We Will Not Fear

Can anyone relate to wanting something, praying for something, and wondering if it will ever happen? Maybe you have worked for and prayed for years, or decades..and then suddenly the moment arrives. Are you anxious? Is there fear or a nervous energy?

There is plenty of professional athletes with stories that fit this narrative. However one athlete, well known, at least here in the Carolinas, is Jake Delhomme. For those that don’t remember Jake Delhomme or maybe don’t follow sports. Jake Delhomme was the former starting quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, perhaps most famous for leading the Panthers through their most electrifying season in 2003 culminating in going toe to toe with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. They ended up coming up just short of playing the the first overtime in Super Bowl history, but sadly the New England won with a last second field goal. Still Jake Delhomme had breathed new life into a franchise that was practically giving tickets away in prior seasons.

His rise to stardom though, was improbable to say the least. He was not a rookie when all the great things happened.

He had been mostly an inactive practice squad, or third stringer to this point in his career. He had played in NFL Europe, which had kind of served as a development league for the NFL. In the pros, until 2003 he had never really been viewed as a player who would make it much more than a backup.

In 1999, 4 years prior as a member of the New Orleans Saints Jake was given a chance to start against the Dallas Cowboys and ended up throwing 2 touchdowns leading the team to victory.

Even while playing well, he spent his next few years serving as the 3rd string quarterback with very limited playing time.

Hey listen, career backup quarterbacks in the NFL make more money then I may see in a life time, with less of a high percentage for great injury. I’m not trying to suggest we sit here and feel sorry for Jake. However Jake wanted more for himself. He wanted to be just given the chance to be THE GUY, the starter. Following the 2002 season, Jake wanted to play on a team where he might just have a chance.

He signed with the Carolina Panthers. The panthers during the 2001 season had famously lost a then a record 15 consecutive games. I sat through one of those losses in the stadium, you think the Panthers are bad this year, trust me, its been worse. In 2002 they won 7 games of 16, a definite improvement, but still not great.

Then the first game of 2003. The panthers were down 14-0 to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Their quarterback Rodney Peete was struggling mightily. The team needed a spark. They were not about to turn to Chris Weinke who had led the team to 1-15 record before. 2nd Year coach John Fox had seen a tape of Jake Delhomme winning against the cowboys as a third stringer for the Saints.

All of the sudden, career clipboard holding QB Jake Delhomme was told “its your turn.”

This was the moment. The moment he had worked for, as a man of faith, I imagine prayed for.

Would he be afraid, or would he answer the call.

Jake Delhomme would not only win this game coming from behind but would set an NFL record that season with 8 game winning scoring drives in the 4th quarter or overtime. Because of this the Panthers were nicknamed the Cardiac Cats. While the season didn’t end in a super bowl victory, no one can say Jake Delhomme flinched when his name was called. He rose to the occasion.

My friends when we’ve prayed for and worked our lives for that moment and God comes to you and tells you, “The time is now.” Will you flinch, will you be filled with fear, will you play it safe and play not to lose, uphold the status quo, or will you be willing to believe God when he tells you, its your time, you are ready.

Today we are going to explore the obstacles we can be prone to experience when God places his call on our lives. There are so many examples of chosen people telling God He chose the wrong person