Hard Things

It’s hard to not be discouraged when I’m confused by others who seem to have turned away from Christ.  

It’s hard to not be discouraged when I do stupid things that probably make others think I have turned away from Christ.  

I want to be an encourager, but it often feels so fake to encourage someone else when I am terribly discouraged myself.  

Honesty and transparency are such difficult principles to truly live by.

Notes from tonight’s teaching…

I was privileged to teach Bible study tonight at church…

I don’t score myself very well on delivery - maybe a 3 out of 5.  It’s not expository, but hey, I’m not a preacher, either, so there :)  Some of it didn’t get used due to various spur of the moment decisions.

INTRO VERSE - 1 Timothy 4:8 - For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

Quick examples of sports in the Bible as teaching tools…

• 1 Cor 9:24 - “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.”
• Hebrews 12:1 - “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”

LESSONS IN CHRISTIAN LIVING from a FOOTBALL TEAM

1. Football is a CONTACT SPORT.
   
   • People get hit. 
     
   • People get hurt. 
     
   • The opposing team is not considerate of your well being. 
     
   • There are loud, noisy collisions. 
     
   • There is fear. 
     
   • You must touch other people. 
     
   • You will get dirty. 
     
   • You will get muddy. 
     
   • You will play in the rain. 
     
   • You will play in the snow. 
     
   • You will play when you are hurting. 
     
   • You must get up and hit again when you have been knocked down.
     
     

   Matthew 22:9 indicates that we should “Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.“ 
   1 Peter 5:8 warns us to beware “your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”.
   Ephesians 6:11-17 tells us to WEAR OUR UNIFORM!!!!  “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:“
   
   

2. Football is HARD.
   
   • You will have to learn new skills. 
     
   • You will have to learn how to exercise so that you can continue to improve. 
     
   • You must learn how to run efficiently. 
     
   • You must learn how to defend, and you must learn how to attack. 
     
   • You must memorize plays. 
     
   • You must learn to predict what your teammates will do in any given situation. 
     
   • You must learn to predict what your opponent will do in a given situation. 
     
   • You must be, quite literally, obsessed with football in order to do well.  The slackers are quickly apparent.  Those who just want to have fun soon fade by the wayside.  The one who thinks he’s Super Bowl material just because he dresses like Randy Moss will quickly be weeded out.
   • The one who would rather be doing something else will probably make the choice to do, well, something else.
     

   ***Noah Heatherly bear hunting story here***
   
   2 Timothy 2:3-4 warns us - “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
   In Mark 8:34-35, Jesus makes it clear - “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.“
   1 Peter 4:12 tells us “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: “
   1 Timothy 6:11-12 is a great reminder to “fight the good fight”.  “But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”
   
   
   

3. Football takes PRACTICE.
   
   • You will not get it right the first time. 
     
   • You will make silly mistakes in your first games. 
     
   • You will possibly tackle your own player. 
     
   • You may fumble the ball. 
     
   • You may let your quarterback get hit. 
     
   • You may slip and fall in the mud. 
     
   • But you will be back on Monday for practice because you are determined to improve. 
     
   • You are determined to win. 
     
   • You are determined to be the best that you can be, and you realize that you will not improve by sitting at home watching re-runs of last year’s NFL draft. 
     
     

   2 Peter 3:18 talks about “growing in grace”. 
   James 2:14-18 - “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. “ How does this apply?  Simple - if we really BELIEVE in what we’re doing, we’ll do it with all our might!  We’ll practice and we’ll keep putting forth our best effort to WIN! 
   1 Peter 2:1-2 - “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:“  GROW GROW GROW!!! Dig in the Word (2 Tim 2:15 “Study to show thyself approved”)!  And PRACTICE!  Don’t just listen to the coach telling you how to do it - DO IT!
   
   

4. Football is IMPOSSIBLE ALONE.
   
   • 22 men on the field at all times. 
     
   • Normally 22 to 50 others watching, sometimes more in professional leagues, waiting their turn. 
     
   • Studying the game.  Ready to perform when needed. 
     
   • There are offensive squads, defensive squads, kicking teams, punt return teams, field goal teams - you name it.
   • They’ve all practiced and they are ready to play.  They show up EXCITED!
     
   • Some may be hurt, but there are others ready to take their place for the good of the team.
     
   • NONE of them can play a one man game.  They may try, but they will fail.
   • You can wear the uniform when you’re alone.  But you’ll never win the game without those other 10 guys.  You’ll just be a football player, and it takes a team to succeed. 
     

   
   Hebrews 13:15 and Psalm 95:6 reference the concept of “us” worshipping.  Not “me”.  Not “you”.  US. 
   Hebrews 10:25 says “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”  HOWEVER, many people completely miss verse 24… “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:”  THERE’S EVEN A NEED FOR CHEERLEADING!!!
   1 Peter 3:8 tells us to “be of one mind”.  A team that doesn’t have good focus is a losing team. 
   1 Corinthians 1:10 reminds us “ that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”
   1 Corinthians 12:12-14 - Every team member has a different job to do (Daryl’s teaching from August 6).  Even though we are of one mind, we still have different duties.
   1 Corinthians 4:9 calls us “laborers together.” 
   
   

5. AT THE CENTER of all this is our introductory verse, with this paraphrase - “Football profits little, but godliness is eternally worthwhile.”  Is Christianity a game?  No, not by any means.  Is it all up to us to win the battle, leaving Christ out?  No, the farthest thing from it.  The power to live the Christian life comes only from Christ.  However, he clearly calls us to be willing to be involved, do hard things, continually work to improve, and to do it together.  Be challenged. 
   
   

One Word

“One word from the mouth of God, and galaxies come into being.” - John Piper

Wow.  (I’m not sure it’s technically true, since God spoke multiple words during creation, but the power of the Word of God is still worthy of mention).

Too Slow

“I don’t like you.  You’re slow.” - one six year old football player to another.

Sometimes we Christians treat each other in a very similar fashion.

Ouch.