Participants:
Series Code: PME
Program Code: PME240907S
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00:02 [ Soft music begins ]
00:05 ♪ 00:14 [ Mid-tempo music begins ] 00:17 ♪ 00:24 [ Singing begins ] 00:27 ♪ 00:35 ♪ 00:43 ♪ 00:51 ♪ 00:59 [ Instrumental music begins ] 01:03 [ Singing resumes ] 01:07 ♪ 01:15 ♪ 01:23 ♪ 01:31 ♪ 01:40 [ Instrumental music begins ] 01:42 ♪ 01:48 ♪ 01:55 [ Singing resumes ] 01:58 ♪ 02:06 ♪ 02:15 ♪ 02:24 ♪ 02:33 [ Instrumental music begins ] 02:35 ♪ 02:43 [ Singing resumes ] 02:46 ♪ 02:52 ♪ 02:59 ♪ 03:05 ♪ 03:12 >> "Is not this the kind of fast 03:14 I have chosen: 03:16 to loose the chains of injustice 03:18 and untie the cords of the yoke, 03:21 to set the oppressed free 03:23 and break every yoke? 03:25 Is it not to share your food 03:27 with the hungry and to provide 03:29 the poor wanderer with 03:30 shelter --when you see the 03:33 naked, to clothe him, 03:34 and not to turn away from 03:36 your own flesh and blood? 03:38 Then, then, your light will 03:41 break forth like the dawn, 03:42 and your healing 03:43 will quickly appear; 03:45 then the glory of the Lord 03:47 will be your rear guard. 03:49 Then you will call, 03:51 and the Lord will answer, 03:53 and you will cry for help, 03:54 and he will say: here am I. 03:58 "If you do away with the yoke 03:59 of oppression, 04:01 with the pointing of finger 04:03 and malicious talk, 04:05 and if you spend yourself 04:07 in behalf of the hungry 04:09 and satisfy the needs 04:10 of the oppressed, 04:12 then your light will shine 04:14 in the darkness, 04:16 and your night will become 04:17 like noonday. 04:19 The Lord will guide you always; 04:22 He will satisfy your needs 04:24 in a sun-scorched land 04:27 and strengthen your frame. 04:30 You'll be like a well-watered 04:31 garden, like a spring 04:35 whose water never fails." 04:38 [ Instrumental music begins ] 04:42 [ Singing begins ] 04:45 ♪ 04:55 ♪ 05:04 ♪ 05:14 ♪ 05:23 ♪ 05:33 ♪ 05:42 ♪ 05:51 ♪ 06:01 ♪ 06:10 ♪ 06:20 ♪ 06:29 ♪ 06:39 ♪ 06:48 ♪ 06:57 ♪ 07:07 ♪ 07:16 ♪ 07:23 ♪ 07:31 ♪ 07:38 ♪ 07:45 ♪ 07:52 ♪ 07:59 ♪ 08:06 ♪ 08:13 [ Inaudible ] 08:18 [ Instrumental music begins ] 08:21 ♪ 08:26 ♪ 08:32 [ Singing begins ] 08:35 ♪ 08:43 ♪ 08:50 ♪ 08:58 ♪ 09:05 ♪ 09:12 ♪ 09:20 ♪ 09:27 ♪ 09:35 [ Instrumental music begins ] 09:37 >> "Do you not know? 09:40 Have you not heard? 09:42 "The Lord is the everlasting 09:44 God, the Creator of 09:46 the ends of the earth. 09:49 He will not grow tired or weary, 09:52 and His understanding 09:54 no one can fathom. 09:57 He gives strength 09:59 to the weary and increases 10:00 the power of the weak. 10:03 Even youths grow tired 10:04 and weary, 10:06 and young men stumble and fall; 10:09 but those who hope in the Lord 10:11 will renew their strength. 10:13 They will soar on wings 10:15 like eagles; 10:19 they will run and 10:21 not grow weary, 10:22 they will walk 10:24 and not be faint." 10:26 [ Instrumental music begins ] 10:29 ♪ 10:35 [ Singing begins ] 10:38 ♪ 10:47 ♪ 10:56 ♪ 11:06 ♪ 11:14 ♪ 11:24 ♪ 11:33 ♪ 11:43 ♪ 11:52 ♪ 12:01 ♪ 12:10 ♪ 12:19 ♪ 12:29 >> Amen. 12:31 >> Amen. 12:33 >> Our text for the Sabbath 12:34 reading today comes from 12:35 the Book of 2 Timothy. 12:37 2 Timothy 4:5-8. 12:42 "But you keep your head in all 12:45 situations, endure hardship, 12:48 do the work of an evangelist, 12:50 discharge all the duties 12:52 of your ministry. 12:54 For I am already being 12:55 poured out like a drink 12:57 offering, and the time for 12:59 my departure is near. 13:02 I have fought the good fight, 13:04 I have finished the race, 13:06 I have kept the faith. 13:08 Now there is in store for me 13:11 the crown of righteousness, 13:13 which the Lord, 13:14 the righteous judge, will 13:16 award to me on that day -- 13:19 but not only me, 13:22 but also to all who have longed 13:26 for his appearing." 13:27 >> Amen. 13:32 >> Anywhere you go in the world, 13:35 doesn't matter where, 13:38 no matter the differences 13:39 that you find in geography, 13:43 income, general culture, 13:47 anywhere that you go, 13:49 you will find on this planet 13:51 at least one thing in common. 13:55 Sports. 13:57 And it's not just now. 14:00 My guess is, if you were 14:01 to be transported back 14:03 to any particular time 14:04 in the last 6,000 years, 14:07 you would probably find people, 14:09 at some point in their day, 14:10 engaging in sports. 14:12 Sports are big. 14:15 How big, you may ask? 14:16 Well, let me just give you 14:17 some statistics here. 14:19 In North America, 14:20 it is estimated that the value 14:22 of the sports market 14:23 is $83.1 billion. 14:27 That's a lot -- you know, 14:28 a billion here, a billion there. 14:29 Pretty soon, you're talking 14:30 about real money, right? 14:31 $83.1 billion. 14:34 If you compare that to the GDP 14:35 of the nearly 200 nations 14:37 on the planet, 14:38 that would make the sports 14:40 market in North America 14:41 roughly the 71st largest, 14:44 in GDP, 14:45 out of 200 or so nations. 14:48 But wait, there's more. 14:50 Combined value 14:51 of all NFL franchises 14:54 and supporting entities. 14:55 So, this is just the 14:56 National Football League, 14:57 not the NBA, NHL, any of that. 14:58 Just the NFL, 14:59 all their franchises 15:00 and supporting entities, 15:02 the value is estimated 15:03 at $163 billion. 15:06 And we look at it and say, 15:07 "Well, wait a second, the total 15:08 market about $83.1 million." 15:10 The first figure there is only 15:12 for direct revenues. 15:14 So, if a stadium 15:17 sells tickets for a team, 15:18 or if a swag -- you know, 15:19 maybe a jersey -- is sold, 15:20 things that are directly 15:21 connected to that 15:23 particular sports team, that's 15:24 what's in the first figure. 15:25 The second one 15:25 is everything else. 15:27 So, $163 billion 15:28 for the NFL franchises 15:30 and supporting entities, 15:31 like the hot dog stand 15:34 at the stadium, the Uber driver 15:36 that drove people back 15:37 and forth to the game. 15:38 The sports host 15:39 that commentates on the game 15:41 and all the sports networks 15:42 that are out there. 15:43 You put all of that together 15:45 that are in some way connected 15:46 and dependent upon the NFL, 15:48 $163 billion in 2023. 15:52 Notice carefully, that means -- 15:54 [Chuckles] 15:55 this is unbelievable -- 15:56 That means that the NFL alone 15:59 generates more money in one year 16:01 than 137 other countries 16:03 on Earth individually 16:04 do with their GDP. 16:06 [ Chuckles ] 16:08 Think that's the 58th largest 16:09 GDP on the planet, just the NFL. 16:13 And let's bring this a little 16:14 closer to home. 16:15 United States families -- 16:17 this is for their children, 16:18 okay? -- U.S. families annually, 16:20 sports-related expenses 16:21 for their children, 16:22 $30 billion to $40 billion. 16:24 That's $30 billion to 40 billion 16:25 of the $83.1 billion. 16:27 You say, "Well, what are they 16:28 spending all that money on?" 16:29 Well, a variety of things. 16:30 Of course, 16:31 you know, bats and balls 16:32 and rackets and soccer balls 16:33 and shoes and cleats 16:34 and all that stuff, 16:35 but the bulk of it goes 16:37 to lessons. 16:39 Lessons to help their child 16:40 become better 16:41 at the particular sport 16:42 that they are engaged in. 16:45 Let's just be honest. 16:47 Sports are so pervasive 16:49 in the world today 16:50 that it doesn't matter 16:51 if you personally are 16:52 an athlete or not. 16:54 Somebody you know 16:56 is directly affected by sports. 16:59 It could be a friend of yours, 17:00 that your child, your 17:01 grandchildren, your 17:02 Belong ministries, 17:03 adopted students 17:04 here at Andrews, you name it. 17:05 We live in a sports nation. 17:12 In fact, so engaging, 17:16 so enthralling, 17:17 so dominating of people's 17:18 attention is the world of sports 17:19 that it's not too much 17:20 of a stretch to say 17:22 that one of the top threats 17:24 to the successful finishing of 17:25 the work of spreading the Gospel 17:27 is fanatical devotion to sports. 17:32 Well, not a single Amen. 17:33 It's going to be a long Sabbath 17:34 here. 17:35 Let's work on that. Yeah. 17:36 So, last Sabbath, we talked 17:38 about this particular banner 17:39 here on the wall -- 17:40 "Forward in faith -- 17:40 Founded in faith, 17:41 forward in mission 17:42 for the finishing of the work." 17:43 And we talked about this 17:45 great need, here at the end 17:46 of time, to finish spreading 17:47 the Gospel to the world, 17:48 that people might know Jesus 17:50 and be saved. 17:51 I cannot tell you 17:52 the number of times 17:54 that I have held an evangelistic 17:56 series or, for instance, 17:57 when I was planting a church 17:59 out in western Washington state, 18:00 the community that we were 18:01 planting that church 18:02 in was fairly affluent, 18:03 and they were absorbed 18:05 with sports. 18:07 Happened over and over again. 18:09 People would sign up -- seekers, 18:10 spiritual seekers. 18:11 They loved what we were doing 18:12 or whatnot, but then we'd have 18:13 a special event. 18:14 Oh, they'd sign up for it, 18:15 and then they'd call or they'd 18:16 text or they'd send an e-mail, 18:17 "Oh, I'm sorry, but my son, 18:19 my daughter, their soccer game 18:20 got rescheduled. 18:21 I can't make it." 18:23 It got so bad that I went down 18:24 to the town office and I said, 18:25 "Can I just have every sports 18:27 schedule that you know of? 18:28 Make some attempt that we 18:30 can schedule around these things 18:31 so that we can do what it is 18:33 that we're here to be doing?" 18:35 And, yes, even on the campuses 18:36 of Adventist schools, 18:39 of all levels, from elementary 18:40 through grad school, 18:41 in the last 30 years of my 18:42 personal pastoral ministry, 18:44 I have had the experience 18:45 multiple times 18:46 of having made spiritual 18:48 progress on Sabbath morning 18:50 and having it all come unraveled 18:52 at a sporting event 18:53 Saturday night. 18:55 And I'll preach on Sabbath 18:57 morning about the love of God 18:58 and community, 18:59 and we're all in this together. 19:00 And then we go to a game 19:01 that night, and people 19:02 end up hating each other 19:03 because one won and one lost. 19:04 And I've got people 19:05 in the stands that are cussing 19:07 each other out, and they're 19:07 my church members. 19:08 Right? 19:10 What is up with that? 19:15 And right now, right now, 19:18 as I'm speaking, 19:21 there are two groups of people 19:23 that are very energized. 19:26 They are excited 19:27 about what I'm about to say. 19:29 One, happily so; 19:31 and the other, not so much. 19:33 The first group, 19:35 the one that believes they are 19:36 happy about what they think 19:37 I'm about to say. 19:38 This group has a picture of God 19:40 that is free from enjoyment. 19:42 [ Light laughter ] 19:45 They are like the boy that 19:47 C.S. Lewis once referred to, 19:48 who said that God is, quote, 19:50 "the sort of person who is 19:51 always snooping around to see 19:53 if anyone is enjoying himself 19:54 and then trying to stop it." 19:58 And because sports do have an 19:59 element of enjoyment about them, 20:01 this first group has thought for 20:02 a long time that sports ought 20:04 to be eliminated completely 20:05 from any venue at all times, 20:07 and they are so excited 20:09 that I'm about to blast sports 20:10 right out of the water. 20:11 In fact, 20:12 they're feeling very competitive 20:13 about that right now. 20:15 [ Laughter ] 20:17 And then there's the second 20:18 group, and they're on 20:20 the other end of the spectrum. 20:22 Some people listening right now 20:23 are in this second group. 20:24 And they are saying 20:25 to themselves, "Oh, no, oh, no, 20:27 oh, no, I can't believe it. 20:28 He's going to speak against 20:30 sports in some conservative rant 20:32 that has no connection with 20:33 the reality of today's world. 20:34 I cannot bear to watch." 20:41 Before I attempt to answer 20:44 either of these groups, 20:47 let it be clear that these 20:48 strong opinions they express 20:49 did not just happen to be, they 20:52 didn't spontaneously generate, 20:53 they didn't occur in a vacuum. 20:55 They are instead the result 20:56 of discussing 20:57 some very important questions. 21:00 Questions whose answers 21:01 affect large sums of money, 21:02 huge chunks of time, 21:04 and the values formation 21:05 of nearly all of our children. 21:07 Questions that have haunted 21:08 Adventist schools for well over 21:10 100 years. 21:12 Questions like this. 21:13 "Should Adventist schools, 21:15 particularly in light of the 21:17 end-times that we live in now, 21:18 should they 21:18 have sports programs? 21:21 Students, should you be 21:23 playing in those sports programs 21:24 if we do have them? 21:26 Can sports programs 21:27 bring glory to God? 21:29 Do they have any place 21:30 in the Christian life?" 21:31 And perhaps most contentiously, 21:33 particularly for Adventists, 21:35 given the deeply negative impact 21:38 most organized sports 21:39 had on Adventist schools 21:41 in the 19th century -- 21:43 you following me here? -- 21:45 and given how much our pioneers 21:47 thus generally opposed them, 21:50 is it even remotely feasible 21:53 that any of us, in school or 21:55 not, should have any part 21:56 in providing our children 21:57 opportunities to play 21:58 in sporting events? 22:05 Well, having carefully studied 22:06 this question, 22:10 I believe I know clearly 22:12 what the answer is. 22:15 The answer is unequivocally... 22:21 maybe. 22:23 [ Light laughter ] 22:24 Maybe. And let me tell you why. 22:29 Turn in your Bibles, please, 22:30 to 1 Corinthians 9:24. 22:32 1 Corinthians 9:24. 22:35 It's on page 772. 22:37 772 in your red pew Bible. 22:39 They're somewhere near you. 772. 22:41 1 Corinthians 9:24 22:44 finds the Apostle Paul 22:45 once again remonstrating 22:47 with the highly unusual 22:50 church plant in Corinth. 22:51 Corinth was a colorful place. 22:53 It was a pastor's nightmare. 22:55 All kinds of things were going 22:55 wrong there, and 22:56 Paul is seeking various ways 22:58 to try to get their attention, 23:00 spiritually speaking. 23:01 And in 1 Corinthians 9 23:03 beginning in verse 24, 23:05 he comes upon what he believes 23:07 will be a memorable analogy 23:10 of the spiritual life. 23:11 Here's what he says. 23:13 "Do you not know 23:15 that in a race --" 23:17 What did he say? In a what? 23:18 In a race. Okay. 23:20 "All the runners run, but only 23:22 one gets the --" what? -- 23:23 "prize." 23:24 Okay, you have a race here. 23:25 There's runners in it. 23:26 They're trying to get the prize. 23:27 "Run in such a way 23:29 as to get the prize." 23:31 Now, is Paul here, you know, 23:32 slipping into cross-country 23:34 coach, giving advice 23:35 to all these church members? 23:36 They need to be 23:36 out on the track. 23:37 Probably not. 23:38 This is spiritual talk here. 23:40 Verse 25, "Everyone 23:41 who competes in the games 23:42 goes into strict training. 23:44 They do it to get a crown 23:45 that will not last, 23:46 but we do it to get a crown 23:48 that will last forever. 23:51 Therefore I do not run like 23:52 a man running aimlessly; 23:53 I do not fight 23:54 like a man beating the air. 23:55 No, I beat my body 23:57 and make it my slave 23:58 so that after I have preached 23:59 to others, I myself 24:01 will not be disqualified 24:03 for the prize." 24:05 Now you tell me, 24:06 what's the prize 24:06 there he's talking 24:08 about at the end? 24:09 Yeah. Eternal life, Jesus. 24:11 You know, this is eternity. 24:12 This is the prize 24:13 that he's looking for, right? 24:14 Now, what Paul is probably 24:16 referring to here 24:17 are the Olympics of his day. 24:19 Maybe there 24:20 are some local events. 24:21 Whatever they were, 24:22 these were sporting events, 24:24 and they were well-known by Paul 24:25 and his audience 24:26 there at Corinth. 24:27 Which leads us to make at least 24:29 two conclusions. 24:30 Conclusion number one, 24:31 sports are not inherently evil. 24:35 You'll never find in the Bible 24:38 where the apostle Paul says, 24:39 "Oh, that everyone would be 24:40 a prostitute. 24:41 Then you will have salvation." 24:42 I mean, why? 24:44 Because prostitution is wrong. 24:46 He never says, you know, 24:47 "Blessed be the murderer, 24:47 for theirs 24:48 is the Kingdom of God." 24:49 Why? Because murdering is wrong. 24:51 Unequivocally. 24:54 But sports are used here. 24:55 There are some people 24:56 who believe that sports 24:57 are inherently evil. 24:59 My Bible tells me otherwise. 25:00 Paul here, in fact, uses it 25:02 to make a spiritual point. 25:05 In fact, that leads us 25:06 to the second conclusion here. 25:07 Sports can be a force for good. 25:10 Again, how do I know? 25:11 Because my Bible tells me so. 25:13 Paul here is taking a literal 25:15 sporting event -- sports -- 25:17 and using it as an object lesson 25:19 for our spiritual life. 25:22 In other words, sports can 25:23 teach us positive 25:25 and even transformative 25:26 spiritual lessons. 25:29 We read earlier -- 25:30 Susan read our Scripture 25:31 reading this morning. 25:31 Same thing. 25:33 "I have run the race, 25:34 I have finished the course." 25:35 Those are sporting events. 25:36 Those are sporting terms. 25:39 Sports can teach us positive 25:40 and even transformative 25:41 spiritual lessons. 25:42 So, full disclosure -- 25:45 I like sports. 25:48 [ Chuckles ] 25:51 Why was there the most amens on 25:53 that point so far this morning? 25:54 What does that mean? 25:55 Yeah, I like sports. 25:57 I have been involved in sports. 25:58 I have played sports 25:59 individually and on teams, 26:00 including varsity teams at the 26:02 high school and college level. 26:03 I played here for the Cardinals. 26:04 I've done this. 26:05 I've played in county leagues 26:06 and church leagues, et cetera, 26:07 et cetera, 26:08 for more than 40 years. 26:09 And I don't 26:11 say that to impress you. 26:13 I say it because sometimes, when 26:14 I hear people talk about sports, 26:17 they don't know a foul ball 26:17 from a free throw. 26:20 I mean, and no offense to them, 26:21 you don't have to be an expert 26:22 on every topic 26:23 in order to make comments on it. 26:24 I've learned good things from 26:26 people that talk about this. 26:27 But I just want you to know 26:28 that I have been there, 26:28 and I've been there 26:29 for more than four decades. 26:30 I have played at various levels. 26:32 Never professionally. 26:32 Don't misunderstand. 26:33 But at 26:34 some decent levels there. 26:36 I've seen a lot of things, 26:37 and I've seen how things 26:38 have gone well, 26:40 spiritually speaking, 26:40 with sports, 26:42 and I've seen how they have gone 26:42 terribly wrong, 26:44 spiritually speaking, 26:46 when it comes to sports. 26:49 So, let me say here at 26:51 the outset, 26:52 I believe that sports can be 26:56 a force for good. 26:59 And I have personally 27:00 experienced sports 27:02 as a force for good in my life. 27:08 But -- 27:11 but... 27:13 corporately, 27:15 as in the wider world of sports, 27:18 both for our nation, 27:19 internationally, and, yes, 27:20 in Adventist schools, 27:21 in my experience, 27:23 sports as a positive force 27:24 for good and for God doesn't 27:27 happen nearly often enough. 27:32 I'm not saying that they can't 27:33 be a force for good and for God. 27:35 I'm simply saying 27:36 it doesn't happen often enough. 27:37 In fact, on the contrary, 27:39 too often, sports 27:40 are downright harmful. 27:42 For instance, let me give you 27:43 several examples here. 27:45 Potential harms of sports. 27:47 Inappropriate physical injury. 27:50 Now, I'm not talking about 27:51 your run-of-the-mill injury. 27:51 You're running 27:52 across a soccer field 27:53 and you hit something, and you 27:54 sprain your ankle. 27:55 I'm not talking about that. 27:56 It's not just that you get 27:57 an injury in sports 27:58 that could be potentially 27:59 harmful in the spiritual ways 28:00 that I'm talking about here. 28:02 There are more people 28:03 that break something 28:04 getting out of the tub. 28:05 How few there are 28:06 who cease to bathe. 28:07 Okay, so we're not talking about 28:09 just because injuries happen. 28:10 I'm talking about inappropriate 28:12 levels of injury. 28:13 So, for instance, overtraining, 28:15 a zealous devotion to sport 28:17 and a goal, and it just 28:18 dominates the person's life. 28:19 Or maybe there's an overbearing 28:20 coach. 28:21 "Come on, we can do this!" 28:22 And they end up overtraining 28:23 the athlete, 28:24 and they end up with limitations 28:26 and physical injuries 28:27 that last them for the rest 28:28 of their lives. 28:30 And by the way, 28:31 we will glorify this. 28:32 We do it every day 28:34 in the United States. 28:36 The National Football League, 28:37 [Chuckles] sad to say, 28:39 the fact of the matter 28:40 is that an NFL player 28:42 has a life expectancy 28:43 that is 20 years less than 28:45 the average population. 28:47 20 years less. 28:48 And the rate 28:49 of traumatic brain injury -- 28:51 I mean, they even gave them 28:52 a new term -- CTEs. 28:53 Maybe you've read about this. 28:54 Their rate of that 28:55 is far greater 28:57 than the general populace, 28:58 and it has a dramatic impact 29:00 on their mental abilities. 29:03 Boxing, mixed martial arts -- 29:05 these tend to be 29:06 just very barbaric sports. 29:08 And they inflict injuries on the 29:10 participants that, frankly, 29:11 Christians really ought to think 29:12 twice before participating. 29:17 Another one -- potential harm. 29:19 Athletes can focus so much 29:21 on developing physical skills 29:22 that spiritual and mental growth 29:24 is stunted or even excluded. 29:27 Now, notice this -- Psalm 103:1. 29:30 'Bless the Lord, O my soul, 29:32 and all that is within me." 29:33 How much within me? 29:34 All, it says. 29:36 With "all that is within me, 29:37 bless His Holy Name." 29:39 In other words, there's not 29:40 to be anything that's left out. 29:42 All of our lives, 29:43 all that we are, to the depths 29:44 of our soul, the mental, 29:46 the spiritual, the physical, 29:47 all of this is to be united 29:49 in praising God. 29:50 All of it is to be focused 29:51 on God, 29:53 including when we play sports. 29:56 Well, here's the thing. 29:57 Too many young athletes 29:59 are way better at sports 30:01 than they are at knowing Jesus. 30:03 And I'm talking about Christians 30:04 here. 30:06 There are too many, uh -- Well, 30:09 let's just put it this way. 30:10 At Andrews University, 30:12 we're all okay. 30:14 But I've heard that at other 30:15 universities, 30:17 there are students who can quote 30:18 you chapter and verse for 30:20 their favorite sports figure. 30:21 I mean, their hero figures. 30:22 They know all about it. 30:23 If they've been playing 30:24 for 10 years, they know 30:25 all the stats from all 10. 30:26 "Oh, you remember that? Oh yeah. 30:28 So-and-so did this and that." 30:29 They can quote chapter and verse 30:30 from that, but they can't find 30:31 John 3:16 in the Bible. 30:34 That's not right. 30:35 Not for someone who professes 30:36 Christ as their Lord and Savior. 30:40 That's why Ellen White 30:41 had this to say. 30:42 It's a very simple statement, 30:43 but she's spot-on. 30:44 She says, "The little child 30:45 finds both diversion 30:47 and development in play." 30:49 So play is a good thing here. 30:51 "And his sports should be such 30:53 as to promote not only physical, 30:55 but mental and spiritual 30:57 growth." 30:58 In other words, 30:59 there's no exceptions. 31:00 Just because we step onto 31:01 a soccer field or a basketball 31:02 court or whatever it is, 31:04 that doesn't mean that now 31:05 our Christianity gets 31:05 checked at the door. 31:06 No, all of this is supposed 31:07 to be helping us to know 31:09 God better, that we might 31:10 give glory and praise to Him. 31:13 Number three. 31:14 Consequently, 31:15 "when executed poorly, 31:17 sports can be a major 31:19 distraction away from God 31:21 and His will." 31:23 This is huge. 31:25 You see, people 31:26 when they think about sports, 31:27 a lot of Christians 31:28 in particular, they'll look 31:29 at sports in general and, 31:30 you know, maybe -- whatever, 31:32 a baseball game on TV. 31:33 And they're like, "Well, 31:34 I'm not betting on it, 31:35 and I'm not at the game. 31:36 I'm not drinking, not 31:37 smoking, whatever in there. 31:38 So it must be fine." 31:41 Here's the thing -- the devil 31:43 doesn't care if you're 31:45 full-blown on his side, 31:48 as long as he can keep you 31:50 distracted from God's side. 31:53 That's all it takes. 31:55 When we get to Heaven -- 31:58 I don't know how many people, 31:58 but I know 31:59 that there will be some -- 32:01 when someone says, 32:03 "Why isn't so-and-so here?" 32:06 the answer will be soccer... 32:10 basketball... 32:14 football. 32:16 Fill in the blank -- 32:18 your favorite sport. 32:20 Not because those things 32:21 are inherently evil. 32:23 No, but because they proved 32:25 to be such a distraction 32:28 that people didn't pay attention 32:30 to God. 32:34 Let me be real specific 32:35 about this. 32:36 Some of the distractions here, 32:37 reflected here, notice this. 32:41 It can distract us from prayer. 32:43 The Bible is real clear about 32:44 how much prayer we should have. 32:45 1 Thessalonians 5:17 -- 32:46 "Pray without ceasing." 32:49 That's a lot of prayer, 32:49 isn't it? 32:50 And we talked about 32:51 this previously, last year. 32:52 This is not meaning that our 32:53 lips are moving the whole time, 32:54 saying something to God. 32:55 It is to say that 24/7/365, 32:58 we have one ear cocked towards 32:59 Heaven all the time, that we're 33:01 listening for the voice of God. 33:02 We're listening 33:03 for His Holy Spirit 33:04 to be -- that we can be 33:05 available to do whatever it is 33:06 that He asks us to do, 33:08 including when we step 33:09 onto a sports field 33:11 or onto a court somewhere. 33:11 That's maybe 33:13 when we need to listen the more, 33:14 because the potential for 33:15 distraction is so high. 33:17 Another distraction. 33:19 Time and money inappropriately 33:20 diverted away from evangelism. 33:22 Sports can do this. 33:23 They can prove 33:24 to be this kind of distraction. 33:25 What do I mean by this? 33:26 Paul says this. 33:27 Ephesians 5:15-16, he says, 33:29 "Be very careful how you live, 33:31 then -- not as unwise, but as 33:34 wise --" and get this -- "making 33:37 the most of every opportunity, 33:39 because the days are evil." 33:41 You know, I don't know what 33:44 it is with Christians when they 33:45 get out into a sporting event. 33:46 So many times, 33:48 Christians will go out there, 33:49 and it's like everybody 33:50 on the other side, 33:51 on the opposing team, 33:52 is their enemy. 33:54 And what they fail to realize 33:56 is that everybody on that field 33:58 is a potential candidate 33:58 for Heaven. 34:00 Every last one of them, 34:02 even the guy on the other team, 34:04 the lady on the other team 34:05 that just burned you -- 34:07 right? -- made you look like a 34:07 fool on the court. 34:09 Yeah, they still need Jesus. 34:12 And what you say to them 34:13 and how you act towards them, 34:16 with you claiming to be 34:17 a Christian, that potentially 34:20 could have an eternal impact 34:21 on that person. 34:23 "Make the most of every 34:24 opportunity," God says. 34:26 Somebody did it for you. 34:28 You need to do it for them. 34:31 There's more. 34:32 This is talking 34:33 about playing or spectating. 34:35 If you stick with distraction 34:37 in sports long enough, 34:39 and you don't throttle it back, 34:40 it will eventually lead 34:41 to obsession. 34:44 The Bible talks about this. 34:45 1 John 2:15-16 says, 34:47 "Do not love the world 34:48 or anything in the world. 34:49 If anyone loves the world, 34:51 the love of the Father 34:52 is not in him. 34:53 For everything in the world --" 34:54 get this list -- 34:55 "The cravings of sinful man, 34:57 the lust of his eyes 34:58 and the boasting of what he has 35:00 and does --" Oh, I don't know. 35:01 Do you know any sports figures 35:02 that do that? 35:04 Yeah, I do, right? 35:06 They boast about what they what 35:07 they have, what they've done, 35:08 all these records they've set, 35:08 et cetera. 35:10 This "comes not from the Father, 35:11 but from the world." 35:14 Don't put your love on that. 35:16 You know what the word "fan" 35:18 is short for? 35:20 "Fanatic." 35:22 You know what? 35:23 We're not even 35:24 in favor of fanaticism 35:26 in the religious world, 35:29 much less the sports world. 35:31 Our allegiance belongs to 35:32 Jesus Christ, no one else. 35:39 A fourth potential harm. 35:41 Sports can easily glorify self 35:42 rather than God. 35:44 You're familiar with the famous 35:45 text 1 Corinthians 10:31. 35:46 In fact, 35:47 let's read this together. 35:48 Ready? One, two, three. 35:50 "Whether you eat or drink 35:52 or whatever you do, 35:54 do it all for the glory of God." 35:57 How much for the glory of God? 35:58 All of it. Everything. 35:59 All the stuff that you do, 36:00 whether you're playing sports 36:01 or not, you're in the classroom, 36:02 you're at home, 36:03 you're driving your car, 36:05 you're a basketball star, 36:06 you're a football star, 36:07 whatever it is, soccer, 36:08 all of it's done for the glory 36:10 of God. 36:12 And contrast this. 36:13 Just imagine with me, 36:14 in your mind. 36:15 Imagine that God the Father 36:16 is in Heaven, watching 36:18 the post-victory celebration 36:20 of an NFL team. 36:22 Okay, so, He's looking down 36:23 from his Throne, onto the earth, 36:24 and in some stadium somewhere, 36:26 there's a team 36:27 of 300-pound guys that are 36:29 all jumping up and down. 36:30 They got these big bass voices, 36:31 right? 36:32 "We're the greatest. 36:34 We're the greatest in the world. 36:35 No one's better than us. 36:37 We are the greatest." 36:41 And God the Father looks down 36:46 and He says, "Hey, 36:47 Gabriel, get a load of this." 36:50 "We're the greatest. 36:52 We're the greatest in the 36:53 world." 36:55 Did I hear 36:56 what I thought I heard, Gabe? 36:57 They -- They -- They think that 36:58 because they tossed 37:00 around a dismembered pig 37:04 for an hour and a half, with 37:06 some temporary painted lines 37:07 on fake grass, that they're 37:08 the greatest in the world?" 37:11 "Yes, Father, 37:12 I'm afraid that's true." 37:16 In contrast to such arrogance, 37:18 the Bible counsels us clearly 37:20 to do something quite different. 37:22 Philippians 2:3. 37:23 "Do nothing 37:25 out of selfish ambition." 37:26 How much do we get to do? 37:27 Nothing, it says. 37:28 I mean, it's just, 37:29 you know, straight across, 37:31 "Do nothing out of selfish 37:33 ambition or vain conceit, 37:34 but in humility consider others 37:36 better than yourselves." 37:37 Oh, how different 37:38 the sports world would be 37:39 if this advice were followed. 37:41 I mean, this is night and day 37:42 from so much of what we see, 37:43 whether it's, you know, amateur 37:44 sports or professional sports. 37:46 "Do nothing out of selfish 37:47 ambition or vain conceit, 37:48 but in humility consider others 37:50 better than yourselves." 37:51 Wow! 37:54 And I got to tell you, 37:55 this kind of conceit is such 37:57 a temptation for young athletes 37:59 that I need to pause here 38:00 and tell a story. 38:02 Because if you adopt 38:04 a self-centered attitude 38:06 in any part of your life, 38:07 but perhaps particularly in 38:09 your sports, sooner or later 38:10 it will catch up with you 38:12 and it will not end well. 38:17 Ye, verily, 38:18 in the last millennium, 38:19 when I was in high school, 38:21 I went 38:22 to three different high schools. 38:23 I won't tell you which one 38:24 this was, okay? 38:25 And I won't tell you the true 38:26 name of the gentlemen 38:28 that's involved in this story. 38:28 I'm just going to call him 38:29 Robert, okay? 38:31 So, Robert 38:34 was one of hundreds of students 38:36 that were at our school 38:37 at that particular time. 38:38 It was wintertime 38:39 when this story takes place. 38:39 It was colder outside, 38:40 so we were inside. 38:41 It was Saturday night 38:42 and it was open rec, and 38:44 there was all kinds of students. 38:45 And this is back in the days, 38:46 you know, we had 500, 38:47 550 kids or whatnot. 38:48 And so the gym was packed, 38:49 even though it was huge. 38:51 And where I was at, 38:52 we were playing basketball. 38:53 It was just kind of 38:53 three-on-three 38:54 pickup games there. 38:55 And we only had one basket 38:56 to our name, because, again, 38:57 there's so many 38:58 other students in the gym. 39:00 And so I get two other guys 39:01 with me, and we line up against 39:02 the wall, we get in line, 39:03 and finally we have next. 39:05 The game finishes, 39:07 and the winning team comes over. 39:08 Well, for whatever reason, 39:10 I had not been paying attention 39:11 to who was playing 39:12 on this winning team. 39:13 And now I saw that 39:16 one of the players was Robert. 39:19 I thought, "Oh, no. Oh, no." 39:23 Because, you see, there were 39:24 two things about Robert 39:26 that distinguished him. 39:26 Number one, he was quite 39:28 a good basketball player. 39:30 He's quite good, one of the best 39:31 in the school. 39:32 And number two, he was the king 39:34 of trash-talking. 39:36 Okay, now, some of you may 39:37 not know what trash-talking is. 39:39 It's a fairly self-descriptive 39:40 phrase, and I'm not going to 39:42 give you NBA-grade examples, 39:43 because this is a family show 39:44 and we're not 39:45 going to do that here. 39:46 Trash-talking is where you talk 39:48 to your opponent, and usually 39:49 it's constantly. 39:50 It's like this just this 39:51 dribble that just goes, 39:52 "You can't play. I'm the best. 39:54 There's no way 39:55 you can guard me," 39:56 all this kind of stuff. 39:57 They make comments 39:58 about the lineage of your mother 40:00 and this kind of stuff. 40:01 That's what trash-talk is, 40:02 right? 40:03 And Robert 40:04 was, like, the king of this. 40:05 He just did -- I mean, 40:06 I hated to play with him. 40:09 And so we get on the court 40:10 and we're matching up, 40:10 and I'm like, "Okay, 40:11 I'm just going to come over here 40:12 so I don't have to take Robert." 40:13 Sure enough, one of the other 40:14 guys on my team took him. 40:15 Like, "Okay, maybe I don't 40:16 have to mess with him." 40:17 So, we start the game. 40:20 I have no idea who won. 40:23 I don't remember anything else 40:23 about the game except what 40:24 I'm about to tell you. 40:27 At some point, I was just beyond 40:29 the top of the key, 40:30 and one of my teammates 40:31 tossed me the ball. 40:33 And to my surprise, 40:34 the lane was open 40:35 between me and the hoop. 40:37 Surprised because, I mean, 40:37 there's volleyballs 40:38 going across here 40:39 and people running across. 40:40 This is wide-open, 40:41 even in this cramped gym. 40:42 Like, "Ah, perfect!" 40:43 Fake left, go right, 40:45 blow by my defender. 40:47 I head towards the hoop there 40:48 to make this clear layup, 40:49 and I jump up to 40:51 lay the ball off the back 40:52 of the backboard. 40:54 And just at that time, 40:57 I saw the hand... 41:01 and the arm 41:05 and the body that belonged 41:07 to trash-talking Robert. 41:08 Unbeknownst to me, 41:10 somehow in the crowd -- 41:11 You know, I had not caught him. 41:11 There's too many people. 41:12 I didn't differentiate him. 41:13 Didn't see it in my 41:15 left field of vision here. 41:16 He had seen me break 41:17 towards the hoop and had left 41:18 his man sprinted towards, 41:20 and he, too, had jumped. 41:22 So, this takes a little 41:22 while to tell, 41:23 but it was all happening, 41:24 obviously, very fast. 41:25 I am headed up like this, and 41:27 here comes Robert with his hand. 41:28 I can see it out of the corner 41:29 of my eye, and I think to 41:30 myself, "No, no, no, no, no, no, 41:31 no, no. 41:32 If Robert blocks my shot, 41:34 I will hear about it 41:36 until three days after I'm dead. 41:38 I mean, he's just going to go. 41:39 He'll tell everybody on his 41:40 hall, everybody in the cafeteria 41:42 for the next three weeks. 41:43 'Oh, I stopped Shane! 41:44 Did you see that?' 41:45 Oh, anything but that." 41:47 So, instinctively, I reach up 41:48 a little higher. 41:49 You're trying to get it 41:50 out of the reach of his hand. 41:51 He was good. He had hops. 41:53 He's coming up like this. 41:54 Hand higher, higher, high. 41:55 I'm now just as high as 41:56 I can possibly go... 41:59 when I feel some cold steel 42:01 right about here. 42:04 And instinct took over, 42:05 and I cocked my wrist, 42:07 and I dunked right over 42:09 the top of trash-talking Robert. 42:11 [ Light laughter ] 42:14 [ Applause ] 42:15 [ Laughing ] 42:23 And to my shock, I don't know, 42:26 100 students did exactly 42:28 what you just did. 42:29 [ Laughter ] 42:31 Not because of my great play, 42:32 but because trash-talking 42:33 Robert had just been slammed 42:34 back down to earth. 42:35 Okay? 42:37 Because they'd all heard 42:38 from him, too, right? 42:39 Now, this is not 42:41 a positive reflection on me. 42:42 That was an accident. 42:44 This was not skill on my part, 42:45 alright? 42:46 I was just trying 42:47 to escape trash-talking for 42:48 the next three years of my life. 42:49 Okay? 42:50 And there, the guy 42:52 who thought he was the greatest 42:55 had just been reduced 42:57 to a proper size. 43:02 Ladies and gentlemen, 43:03 particularly those of you 43:04 that are athletes, 43:05 hear it and hear it well. 43:08 Winning a game 43:10 doesn't make you great. 43:14 Winning a league championship 43:16 doesn't make you great. 43:19 Winning the NBA finals 43:21 doesn't make you great. 43:23 Winning the World Cup 43:24 doesn't make you great. 43:26 What makes you great 43:27 is one thing. 43:29 Knowing Jesus Christ. 43:31 He alone 43:32 is the source of true greatness. 43:34 Only in Christ are we elevated. 43:36 We said we sit there 43:37 at the right hand of the Father, 43:38 with Jesus Christ. 43:39 Only in Jesus 43:40 is true greatness found. 43:43 And if you're trying to find it 43:44 in sports, and your performance 43:46 and your stats and likes 43:47 and whatnot, all of that stuff, 43:48 you will be sadly disappointed 43:51 because that only leads to death 43:54 and discouragement, 43:56 and all you'll find 43:57 are fair-weather friends 43:58 that happen to like you 43:59 because of a few numbers 44:00 on a piece of paper somewhere. 44:02 Jesus Christ 44:03 is the solution, not sports. 44:06 My prayer for Robert 44:07 is that that was 44:08 a turning point for him. 44:09 I don't know. 44:10 I don't know what happened 44:11 after that. 44:12 My prayer for him is that 44:14 that was a time 44:15 of change, in which he said, 44:17 "I no longer want to be great 44:18 in the eyes of my peers 44:20 because of my sports. 44:21 There's something 44:22 better than that." 44:29 And having said all of that, 44:31 some of you are probably 44:32 wondering how sports 44:35 could possibly hold a place 44:37 at any Christian school 44:39 because of all the potential 44:40 harms that could happen. 44:43 The truth is, I think they can. 44:47 I think that sports can have 44:50 a rightful place, 44:51 a positive place, 44:52 a spiritually healthy place 44:54 in a Christian school. 44:56 You say, "Well, why do you say 44:57 that, given what you've 44:58 just said?" 44:58 I say it because of this. 44:59 Because of the benefits. 45:02 When sports are conducted -- 45:04 key word here "appropriately." 45:06 When sports are conducted 45:07 appropriately, the benefits, 45:09 the blessings that they bring, 45:10 including spiritually, 45:11 can be real and many. 45:13 For instance, let me put some up 45:14 on the screen here. 45:15 Potential benefit 45:16 of sports here. 45:17 Number one, sports can be 45:18 enjoyable. 45:21 This is a good thing. 45:23 Now, some of you think 45:24 this is false advertising, 45:25 because, again, this picture 45:27 of God doesn't include enjoyment 45:28 or happiness or whatnot. 45:28 So let me just help you out 45:30 a little bit here, right? 45:31 Sports can be enjoyable. 45:32 This is a good thing. 45:33 "Adventist Home," page 513, 45:35 "Let us never lose sight 45:36 of the fact that 45:37 Jesus is a wellspring of joy. 45:39 He does not delight 45:40 in the misery of human beings, 45:41 but loves to see them --" 45:42 what's that last word? -- 45:43 "happy." 45:44 That's good news, isn't it? 45:45 Right? Loves to see them happy. 45:47 Well, there's been many, 45:48 many times 45:49 I've been happy playing sports. 45:51 It's a great time of fellowship 45:51 and fun 45:52 and all this type of thing. 45:53 How about this? 45:55 "Adventist Home," page 497. 45:56 "God loves to make the youth 45:57 happy." 45:58 There's that word again. 46:00 "Pure enjoyment will not debase 46:01 one of God's gifts." 46:04 And here's a quotation, 46:05 this next one, for those 46:06 particularly who are concerned 46:08 about the end of time 46:09 and the days that we live in. 46:10 That's a concern I share, too. 46:11 I think Jesus is coming soon. 46:12 We need to be ready, we need 46:13 to help others get ready. 46:14 And some people have said, 46:15 "Well, what that means is, 46:16 everything else 46:18 just gets shoved to the side. 46:19 We're going to be laser-like, 46:20 focused on church, 46:22 religion, et cetera." 46:23 Here's what she has to say. 46:24 "Testimonies, Volume 1," 46:25 page 514. 46:26 "Recreation is needful 46:29 to those who are engaged 46:30 in physical labor, 46:31 and is still more 46:33 essential for those whose labor 46:34 is principally mental." 46:36 Students, are you listening? 46:38 "It is not essential 46:40 to our salvation, 46:41 nor for the glory of God, 46:43 to keep the mind laboring 46:44 constantly and excessively, 46:46 even upon religious themes." 46:48 Wow! 46:49 And you thought 46:51 she never had any fun. 46:52 Pbht. 46:54 What she's saying -- Let me just 46:55 be crystal clear about this -- 46:56 sometimes you need 46:57 to lay your Bible down 46:58 and go play a game, because 47:01 it's what's best for you. 47:02 We are not just machines 47:04 for God's joystick to control. 47:06 No, no, no, no, no, we are 47:07 live people with real minds 47:09 that need to be taken care of 47:10 in a balanced fashion. 47:12 Sports are enjoyable. 47:14 That can be healthy. 47:15 Number two. 47:16 Oh, excuse me, 47:17 I almost forgot this. 47:17 Zechariah 8:5. 47:18 Even the Bible talks about, "The 47:20 city streets --" this is 47:21 talking about the New Jerusalem, 47:21 Jerusalem made new -- 47:22 "will be filled with boys 47:23 and girls playing there." 47:26 You know, this is just 47:27 the Gospel according to Shane. 47:28 But part of me genuinely wonders 47:29 could it be 47:30 that during the millennium, 47:32 we will rediscover play -- 47:34 the joy and the innocence 47:36 that our children find? 47:38 We lose that, don't we? 47:39 We lose that as we get older. 47:40 Could it be that, the 47:41 millennium, we will play more 47:42 than we ever did here on Earth? 47:43 Just a thought, just a thought. 47:46 Number two -- playing sports 47:47 can bring health benefits, 47:49 both now and for life, 47:50 physically speaking. 47:51 Now, this may sound obvious 47:52 to some, but 47:53 let's just be honest. 47:54 Me still playing 47:56 sports at my age is unusual. 47:59 Most of my classmates have 48:01 descended to the couch long ago. 48:02 Okay? 48:04 And it's not because I'm 48:05 magic or something like that. 48:06 This is something I enjoy. 48:08 It also has the benefit 48:08 of helping 48:10 to keep me in shape, right? 48:11 Such as the shape is, right? 48:13 You know, there is something 48:14 pathetic about 80,000 people 48:17 who are out of shape, 48:17 sitting in a stadium 48:18 watching 10 guys 48:20 or whatever that are in shape 48:21 do their thing. 48:23 We can do better than this, 48:25 right? 48:26 And sports can be a way to 48:28 engage in lifetime fitness. 48:31 And remember, so important. 48:35 The Bible tells me, 48:36 1 Corinthians 6, that -- 48:38 Paul says, "Don't you know that 48:40 our bodies are the temple 48:40 of -- who? 48:42 The Holy Spirit, God. 48:43 That's right. God lives here. 48:45 This is the whole purpose 48:46 of the health message 48:46 in the Adventist Church. 48:48 The primary goal of the health 48:50 message is so that our brains 48:51 can hear God. 48:53 Keep the body physically fit 48:55 so that your mind can hear 48:56 the Holy Spirit speak. 48:58 If your body is sick, you can 49:00 hear the spirit that much less. 49:01 It's not a sin to be sick, 49:03 but it is a sin to be sicker 49:04 than you need to be. 49:06 So when it comes 49:07 to doing sports, hey, 49:09 there's some great benefit here. 49:10 Did you know 49:10 that Berrien Springs 49:11 has its own pickleball app? 49:14 Yeah. 49:16 Now, don't let that 49:17 be the only thing you remember 49:18 from this sermon, alright? 49:19 But, I mean, in other words, 49:21 there are people around here -- 49:22 I'm going to guess like 49:23 50% Adventist -- that are like, 49:24 "Yeah, we want to keep staying 49:25 in shape, we want to do this. 49:26 Sports are a good thing. 49:27 It'll help to keep us fit, 49:29 in the right shape, et cetera." 49:30 We need to be doing this. 49:33 In fact, gentlemen, I'm going 49:36 to pick on you for a moment. 49:38 Okay? 49:40 For every female sports fanatic, 49:44 there's 100 males. 49:45 Okay? 49:46 Ladies, 49:47 you have your other vices. 49:48 We'll talk about 49:49 that another time, okay? 49:51 But, gentlemen, when they 49:52 talk about couch potatoes, 49:53 rare is the person 49:54 that pictures a female. 49:55 They're looking at you, alright? 49:57 They're looking at me. 49:59 And you need to take 50:00 a close look at the amount 50:02 of time and energy and money 50:03 that you're investing in sports. 50:06 It's not a sin to go 50:07 to a ballgame, okay? 50:09 But if this is dominating 50:11 your life, if the only thing 50:13 that's getting you out of bed 50:13 in the morning is your tee time, 50:15 or that you're going to do this, 50:17 or you're going to do that, 50:18 and maybe you're sacrificing 50:19 other things 50:20 that need attention -- 50:21 Maybe your wife, for instance, 50:23 is being sacrificed in the time 50:25 that ought to be spent with her 50:26 or with your children or 50:27 students, with your friends -- 50:29 and instead you're sacrificing 50:31 it on the altar of sports. 50:34 Gentlemen, look carefully. 50:36 Look carefully. 50:37 Again, in the millennium, 50:38 the reasons listed 50:40 for why some people aren't there 50:41 will include sports. 50:43 Don't let it happen to you. 50:45 Don't let it happen to you. 50:47 Make sure that everybody knows 50:49 that Jesus, 50:51 your spouse if you have one, 50:52 your children if you have them, 50:54 are first in your life, 50:57 not sports. 51:00 Another benefit -- sports 51:03 can help teach self-control 51:05 and self-discipline. 51:05 This is huge. 51:07 1 Peter puts it this way. 51:08 Peter says, chapter 5, 51:09 verses 8 and 9, "Be 51:11 self-controlled and alert. 51:12 Your enemy the devil prowls 51:14 around like a roaring lion 51:15 looking for someone to devour. 51:16 Resist him, 51:17 standing firm in the faith." 51:18 Do you see what he's done here? 51:20 He is essentially tying 51:21 self-control 51:22 to obtaining victory 51:23 over Satan's temptations. 51:25 That's huge. 51:26 There are so many 51:27 people in the world today 51:28 that don't have self-control. 51:29 But sports, rightly done, 51:31 can help to teach that. 51:33 Number four -- rightly done, 51:35 sports can help us cooperate 51:36 more and compete less. 51:38 The Bible says this -- 51:39 Philippians 1:27 -- 51:42 "Whatever happens --" Paul 51:43 says -- "conduct yourselves in 51:44 a manner worthy of 51:45 the Gospel of Christ." 51:45 We say, "Well, Paul, 51:46 what does that look like? 51:47 "Then, whether I come and see 51:49 you or only hear 51:50 about you in my absence, 51:51 I will know that you stand 51:52 firm in one spirit --" 51:54 how many spirit? -- 51:55 just one -- "contending 51:56 as one person 51:58 for the faith of the Gospel." 52:00 In other words, 52:00 we are to do teamwork. 52:01 We're to work together. 52:02 There's to be harmony 52:03 in the church. 52:04 One of the hallmarks of genuine 52:05 Christianity is genuine 52:06 community amongst the members. 52:09 Sports can be a help 52:10 in teaching that. 52:12 And lastly, number five -- 52:13 rightly done, 52:15 sports can be one more tool to 52:16 help develop the habit of doing 52:18 everything for the glory of God. 52:20 And listen carefully. 52:22 If you get this right in sports, 52:26 it gathers an inordinate amount 52:28 of positive attention. 52:29 Why? 52:32 Because sports in particular 52:33 is filled with conceit 52:35 a lot of the time. 52:37 So when there is a genuine 52:38 Christian who shows genuine care 52:41 and honesty and compassion, 52:43 even, in their play, you better 52:45 believe people notice it. 52:48 How many Christians have ended 52:49 up on the 5:00 news 52:50 for positive reasons 52:51 in the last decade? 52:52 Do a count sometime. 52:53 It's remarkable. 52:54 People notice 52:57 when you live your life 100% 52:59 for the glory of Jesus Christ. 53:02 All of this leads us 53:03 to the question, 53:05 "How can we make sure 53:08 that we are choosing 53:09 the right way to use sports, 53:11 rather than a harmful way?" 53:13 And don't underestimate 53:14 the importance of this question. 53:15 If we cannot do sports 53:17 for the glory of God 53:18 and the good of His children, 53:19 then we ought not to do them, 53:20 period. 53:24 So, how can we ensure that 53:26 if we have sports in our lives, 53:28 they will be a positive 53:29 spiritual benefit to us, 53:30 rather than harmful? 53:31 You know, it's actually fairly 53:32 simple. 53:34 Listen carefully. 53:35 The way to ensure 53:37 that sports will be a positive 53:39 spiritual benefit to us, 53:41 rather than harmful, 53:48 is what I'm going to tell you 53:49 about next week in part two. 53:51 [ Light laughter ] 53:53 So I hope that you can be there. 53:56 But until then, 53:58 let it be clear that the stakes 54:01 involved with this issue 54:02 are potentially sky-high. 54:05 People's salvation may depend 54:07 on our answer to the question 54:10 and our conduct afterwards. 54:12 Because, you see, 54:16 the Christian athlete's 54:18 challenge is not to merely 54:21 play their best, 54:24 but to actually grow in God, 54:26 and to help others grow in God, 54:29 through all that they do, 54:31 including on the court 54:32 or field of play. 54:35 That is a challenge that none 54:38 of us can afford to lose. 54:42 >> Amen. 54:44 [ Applause ] 54:51 [ "Redeemed!" begins ] 54:54 ♪ 54:59 [ Congregation sings ] 55:02 ♪ 55:10 ♪ 55:18 ♪ 55:27 ♪ 55:36 ♪ 55:46 ♪ 55:54 ♪ 56:03 ♪ 56:13 ♪ 56:21 ♪ 56:30 >> Father God, we are so honored 56:31 to be your children. 56:33 Thank you so much for adopting 56:34 us into your family. 56:36 May we prove faithful, Lord, 56:38 both on and off the court. 56:40 This we ask in the name 56:41 of Jesus. 56:42 Amen. 56:43 >> Amen. 56:45 [ Instrumental music begins ] 56:48 ♪ 56:53 >> I'm Shane Anderson, 56:54 the lead pastor here 56:56 at Pioneer Memorial Church. 56:58 At Pioneer Media, we have been 57:00 blessed by the financial support 57:02 that comes from our viewers 57:03 like you, that enable us 57:05 to continue this ministry. 57:07 We've made a conscious decision 57:08 not to continually appeal to you 57:10 for that support. 57:12 However, keeping this ministry 57:13 going takes money to support 57:15 our staff and technology needs. 57:17 If God has blessed you 57:19 and you would like to further 57:20 the work of this ministry, 57:21 we invite you to partner 57:22 with us. 57:24 You can donate on our website, 57:25 pmchurch.org, 57:28 then click Giving at the top, 57:30 then select Media Ministry. 57:33 Or call the number 57:34 877-HIS-WILL. 57:37 Again, that number is 57:38 877, the two words HIS-WILL. 57:42 My prayer is that the God 57:44 who has blessed you will 57:45 continue to pour into your life 57:47 the gifts of His joy 57:48 and His hope. 57:50 Thank you, and I'm looking 57:51 forward to seeing you right here 57:53 again next time. 57:55 ♪ 58:03 ♪ 58:11 ♪ 58:19 ♪ |
Revised 2024-10-08