Game On!
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Well, its the big game day, I personally don’t care because neither the Pats or Broncos or playing and I gave up football this year..
This morning however, I want to talk about a WAY MORE IMPORTANT GAME!!!
YOUR SPIRITUAL GAME!
GOT YOUR GAME ON???
How many of you are ready spiritually for life? How many are engaged in this game.
I am not talking about being a spiritual spectator --- so many people sit on the sidelines, in church, in their personal faith with Jesus - they watch others engage in spiritual things and deepening their faith walk, but they just sit outside eating junk food.
They watch others grow spiritually while they nibble on the snacks the world feeds them and allow their spiritual lives to be empty and unfulfilled like a benched player or someone who never attempted to play themselves.
If you jumped into your spiritual game, you know the prize is HEAVEN - it is the playoff for the ultimate victory - eternal salvation...
Christ has already paid the price for us to win, but we must still play this game called life - and do it in a manner to win...
24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!
You could easily replace the word race - with game!
For those of us who have launched into the game, there are three important components we need to focus on that I want to talk about today.
1. DEFENSE
1. DEFENSE
You can have a good offense, but man you need defense to keep the other team from scoring.
In fact, 11 Superbowl wins have been credited to the defensive game, including one of the Broncos victories. They had only gained 193 yards the entire game, 50 yards short of the second shortest yardage - yet they one because they kept the enemy from scoring against them.
Let me tell you, spiritually, the enemy is on the offense!!!
He is out to bring the Christian down by whatever means necessary. He does not abide by the rules, and he seeks to devour!
8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
We must be prepared to encounter the wiles of the devil and ready for all the plays he wants to throw at us...
Those plays will be filled with deceit, temptation, and discouragement - in those moments we need to STAND IN DEFENSE against his advances.
11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.
15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.
16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.
17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
Just like a football player is covered in helmets and pads to withstand the tackling blows coming against him, so we must wear the armor of God to withstand the blows of the devil.
His wiles, are his game plays.
The enemy knows your weakness! He has been studying you your whole life, watching for your temptation. Knowing your favorite shortcut to pleasure, or seeing what play wears you out, what discourages you and makes you vulnerable.
He has also been trying to psych you out thinking that moving one way will be safe when that is not the play to make… it leads to the tackle!
There is a lot of strategy in defense, predicting the moves of the offense, and guarding the end zone.
The enemy knows he is a loser, but still wants to take you down.
What do you use against those wiles?
Salvation
Peace of the Good news
Word of God
Truth
Prayer
Right living
Faith
Only you can get dressed in your gear - if you forget to put something on your are open to injury.
If your going to bring your best game, you have to have good defense!!!
2. OFFENSE
2. OFFENSE
Ok, the other side of defense is offense.
I have to be honest with you, I see a lot of Christians playing a lot of defense and getting nowhere!!!!
Can you imagine never trying to advance the ball??? Yet many Christians live their spiritual game this way, and invest little into improving this.
They have no offense moves to gain ground and victory.
Is your life full of fighting off attacks, but never moving forward in Christ?
Do you have the intentions to gain ground and score, but are always stuck battling in the middle of the field or near your end zone???
12 And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it.
The Kingdom of God must have forward motion -yes it will be attacked, but while moving!
We are on an uphill climb, moving toward our goal against a current --- if we are not making movement, we will not be stagnant, but we will lose ground.
So many Christians are being pushed back from their goals because they make no effort to move forward! They are afraid of the attacks on either side if they go to gain ground.
18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.
God wants to build His church, He wants Christians to not only grow in faith and righteousness, but in expanding His Kingdom in forward motion...
If we are so busy defending that we never start advancing, we are most likely not winning in the game.
Over 40 Superbowls were won by OFFENSE — you need to move the ball to the end zone, and we need to move the GOSPEL TO THE LOST, WE NEED TO MOVE THE WORD and the SPIRIT from our LIVES TO OTHER LIVES!
If you are not active in being a part of building the Kingdom of God, you are just waiting to be tackled!!!!
IN your own life, there needs to be spiritual goals you are striving to attain,
a closer walk with Jesus
getting rid of hinderances in your life
pursuing knowledge of Christ
to grow in the Word
Seek the Holy Sprit to empower you
Proclaiming Christ to others
8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,
14 Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.
3. PERSEVERANCE
3. PERSEVERANCE
The final thought is the need to persevere!
Heb 12:1 told us to run with endurance ---
God wants a team that won’t lose steam!
HUH!!!
We need to not quit or give up.
How many of you feel ticked when your players just give up, or stop persevering in a game? If they quit, or stopped playing well.
I feel personally ripped off when they let the clock run out...
and who loves the last minute Hail Mary pass that wins???
Perseverance in spite of negative odds, exhaustion, being battered and beat down — you cannot win the game without sticking to it and not giving up -
GIving it your all til the timer runs out!!!
3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.
4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.
36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.
No one could ever win without persevering!!!
How many gold medals came because an athlete pushed through the pain, the injury, the exhaustion and pressed on until they reached the goal!!!!
We have a promise found in Scripture for when we grow tired...
31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
We have a source of renewal and strength so we can push on to win the prize!
14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Winners are those who persevere through the difficulty until they have obtained the prize!!!
Those who win easily are boring to watch, but those who put up the fight and push through make a much better game!!!
To our offense and defense we must add perseverance!!!
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
SOOOO,
This morning, for those of you who have gotten into the spiritual game, your not just sitting on the side spectating and eating junk food...
I want to encourage you to
Bring your best defense - stay strong in the Word, putting on righteousness, holding up faith, and standing in truth and salvation! Come prepared for the game in your armor.
Also, don’t live on a defense but make the most of every opportunity to be on the offense and advance to score a touchdown! Pursue Christ, draw near to Him, seek the power of the Spirit, set spiritual goals, and involve yourself to help advance the Kingdom of God.
And PERSEVERE - the game is not over until you have had your last breath on earth or Jesus comes - keep on, keeping on moving forward and don’t give up!