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Series Code: PME
Program Code: PME240914S
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00:15 [ "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" 00:15 begins ] 00:18 ♪ 00:25 ♪ 04:15 ♪ 04:23 >> Amen. 04:26 Our scripture reading today 04:28 is found in Jeremiah 12:5. 04:35 If you have raced with men 04:37 on foot 04:40 and they have worn you out, 04:43 how can you compete with horses? 04:48 If you stumble in safe country, 04:52 how will 04:53 you manage in the thickets 04:55 by the Jordan? 04:56 ♪ 05:03 ♪ 09:02 Sing it again. 10:37 ♪ 10:45 ♪ 10:54 [ "Jesus at the Center" begins ] 10:55 ♪ 11:04 ♪ 11:13 ♪ 11:22 ♪ 14:18 ♪ 14:26 ♪ 14:34 ♪ 14:42 ♪ 14:50 ♪ 15:05 >> Amen and amen. 15:06 Thank you, Chuck and company 15:08 for leading us in worship. 15:13 Welcome to the second 15:14 and final installment 15:15 of our very brief series 15:18 about Christians and sports. 15:22 We live in a country 15:23 that is obsessed with sports, 15:25 a sports nation, if you will, 15:26 and probably that title 15:28 could be given to any number 15:29 of countries around the world. 15:30 Sports are a big deal 15:33 in lots and lots of places. 15:36 Last week in part one, 15:37 I pointed you over to our 15:39 theme for this year, founded 15:40 in faith forward in mission 15:42 for the finishing of the work. 15:43 And I made the statement 15:44 that I think 15:45 that fanatical devotion 15:46 to sports is one of the greatest 15:47 obstacles to the finishing 15:49 of the work of sharing 15:50 the gospel with the world. 15:52 It is indeed a big deal. 15:55 And also in part one, 15:57 I asked a question. 15:59 I said, 15:59 given the deeply negative impact 16:01 most organized sports had on 16:02 Adventist schools 16:03 in the 19th century, 16:05 and given how much our pioneers 16:07 thus generally opposed them, 16:08 is it even remotely feasible 16:10 that any of us, 16:11 in school or not, 16:12 should have any part 16:13 in providing opportunities 16:14 to play in sporting events? 16:17 And I said that the answer was 16:18 definitely... 16:21 maybe. 16:22 Those who said yes weren't here 16:23 last week, yes. 16:23 Welcome to this week. 16:25 We're glad that you're here. 16:26 Yes. Maybe. That's what I said, 16:28 a definite maybe 16:29 because there are 16:30 certain requirements 16:31 that I'm utterly convinced 16:32 need to be met if sports are 16:35 to be a positive spiritual 16:37 influence in our lives, 16:39 which of course led 16:40 to the natural question, 16:42 how can we do our best to ensure 16:44 that we are choosing 16:45 the right way to use sports 16:47 rather than the harmful way? 16:48 How can we ensure 16:49 that if we have sports 16:50 in our lives, 16:51 they will be a positive 16:52 spiritual benefit to us 16:54 rather than harmful? 16:57 Well, let's get to it. 17:00 To begin, two observations. 17:02 Observation number one... 17:13 It needs to be authentic. 17:15 In other words, we really have 17:16 a distinction between 17:17 how we do it and they do it. 17:18 And it needs to be explicit. 17:20 We need to say it. 17:20 We need to talk about this. 17:22 There needs to be a point of 17:22 discussion, probably regularly. 17:24 There needs to be an authentic 17:26 and explicit distinction 17:27 between what they do, 17:28 the world does with sports 17:29 and -- what we do with sports 17:31 and what the world does with it. 17:32 Let me give you some concrete 17:34 examples in light of scripture. 17:36 First, the scripture. 17:38 Hebrews 12:1-2 says this... 17:54 Now pause for just a moment. 17:55 Notice here 17:56 that Paul again is using 17:58 a sports analogy. 17:59 The scene here is one of a 18:01 runner competing in a race, 18:03 probably going cross-country. 18:04 This is unimproved territory. 18:06 There's not a paved road here. 18:08 And because that was 18:09 the terrain, 18:10 you could get entangled. 18:11 There might be a briar or a bush 18:13 or something like that. 18:14 And he's using 18:15 that as a symbol for sin here. 18:16 He says, "Let us run our 18:18 spiritual race with endurance." 18:20 And then he says this. 18:21 Here's the key to victory. 18:23 "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, 18:26 the author and perfecter 18:28 of our faith, 18:29 who for the joy set 18:31 before him endured the cross, 18:32 scorning its shame, 18:34 and sat down at the right hand 18:35 of the throne of God." 18:38 The key to victory 18:39 in the Christian life is keeping 18:41 our eyes fixed on Jesus. 18:43 Now, obviously this is 18:44 not a physical thing. 18:46 We can't physically see Jesus. 18:47 Jesus physically is in heaven 18:49 and my eyes 18:49 at least can't get that far. 18:51 But the eyes of our heart, 18:52 the focus of our heart, 18:53 our mind, our soul, 18:55 the primary focus is to always 18:57 and forever be on Jesus. 18:59 There may be other foci 19:00 that Jesus asks us to focus on 19:02 and whatnot in 19:02 life and in ministry. 19:03 Absolutely. 19:04 But the main 19:05 focus is to be Jesus, his life, 19:07 his attributes, his character. 19:14 But in stark contrast 19:15 to this council 19:17 stands far too much 19:19 of the professional sporting 19:20 world, which is not keeping 19:21 its eyes on Christ, 19:22 but on other, 19:23 far less noble things. 19:26 Now, I mentioned last week, 19:27 you know, worldly sports 19:28 often glorifies itself. 19:30 It glorifies the domination 19:32 of one's "enemies" 19:33 on the other side. 19:35 Furthermore, worldly sports 19:37 are often tainted with 19:38 a highly sexualized content. 19:40 They reduce women often 19:42 to objects, whether it be 19:43 through cheerleaders 19:44 or inappropriate commercials 19:45 and halftime shows, 19:46 inappropriately dressed 19:47 athletes, et cetera, et cetera. 19:49 Worldly sports heroes are 19:51 at times 19:52 exceedingly self-centered 19:53 and far from exhibiting 19:55 the gracious generosity that is 19:57 inherent in Jesus Christ. 19:59 The Sabbath -- Have you 20:00 ever thought about this? 20:01 The Sabbath is regularly 20:03 desecrated by 20:04 the world of professional 20:05 sports, and on and on 20:08 the list could go. 20:09 And yet, here's the thing. 20:11 And yet so many 20:13 younger people today -- 20:14 and let's be honest, 20:15 a slew of older ones as well -- 20:17 soak this worldly 20:19 approach to sports up. 20:21 They watch it, they read it, 20:22 they talk about it 20:23 with their friends. 20:23 And in so doing, 20:25 they inevitably absorb 20:26 the values 20:28 that are being portrayed, 20:30 values that often have 20:31 no business being 20:32 in a Christian's life 20:33 or in a Christian school. 20:35 A wise woman once said, "By 20:36 beholding we become changed." 20:40 By beholding we become changed. 20:44 Now, by the way, I've been asked 20:45 a number of times 20:48 if Christians should play 20:49 professional sports. 20:51 Every now and then, somebody 20:52 who has incredible 20:54 physical gifts will 20:55 come through Adventist schools. 20:56 And I've been asked, 20:57 "Pastor Shane, 20:57 do you think that I can play 20:59 in professional sports?" 21:01 I actually did a video on this 21:02 on my channel, on YouTube, 21:03 Pastor Shane Explains. 21:05 There hasn't been a lot 21:05 of activity, 21:06 so I kind of refer to it 21:07 as my old YouTube channel. 21:08 It's still there, but if you go 21:09 to YouTube and you look up 21:10 Pastor Shane Explains, 21:11 you'll see there that one 21:12 of my videos is, 21:13 "Should Christians play 21:14 in professional sports?" 21:16 I'll let you see 21:18 that one on your own. 21:20 Interestingly, we 21:23 are specifically warned 21:24 about worldly 21:26 sports being a major problem 21:28 at the end of time. 21:29 Did you know that? 21:30 There's actually specific 21:32 prophetic counsel about this. 21:33 Let me just put one 21:34 of these up here. 21:34 Signs of the Times, 21:35 July 4, 1900. 21:37 She says... 21:52 Now, before I turn the slide 21:53 here, notice the tactic here. 21:55 This is the distraction 21:56 that we talked about last week. 21:57 If the devil can get 21:58 us distracted with whatever 22:00 it is, he's happy. 22:01 He's fine. 22:03 We don't have to just fully 22:04 throw in for Satan, you know, 22:05 go to seances and stuff. 22:06 If we're distracted from Jesus, 22:08 he's okay. 22:10 Well, what is the devil using 22:11 at the very end of time 22:12 she says specifically 22:14 to distract people? 22:15 Well, it's these scenes, 22:16 these scenes of excitement, 22:17 one after another, 22:18 which are... 22:22 What's that? 22:23 What's that last one? 22:24 Boxing. That's boxing. Right. 22:26 She says... 22:42 In other words, 22:43 at the very end of time, 22:45 the devil will use 22:46 worldly sports to great effect. 22:51 To me, 22:52 the lesson could not be clearer, 22:54 both on a personal level for us 22:56 personally and corporately. 22:57 On a personal level, 22:59 be wise in what you watch. 23:03 Be wise in what you watch. 23:04 Be wise in what "heroes" 23:06 you invest your interest in. 23:10 And on a corporate level 23:11 that is in our schools, 23:13 we must explicitly show 23:15 and tell our students and 23:17 parents that we are 23:18 not the same as so much 23:20 of the secular sports world. 23:21 We may play sports, 23:23 but not in the same way 23:25 or with the same ultimate goals 23:27 as so much of the world does. 23:29 We are instead called 23:31 to a much higher standard, 23:35 and if we cannot maintain 23:37 that standard, we ought 23:38 not to have sports in our lives, 23:40 period. 23:45 Observation number two. 23:49 When it comes to spiritually 23:51 positive sports, intentionality 23:54 is key. 23:55 If I could have used size 3,000 23:57 font for the word 23:58 "intentionality," I would have. 23:59 But this is the biggest 24:00 I could squeeze on here and 24:01 still get the rest of the slide. 24:02 This is so important. 24:03 Good sports are not a 24:05 fix-it-and-forget-it thing. 24:07 You can't just fix it 24:07 once and walk away. 24:09 There takes intentionality here. 24:10 Intentionality is the key... 24:21 I don't know where we got 24:23 the idea that some -- that just 24:24 because a whole bunch of people 24:25 can play sports, 24:26 that it must be easy 24:27 to make them good. 24:28 It is utterly untrue. 24:30 We must intentionally make 24:32 them a force for good. 24:34 And without this kind of 24:36 enduring intentionality, 24:37 sports in Adventist schools 24:39 will become like sports 24:41 in the world, I guarantee it. 24:43 I've seen it happen too often 24:44 to say otherwise. 24:47 George Knight, 24:48 professor that used to teach 24:49 here on this campus, 24:51 he wrote a book some years ago 24:53 called "Myths in Adventism," 24:54 and he has a quote 24:55 that's quite pertinent here. 24:56 He's actually quoting C.S. 24:57 Lewis, which was 24:58 a surprise to me. 24:58 I had no idea that Lewis 25:00 had ever said this before. 25:01 I'll give you 25:03 reference here, page 230. 25:04 C.S. Lewis, quoting 25:05 C.S. Lewis, says... 25:26 Wow! 25:28 And he's right. 25:30 We cannot simply hope 25:32 that students or the rest of us 25:34 will just magically get it when 25:35 it comes to the proper use of 25:37 sports. 25:37 The world has far too much 25:39 of a head start 25:40 for that to happen. 25:42 We must instead be intentional 25:44 in guiding 25:44 and training our students 25:46 so that sports will be a force 25:47 for good in their lives. 25:49 So let me offer 25:51 some suggestions, 25:53 some suggestions for 25:54 how we can do this, 25:56 and I need to warn you here 25:58 in advance I'm going to get 26:00 real practical here, okay? 26:01 Now, I know that bothers some of 26:03 you. 26:04 Some of you, it irritates you 26:05 when preachers give you things 26:06 that you can implement 26:07 into your life and use and you 26:08 drive away from church. 26:09 "Oh, he did it again." 26:11 So we're going to 26:12 come down from altitude, 26:13 from principles, 26:15 and we're going to get very, 26:16 very specific here 26:17 because I found 26:18 that when I talk about 26:18 this topic, 26:19 if I don't get super specific, 26:21 it's very difficult 26:23 to implement the principles. 26:24 So let me get 26:25 very specific here. 26:27 Let me make some suggestions 26:28 for expectations 26:31 in three categories. 26:32 I'll tell you the three 26:33 categories in just a moment. 26:34 Expectations based 26:35 firmly on scripture, 26:36 the spirit of prophecy. 26:37 Some of my experience 26:38 in sports involvement. 26:39 Expectations for three key areas 26:41 within a Christian sports 26:43 program, expectations 26:45 for coaches, 26:47 expectations for teams, 26:50 and expectations 26:52 for individual players. 26:53 Coaches, teams, 26:54 and individual players. 26:55 [ Man sneezes ] 26:56 Bless you. 26:57 [ Laughter ] 27:00 Let's get to it. 27:02 Regarding coaching, that -- 27:04 let me put it up here 27:05 on the screen for you... 27:31 Ladies and gentlemen, 27:32 this is the pivot point 27:34 for a healthy sports program. 27:36 If we get this one wrong, 27:37 it doesn't really matter 27:39 how good the rest of it is. 27:40 We'll always be limping along. 27:43 Good coaching is the core 27:45 of a good sports program. 27:47 There's no substitute for this. 27:50 And this is not just my opinion. 27:52 Take a look in the Bible, 27:52 please. 27:53 2 Timothy 2:1. 27:56 2 Timothy 2, 27:58 beginning with verse 1. 27:59 It's on page 800 28:00 in the red pew Bible 28:01 that's probably sitting 28:02 around there somewhere nearby. 28:03 Page 800. 28:05 2 Timothy 2, and we're going to 28:08 read verses 1 and 2. 28:10 Paul here is talking to 28:12 his young protégé, 28:13 his understudy, Timothy. 28:15 Timothy had been learning 28:16 how to plant churches. 28:17 He'd been learning 28:18 how to establish leadership 28:19 in those churches. 28:20 And so this is at least 28:21 the second letter 28:22 that Paul wrote to Timothy. 28:24 Second one we have record of. 28:26 And here's what Paul says. 28:27 "You then, 28:28 my son, be strong in the grace 28:31 that is in Christ Jesus 28:33 and the things 28:34 you have heard me say 28:36 in the presence of 28:37 many witnesses, 28:38 entrust to reliable men 28:40 who will also be 28:42 qualified to teach others." 28:46 Now, this is often referred to 28:48 as the chain of discipleship, 28:50 and you can see how this is -- 28:51 you could use 28:52 the metaphor of a chain here. 28:54 It is one thing for all of us. 28:55 You know, all of it -- 28:56 If you call Jesus, Lord, you -- 28:57 We all have a responsibility 28:58 in our own gifted way 29:00 to somehow share Jesus 29:01 with other people. 29:01 No doubt about it. Okay? 29:03 But there is also a group 29:04 of people called teachers, 29:06 and teachers, as Paul was and as 29:09 Timothy was becoming, have 29:11 an additional responsibility. 29:13 In addition to simply 29:14 broadcasting the word to other 29:16 people, they must also make sure 29:18 that the next link in the chain 29:19 is formed, the next person who 29:22 is qualified to teach others. 29:25 And it says here -- Paul says 29:26 they need to be reliable. 29:28 Reliable to do what? 29:29 Reliable to present 29:30 the whole gospel, 29:31 because that's what Paul 29:32 dedicated his speaking to. 29:34 And so let it be clear. 29:35 A coach is a teacher. 29:39 Absolutely. 29:41 They are teaching life value. 29:42 Yes, they're teaching 29:42 athletic skills and, you know, 29:43 strategies and all that. 29:44 And they are teaching 29:46 spiritual values. 29:47 That's why we're here, remember. 29:52 And they need to be reliable, 29:54 reliable and able to take the 29:56 message of Jesus 29:57 and pass it on 29:58 to the next generation, 30:00 in this case, 30:01 the athletes that are 30:02 under their care, 30:02 under their tutelage. 30:03 And just in case we miss 30:05 how important this is, 30:07 turn a few pages to the right. 30:08 The Book of James 3:1, 30:11 page 813 in your red Bible. 30:13 813, James 3:1. 30:20 What does it mean to be a 30:21 teacher? 30:23 James 3:1 says this. 30:25 "Not many of you 30:27 should presume to be" what? 30:30 Teachers. Yeah. 30:31 "My brothers, because you know 30:33 that we who teach 30:35 will be judged more strictly." 30:41 And you might be thinking, 30:42 "Oh, come on, Pastor Shane, 30:43 we're all judged the same. 30:44 You can't be trying 30:46 to say that teachers 30:47 and coaches in this case 30:48 will be judged more strictly 30:49 than the rest of us." 30:50 Absolutely 30:52 that's what I'm saying. 30:53 That is exactly what 30:55 the Bible is saying. 30:57 We are held accountable for that 30:59 which we have at our disposal. 31:01 If you have the gift of teaching 31:03 and you take it, 31:04 whether as you -- 31:05 whether you're in the classroom 31:06 or in the home 31:06 or on a soccer field 31:08 or on a basketball court, 31:09 you are a teacher and you 31:11 will be judged more strictly 31:13 than others who are not. 31:16 This is not a small thing, 31:17 friends. 31:18 You want to be 31:19 a teacher of other people? 31:21 Well, you better woman up, 31:23 man up. 31:24 This is a big deal. 31:26 And God is not just asking 31:28 everybody to take this role. 31:29 You know, sometimes if you're -- 31:30 the only qualification 31:31 we have for a coach is 31:32 if you're breathing. 31:34 And sometimes 31:35 if we're desperate, 31:35 we'll waive that requirement. 31:36 Okay? 31:38 We'll say, "Well, so-and-so was 31:39 going to be our coach, but they 31:40 passed away. 31:40 So we're just going to let the 31:42 team work on their own," right? 31:42 You know? 31:44 The standards need to be high 31:46 for this because those who coach 31:48 will be judged more strictly 31:50 than those that don't. 31:52 The coach must accurately live 31:54 out the end product 31:55 that we are wanting 31:57 from our sports program. 31:58 And again, 31:59 this is a non-negotiable. 32:00 You can't fake this, 32:01 for it is fundamental to 32:02 a God-honoring sports program. 32:04 For instance, 32:05 coaches must be found 32:07 that are fully in harmony 32:08 with statements like this one. 32:08 There's a whole bunch 32:10 I'm just going to give you 32:10 one this morning. 32:11 Now five manuscript release page 32:12 248, paragraph one. 32:14 She says, "In the night season, 32:16 messages have been given to me 32:18 to give to you in Battle Creek." 32:20 Why in Battle Creek? 32:22 What was there? 32:24 Battle Creek College. 32:25 That's right. Our forerunner. 32:27 I mean, this is us right here. 32:28 Okay. 32:29 And just in case we miss anybody 32:31 "and to all our schools." 32:32 So if you're listening right now 32:33 and you're part of an Adventist 32:34 school that has a sports 32:35 program, is considering 32:36 or whatever, this message is 32:37 for you. 32:40 "While it is in the order of God 32:42 that the physical power shall 32:44 be" -- What's that next word? 32:46 Trained. 32:47 That means it's part 32:48 of the curriculum. 32:48 It's fine to have this as part 32:49 of the curriculum. 32:51 "As well as the mental, 32:52 yet the physical exercise 32:54 should, in character, 32:55 be in complete harmony." 32:57 How much harmony? 32:59 Complete harmony, okay? 33:01 "With the lessons given 33:02 by Jesus Christ 33:04 to His disciples." 33:05 Ah. 33:05 "That which is given 33:07 to the world," 33:08 and she's referring here 33:08 to Christ's teaching, "should be 33:10 seen in the lives of Christians, 33:12 so that in education 33:13 and in self-training, 33:15 the heavenly intelligences 33:16 should not record in the books 33:18 that the students 33:19 and the teachers in our schools 33:20 are 'lovers of pleasure 33:21 more than lovers of God.'" 33:28 If we cannot find 33:30 a suitably qualified coach, 33:33 then we don't have that sport, 33:35 period. 33:39 What about team expectations? 33:41 Area number two. 33:43 What should we expect 33:45 the coach to expect from 33:47 the team he or she coaches? 33:49 What standards should they 33:50 expect their teams to reach? 33:53 Now, it's true 33:54 that context matters, 33:55 and what I'm going to suggest 33:57 here in just a moment 33:57 may not fit all 33:58 of the circumstances 33:59 you find yourself in, 34:00 but regardless 34:01 of what spiritual standards 34:02 you choose, 34:03 please note this carefully. 34:06 Spiritual standards 34:08 for varsity sports 34:10 team participation must be -- 34:12 And would you say this last part 34:13 of the sentence with me? 34:13 1, 2, 3. 34:14 High, clear, 34:16 and regularly enforced. 34:18 One more time. 34:19 High, clear, 34:21 and regularly enforced. 34:22 Now, why am I picking here 34:24 on varsity sports teams? 34:25 Well, there's 34:26 two reasons for that. 34:27 Varsity sports players 34:29 very often become the standard 34:31 for every other sports 34:32 program on campus. 34:34 That's just kind of the way 34:35 it works, right? 34:36 So you need to have 34:36 high standards for them if 34:37 you want to have high standards 34:38 for the rest of the program. 34:39 And secondly, consider this. 34:41 Varsity sports players generally 34:43 have more face time 34:45 with potential students 34:47 for your school 34:48 than almost anyone else. 34:51 Let that sink in. 34:54 You know, we pay 34:55 recruiters to do recruiting 34:56 and marketing, et cetera, 34:57 and yet there's 50, you know, 34:59 50, 60, 70 other recruiters 35:01 that we don't pay 35:02 but have more face time 35:03 than the recruiter does. 35:06 So make the standards high 35:08 so that those varsity players 35:09 will recruit many 35:11 of the kind of students 35:12 Jesus wants at your school. 35:15 And what might these high, 35:17 clear, and regularly enforced 35:18 standards look like? 35:19 I'm going to give you 35:20 eight quick suggestions. 35:21 I'm going to breeze 35:22 through these things. 35:22 These are suggestions based 35:24 on my study of scripture, 35:25 the spirit of prophecy, 35:26 my experience, et cetera. 35:27 You can do with them 35:28 I feel like they're good ones, 35:29 obviously, otherwise 35:30 I wouldn't share them. 35:31 Number one. Take a look. 35:33 At team tryouts -- 35:35 so beginning, at the beginning 35:36 of all the season -- 35:37 require potential team members 35:39 to have a face-to-face interview 35:41 with the coaching staff in which 35:43 spiritual qualifications 35:44 like baptism, 35:45 personal devotional life, 35:46 past witnessing efforts, 35:48 et cetera, are openly discussed 35:49 and encouraged. 35:51 Now, you're not going to say 35:52 that necessarily someone 35:53 has to be an expert in all 35:54 of these things, but as a coach, 35:55 you're very much interested in 35:56 the salvation of your players. 35:57 You want them 35:58 So you discuss these things, 35:59 you encourage them. 36:00 You make it clear these are 36:01 part and parcel 36:02 at the core of what we're doing. 36:06 You don't have to be 36:07 a spiritual giant 36:08 to play varsity sports, 36:10 but you do have to be willing 36:11 to sincerely try to become 36:13 a spiritual giant if 36:14 you want to play varsity sports. 36:18 Secondly, basic requirement 36:19 here. 36:19 Have team prayer before 36:21 and after each game. 36:21 Basic thing. 36:22 Number three... 36:33 Wow, that would change the 36:34 atmosphere of some of our games 36:35 over the years I think. 36:36 Yeah, and plus it's hard 36:38 to clothesline the guy 36:40 that you just prayed for freedom 36:41 from injuries from. 36:42 Okay? Right? 36:43 I mean, there's a bond that can 36:45 be developed, a very positive 36:46 spiritual bond here, right? 36:47 Now, how about this, number 36:48 four? 36:49 At halftime or whatever break a 36:50 sport allows for, 36:51 have players rotate 36:52 through giving their testimony 36:53 to all that are present. 36:55 The testimony should be coached. 36:56 In other words, 36:57 not just kind of off the cuff. 36:58 It should be something 36:58 that is worked on with 36:59 a qualified mentor. 37:01 It should be concise 37:02 and finish with a simple appeal 37:04 because this is evangelism. 37:05 Let the team know. 37:06 We're at the -- 37:07 This is the top of 37:09 the physical cream crop here. 37:10 We want to share Jesus 37:11 with as many people as we can. 37:12 So you make an appeal. 37:13 We're inviting people 37:14 just very briefly, 37:15 not a big deal, 37:16 but we're inviting people 37:17 to come and accept 37:18 Jesus or go deeper 37:19 in a relationship with him. 37:21 Number five... 37:28 Now, I say home games 37:29 because usually 37:31 you don't have a choice about 37:32 what music is being played. 37:34 But if it's a home game, you do. 37:35 And if you're playing 37:37 music that glorifies, you know, 37:39 what the world glorifies, you 37:40 know, sexual immorality or 37:41 just, you know, a dark tone to 37:43 it, whatever it is, that's the 37:44 message that will be conveyed 37:45 as people come in. 37:47 There are few things 37:47 that turn off prospective 37:49 Christian parents more than when 37:52 they're considering your school 37:53 and they walk into this concert 37:54 of the devil's vocals. 37:57 So choose stuff. 37:58 We got a whole bunch of stuff 37:59 to choose from. 38:01 and play it at a healthy volume. 38:04 Not -- Do you know why they play 38:05 music so loud at some concerts? 38:09 It's so that you become immersed 38:11 and your frontal lobe 38:12 gets turned off a little bit. 38:14 It's meant to be mesmerizing. 38:16 It's meant to inculcate a mood 38:18 in you that you did 38:19 not necessarily choose. 38:21 That's why it's there. 38:22 So turn it down a little bit. 38:23 Plus, there's this. 38:24 If I invite my 38:25 next-door neighbor to come 38:26 to a game with me as part of my 38:28 witnessing, get him to know what 38:30 the community of faith is like 38:31 but I can't hear him 38:33 and he can't hear me, 38:34 that's a problem. 38:35 I wouldn't mention this, 38:36 except it's happened to me, 38:37 oh, like five dozen 38:38 times over the years. 38:39 Okay? So keep it down 38:41 to a good volume. 38:41 Number six... 38:48 In other words, 38:49 don't just expect your team 38:50 to get it by osmosis. 38:51 Post it. 38:52 Put it in their hands, 38:53 a piece of paper, 38:54 send them an e-mail. 38:55 List these things specifically. 38:56 Very brief examples here, 38:57 some things of what to do. 38:59 When we play sports, 39:00 the coach can say, 39:01 we are representing Christ. 39:03 Act accordingly. 39:05 Many will judge Christ 39:07 based on our behavior, 39:08 on the court, on the field. 39:09 So love and respect your 39:10 opponent and teammates 39:11 as Christ loves 39:13 and respects them. 39:15 Now, how about what not to do? 39:16 Cussing does 39:17 not represent Christ. 39:21 Oh, good. Thank you, Sister. 39:22 I appreciate that, yes. 39:24 Cussing does 39:24 not represent Christ. 39:25 Cussing once 39:26 will get you benched. 39:27 Cussing twice in the same game 39:28 gets you benched for that game. 39:29 Or if it's in the last period 39:30 of the game, 39:31 you'll be benched the rest 39:32 of that game and the first half 39:33 of the next game. 39:34 Fighting does 39:35 not represent Christ. 39:36 Fighting even once gets 39:38 you suspended from the team 39:39 and possibly from school. 39:41 These are clear things, 39:42 basic things, important things. 39:43 Number seven... 40:01 And if a student-athlete begins 40:03 to skip these times, 40:05 the devotional times, 40:06 they magically get sick 40:08 during the devotional time 40:09 but they're well enough 40:09 by the time practice 40:10 begins on the court 40:11 that they're there, okay? 40:13 If that happens, let them know 40:14 that their place on the roster 40:16 or maybe their starting status 40:17 is in jeopardy 40:18 unless they come to this. 40:20 Because, ladies and gentlemen, 40:21 this is why we're here. 40:23 The number-one purpose, 40:25 the primary goal 40:26 of Adventist education 40:27 is to establish students 40:29 in a saving relationship 40:30 with Jesus Christ. 40:32 We have a whole bunch of other 40:33 things that are goals, too. 40:34 We want top-notch academics. 40:35 You know, being spiritual 40:36 is never an excuse to be stupid. 40:38 We want to have everybody be as 40:39 smart as they can possibly be. 40:40 Absolutely. 40:41 And the number-one goal, 40:43 the number-one 40:44 goal is to establish students 40:45 in a saving relationship 40:46 with Jesus Christ, 40:47 including in varsity sports and 40:49 our sports program in general. 40:51 So this is key. 40:52 They can't miss this part. 40:53 They need to be there 40:55 that the teacher -- 40:56 the coach -- can pass on to the 40:58 next generation the faith. 41:00 That's why we're here. 41:02 And lastly, number eight... 41:22 You know, I am sad to say 41:24 that there was times in the past 41:26 in my basketball career 41:28 where if you had asked -- 41:29 if I had asked the other team, 41:30 "Would you come to church 41:31 with me next week?" 41:32 they would have burst out 41:32 laughing and walked away 41:35 because my witness had 41:36 not been what it should 41:38 have been in that game. 41:42 And again, as with coaches, 41:45 if a student-athlete 41:47 cannot commit to 41:48 or consistently refuses 41:49 to carry out your 41:50 chosen spiritual standards, 41:52 they need to be 41:53 either retrained or replaced. 41:57 It is better to have no sports 41:58 program than 41:59 a spiritually detrimental one. 42:02 Keep the standard high. 42:04 And over time, student-athletes 42:07 will rise to the occasion. 42:12 Which brings us to finally 42:15 the counsel for the individual 42:17 Christian athlete. 42:19 You know, there's much 42:20 that could be said about this, 42:21 more than I have time for today, 42:23 but with a keen eye 42:24 on giving God the glory 42:26 in all that we do, 42:26 I would encourage 42:27 every Christian athlete 42:28 to regularly ask themselves 42:29 three guiding questions. 42:32 And if you're an athlete, 42:33 you may want to jot these down. 42:34 If you know somebody 42:34 who's an athlete 42:36 these three questions. 42:38 You need to put these in a place 42:39 where you can see them 42:40 regularly. 42:41 If you keep games on your phone 42:43 or something like that, you can 42:44 just put on the notation 42:44 there also "ask 42:45 three questions," right? 42:46 To remind you. 42:47 Three questions to ask prior 42:49 to each game that you play. 42:51 Here they are. 42:52 Question number one... 43:01 In me and my teammates 43:03 and in my opponents? 43:05 You know, 43:05 the Bible is real clear 43:07 about this kind of thing. 43:07 Colossians 3:17 says, 43:09 "And whatever you do, 43:10 whether in word or deed" -- 43:12 so that would include sports -- 43:13 "do it all in the name of the 43:14 Lord Jesus" -- 43:16 that's according to His will -- 43:17 "giving thanks to God 43:18 the Father through Him." 43:19 Sports is 43:20 not an exception to this. 43:21 No, no, no, not at all. 43:23 And part of the counsel of 43:24 Christ is that we care for one 43:26 another, that we share the good 43:27 news of Jesus with others. 43:28 So when you step onto a field 43:30 or a court or whatever it is, 43:32 you need to ask, 43:33 "How will this further God's 43:35 will in my life, 43:36 in my teammates' lives, 43:37 in the lives of my opponent?" 43:39 Because every person 43:40 on that court, that field, 43:41 is a candidate 43:43 for the Kingdom of God. 43:44 You may be the one 43:46 that helps to bring them in. 43:49 Question number two... 44:02 I am astonished 44:04 by the connection 44:05 that the spirit of prophecy 44:06 makes between sports poorly done 44:09 and damage to one's prayer life. 44:12 The Bible -- we talked 44:13 1 Thessalonians 5:17 last week, 44:14 "pray without ceasing," that 44:15 little short three-word verse, 44:16 "pray without ceasing." 44:17 The Bible is very clear. 44:18 We need to have this attitude 44:19 of prayer 24/7, 365 44:21 all the time, right? 44:23 And yet I was surprised at 44:25 how closely the spirit 44:27 of prophecy ties again sports 44:28 poorly done 44:30 to a damaged prayer life. 44:31 Let me just put 44:32 two examples up here. 44:33 Adventist Home page 513. 44:35 "Christians have many sources 44:37 of happiness at their command, 44:38 and they may tell with unerring 44:41 accuracy what pleasures are 44:43 lawful and right." 44:44 So get the context here. 44:45 People look, "Should I do this 44:47 activity? 44:47 Is this a right thing 44:48 for me to do or not?" 44:49 She says you can know. 44:50 You can know for sure. 44:51 "They may enjoy 44:53 such recreations as will" -- 44:54 here's the list -- 44:55 "not dissipate the mind 44:57 or debase the soul, 44:58 such as will not disappoint 45:00 and leave a sad after-influence 45:02 to destroy self-respect 45:03 or bar the way to usefulness. 45:05 If they can take Jesus with them 45:08 and maintain a prayerful spirit, 45:11 they are perfectly safe." 45:15 And elsewhere on that same 45:15 page... 45:38 Elsewhere, we're told 45:39 that prayer is the breath 45:40 of the soul. 45:43 In that special sense, 45:45 no matter how out of shape 45:47 we may physically be, 45:48 let's make sure that our sports 45:49 never leave us breathless. 45:54 Question number three... 46:03 What will I do to make sure 46:04 that God wins this game? 46:07 Athletes that 46:08 are listening to me right now, 46:10 how often does God win 46:12 in your sports activities? 46:14 How often does the other team 46:16 enjoy playing against you? 46:17 Because you're gracious and kind 46:18 as well as doing your 46:20 athletic best? 46:22 If you lose, how often do 46:24 you lose graciously? 46:26 Does God only "win" if 46:28 the scoreboard says you did too? 46:31 How often do you appreciate 46:33 your opponent's shot 46:34 just as much as your own 46:35 and tell them about it? 46:38 How often do you approach 46:40 sports prayerfully as an act 46:41 of worship, 46:42 knowing that Jesus is out there 46:43 playing with you, 46:44 seeking to make heavenly winners 46:45 out of every person 46:47 on that field or court? 46:48 That is, after all, Christ's 46:50 ultimate desire, isn't it? 46:53 And it needs to become 46:54 our desire as well, even and 46:56 maybe especially in our sports. 47:03 And what happens if... 47:08 What happens if we implement 47:10 these three questions into our 47:12 lives? 47:13 What happens 47:14 if we implement these 47:15 principles and practices 47:16 that I've been talking about 47:17 here in this short series? 47:19 What's the product of that? 47:25 You know, I want to be clear. 47:26 I have made plenty of mistakes 47:28 on a ball field or on a court. 47:31 I have. Sometimes I still do. 47:35 And I'm guessing 47:37 that I will probably 47:38 be one of the most watched 47:40 athletes on campus 47:41 after preaching this series. 47:42 [ Laughter ] 47:45 So I will do my best. 47:46 I'll do my best. 47:48 But I can tell you 47:49 with great accuracy 47:51 that I am a far cry 47:52 from what I used to be. 47:56 In fact, let me tell you a 47:56 story. 47:59 Yea verily in the last 48:00 millennium, I played for 48:02 the Andrews University Cardinals 48:04 varsity basketball team. 48:06 I had a good time, 48:08 and we played two games a year 48:11 that were quite important games 48:13 in the minds of many, 48:14 many, many people. 48:15 And at the time, including me. 48:16 It was the game twice a year 48:19 against the Oakwood Ambassadors. 48:21 Now, Oakwood, 48:23 this particular year 48:24 when this story takes place, 48:25 they were having their 48:26 alumni weekend, 48:27 and we were going down 48:29 from Andrews to Oakwood to play 48:31 them on that Saturday night 48:32 of alumni weekend. 48:33 And we drove all night 48:35 on Thursday night. 48:36 I have no idea why we did that. 48:37 That's a terrible way 48:38 to prepare your team 48:39 to play basketball 48:40 24 hours later. 48:41 We woke up 48:42 bleary-eyed at like 9 a.m. 48:44 as we rolled into the parking 48:45 lot and they said, 48:47 "We've found a place 48:48 for you to practice. 48:49 Would you like a couple 48:49 of hours of practice?" 48:50 And I'm thinking, "I'd like 48:51 a couple hours of sleep, 48:52 please, if I could." 48:53 They said, "No, no, time for 48:53 practice." 48:54 So we go to this place. 48:55 As it turns out, 48:56 it was the wrong gymnasium. 48:58 Instead, inside the gymnasium 49:00 was an alumni basketball 49:02 tournament that was going on, 49:03 and I have never seen 49:05 anything like it. 49:06 First of all, 49:06 I've never seen anything 49:08 like alumni weekend 49:10 at Oakwood University. 49:11 It is astonishing. 49:12 If you didn't graduate 49:13 from Oakwood, you must go 49:15 at least once to see this. 49:16 It's a st-- That weekend, 49:18 I was told there were 49:19 20,000 people 49:21 that came for alumni weekend. 49:22 20,000 people. 49:24 They rent every hall of any size 49:26 within that area there 49:27 because the campus cannot 49:28 possibly hold them. 49:30 It's astonishing 49:31 the camaraderie, 49:32 the commitment 49:32 to the ministry of Oakwood 49:33 that -- I had never seen 49:34 anything like it. 49:35 I was absolutely blown away, 49:37 including when I walked 49:39 in the door of this gym 49:40 that turned out to not be ours. 49:42 I walk in there 49:43 and the first thing I see -- 49:45 there's a couple of courts 49:46 there, and the first thing I see 49:47 is a 6'8", 49:50 completely white-haired alumnus 49:53 flying through the air 49:55 with their hand outstretched. 49:56 And he does this tomahawk dunk 49:57 like that. 49:59 And my heart sank within me. 50:02 If even the elderly Oakwood 50:05 people can do this, 50:08 we are doomed when we play 50:09 our game tomorrow night. 50:14 And indeed, 50:15 that proved to be the case. 50:16 I'm going to cut to the end here 50:17 because I don't want 50:17 the score to distract you. 50:19 It is the most that I have ever 50:22 lost by in a game, 50:26 but not the only time 50:28 by this particular score. 50:29 That's another story for another 50:30 day. 50:31 We lost by 45 points. 50:32 [ Congregation groans ] 50:34 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 50:36 We lost by 45 points. 50:38 We could not -- 50:39 Our team played awful. 50:41 We had a decent team, but for 50:42 whatever reason, I mean, I don't 50:43 know if it's home-court 50:44 advantage that we didn't have, 50:45 whatever it was, 50:46 we played awful. 50:47 Our best shooters couldn't hit 50:48 anything, we couldn't get 50:49 rebounds, we fluffed pa-- 50:50 I mean, it was terrible. 50:51 It was a terrible -- 50:52 Athletically speaking, 50:53 we did very poorly. 50:54 Okay? 50:58 About midway through 50:59 the third quarter... 51:02 I can see this in my mind's eye 51:04 like it happened yesterday. 51:05 Midway through 51:06 the third quarter, 51:07 we're down by probably 51:08 35 points at this point. 51:09 Alright? 51:09 Very little hope 51:10 of pulling this out, right? 51:13 And the defensive end 51:14 of the court we got 51:15 a rebound, 10 guys sprinting 51:17 towards the other end. 51:18 It's a fast break. 51:19 And I remember 51:20 about midcourt I'm heading 51:21 over to the left. 51:22 So I get on that wing. 51:24 If I'm open, they'll pass the 51:24 ball. 51:25 Other guys streaking 51:26 to the right, 51:27 and the snapshot in time 51:29 there, down by 35, 51:30 no hope really of 51:31 winning the game. 51:32 And I remember 51:33 very distinctly thinking this. 51:39 "This is awesome. 51:46 I am so glad that I get to be 51:49 here at this moment." 51:56 And some of you 51:57 are thinking, "You're an idiot." 51:58 [ Laughter ] 52:01 "I don't want you on my team 52:02 if you think it's a good time 52:03 to be down by 35 points 52:04 in the third quarter." 52:05 No, that is complete honest 52:07 truth. 52:08 I was so happy to be there 52:10 in that game at that time. 52:12 How come? 52:13 Because five years earlier, 52:14 I could not have done that. 52:16 I could not have had that 52:17 attitude. 52:18 I could not have made the team. 52:21 You see, you may remember a few 52:22 weeks ago I told you a story 52:23 about trying out at 52:24 Walla Walla University 52:25 for the men's 52:26 varsity basketball squad there. 52:27 I didn't make the team, 52:28 and I told you. 52:29 And it was true. 52:30 You know, the guy jumped 52:31 over the top of me. 52:32 Coach wasn't very impressed, 52:33 and that was one of the reasons. 52:34 But it wasn't the biggest reason 52:35 why I didn't make the team. 52:36 The biggest reason 52:37 why I didn't make the team is 52:38 because I was not 52:39 in a place spiritually 52:40 where I could do that. 52:41 I was not 52:42 in a place spiritually. 52:43 I did not have the discipline. 52:44 There were things in my life 52:46 that had to change. 52:49 I actually tried out twice 52:50 for Walla Walla and 52:51 I didn't make it either time. 52:53 And when I left Walla Walla, 52:55 I thought, "Oh, there's no way, 52:56 there's no way." 52:58 But five years later, 52:59 during that five years, 53:00 something happened. 53:06 I met some good people 53:09 and they showed me a better way. 53:13 They showed me Christ's way 53:15 and they taught me how to be a 53:16 Christian man, something 53:18 I'd never learned before. 53:20 And it had a major impact 53:22 in my life, including in 53:23 how I dealt with sports. 53:25 I remember one time 53:26 my mentor said to me 53:27 this thing about 53:29 appreciating your opponents' 53:30 shot just as much as your own. 53:32 I mean, when he first said that, 53:33 I thought, "You're crazy. 53:34 No one does that. 53:35 That's ridiculous." 53:36 Right? 53:38 He said, "No, no, no, no." 53:38 He says, "You're not playing 53:39 sports like you used to. 53:40 You need to play 53:41 it like God would, 53:42 like Jesus would." 53:44 Most of what I shared with you 53:46 in this series 53:47 comes from that five years 53:50 of transformation in my life, 53:52 and I was a different person 53:54 playing that game at Oakwood. 53:57 You know what? 53:57 I was out there in the midst 53:58 of losing terribly in front of 54:00 I don't know how many people 54:01 were in that gym. 54:02 It was alumni weekend. Right? 54:04 And the guy that I got to 54:05 guard -- this is what they 54:06 told me. 54:07 I never checked this out, 54:08 but this is what they told me. 54:08 They said the guy 54:09 that I guarded 54:10 was the number-one high school 54:12 draft pick out of high school. 54:13 He had a full-ride scholarship 54:15 to play for the Tar Heels, 54:16 but he didn't want 54:17 to play on the Sabbath. 54:18 So he went to Oakwood. 54:20 And I got to guard him. 54:22 It was awesome. 54:23 Now, was he better than me? 54:24 Yes, he was, yes, he was. 54:26 He scored a few times, 54:28 but I scored a few times on him. 54:29 It was great. It was great. 54:30 And the fact that Jesus was 54:32 at the center of my life 54:33 then enabled me 54:35 to be able to play for God's 54:37 glory and not mine. 54:39 And it did not matter any longer 54:41 what the scoreboard said. 54:43 You know, Eric Liddell, 54:46 the Scottish Olympian 54:48 and eventually missionary 54:49 to China, famously said this. 54:50 He said, "I believe God made 54:52 me for a purpose. 54:55 He also made me fast. 54:58 And when I run, 55:00 I feel his pleasure." 55:06 I'm light-years away from 55:07 Eric Liddell's athletic skill, 55:09 but I know a little bit about 55:12 what he was talking about. 55:14 That night 55:15 on the court at Oakwood, 55:16 it was only according 55:17 to the scoreboard 55:18 that I was losing. 55:20 My younger teammates, that was 55:21 a difficult loss for them. 55:22 And probably five years earlier 55:24 it would have been for me too. 55:25 But over those five years, 55:26 I had learned something. 55:27 And consequently I knew 55:29 that according to the scoreboard 55:30 in heaven, 55:32 the victory was all God's, 55:35 and I felt the pleasure 55:37 of that triumph in my life. 55:42 It is true that sports can be 55:44 a force for evil. 55:45 Make no mistake. 55:47 In fact, that's the default mode 55:48 for most of the world out there. 55:51 But if we are intentional, 55:52 if we are intentional 55:54 and turn the tide 55:56 and use them for the glory 55:57 of God, they can become 55:58 a force for good. 55:59 Let us not just use sports 56:01 as a diversion or even as mere 56:02 physical exercise, 56:03 as good as that can be. 56:05 Instead, let us use them 56:06 ultimately to learn more 56:07 about God and to help 56:09 others to do the same. 56:10 And if we do that, 56:12 no matter what the scoreboard 56:13 says at the end of the game, 56:14 we will have won one 56:16 for the giver, 56:17 the giver of all life, 56:19 of eternal life, Jesus Christ. 56:22 May God bless us with the wisdom 56:25 and the courage and the power 56:26 to ever and only play for him. 56:32 [ Applause ] 56:45 Thank you for joining us today. 56:47 You know, 56:48 our goal with every worship 56:49 service at Pioneer Memorial 56:51 is that our listeners will come 56:52 to know Jesus Christ as their 56:53 personal friend and savior. 56:55 Have you taken this step 56:56 in your life, 56:58 or would you like to know more 56:59 about what this step looks like? 57:01 If so, I have a special gift 57:03 that I would love 57:04 to put in your hands. 57:05 It's this little book 57:06 called "Steps to Christ." 57:08 Now, it's not a very long book. 57:10 As you can see, 57:11 it's only this thick. 57:13 But don't let the size fool you. 57:14 This is one powerful book. 57:16 In fact, 57:17 this book is so powerful, 57:19 so life-transforming 57:20 that it's become a favorite 57:21 for millions all over the world, 57:23 making it one of the most 57:24 translated and most published 57:25 books in history. 57:27 It can be yours for free 57:29 by calling the number on your 57:30 screen, 877-HIS-WILL. 57:32 That's 877, the two words 57:34 "his will." 57:35 Call today. 57:37 You can also download 57:38 a free copy at 57:39 pmchurch.org/stepstochrist. 57:41 That's 57:43 pmchurch.org/stepstochrist. 57:45 Don't wait. 57:46 Get your copy today. 57:48 a forever friendship with Jesus 57:50 is waiting for you. 57:59 ♪ 58:09 ♪ 58:18 ♪ |
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