The God Of The Game Plan

Bunbury

Sun pm

1/08/10

NOTE: For my American brethren that might read this, this sermon is based on the football game we play in Australia, a unique game to our nation & if you ask any Aussie, the only 'real' game of football in the world! But I'm sure you can draw the similarities between American football or soccer.

“The God of the game plan”

Intro: It’s only a few weeks now & we’ll be facing another national grand final football game.

Already the whole country is in the grip of football fever...... you can hardly turn on the radio w/o hearing some kind of football commentary.

Games are quite often sold out months in advance & scalpers are already planning on making big $$$ selling tickets to a sold out grand final.

One of things that intrigues me about the modern game of our AFL football – that is the game plan i/s.

It seemed as though years ago when we kids the idea was .....get a hold of the football & kick it!

Hopefully in the right direction!!!

And if you were lucky you might kick a goal & be the hero of the moment.

But in modern day professional football there is far more strategy involved that merely getting a hold of the ball & kicking it.

Players command big salaries, train full time .... coaches know that new contracts depend on how many games they win.

Everything in football revolves around a ‘game plan’ .... & often it’s not just the best team of players that wins but the best overall game plan.

Not just a game plan for a single game ...... but often throughout an entire season.

It’s a setting very similar to this that our text is focusing around ...... a game that has to be won!

But more imptly a God who can give us a game plan for winning!

T/n I want to preach a message I’ve titled ‘The God of the game plan’.

Text: Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV) 2looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

# 1. Keep your eyes on the coach.

A. The pict here is a sporting event

a. There is one overriding goal here & that is to win.

i. That needs to be our motivating passion in life – to win!

ii. *** I’ve been to a number of night time AFL matches. I remember the first time I went to the WACA to see a night match – two teams Eagles & Geelong. Thousands of people packed the ground. The crowds had come for one reason .... to see their team win! That’s what draws crowds / makes a game of football so exciting – two teams that are determined to win but in most cases only one team can win.

iii. Vs 1. Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,

b. This is the same atmosphere that is being spoken about in our text ..... it’s the excitement of winning, being the victors.

i. But in this case it’s not just kicking a piece of inflated leather through goal posts.

ii. Something of far greater impt ..... the crowds are cheering on eternal souls that have won the race of life.

iii. Some of them crossing the finish line w/ the flames of hell still licking at their heels.

iv. So our text gives us some good advice for whoever else wants to win.

B. Keep your eyes on the coach!

Vs 2. looking unto Jesus, ........

a. Too many players want to play their own game.

i. They get on the field & all they can see is what they are doing.

ii. When you’re involved in a game it’s easy to narrow your focus so that the only thing you see is what you are doing.

iii. It’s easy to forget that we are an overall part of a God given strategy to win..... forget He’s the coach is on the side lines to direct / guide us to a win.

iv. It’s possible to have a great game of football as a player but lose the game!

# 2. The God of the game plan.

A. If you need a coach in a game – how much more so do we need a coach in life?

a. God’s got an overall game plan for your life.

i. Life can get complicated / tricky / unpredictable ..... things can happen that we aren’t expecting.

ii. The trouble w/ us too much of the time is that we are just letting life happen.

iii. But God’s way is to live our life according to a plan – His plan!!!