Playoffs and...Faith?

Anyone who knows me, knows I like hockey. I don't live hockey, or eat hockey but I do have a great appreciation for the sport and the Buffalo Sabres hockey team (during the season, off season, mid season, post season). Somehow I got my wife, and her family (my mother in law and father in law only) into watching games.

Hopefully you didn't hear my grumbling a few weeks back. The Sabres didn't make it into the playoffs this year. No big surprise though. We had a season riddled with injuries and new chemistry to boot. I believe next year, this should all be sorted out, at least I can hope. We made a great late season push and almost comeback, we were near last in our conference (Eastern...and the other is Western). And over the course of 2-3 months we got to within 2 points of clinching the final 8th spot for playoff hockey. You can't knock that, or maybe you can...because you shouldn't have to do that. I'll come back to that in a moment.

In other news, not that I'm making less of it. It is important. In a way. I don't want to offend anyone who maybe grieving. So I'll stop there. Dick Clark died yesterday. Mr. Clark, was an American radio and television personality, best known for hosting television's longest-running variety show, American Bandstand, from 1957 to 1987. I think most would remember him as host of the Times Square's New Year's Eve show, which was broadcast worldwide.

Mr. Clark was 82. And some would say he lived a long and how's that expression go? I don't know. But it got me to thinking about some stuff. So if you are still reading, I'm coming to the point of my blog.

Mr. Clark lived 82 years. That's about 81 autumns, 81 winters, 81 springs and 81 summers. Seems like a long time. And then I got to wondering, if he was a believer...a Christian. And then, I thought, did he hear the Gospel? From my Pastor's sermon last night, I can't say that is a guarantee anymore. Because some people can go their whole lives and not hear it even when they attend church. Pastor Tom mentioned how a elderly gentlemen, who was visiting the church had never heard what, I and those in my congregation hear every church service. The Good News or the Gospel.

So why am I talking about the Gospel, and Playoffs...Sports? Because.

If you remember a few paragraphs ago, I wrote:

We made a great late season push and almost comeback, we were near last in our conference... we got to within 2 points of clinching the final 8th spot...you shouldn't have to do that. I'll come back to that in a moment.

I'm back to that point. In the New Testament books, Specifically about the ones written by Paul . The apostle Paul, actually equates the Christian journey to a race. And that's something I think we all can consider athletic.

What I guess my first point is, is this. In sports teams are competing to get into the playoffs, the finals. In our Christian walk, we as Christians don't have to make final pushes every year to gain access to God's favour. We are already on his team when we accept his son as our saviour. Once we are on the team, we just need to act like it. That means investing in the team (and no, not money wise...well...tithing but...) We need to equip ourselves just like a athlete or a warrior would for game day.

Please bear with me and the modern day athlete to ancient warrior comparison...

See everyday is game day for us. Because our rival is Satan. And Satan, wants to make you fall with a full on check, he wants to strip the ball from you. He wants you to not make be victorious today...get it? When we equip ourselves with biblical knowledge, with the knowledge that God will forgive us of our sins, and that he does love us. Satan loses.

Ephesians 6:10-17 (NIV) ...Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

So you can see, God knew about our daily battles, and made sure that we would be all suited up and ready. :-) That's awesome, eh?

We can be victorious in the daily game. Not to trivialize our spiritual and fleshly battles, it's not a game, but I think you understand what I mean. I hope. Right? We can go out there and do our best, to be on God's team.

And the same goes for the unsaved as well. You don't have to jump over hurdles, and dodge tackles.

Salvation is through Jesus Christ. He is our sub, he took sin’s penalty (2 Corinthians 5:21); He is our saviour from sin (John 1:29); He is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus did all the work Himself, he lived a perfect life, he took God’s judgment for sin, and rose again from the dead (Hebrews 10:12). The Bible is quite clear that our own works do not help gain us salvation. We are saved “not because of righteous things we had done” (Titus 3:5). “Not by works” (Ephesians 2:9). “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10). This means that offering sacrifices, keeping the commandments, going to church, being baptized, and other good deeds are incapable of saving you. No matter how “good” you are, we can never measure up to God’s standard of holiness (Romans 3:23; Matthew 19:17; Isaiah 64:6).

So...to sum it up.

1. Jesus came to be our substitute (Saviour). So instead of being penalized every single time we sin, God sent his son to go into the box (The Cross), so that we can stay out there...here...and keep working and be on the righteous team.
   
2. We don't deserve a substitute because, we are like Sean Avery, we have no sportsmanship, we are bad sports...we are bad (Sinners). God is merciful and just to forgive us. (1 John 1:9)
   
3. Just because we have accepted the substitute doesn't mean, we can go on being unsportsmanlike. We need to start shaping up our game, start living like we are on God's team.
   

Thanks for reading, I pray I made sense.

Anthony