Notes From the Pastor
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Turning up the Heat!
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Most of us, whether we are sports fans or not, have probably been following the Dallas Mavericks run to the NBA Championship over the last several weeks. Well following a disappointing game six, the Mavericks dream season came to an end. I was privileged to be in attendance for game six and came away with some interesting thoughts.
The first one was about momentum. The Mavericks went out to a quick 2-0 lead in the best of seven series. Everything seemed to be going their way. I have heard several television commentators make the comment that perhaps the Mavericks became complacent or satisfied, perhaps even overconfident. If that is true, it cost them the series. There is a great lesson there for churches. We can never become complacent or overconfident in what God is doing in our midst. There is always more to do. The NBA Finals were not over until someone won 4 games. The challenge for us as believers is that our series for our Lord is not over until he calls us home. We can never be too content in what we have done for Him. There is always more to do.
I called a couple of people from the game just so they could hear how loud and enthusiastic the crowd was. It was so loud in the arena that you could barely hear the person next to you talking. I wonder how enthusiastic we are about our faith? As we left the arena, we saw people shedding tears over their team’s loss. Do we shed tears over the lost people in our community that we encounter every day? Do we have an enthusiasm about our faith that makes others take notice?
Then there were the crazy people outside that were doing whatever it took to get into the arena. I assumed that there was someone giving away tickets to the craziest dressed people. People painted themselves blue and green and were wearing capes, girls dressed in wedding dresses with “Dirk marry me” written on them, and there was one guy painted gold and dressed as the NBA Championship trophy. It was an amazing scene! These people were willing to go to some extreme measures to try to accomplish their goal of getting into the game. I wonder what measures we are willing to go to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world?
When I was younger, the Mavericks losing would have really been devastating to me. But as I have gotten a little older, I realize that there is always next year for the Mavericks. However when it comes to people coming to know the Lord, we are not promised tomorrow. We must make the most of everyday. An NBA trophy would be nice to have in Dallas (it will come one day), but I would much rather take the words of 2 Timothy 4:8, “there is laid up for you a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give you at that day: and not to you only, but to all of them that love His appearing.”
As a church let’s be as serious about our Lord and the work He has called us to do as we are our sports teams or whatever it is that you are passionate about! ¶ 7:58 AM 0 comments
Most of us, whether we are sports fans or not, have probably been following the Dallas Mavericks run to the NBA Championship over the last several weeks. Well following a disappointing game six, the Mavericks dream season came to an end. I was privileged to be in attendance for game six and came away with some interesting thoughts.
The first one was about momentum. The Mavericks went out to a quick 2-0 lead in the best of seven series. Everything seemed to be going their way. I have heard several television commentators make the comment that perhaps the Mavericks became complacent or satisfied, perhaps even overconfident. If that is true, it cost them the series. There is a great lesson there for churches. We can never become complacent or overconfident in what God is doing in our midst. There is always more to do. The NBA Finals were not over until someone won 4 games. The challenge for us as believers is that our series for our Lord is not over until he calls us home. We can never be too content in what we have done for Him. There is always more to do.
I called a couple of people from the game just so they could hear how loud and enthusiastic the crowd was. It was so loud in the arena that you could barely hear the person next to you talking. I wonder how enthusiastic we are about our faith? As we left the arena, we saw people shedding tears over their team’s loss. Do we shed tears over the lost people in our community that we encounter every day? Do we have an enthusiasm about our faith that makes others take notice?
Then there were the crazy people outside that were doing whatever it took to get into the arena. I assumed that there was someone giving away tickets to the craziest dressed people. People painted themselves blue and green and were wearing capes, girls dressed in wedding dresses with “Dirk marry me” written on them, and there was one guy painted gold and dressed as the NBA Championship trophy. It was an amazing scene! These people were willing to go to some extreme measures to try to accomplish their goal of getting into the game. I wonder what measures we are willing to go to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world?
When I was younger, the Mavericks losing would have really been devastating to me. But as I have gotten a little older, I realize that there is always next year for the Mavericks. However when it comes to people coming to know the Lord, we are not promised tomorrow. We must make the most of everyday. An NBA trophy would be nice to have in Dallas (it will come one day), but I would much rather take the words of 2 Timothy 4:8, “there is laid up for you a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give you at that day: and not to you only, but to all of them that love His appearing.”
As a church let’s be as serious about our Lord and the work He has called us to do as we are our sports teams or whatever it is that you are passionate about! ¶ 7:58 AM 0 comments
