IT'S GAME DAY

When I was in high school a long long time ago I was part of the wrestling team.We were good. Actually the very best in the league.A lot of that was due to the coach we had, he was just amazing.One thing with our wrestling team is it was a year round program meaning you just didn’t show up when the season started and start practicing you had different parts of training you did all year long.You got fit and ready for the season.Once the season started the coach took it to a whole new level.We had to do crazy training, things like put people on our backs and crawl for five minutes. But the big thing was the coach teaching us moves and techniques.For like six weeks he would teach us what to do in so many situations, how to take a person down, if they were on top what to do, if they try and flip you do this.It was a lot of study, preparation and practice.Then game day comes and next thing you now you are on the mat and you are looking at an opponent in front of you.I remember my first real match and I stepped out on the mat and I look at the guy across from me and my heart starts beating.It’s like oh no. I actually have to do thisThis is the real thing. Yes I trained, I knew the moves everything but honestly I was a little worried. ITS GAME DAY.And when that guy came at me my whole world started to spin, it’s like I couldn’t hardly see what am I going to do now.Then I heard coach Baresford call out, come on Scorziell take him down, I knew what that meant, and although my heart was beating I had trained for this was able to grab this guy and put him down.Then I heard the coach call out another move and before you know it I was actually wrestling. And I won. Became team captain so don’t mess with me I’m tough.Here’s the thing. I went through a lot of preparation with coach.Hard preparation and training but on game day I felt lost and scared.Until I heard the coach, I knew he was there rooting for me and calling to mind all that he had taught.Match after match I just learned to listen for the Coach.You know what this journey as Christians is a lot like that.We sign up and start following Jesus, we are on the team.From the day we become born again we start training.We have this manual that teaches us what to do, and we have a coach Jesus and the Holy Spirit that lives in us.Together the Spirit and God’s Word teach and train us.We get knowledge about life, we get moves about what to do when trouble and temptations come, we learn about spiritual warfare and what the Bible tells us what to do when trials come and you feel pretty good?But Guess What, Game Day comes where you gotta use what you have learned.Even though you have been training learning what to do when trials and temptations come when they come it’s like oh no, what’s going on.You feel like I did during that first match and it feels like the world is spinning and you start wondering can I do this or will I break.We need to learn what to do on Game Day.That is what is on my heart today.I think we are in game day right now.Things are a challenge, it’s a trial, and this is not the time for training this is the time do what you have been learning.Our take home for today is going to be to learn about this:The main take home. Listen to the coach. He is with you.We will read a couple passages.

Isaiah 43:1–5 ESV

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you.

This is a passage that people love to quote.I know it is a passage talking about Israel but there are some real good truths we can learn from it that we must know RIGHT NOW.Let me give you a little background.This is not a passage that you should just write on a picture frame or stick on your fridge if you don’t know what it is talking about.This passage was given by the Genuine Prophet Isaiah.God spoke through him to the people of Israel and told them that real trouble was coming.They were going to have some super hard times.Matter of fact things would get so tough you would not even be a able to buy food.Things would get so tough you would sell family members as slaves and even eat your children.That is how difficult God said it would get.Then just when it looked like there would be no end to it the Babylonians were going to come and defeat you and take you prisoners.God spoke all this through Isaiah to prepare them for that. God wanted them to know a couple things. Like I formed you, I know you and I care for you.That is important.Then good part that we all have heard and love.

Isaiah 43:2 ESV

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

When some hear this passage they get a wrong picture.They think oh God is so good. Look what He is saying.When we go through the waters He will be with us.So they get the idea that you will just kind of float down the river, maybe have one of those drinks with the umbrella in it, and just have a wonderful time floating through life.Then with the fire it will not consume me so as I float down the river maybe I will pull over light a little fire and roast marshmallows.How wonderful.Life is a Holiday with God.If that is your picture you got it wrong.God is telling them this is going to be bad actually very bad.BUT know this. You will not be destroyed because I will be with you.The picture of the river is you may be swept down the rapids tossing and turning and feeling like you are going to drown and die but you won’t.That fire it may singe your hair off and toast you like a marshmallow but you will not be destroyed.Because I am with you.It is instruction for them for the very trying time that was coming.The picture was GAME DAY is coming.When GAME DAY comes you must remember this.This same truth applies to us.People many of you have been Christians for a real long time.You have been getting training and instruction for a real long time.This is GAME DAY. We are in it.God told us as the times draw near the end it would be like this.All this teaching about huge revival etc, that is not what we should be looking at.He told us a great falling away, huge compromise with sin was coming, the darkness would get darker and persecution would happen.Well all of that is happening.We are in GAME DAY now.It’s the time to put into practice what God has been teaching us.Oh and I think some over the last few months feel like I did on that wrestling mat. Your heart is beating and you are a little scared. This is tough.This is the starting place is here.Don’t be shocked. God told us this was coming.And know that God knows you and sees you.You will not be destroyed, you may be tossed around and feel the heat and fire but He is with you.He is that coach saying you can do this. Just do what I taught you to do. Just like my coach did.He will call you by name and let you know what to do.So do you know that we are in game day now. This is the time to put into practice all that you have been learning.

Let me give you another one. It goes hand in hand with this.

Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

This is another one we need just a little background so that we can get it.In Hebrews 11 it is the chapter that some call the Hall of Faith.It’s all about people who went through tough times and made it.On Game Day they were ready and won.So God inspired this chapter to be written for us

#1 We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.That doesn’t mean that all the saints are sitting around us rooting for us saying come on you can do this.It means in every generation people faced the same things we are facing and they kept the faith.They made it.How they made it is the important truth here.Two big things, FIRST is they got rid of every weight and sin that was messing them up.SECOND they Looked to Jesus.This is what we need to do now that it’s Game Day.This is not preparation or training it’s time to do this.#1 What is weighing heavy on you? What is the weight you are carrying?See this is important. I almost feel it may be the bigger issue than the sin that is mentioned here.What weight are you carrying?Is it fear that you won’t survive? Is it that you can’t stop thinking about the money situation? Is it politics? Inflation. 2008.All these are real but they can become a weight.Here is why this is important to learn.If you are focused on these and they are a weight guess what happens when you are in the river? YOU SINK. You will have no endurance and will be in trouble.WE don’t have to do that because we have an answer here? This is it:#2 Look to Jesus.This is where I think there is a little tension.People wonder how do you do this, I’ve read but now that it’s Game Day what do I do?If Jesus was visible and right here I could do this but I don’t know what to do.This is where we need to understand this word “Look To Jesus”This does not mean to find Jesus in the situation or try and experience Him.The word means we need to take our eyes OFF of what we are focused on and focus on Jesus.Or another way you can look at this is you need to know what is distracting you from your walk and relationship with the Lord and stop being distracted and focusing on that and focus on Him.Here’s how this works or how to apply it.The picture is wonderful when we combine the two verses we looked at.The river right now is all the pressures of life.The high prices, the bond notes, Ecocash fees, unemployment.That’s the river. You probably can’t control any of this. Here is what I have seen.Too many are trying to pray for the river to stop, they are praying for the fire to stop.God isn’t answering that. I don’t know why but that isn’t going away.The more you focus on it, it becomes the weight that makes you sink.Take your focus off of that and focus on Jesus.Not the physical Jesus but focusing on Him is focusing on living in a way that pleases Him.This takes me back to my wrestling days.We would train and train.But on Game Day everything changed.There were some matches that you would hear that this guy you are facing has won the last two tournaments, you would look at some and they looked bigger and stronger than you.If you focused on those your heart would beat fast, you would get nervous and it was like going into the match with a weight.I learned on game day that I had trained, I wouldn’t focus on those, I learned to listen for the voice of my coach.I could hear him yell out, double leg take down - I know that move and boomThen could here coach yell sweep, I know that and boomGo for the cradle - reverseYou would here and because you had trained you did it and you could win.For us we have the Holy Spirit to call out all that Jesus taught us.He is there to remind us about the peace that He gives.Oh yeah I remember that, Lord help me get that peace, not the peace the world gives but that you give.You hear Him say don’t worry about what you shall eat and wear because my Father will take care of you. Look how He takes care of the birds and you are more valuable.You studied this now you must apply it.Or you feel the attack of the enemy and you hear Him say resist the enemy and He will flee from you. I can do that.You can either focus on the crazy stuff or say no I will not focus on them, that’s a weight I will focus on what Jesus said,He’s the coach, it’s game day. I’m going to do it.When we do this we will not sink, we will not get burned but we will run with endurance and win. It’s game day, it’s time to live what you’ve learned, run with endurance, and yes you will have good days and bad days but if you listen to this you will make itThe river is hereThe fire is hereBUT GOD IS HERE TOOTake your eyes off the riverTake your eyes off the fire.Fix them on Jesus - The author and finisher of your faith.

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