Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Introduction
- Although Michael Scott said this on the Office, it originally was a quote from the legendary hockey player, Wayne Gretzky
- My daughter Maddie is a huge fan of the Office and said “Dad, this would be a good sermon!”
- I thought about it, and I do believe she was right
- Wayne Gretzky is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach.
- He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999.
- He was nicknamed “the Great One” and he has been called the greatest hockey player ever by many sportswriters, players, The Hockey News, and by the NHL itself, based on extensive surveys of hockey writers, ex-players, general managers and coaches.
- Gretzky is the leading goal scorer, assist producer and point scorer in NHL history.
- He is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season, a feat he accomplished four times.
- In addition, Gretzky tallied over 100 points in 16 professional seasons, 14 of them consecutive.
- At the time of his retirement in 1999, he held 61 NHL records: 40 regular season records, 15 playoff records, and 6 All-Star records.
- So why did Gretzky make this most famous of all his quotes?
- The main reason for this line was to motivate the team to play more actively and take a wild risk in playing a shot that they are scared of. He wanted to encourage the team to be more into the game.
- As we kick off the new year, I think it’s a good time to ask all of you to play more actively and take some risks that maybe you are afraid of and be more into the game.
There are three things I want us to think about today:
- How has fear stopped you?
- How do you handle failure?
- How does faith in Christ help?
1. How has fear stopped you?
- In our Scripture today, Paul is writing to a church in trouble; that has lost its way
- Paul’s letter is a corrective action letter written to turn things around in Corinth
- Chapter 9 begins with Paul describing what it means to win – where the real payoff is
- In verse 16 Paul says:
For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
- For Paul, life’s all about preaching the Gospel and the big payoff for him is when people get it.
- He talks about how he is entitled to material sustenance from working as a preacher, but that for him the payoff is in the preaching.
- Paul says that even though he has complete freedom, he gives up his freedom to preach
- He even goes so far as to empathize with those he is trying to reach; he says:
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law … to those not having the law I became like one not having the law… to the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
- The Corinthian church had lost this focus and He is trying to encourage them – kind of like Gretzky encouraging his teammates
- Paul knew what it would take to turn things around in Corinth
- It meant that they had to change their ways and give up some of their human desires
- This takes courage and discipline, and this is something that we are no stranger to.
- In her devotional on Bible.com, Sarah Roberts writes:
My dad was my high school basketball coach, and after every game, we would watch the game’s film. He had the same complaint every time, “Why are you not taking the shot?” He finally got me a poster to hang in my room with the quote, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” The reality was I was scared to miss. I was scared to let the team down. I feared failure. I feared being a failure.
- We have so much potential here at Biltmore; some of which we have already discovered; but there is more to come and we need to get ready.
- We have openings on some of our teams and committees and we need people to step up.
- Don’t be afraid to take a chance.
- What are you waiting for? What are you afraid of?
- Are you afraid that there will be conflicts that will come up? There will be conflict
- Are you afraid that you will hurt someone’s feelings? You probably will
- Are you afraid that someone will hurt your feelings? Someone probably will
- Are you afraid that sometimes you will struggle to get it all done? You will.
- But the only alternative to avoid all this is to sit back, do nothing, and not even try.
- Take the shot! Reach out to Candy, the head of Nominating committee and step up.
- Don’t let your fear hold you back.
2. How do you handle failure?
- It’s in our faiure that we are shaped for success.
- How do you handle failure in your life?
- I failed pretty badly, about a year before I came here.
- I was called to pastor a church and God put it on my heart that we should appeal to the neighborhood and reach out; go door-to-door and invite people to church.
- You see the church is located in a small town in southside Virginia that had once flourished; about the size of Ashland, but has fallen on hard times; it’s a ghost town.
- The town had the highest percentage of single-parent families below the poverty line
- It was a mission field ripe for the support of its local Christian church
- Local outreach was a key point in my interview and my acceptance of the call
- About 18 months in, I was ready to start reaching out, but they fired me instead.
- I felt crushed; this was a failure that I never saw coming; but the Holy Spirit warned me.
- The great basketball player, Michael Jordan once said:
I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.
- Nelson Mandela said: “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
- Paul said: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
- There’s an old saying in NASCAR auto racing: “second place is the first loser”
- Paul was saying the same thing in a nicer way: there can only be one winner
- This doesn’t mean that the other contestants aren’t important as well
- Without the others, who fail to win, how could there ever be a winner?
3. How does faith in Christ help?
- I believe that God sent me to that other church for a reason and He also sent me here for a reason
- I have faith in God and I am obedient to His perfect will for my life
- Both churches were formed in 1929 and, incidentally, both churches have curved pews
- Both churches were in the same shape with finances and attendance
- Two identical churches with the same call on my heart: reach the neighborhood
- At Biltmore, my faith has paid off tremendously and the outcome is much different
- It was in my failure that God prepared me for the job I need to do here.
- How does faith in Christ help us to overcome the fear of failure?
- Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
- Galatians 6:9: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
- Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
- Matthew 7:7-8: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
- Romans 8:39: “neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
- If we have faith in Jesus Christ, then we should not be afraid to take a chance.
- Because if you don’t step out in faith, remember this: “You Miss 100% of the Shots You Don’t Take”
- So, take that shot; reach out and plug in; We need you.
- If you can sing and/or play an instrument, we need you in the music program
- If you can spare some time and have some patience, we need you in the children’s program – the children that we already have, and the ones we hope to come in the future
- If you like painting or decorating, we need you in the decorating team
- If you like missions, we need you in the clothing or food missions team
- Search your heart and have faith that God will help you.
- Remember, if you don’t take the shot, you can’t possibly score.