God and the NFL

Football; if not the most popular and revered sport in the United States/North America today, it is a front runner. From the high school level to college, right up to the gods that do battle on the gridiron for 16 weeks of regular season play in the NFL, football is a focal point of existence for millions and millions of people.

From a world perspective this a great thing. The popularity of football has generated billions of dollars in revenue from the sale of tickets, television rights, advertising, merchandise, etc. And for all of those faithful who bleed the color of their favorite team, each week they have dozens of opportunities to participate and initiate hype for the coming week’s games. They can talk ball with their buddies, they can play in multiple fantasy football leagues, they can place wagers online or in person; there is an entire culture waiting with open arms to help suck them into the whirlwind of the NFL season.

The 16 week NFL season is a literal smorgasbord for the senses; beautiful women, gambling, beer, good times, food, rivalries, comradery, expensive officially logoed merchandise, and highly skilled professional athletes performing at the top of their sport. What more can a man want?

That’s precisely the problem. 

No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”


Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him. And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.
Luke 16: 13-15 (NASB)


In the entirety of the passage of Luke 16: 1-18, Jesus was talking about being a good steward; something I have personally failed at more times than I can count. But nonetheless, Jesus’ point was that we are to be faithful with what we are given. And when we are given little and found trustworthy, then we will be given more. Of course, as people, we tend to equate these types of statements as meaning only money; if we’re faithful with our money we will get rich.


And Jesus did tell us that we cannot serve both God and money, or we will hate one because of our love for the other. But His words apply to much more than just money, because Jesus said no servant can serve two masters. He was talking to the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, but He could have just as easily been talking to the 19 million viewers/game, Fox enjoyed, in the 2010 NFL regular season.  


As slaves of Christ, we know we are saved by His sovereign grace and not by our works. And we know that no food is unclean. But have we forgotten that we are not to cause our brothers to stumble? Have we forgotten that while we participate equally with the love of football, that we are not separating ourselves from the culture that embraces this world and sin? There are millions of people waiting each week, for one thing and one thing only; this week’s NFL games and all that goes with that. They are waiting like, we as children of God, should be waiting for Christ. Those millions of people are faithfully preparing their shrines all week long for the games that will give them hope.


It is a tragedy. Millions of people headed for hell who think they are simply headed for another good time this week. It isn’t a sin for me to drink wine, unless I cause my brother to stumble. It isn’t a sin for me to play a round of golf, unless I cause my brother to stumble. And it isn’t a sin for me to watch a football game, unless I cause my brother to stumble. All of those things would be sinful if I loved them and served them. And all of those things would be sinful if I had doubts about partaking in them, but did it anyway. (Romans 14: 23)


Brothers, I am not judging you if you have an interest in football. I am pleading with you to watch your step and look at how your actions could cause others to stumble. There are millions of people who have made the NFL and its players, gods. Many of those people might even be children of the real God of Israel.  He must increase, I must decrease. Let us be mindful of the lost, even when we want to eat that which we know is clean in and of itself. While you might be eating that which is clean, it might be utterly filthy for someone right beside you, and you might be causing that person to stumble.


It is our faith in Christ that saves us, and it is by grace that we receive the gift of salvation. Now let’s be faithful to our Lord and put aside any of our desires that might cause a brother to stumble. I pray that the Lord finds me faithful today. 


For God’s glory in Christ is revealed!

Clichéd Christianity

Have you ever encountered a believer that seems defeated? Have you ever looked into the eyes of another believer, as you’re sharing the fire the Lord ignited in your belly, only to see the hopeless eyes of apathy and lukewarm resignation in the other person? That same person who seems to know the correct doctrine, who knows God’s word extensively, gives much of his time to church functions and charities, and may even be a leader; but still there is something lacking in his fire for God. Maybe that person once had a fire and was ready to serve, but found themselves in the company of the institutionalized and religious; share your fire and pray for them. But most of all... stay obedient to Jesus Christ!

As believers in Jesus and slaves to our King, sometimes we’ll face long bouts of loneliness as the Lord refines us and moulds us into a people of His righteousness. It is in those times of change where we might face decisions of some very radical proportions, as the Lord puts us through the fires of cleansing. And it is then when we must not shrink from His call.

While we seek to be obedient to His leading in our lives, we must continually fall on our knees and pray for love and grace for other professed believers who might try to offer up words of advice that actually discourage us from our obedience to the Lord. We must not forsake those that discourage us, but continue to love them and pray that the Lord will open their minds to radical and actual obedience, and if they’re lost... save them. We must speak the truth!

Have you ever heard the church phrase “just be happy where the Lord plants you”? Not bad advice on the surface and it sounds a lot like Philippians 4: 11, but it is misguided when given to a person undergoing suffering in a radical change from the Lord. While Paul learned to be content in whatever circumstances he found himself to be in, I think we must look more carefully at the context of Paul’s statement before we offer up clichés and words of discouragement within the brethren using Philippians 4: 11, but based on our own human motives and perspective. Paul wrote the church of Philippi from a Roman prison cell. When we offer advice for believers to be happy where they’re planted, shouldn’t we first consider that fact?

And before we discourage believers in Christ from a radical obedience to our Lord with simple clichés, since his writings seem to be the cornerstone of that particular cliché, should we not first consider how Paul’s life looked as he himself learned to be content in Christ? Paul didn’t just stay at his job of tent making, or at any one place; Paul was a radically transformed man who once sought to persecute Christians before the Lord took from him and then gave him back his sight. Paul spent his transformed life preaching the gospel and being persecuted for doing so. Paul endured multiple beatings, public humiliation, persecution, imprisonment, and it’s believed, execution. Paul’s life didn’t look like a firmly planted oak tree, but more like a leaf floating on the wind of the Lord. "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." (John 3: 8 NASB)

What about Peter? Did the Lord have Peter a firmly planted oak tree, a rigid man of religion? In John 21: 15-17, Jesus confronted Peter 3 times as to whether or not Peter loved Him. Why did Jesus confront Him? Scripture says because Peter had returned to his job fishing, but the Lord had called Peter to build His church. So Peter was being disobedient to the Lord. In His grace Jesus confronted Peter and gave opportunity for Peter to obey. And Peter obeyed.

So what does an obedient life in Christ look like? Based on scripture, I would say it looks light years away from the life of the typical and even radical Christian in North America today. An obedient life to Jesus will lead to persecution. And if you’re not experiencing any form of persecution from the world around you, maybe you’d better ask yourself why. How can you be living a life of comfort in a world that hates Jesus Christ, if He is living in you? What is it that has your heart and keeps you from obedience and abandonment of this world?

In Western Christianity another key element of discouragement for the obedient believer within the brethren is wealth. Not the kind of wealth most people imagine when they hear the word “wealth” either, because most people in Canada and the United States, sadly, imagine themselves not to be all that wealthy. Most people, even in the church, are striving to accumulate more money. They will justify this striving by telling others of how many people they will be able to help by acquiring their wealth. Yet at a glance, most times it is obvious who is wealthy and who isn’t. Because when we strive to accumulate wealth, eventually we cannot help ourselves but to show off what we’ve accomplished.

And then one day when you are wealthy, and firmly planted in your human pursuits, well established in your local church, a pillar in the community, a young believer in the Lord Jesus who is full of fire and zeal comes to you and tells you that the Lord just told him to sell his house and begin a ministry sharing the gospel. As that precious and naive young sheep tells you (the firmly planted oak tree) his plan, a darkness swells inside you; something you hadn’t known about until that very moment. As that darkness gives birth to the bitter taste in your mouth, unwisely you say to the young, vulnerable sheep, something like this; “one thing I’ve learned over the years is just to be happy where the Lord has you planted”.

What about the rich young ruler? Was he planted? The rich young ruler seemed to have a very human perspective, one focused on self-righteousness and accomplishment. He was rich and probably very well planted. But Jesus saw right through him and cut right to the heart of his self love. When the rich young ruler called Jesus good, knowing the young ruler only saw Jesus as a teacher, He immediately corrected him to understand that only God is good. The rich young ruler believed he had done all things right to inherit eternal life, but Jesus changed his ideas devastatingly quickly and profoundly. When questioned about keeping the commandments by Jesus, the rich young ruler proudly proclaimed “All these things I have kept since my youth”. Then Jesus dropped the bomb, “One thing you still lack” He said, “go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." (Matthew 19: 21 NASB) After learning that he would have to sell all his riches and give them to the poor and then follow Jesus in obedience in order to inherit eternal life, scripture says, the rich young ruler went away grieving.

So does Jesus actually assure us that we will be firmly planted when we follow Him? I don’t think scripture gives us that picture of an obedient walk with the Lord at all; that is a human, religious perspective, not God’s. He calls us to give Him everything we have! And if you encounter a brother or sister who is bringing you conviction because of their desire for obedience, you’d be wise to get on your knees and see where the Lord may have called you instead of discouraging that brother or sister. But maybe because of your love for the world you disobeyed the Lord, and now you’re going to discourage obedience in others instead of encouraging them. If that is your reality, I pray you will repent and ask the Lord to soften your hard heart that you might become obedient to what the Lord has already told you. If that describes you, praise God for His mercy that you are able to hear that truth and have the opportunity to repent.

So should we be content with our circumstances? In Christ, of course we should! We should learn to be content as Paul did, as long as we are living in obedience to the will of God; we won’t be perfect, but we will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as He leads us through this life. And according to God’s word, our lives won’t resemble those of the lost one bit once we are saved by Jesus and become obedient to His will. In Christ we have hope! Our lives are not our own, but His that He might be glorified. Someday in glory we can know an existence free from the suffering and persecution here on earth. May that be our joy as we preach the foolishness of the gospel. Hallelujah!