Monday Morning Faith: Becoming a Monday Morning Quarterback (1 Cor. 9:24-27) Chris Altrock – 10/19/14

Sports have been an important part of my life. I played sports in junior high and high school.  Our kids have played on recreational, competitive, and school teams. And our family enjoys watching sporting events.

One of my favorite memories as a teenager has to do with sports. It happened in the 1,600 meter relay at the single-A New Mexico State Track Meet in 1985. The track meet was hours off-schedule by the start of the 1,600 meter relay, the final race at the met. It was so late that many competitors and fans had already left. The rest of our track team had disappeared to find a late dinner in a nearby restaurant. But our four-man relay team remained. We had worked all year for this race. Perfecting our handoffs. Decreasing our individual times. This race would be the culmination of countless hours of training. In fact, it was the culmination of the last two years that our team had trained together.

The starting gun finally sounded, and the four of us ran with all we had. When the finish line was crossed, we took second place—barely beaten by the one team that had barely beaten us in every track meet that year. We consoled ourselves with second place, and began taking our spikes off. Then, an official approached us.

“The first place team has been disqualified,” he said. “One of their runners ran out of his lane,” he explained. “First place goes to you.”

And in a deserted stadium late at night, first place medals were hung around our four necks. When we walked into the nearby restaurant to tell our fellow track team members the story, they didn’t believe it. Even when we showed them our first place medals, they couldn’t believe it. It was the only State Championship I was ever associated with as a student athlete. It was a moment of great pride.

Sports are a significant part of our Monday morning lives. That’s the life we’re talking about in this series–the life that happens outside these church walls. And one of the big things that happen for many of us outside these walls is related to sports.

Sports may matter to you because you were, or are, or are hoping to be, an athlete.

Or, sports may matter because you are a fan. Perhaps you’ve got a favorite SEC football team. Perhaps you love to watch the Redbirds, the Tigers or the Grizzlies. Maybe you follow professional golf or pro tennis. On the count of three, shout out your favorite team or athlete. Ready? 1, 2, 3 __________.

Now, to be honest, not everyone likes sports. Earlier this week I mentioned online that people are passionate about sports and I encouraged Highlanders to wear the shirt of their favorite team today. One Highlander wrote back, “I’m passionate about not watching sports. Is there a shirt for that?” Not everyone likes sports.

Yet no one can deny that sports are a huge part of our culture. In a book called Sports and Christianity the authors make this claim:

“Sport…is the new opiate of the masses; it…is a source of mass exhilaration and depression, security and insecurity, pride and humiliation, bonding and alienation. Sport, for many, has replaced religion as a source of emotional catharsis and spiritual passion…” (Sports & Christianity)

Even if you dislike sports, you can probably see the truth of this quote. Sport is just as popular, if not more popular than religion. Sport has its own passionate followers. And I’m interested in helping us think about sports from a Christian perspective.

This quote also points out that there are two sides to sports—positive and negative. Sport brings exhilaration and depression. Security and insecurity. Pride and humiliation. Bonding and alienation.

Let’s think about that negative side to sports. There are elements of sports which can actually deteriorate our Christian faith. There are aspects to sports which can work against our attempts to follow Jesus.

For example, sports are driven by money. To illustrate, just look at the highest paid athletes in 2014.[1] These athletes earn millions. I’m not suggesting these competitors are corrupt. But their enormous earnings demonstrate how money plays a central role in sports. And the love of money, Paul writes, is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Tim. 6:10).

In addition, the win-at-all-costs side to sports is very troubling. We catch a glimpse of this side to sports in a famous quote from a football coach who said: “Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.”[2] The quote has long been attributed to Coach Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay Packers, who did use this phrase. But the quote originated with Red Sanders, football coach at Vanderbilt in Nashville. In fact, commenting on the pressure to win an upcoming football game, Sanders also said this: “[Winning is] not a matter of life and death. It’s a little more important than that.”

It’s not hard to find this sentiment today. Some of you may remember when thugs hired by Tanya Harding tried to injure Nancy Kerrigan and eliminate her as a competitor at the 1994 Olympic Games in figure skating.

Many of us remember the downfall of Lance Armstrong, world famous cyclist, who was found guilty of using performance enhancing drugs.

Sometimes it’s our own children who pay a price to win. Some youth sports coaches verbally abuse players. Some league organizers create never-ending seasons so that kids and families rarely get the physical and spiritual rest they need.

There are elements of sports which can actually deteriorate our faith.

This is not a new problem. Sports were a significant part of life in the ancient world as well.[3] For example, there were major competitions in the ancient world just as there are today. Today we have the World Series or the Super Bowl or the Olympics. Similarly, in the ancient world they had several major athletic competitions:

1) The Olympian Games held in honor of Zeus;

2) The Nemaean Games held in honor of Zeus;

3) the Isthmian Games held in honor of Poseidon;

4) the Pythian Games held in honor of Apollo; and

5) the Panathenaic Games held in honor of Athena.[4]

In these games the following athletic events were held:[5]

1) Foot Racing (these races were held in an arena called a “stadium”);

2) Boxing;

3) Pankration (this was a combination of boxing, wrestling & kicking; perhaps the ancient equivalent of Mixed Martial Arts);

4) Pentathalon (this involved running, long-jumping, discus, javelin & wrestling);

5) Chariot Racing (this was held in an arena called a “circus” or “hippodrome”; Rome’s chariot-racing arena, called the “Circus Maximus” held 225,000 spectators);

6) Gladiatorial Combat (this was held in an arena called an “amphitheater”; Rome’s amphitheater, called the “Coliseum,” held 50,000 spectators)

Sports were a significant part of life in the ancient world.

And there were elements of sports in the ancient world which could deteriorate the Christian faith.

For example, athletic contests were often accompanied by religious festivals. They began with sacrifice and prayer and vows to a deity.[6] Thus idolatry was woven into ancient sports.

In addition, ancient sports were driven by money. In chariot racing, for example, charioteers and gladiators could acquire large sums of money and would be wined and dined by the rich and powerful.[7] Wealthy citizens might finance a chariot race to enhance their own prestige.[8]

Further, ancient sports also had a win-at-all-costs mentality. In the ancient world, violence was especially used as a tool for winning. Gladiator fighting was extraordinarily dangerous. In fact it became so violent that Roman leaders finally banned gladiator contests.[9] Chariot racing was also dangerous, with the light chariots often flipping over and killing drivers.[10]

Thus, there have always been some aspects of sport which run contrary to the Christian faith.

Nonetheless, the Bible points to elements of sports which can actually develop our Christian faith. The Bible teaches that there are elements of sports which aid our growth into Christlikeness.

In particular, five letters in the New Testament use sports to teach us how to follow Jesus. Here are those five texts:

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control… (1 Cor. 9:24-27 ESV)

 

6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. (1 Tim. 4:6-10 ESV)

 

1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. (Gal. 2:1-2 ESV)

 

13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:13-14 ESV)

 

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb. 12:1-2 ESV)

 

These authors know the darker side to sports. But they also see a positive side to sports. They use the language of running, boxing, training, straining and pressing on–all of which came from the world of ancient sports–to teach us how to follow Jesus.

What exactly are these texts saying? We might summarize it in this way: The Bible teaches that, at their best, sports exemplify the kind of single-mindedness and self-discipline required by Christians to achieve their goals.  When they are at their best, sports exemplify two qualities that all Christians need: single-mindedness and self-discipline. These two qualities are critical for us to achieve spiritual goals.

Paul warns us not to run aimlessly. He’s painting an image of a runner who races everywhere except toward the finish line. The best athletes direct all of their energy toward one goal. The best racers don’t run a single step unless that step is directed toward the finish line. And Paul is saying that same kind of single-mindedness and self-discipline is required if we want to achieve our goals.

Perhaps we should stop there. Because Paul is making a point that some of us miss. The point is this: The Christian faith has goals. Every athletic contest has a goal. The goal is to win the race, win the match, or win the game. A finish line, a goal line, a checkered flag–that’s the goal. Similarly, the Christian faith has goals. We’ve got finish lines, goal lines and checkered flags to aim for.

What exactly are our goals? There are many. The goal of sharing Jesus with other people. The goal of serving the poor. The goal of growing up so we act more like Jesus. The goal of loving God. The goal of godliness – Paul tells Timothy to train and strive for godliness. The Christian faith has goals.

And those goals require self-discipline and single-mindedness which the best of sports exemplify.

• That’s why Paul writes that if you want to become godly, you’ve got to train for it. You’ve got to discipline yourself the same way an athlete does.
• That’s why Paul confesses how he’s straining and pressing on, like a marathon runner, toward his goals of loving Jesus and living like Jesus.
• That’s why the writer of Hebrews urges us to lay down all those things that distract us and to run with endurance our race to live like and love like Jesus.

To achieve all God has for us, it requires tremendous effort. It requires the single-mindedness and self-discipline we see in the best of sports.

With only a slim lead over the Russian team in the 1996 Olympic Games, it was crucial that Kerri Strug, the final gymnast, nail her next vault. But she faced a tremendous challenge. Because she had just torn two ligaments in her previous vault. Still, determined, and in great pain, she set off for her final vault. She landed upright on one leg, and scored a 9.7 to bring a gold-medal to her tea. Then she dropped to her knees in pain. That’s single-mindedness. That’s self-discipline. Those are the qualities we’ve been called to apply to our Christian life.

Michael Oher was one of 12 children born to a mother who was an alcoholic and drug addict. His father was in prison. He had to repeat first and second grades, and attended eleven different schools during his first nine years as a student. He alternated between living in foster homes and periods of homelessness. Yet he knew how to work hard and how to apply himself. Eventually Michael was accepted to Briarcrest and became a star football player. Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, a couple with a daughter and son attending Briarcrest, allowed Michael to live with them and eventually adopted him. Michael worked diligently on the field and in the classroom, spending 20 hours a week with a tutor outside the classroom. And when he went on to play for the University of Mississippi, he became a successful lineman and experienced success in the classroom. He made the honor roll his senior year and graduated with a degree in criminal justice. The Baltimore Ravens drafted Michael in the 2009 NFL Draft. In 2013 this homeless Memphis son of a convict and drug addict won his first Super Bowl ring. That’s single-mindedness. That’s self-discipline. Those are the qualities we’ve been called to apply to our Christian life.

Unfortunately, in our desire to move away from legalism and anything that says you can work your way to heaven, we’ve lost our work ethic when it comes to achieving Christian goals. But if you want to excel in anything as a Christian—prayer, serving the poor, understanding the Bible, overcoming a sin—it’s going to take hard work. Single-mindedness. Self-discipline.

Dallas Willard has famously said that God is opposed to earning. But he is not opposed to effort. In fact, God demands it. You’ll need to direct all your energies toward any goal you have as a Christian. And the most redeeming element of sports is that sports remind us of God’s call to focus all our energies, to toil and strive, for godliness.

So, what are we supposed to do with all this? Spend some time this week answering this question: What is one Christian goal toward which I can apply the kind of single-mindedness and self-discipline I see in the best of sports?  Use sports events to prompt you to think about areas in your Christian life in which you need to apply self-discipline and single-mindedness.

• Do you need to apply the self-discipline or single-mindedness you see in sports toward becoming better at prayer?
• Maybe you need to apply it toward becoming better at sharing Jesus with a neighbor?
• What if you applied it toward ridding your life of a long-lasting sin?
• What if you applied that kind of effort at parenting your kids?

Spend time this week considering just one goal toward which you need to apply the kind of self-discipline and single-mindedness you see in sports.

Ann King turned 93 last Tuesday. Ann is a longtime Highland member. And while Scripture calls all Christians saints, Ann is one of the closest we have at Highland to a “saints” in the way that our culture thinks of saints. I was blessed to be with her on her birthday Tuesday. Her health is failing and she may be in the fourth quarter of her life.

And here, at the end, Ann is, I think, the kind of person every sincere Christian aspires to be. She has a heart that is soft—ready to shed a tear or lend a hand to any person in need. She has a devotion to God that is pure—quick to pray, to read Scripture, to give thanks to God even in the pain of her illness. She has served on mission trips. For many years she and her close friend Sheryl Lynn taught a women’s Sunday School class at Highland; the class where life-change happened most radically at Highland and where women in need from all walks of life found faith and a family. When Kendra and I put together a select group of women from Highland to counsel our daughter Jordan before Jordan was baptized, Ann was at the top of our list. She is one we want Jordan to become like.

We could compare Ann’s spirituality to athletics. Ann is the LeBron James, the Danika Patrick, the Usain Bolt, the Maria Sharapova, the Peyton Manning, the Serena Williams or the Derek Jeter of the Christian faith.

And the question is this: how did she get there? How did she become so good at being so godly? Of course, we have to say this is the result of the work of the Holy Spirit within Ann. But, if we believe the Scriptures I’ve read this morning, we also have to say it’s the result of Ann’s work as well. The result of her single-mindedness. The result of her self-discipline.

What we see in a woman like Ann is the end-product of year after year of directing all energy toward one goal—the goal of godliness. Countless hours spent in prayer. Unmeasured hours spent in Scripture. Incalculable hours spent serving. Laying aside every weight. Running with endurance. Straining. Pressing on. Toiling. Striving. Training.

Ultimately that’s what these Scriptures point us toward. They are calling every one of us to stop giving this Christian life half-heartedness and stop doing it half-speed. They are calling every one of us to apply all of our energies toward the single goal of godliness. Because in this sense, and only in this sense, winning isn’t everything. It is the only thing.