Sunday, August 2, 2009

Godly Glory

Watching sports isn't really my thing, but when I play,
sports teach me so much about God.

And I learned more about being a pastor
from coaching kids than six years of seminary.

So our congregation has a motto: 'Church is a Team Sport.'
We do things together, working for a common goal.

Like sports, being part of Jesus' team
strengthens us as we practice and exercise,
empowers us to do more than we can alone,
follows the guidance of our coach (God)
and is fun.

If you don't enjoy Church, you may not be familiar with
the Church created by Jesus, a guy who named his
best friends 'Rock' and 'Sons of Thunder.'

I'm not a big sports junkie. (Like I don't talk about weather.)
My main focus is God.

God is my goal, what I want most in life.
But I'm not perfect.

So I used to read the word 'GODLY' and cringe.
It felt like watching Olympic athletes do floor exercises.

'It can be done... just not by me. '

Finally, I looked up the word and was surprised.
Godly doesn't mean good or perfect at all.
Godly simply means 'God-focused.'

What draws your attention. And directs your aim.

What are you shooting for? What are you striving for?
Are you driven to money or power?
Do you want to be attractive or liked?
Do you work out to be strong or live long?
Are you seeking thrills?

All that evaporates over time. You'll need more.

What are people around you really about?
You may know them better than they know themselves.
And they may know you, too.
So, ask someone. See what they say.
You may be surprised.

King David (an exceptional athlete and team captain) said,
'Let everyone who is godly pray to you.'

To be 'GODLY', you don't have to be great or even good.

You just have to pray,
to focus on God,
to involve God,
to follow God.

David's playbook for becoming Godly is Psalms.
This particular play ('Pray!') is from Psalm 32:

"Blessed is one whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered... and not counted against him.'

A great thing about sports is how sins are forgiven.
The metaphor breaks down, of course, but
yes, you have to pay the penalty or may go to the box,
but fouls do not follow you every game.

They don't even go beyond one play.

We teach kids in sports to get up when you mess up.
And you will mess up!

'Let it go and get back in the game.'
I say, 'Like water off the back of a duck.'
Batman's dad said, 'We fall down to learn how to get up.'
A Japanese proverb goes, 'Fall down 7 times. Get up 8.'

Being a Christian, a part of Jesus' team,
is not about perfection but practice.

Friday night football used to begin with prayer.
Everything we do should still start with prayer.

Because ultimately it's not about our glory.
It's about God's glory.

Being Godly is about focusing on God's glory, not ours.

There may be no 'I' in TEAM, but 'UR' part of CHURCH.
And the Apostle Paul says the Church shows God's Glory.

We don't produce this Glory with jazzy ESPN clips
or multi-million-dollar contracts. God already has it.

God's glory is greater than winning the gold or a super bowl,
clinching a series or getting a hole in one.

When I go to Neyland Stadium for UT football
and see 100,000 bright orange Volunteers...
or watch thumping ESPN clips of best plays...
or have an amazing comeback on a critical score...

WE glimpse glory and realize God's is so much more.

And it's going on around us all the time.
The Church's job is to be His team on earth
to reveal this glory to 'all the powers in heaven.'

This amazing revelation is in Ephesians 3:10.
Paul goes on to say God's POWER is at work in us
to do more than we can ever ask or even imagine. (v. 20)

It's not up to us. It's not about us. It's not because of us.

All we do is join Jesus' team.
We put on a jersey accepting Christ as Lord and being baptized.
We get on the field, training to use the God gifts in our position.
We score by focusing on the goal... simply looking to God.

And when we fail, we pray God will forgive us.
Then we get right back up and play on
with all our hearts.