CHRISTIAN ATHLETES

#1 · February 14, 2006, 3:25 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on February 14, 2006, 3:25 pm
Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>
CHRISTIAN ATHLETES

February 12, 2006

TEXT: 1 Peter 1:13 - 2:3

Even though we are once again enduring the deep freeze of winter, it has still been a pretty good week for sports fans. The Super Bowl was played last Sunday, and the Pro Bowl is played today. College and pro basketball are in full gear. And, of course, the Winter Olympics games began this weekend.

The Olympics have held a special attraction to me for a lot of years. The skill and prowess and pure competition of the athletes fascinate me. The personal sacrifice of so many athletes from around the world is staggering. To make such a commitment for the purpose of having a shot at Olympic competition once every four years is astounding. Some will have only one shot in their lifetime. Some even go to the competitions knowing full well that they will not have much of a chance at all to come close to a medal performance. Yet, they still endure grueling training in order to qualify and to represent their home nations in this national arena of competition. Impressive.

During the course of the Thursday Bible studies, we have finished just last week 2 Peter. A few weeks before, we completed 1 Peter, and before that we did several of the letters of Paul. All of us participating in these studies have certainly come to recognize that the term self-control is used frequently in these books of the Bible. Peter writes, Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. The word for self-control is rendered sober in the King James and several other versions. The word translated from the New Testament Greek carries two primary meanings. The literal meaning is very much how we use the word sober today; that is, refrain from being drunk. The figurative meaning of the word is to be calm and collected in spirit; to be temperate, dispassionate, circumspect. (Thayers Greek Definitions, ed. 3, Parsons Technology, Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, electronic version) In other words, be self-controlled.

Although there are warnings in the New Testament against drunkenness, it is the figurative sense that this particular word is applied throughout the New Testament. In their letters, Peter and Paul used the word in a broader context than drunkenness. They applied it to all aspects of life: relationships, family, finances, entertainment, business, and so on. Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Like Olympic athletes, Christians are in training. We are supposed to be in constant training. In some ways, I am jealous of gifted athletes. They get to travel to a lot of places around the world, which is always exciting - at least for me it has been. At the same time, I feel sorry for these gifted athletes because they get to travel around the world. For me, one of the exciting aspects about visiting foreign ports was being able to try different foods. Theres some good stuff out there! Imagine the poor athletes, though. When they travel to compete, they cannot just fall off their diets in order to try new delicacies. Imagine those dainty skaters going out on the ice the day following a full five course Italian dinner. It just would not work. Sacrifice and self-control.

Peter continues, As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: Be holy, because I am holy. If an athlete is training to compete at the Olympic or professional level in any sport, exactly which day of the week is he or she supposed to not be an athlete? What day of the week is Michelle Kwan not a figure skater? Or Apolo Anton Ohno not a speed skater? Or Bode Miller not an alpine skier? If they intend to compete at the Olympic level of performance, then they are a skater, skier, or whatever their field every day of the week. Just ask anyone of them what it means when they miss practice due to injury or illness. Each athlete will tell us that he or she loses some skills and has to work harder to comeback.

Which day of the week is the Christian called to not be holy? Rhetorical question. We are called to be holy every day. Like the athlete, what happens when we fail to practice spiritual growth every day? What happens when we fail to attend to our relationship with the heavenly Father every day? We lose some of our skills and momentum to do Gods will. We lose our connection with Gods strength that He has for us. In his second letter, Peter issues a stern warning to those who become deceived and turn away from holiness. >From 2 Peter 2:20 we read, If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. Christian athletes must always be in training.

Athletes are self-controlled because they are motivated. Those Olympic athletes at or near the top of their game are motivated by the possibility of taking home a medal. Michelle Kwan is still skating competitively because she wants to win the Olympic gold medal. In spite of her many accomplishments in her field, she still wants to win Olympic gold. That is her motivation.

Likewise, Christian athletes are self-controlled because we are motivated. In verses 18-21, Peter tells us, For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Our motivation is Jesus Christ. Our response to practice self-control and holiness comes from our never-ending thanksgiving to the One who sacrificed everything in order for us to be given the gift of eternal life. The good news is that our place in Gods Kingdom is not reserved for just the gold or silver or bronze medal winners. Share from Romans 3:21-24. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. All who believe are eligible to stand on Gods medal platform.

Christian athletes are motivated by the goal set before us through the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Verses 22 and 23 teach us that Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. Peter emphasizes this in 2:1-3. Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Imagine if every Christian was training and practicing as hard for this as much as Olympic athletes were training for their specific discipline. I think that the landscape of Christianity both now and in the past would be changed forever. And, in reality, many, many, many faithful Christians strive for these very things. I do not intend to imply that no, or even most, Christians are not serious about living out their faith. When we are not careful, it is easy to become deceived into believing that we, or I, are the only faithful born again believers. God reminded Elijah thousands of years ago that he was not alone. It is still true today; Christians around the world, literally, are united in our work to grow up in [our] salvation.

My point this morning is that these are some of the important goals for which we are in training. Ridding ourselves of all malice and deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind leads to that winning objective of loving one another deeply, from the heart. This comes through dedicated training and a self-control that is every bit as arduous - joyfully arduous - as that of the most skilled Olympic athlete. The good news is that our glory which comes only from God is imperishable. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Rev. Charles A. Layne
First Baptist Church
Bunker Hill, Indiana
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Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

CHRISTIAN ATHLETES

February 12, 2006

TEXT: 1 Peter 1:13 - 2:3

Even though we are once again enduring the deep freeze of winter, it has still been a pretty good week for sports fans. The Super Bowl was played last Sunday, and the Pro Bowl is played today. College and pro basketball are in full gear. And, of course, the Winter Olympics games began this weekend.

The Olympics have held a special attraction to me for a lot of years. The skill and prowess and pure competition of the athletes fascinate me. The personal sacrifice of so many athletes from around the world is staggering. To make such a commitment for the purpose of having a shot at Olympic competition once every four years is astounding. Some will have only one shot in their lifetime. Some even go to the competitions knowing full well that they will not have much of a chance at all to come close to a medal performance. Yet, they still endure grueling training in order to qualify and to represent their home nations in this national arena of competition. Impressive.

During the course of the Thursday Bible studies, we have finished just last week 2 Peter. A few weeks before, we completed 1 Peter, and before that we did several of the letters of Paul. All of us participating in these studies have certainly come to recognize that the term self-control is used frequently in these books of the Bible. Peter writes, Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. The word for self-control is rendered sober in the King James and several other versions. The word translated from the New Testament Greek carries two primary meanings. The literal meaning is very much how we use the word sober today; that is, refrain from being drunk. The figurative meaning of the word is to be calm and collected in spirit; to be temperate, dispassionate, circumspect. (Thayers Greek Definitions, ed. 3, Parsons Technology, Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, electronic version) In other words, be self-controlled.

Although there are warnings in the New Testament against drunkenness, it is the figurative sense that this particular word is applied throughout the New Testament. In their letters, Peter and Paul used the word in a broader context than drunkenness. They applied it to all aspects of life: relationships, family, finances, entertainment, business, and so on. Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Like Olympic athletes, Christians are in training. We are supposed to be in constant training. In some ways, I am jealous of gifted athletes. They get to travel to a lot of places around the world, which is always exciting - at least for me it has been. At the same time, I feel sorry for these gifted athletes because they get to travel around the world. For me, one of the exciting aspects about visiting foreign ports was being able to try different foods. Theres some good stuff out there! Imagine the poor athletes, though. When they travel to compete, they cannot just fall off their diets in order to try new delicacies. Imagine those dainty skaters going out on the ice the day following a full five course Italian dinner. It just would not work. Sacrifice and self-control.

Peter continues, As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: Be holy, because I am holy. If an athlete is training to compete at the Olympic or professional level in any sport, exactly which day of the week is he or she supposed to not be an athlete? What day of the week is Michelle Kwan not a figure skater? Or Apolo Anton Ohno not a speed skater? Or Bode Miller not an alpine skier? If they intend to compete at the Olympic level of performance, then they are a skater, skier, or whatever their field every day of the week. Just ask anyone of them what it means when they miss practice due to injury or illness. Each athlete will tell us that he or she loses some skills and has to work harder to comeback.

Which day of the week is the Christian called to not be holy? Rhetorical question. We are called to be holy every day. Like the athlete, what happens when we fail to practice spiritual growth every day? What happens when we fail to attend to our relationship with the heavenly Father every day? We lose some of our skills and momentum to do Gods will. We lose our connection with Gods strength that He has for us. In his second letter, Peter issues a stern warning to those who become deceived and turn away from holiness. >From 2 Peter 2:20 we read, If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. Christian athletes must always be in training.

Athletes are self-controlled because they are motivated. Those Olympic athletes at or near the top of their game are motivated by the possibility of taking home a medal. Michelle Kwan is still skating competitively because she wants to win the Olympic gold medal. In spite of her many accomplishments in her field, she still wants to win Olympic gold. That is her motivation.

Likewise, Christian athletes are self-controlled because we are motivated. In verses 18-21, Peter tells us, For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Our motivation is Jesus Christ. Our response to practice self-control and holiness comes from our never-ending thanksgiving to the One who sacrificed everything in order for us to be given the gift of eternal life. The good news is that our place in Gods Kingdom is not reserved for just the gold or silver or bronze medal winners. Share from Romans 3:21-24. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. All who believe are eligible to stand on Gods medal platform.

Christian athletes are motivated by the goal set before us through the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Verses 22 and 23 teach us that Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. Peter emphasizes this in 2:1-3. Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Imagine if every Christian was training and practicing as hard for this as much as Olympic athletes were training for their specific discipline. I think that the landscape of Christianity both now and in the past would be changed forever. And, in reality, many, many, many faithful Christians strive for these very things. I do not intend to imply that no, or even most, Christians are not serious about living out their faith. When we are not careful, it is easy to become deceived into believing that we, or I, are the only faithful born again believers. God reminded Elijah thousands of years ago that he was not alone. It is still true today; Christians around the world, literally, are united in our work to grow up in [our] salvation.

My point this morning is that these are some of the important goals for which we are in training. Ridding ourselves of all malice and deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind leads to that winning objective of loving one another deeply, from the heart. This comes through dedicated training and a self-control that is every bit as arduous - joyfully arduous - as that of the most skilled Olympic athlete. The good news is that our glory which comes only from God is imperishable. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Rev. Charles A. Layne
First Baptist Church
Bunker Hill, Indiana

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