Ask me any question about football and I will unabashedly prove that I know nothing about the game. I can say however that I understand the basic premises of Offense and Defense. The Defensive team plays hard to keep the Offensive team from moving the ball toward their end zone and from scoring a touchdown. The Offensive team plays hard to run the ball into the Defensive goal line. The Offense team has players that work to protect the Quarterback and other ball carriers as they make their way to the goal- VICTORY! Okay. So applying football anecdotes to Christianity, I would say my church is playing Offense: playing hard to get everyone (yards) into the end zone, the Kingdom of GOD. Sin of self is playing Defense, unwittingly playing hard to maintain status quo; sort of like letting the clock run out. Sin of self likes things as they are, comfortable, unchanged, without conflict, without resolution and without any responsibility. You know, the “Let the Pastor do it” mentality. Hmm. In a football game, the teams that do not score are called Losers and fans have very low expectations of them. I believe GOD, in His willingness to grow us up, has high expectations for His people. In eternity, GOD will sort out the Losers, the ones who played like goats with stiff necks and hard heads (Matthew 25:31-46). The Victory will go to the sheep; those who humbled themselves, gave over their lives, stretched themselves and followed Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:24-26). No self-involved, “I don’t like it-They’re asking too much-I can’t do it-I gave at the office” type thinking. Imagine a football team thinking that way? Ugh!!! Only by losing our lives, being poured out and following in the LORD’S leading, will we gain our VICTORY. Our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ, our Quarterback, has this world in His hands and He is running it into the Kingdom zone! Now ask yourself, what position are you playing? In the words of American football great Vince Lombardi, “Football is like life – it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.” Another question, what position are you willing to play?
