PASTORS LEAVE THE MINISTRY A MONTH.
1300 ARE FIRED OR ASKED TO LEAVE. Divorce in the parsonage is up 65% in 10 years.
The average tenure for an evangelical pastor is 18 months to 3 years.
F. MAN WALKS IN A SAD STATE WHEN HE IS SO NEAR SIGHTED THAT HE CANNOT SEE ETERNITY!
G. AS BLOSSOM GOES BEFORE THE FRUIT, SO MUST FAITH GO BEFORE THE ANSWER.
H. Life is full of strange twist, discouragement, trials, scars, pain, suffering.
I. SUFFERING IS INEVITABLE, MISERY IS OPTIONAL.
Courage does not always roar loudly. Sometimes real courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day
that says, I WILL TRY AGAIN TOMORROW!
J. From the Whitehouse to the kitchen, from the Big League to Little League, from the office to the ditches, from the rich to the poor, from the youth to the old, we are pressed on every hand!
K. How can I avoid trials, tests, discouragement?
THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY OUT OF TROUBLE --- DEATH!
L. DEPRESSION, WRONG CHOICES, MISUNDERSTANDINGS, OFFENDED, HURT AND DYING?
Mistreated, vicious rumors, sickness, pain, WHAT WILL WE DO? Will we stay in the game?
Will we quit?
THIS IS PART ONE OF A TWO PART SERIES.
His servant,
Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Will you join my team and pass this on to another?
