True Champions

Title: True Champions

Pastor Glenn Newton

Date: Jan. 26, 2003

PHP 3:7 “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

PHP 3:12 “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Phil 3:7-14 (NIV)

It there is such thing as a Superbowl Sunday Passage of Scripture...... Paul’s writing to the the Philippians in our passage today would definitely qualify. I don’t know about you but I love to read the Apostle Paul’s writings because one thing you realize before reading too long is that He is Passionate about Jesus...... Paul is a True Champion of the Faith.

Our Mission Statement for New Hope is under construction right now by our Refocus Team, and one of the ideas that we are wanting to incorporate into our statement is that we are a Church that is building Champions of Faith...... Men and Women, Teenagers, boys and girls who not only know what they believe, but they champion it’s cause.

When I think of a Champion I think of someone, or a team who has been tested by the battles, they have made it through the good times and the down times, they have persevered, as Paul tells us, they have pressed onward toward the goal, they have finished the race. Champions Never Quit.

This morning I want to talk to you about 3 Characteristics of a Champion....... These Characteristics are universal, they can be found in the Superbowl winner..... or they can be found in our Christian Lives as we Champion the Cause of Christ. My question to you is simple, “Will you be a Champion of Faith?”

This morning we could come up with many Characteristics of a Champion, but I am going to just 3 with you this morning.

First, There is a Commitment to Excellence.

If you were to walk into one of our Super Bowl Teams Locker Rooms, or any of their meeting rooms, you would notice a slogan, a statement that is printed on the walls, it’s printed on everything they hand out to their team, it’s a way of doing business, it’s part of their mission statement, do you know what that slogan says?

Commitment to Excellence.

Great Teams understand this Commitment, they understand you can’t do things like everyone else and expect to become a Champion, there has to be a commitment to go farther in every area.

The Apostle Paul understands this Commitment to Excellence. What I’m going to tell you about the Apostle Paul is very important for us to hear today in the church.

The apostle Paul in his early life as a member of the Jewish Ruling Council, he was committed to Excellence, but the problem was he was committed to the wrong thing.

Listen to the Key this morning: The Apostle Paul early in his life was committed to His Religion, not to Jesus, and my friends that makes all the difference in the world. The apostle Paul was committed to keeping the Law, he was committed to church attendance, to paying his tithe, he was committed to his Religion 100%, in fact he tells us that noone kept the Law more strictly than he did...... but my friends he found out a very important truth that we need to hear today......

Our Commitment is to be to Jesus Christ as our Personal Savior, a Commitment to know Him, a Commitment to serve Him, to grow in our knowledge of who He is.... and from this commitment to Jesus will flow our passion for the church.

I know allot of people who put the weight of their Commitment onto the church, thinking that what they are doing is the right thing, but their relationship with Jesus is not the number one priority in their life, and guess what? They will get very discouraged with the church, with the pastor, with other people, do you know why? Because the church by itself won’t satisfy your spiritual need. Only Jesus Christ through a personal, ever growing relationship can meet that need.