Lost in the Lights

It’s the third round of the state football playoffs. The home team is down by a touchdown. The ball is on the home twenty yard-line. The fourth quarter is ticking down toward its close. The wolf of defeat snarls at the door. A call goes out for a hero to save the day.

But hang on…here’s the back-story.

The team had suffered through a recent history of losing seasons. There had been three different coaches during the four varsity years of the current seniors. This year should be more of the same.

But, this was a special group of kids. The whole school and the whole town believed in them. Most had started on the varsity since the tenth grade. The coach who had left after their ninth grade year to coach at a college almost stayed, because next year’s tenth grade was supposed to be so good.

This year had started out predictably. In the first game of the season, tonight’s home team had seen a 21-zip half-time lead slowly evaporate to wind up losing 28-21. Then there was a second loss to a larger school (for some reason, they often played larger schools). Here we go again….

But, after that inauspicious beginning, the planets had aligned. There had been nine straight victories, an area championship, and now the third round of the playoffs. Notch this one and two more – and you’re state champs, something this school had lived for since these kid’s grandpas had played on the same field fifty years ago. This would be the first. And the town of two thousand residents would go wildly insane for weeks. The President of the United States establishing a summer palace here would be nothing compared to winning the state in football. Just get out of the way, there’d be a riot.

Now, back to the fourth quarter. It’s put up or shut up time. Not that these kids ever talked trash to their opponent, I’m not sure they even knew what that term meant. They just showed up and went about their business.

Time to get down to business now.

The coach signaled in a pass. The home team had the best running back in the state. His strong legs and two thousand plus rushing yards had been crucial in getting them to where they were tonight. The player who could tackle him one-on-one, hadn’t been born yet. But on this play, he would be the decoy. The quarterback would fake the ball to him and then drop straight back before heaving the ball downfield. His pass was to be to the wide receiver, running all out toward the other team’s goal, straight down the sideline.

After his fake to the tailback, the quarterback retreated to a spot seven yards behind the scrimmage line. The opposing team’s defensive line began to break through the home team’s blocks. They came at him like wild men smelling a kill. But he stood there erect and unprotected, with the ball cocked at his shoulder, like he had done scores of times before. Just before their headgears impacted his ribcage, the receiver broke into the clear. The quarterback let’er fly.

He never saw what happened because he was now flat on his back covered with opposing lineman, some of whom outweighed him by a hundred pounds. The released football traveled in a beautiful arc with a perfect spiral for at least forty yards. The receiver looked up into the black night sky to focus on the approaching ball. The hopes and dreams of that rural Alabama town traveled with it.

When the receiver looked up, what he saw…was the bright stadium lights. Where was that ball that had his name and “hero” written all over it? As he put more space between himself and the defender, who was now badly trailing, his ultimate dream of glory was falling from the night sky toward his outstretched hands. But the fated ball had become hopelessly lost in the lights, and now the once-in-a-lifetime moment was about to be lost with it.

When the ball finished traversing its arc and fell to where he was running alone down that sideline, his hands never touched it. It hit the top of his shoulder pads. You could hear the “pop” it made from the contact all over the stadium. It bounced once into the air, and fell uncaught to the ground. Hard to catch what you can’t see.

There was a terrible groan of despair from the home stands. It was an omen. The players returned to their respective huddles. Another play was called and executed. By and by the game was completed. The home team lost. Their dreams of gridiron glory and high school football sainthood got lost in the lights.

There’s a little more to the back-story of what you’ve just read, but we won’t go there.

I’ve told this story because these events remind me of a Bible text. Here it is:

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14 NKJV).

Paul said, “…one thing I do.” He had focus. He let nothing get in between him and his goal of Christ. He let nothing distract him and cause him to lose sight of the goal.

The receiver in the story who lost the ball in the lights couldn’t help it. But you and I can help it. How many times do we allow things to get in our way and hinder us from a locked-in vision of Christ? How often do we lose Jesus in the lights of worldly enticements and distractions? When we allow Satan to blind us to Christianity by holding up the world before our eyes, we are willfully losing Christ – and losing the only “game” that matters in the process.

Look past the distractions that Satan is constantly trying to blind us with - and see Jesus. See Him in His creation. See Him clearly in His word. Believe Him. Obey Him. Let God make you more than a winner.

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37 NKJV).

A Death in the Family

It is always heart-wrenching to experience the loss of a close loved one. I spoke with a lady yesterday who lost her daughter many years ago and continues to experience deep grief. I know this story could be repeated millions of times. I lost my own dad in 1999 and still miss him every day. He was my best friend. Sometimes I dream about him. I did two nights ago. This story, also, could be repeated millions of times with different names, dates, and places.

There is an analogy here with God’s family. When a Christian leaves the church and returns to a life of sin, God experiences a death in the family. Not only does the unfaithful Christian abandon his Heavenly Father, but God loses a dear child. Praise to God, I have never lost a child. But I imagine there could be no greater hurt in this life than the death of one of one’s children. The grief must be unfathomable. If you leave God, He feels this way about you. It makes you feel special, doesn’t it? We are all special to God. He wants us all in heaven, safe and sound with Him. He sent His own Son so it could happen.

If you have left God, or if you have never known Him, the Parable of the Lost Sheep is about you. God loves you. God misses you. God wants you near Him. He reaches out to you through Jesus and His gospel. Accept God’s extended arms through faith and obedience to His word. Wherever you are lost among the rocks and cliffs of sin, God can find you. He can lift you up and bring you home. His love looks for you every day. His hand reaches out. Will you take it?

What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance (Luke 15:4-7 NKJV).

“Kill Them All,
And Let God Sort It Out.”

I heard lately (I think it was on the evening news, but I may have read it somewhere, if so, I’ve forgotten where, so proper acknowledgment is impossible – but I did hear this) that sometimes a soldier who confronted a vicious and murderous enemy in an urban environment, where the enemy had positioned themselves among civilians who were (at least were supposed to be) noncombatants, and the civilians would acquiesce (probably out of fear that they would be the first murdered if they didn’t) when the murderous enemy would plant mines and bombs in the road in front of their house to blow up the good guys, that a soldier confronting this nebulous and ghostly enemy, would be tempted to make a statement like this one. “Kill them all, and let God sort it out.”

It’s a terrible thing when man’s inhumanity to man drives one to even be tempted to think like that: to kill the innocent with the guilty just because the innocent might be actually guilty themselves. The loss of a friend who had no business dying young, the desire for revenge, can make it easier for a human to do things that same human wouldn’t dream of doing in a calmer, more ordered, environment. War is a terrible thing, and that’s an understatement.

The Christian Life is a war too, but of a different sort. What we try to kill is our own evil desires. What we must do to others is love, teach, serve, and forgive.

On that last thought of forgiveness, consider this text:

Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22 NKJV).

And now this one, a few lines later:

So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses (Matthew 18:35 NKJV).

The second text follows the parable of the unforgiving servant. Jesus says that if we are unforgiving, like that servant was, that God won’t forgive us. It addresses the importance of forgiveness.

The first text teaches that our forgiveness of others is to be without limit. It addresses the quantity of forgiveness.

Sometimes, in our Christian war, we may be tempted to think that the other guy has committed such a great wrong against us that he doesn’t deserve forgiveness. We may feel that God would judge him severely, so why can’t we?

The thought we began this piece with is a bad one, “Kill them all, and let God sort it out.” But, we can take that same structure, set it in a Christian context, plug in forgiveness: and it becomes a good thought. As far as our personal part in forgiveness is concerned, why don’t we just look at it this way?

“Forgive them all, and let God sort it out.”

Ball and Chain

We’ve all seen old movies where a prisoner was on a work detail and wore a heavy iron ball, about the size of a basketball, attached to his ankle by a chain. The weight of the iron ball would hinder his movements and thus keep him under the control of the prison jailer. He couldn’t escape; he couldn’t do what he might wish to do if he were free, as long as the ball was attached by the chain to his leg. He was a slave to the iron ball. It controlled him. It owned him. There was nothing the prisoner could do to escape unless he could acquire the tools with which to break the chain.

How would you feel if you were wearing that ball and chain? Many people do wear it today – and they wear it by choice. They want to wear it. The jailer who owns the iron ball is the devil. The ball is sin. Romans 6:16 speaks of the person who is a slave to sin, and says that sin leads to death.

When you practice sin, you wear the ball.

But, there is one significant difference in this analogy. In the case of the convict, the jailer owns the ball and chain. In the case of the sinner, the devil owns the ball, but the sinner owns the chain. He decides to attach it to his ankle when he chooses a life of sin. He can put the chain on, or he can take the chain off.

Thanks to Jesus Christ, if that ball and chain is attached to your leg, you can do something about it. You can break the chain. You can loose the ball. You can be free. You can be forgiven. You can have hope, meaning, and purpose in your life.

With Satan’s ball and your chain, all is lost, all is hopeless. Wear the chain: you die.

The power of Christ can break the chain, if you will let him. Romans 1:16 says His power is the gospel. Romans 5:1 says Jesus is the Savior of the faithful. Hebrews 5:9 says Jesus is the Savior of the obedient.

Look at the gospel as God’s tool. Pick it up, and by faith and obedience use it to break the chain.

Imagine your life with the dead weight of sin. Now imagine your life with the freedom of forgiveness. You can go either way. Which do you want?

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace (Romans 8:6 NKJV).

Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city (Revelation 22:14 NKJV).

Here's something I wrote a couple of years ago about preaching. None of it is original, but it would be hard to accurately cite all the sources. David Thomas and Tom Holland were my speech and sermon delivery teachers respectively at Freed-Hardeman in the early seventies. As you will see if you read this, I've also been strongly influenced by the national news anchors over the years, Walter Cronkite, David Brinkley, Tom Brokaw, et al. Guy N. Woods, a lawyer, writer and gospel preacher, was a strong influence when I was in my twenties. And, not to forget - my favorite preacher of all time: fellow Lamar Countian, V. P. Black.

Sermon Delivery

Foreword

It is the intent of these notes to address mainly the mechanics of religious public speaking as opposed to the content of the message. The content of a religious message must, of course, be Biblically accurate.

Philosophy of Public Speaking in a Religious Context

It is the purpose of sermon and/or lesson delivery to inform, explain, and motivate. We must answer the questions: What does the Bible say? What does this text mean? and What must I do about it? We must answer these questions in a manner which will secure and maintain our audience’s interest.

Public Speaking Suggestions

1. Present to the audience as confident but not arrogant.

2. Take charge of the situation (you have been asked to speak). Avoid false humility.

3. Be yourself. Everyone has different styles. Work on discovering yours and then exploit it.

4. Learn from the example of others but don’t copy them. Watch the national evening news anchors on TV.

5. Speak up. Don’t mumble. Remember, you were asked to speak, so people want to hear you.

6. Speak clearly and distinctly. Be sure you accurately pronounce the endings of your words. Have an active and nimble tongue.

7. Speak correctly. Say your words properly and make sure you string them together into complete sentences. Incorrect subject/verb agreement is not only embarrassing, but will cause the content of your remarks to lose credibility. You don’t want people to dismiss your message because you don’t speak correct English.

8. Generally avoid slang words such as “ain’t.” Also, “Going to” is not pronounced “Gonna.” If you say the words properly, no one will notice, and that’s the idea. If you say them improperly, people may turn you off. If there is any question as to the pronunciation of or meaning of a word, look it up or don’t use it. Your dictionary is your friend.

9. Present seriously, yet pleasantly. You will likely receive a better hearing if you do not assume an argumentative attitude.

10. Try real hard to avoid our Southern drawl. We are all proud to be from the South, but it is generally better to speak publicly without an accent. Again, listen to the national news anchors. Can you tell where they’re from?

11. As a possible effort to finish quickly, do not speak too rapidly. Slow down and collect your thoughts. The pause is an effective way to hold attention.

12. Avoid distracting and annoying gestures, pacing, etc.
13. Look at your audience.

14. Dress appropriate to the occasion.

John Brown
August 26, 2004

A Response in Kind
1 John 4: 19

There is a law in physics that states: for every action, there must be an equal and opposite reaction. A “response in kind,” if you will. There is a Bible text that deals with responding in kind. It is found in 1 John 4:19 –

We love him, because he first loved us.

God shows His love for us through His Son. Through Jesus, we can have proper direction, forgiveness of sin, and hope of heaven. That is, if we respond in kind.

We respond to God’s love by obeying His word. Our love for Jesus and our obedience to His word is connected in John 14: 23:

If a man love me, he will keep my words.

A response in kind.

If someone loved you enough to offer you the gift of eternal life, how would you respond? Would you ignore the offer? Would you argue over any conditions of the gift? Amazingly, many do just that.

Respond to God’s love for you, with love for Him. Let this love lead you to trust Him, obey Him, and live faithfully for Him till you die.