Football

Warm-up: Acts 17:16-21
Extra Credit: Acts 17:22-34

Football is kind of a big deal at the University of Georgia. I mean, a really big deal. If you have never been to an SEC football game, you are missing out. If you are a fan of a team outside the SEC and have some biased view about the SEC being overrated, get over it. You are wrong. The football here is crazy, the competition is unreal, and the heat during September games is unbearable. But people find a way to bear it, because they want to watch football that bad.

The hype surrounding UGA during the off-season before my senior year was out of control. We had Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno, and a preseason ranking of number one in the nation. Everyone in Athens was buzzing, and the place could hardly keep from exploding from excitement. This was also the same summer I went to Fiji and New Zealand.

When I was traveling around, I met people from all over the world. Most of them had heard of college football, but few knew anything about it. My friends I travelled with and I were so excited about Georgia football, that if at any point we perceived a way to begin discussing the game with people, we did. We went on and on about how huge it was, how 92,000 people filled the stands every game, about how much money it cost to have season tickets, and about how good Georgia could be. And the funny thing was, these people could care less about college football.



Our excitement about the subject, however, compelled them to listen. And even though we may have lost them here or there, they were still impressed by some of the things we said. Finally, after all our rambling was done, we would usually apologize by saying, “Sorry, but it is just not a good idea to get people from the South talking about college football. Especially when they have a really good team.”

After my trip I had a huge epiphany, and it made me feel pretty shallow. “Imagine,” I thought, “what kind of an impact I would have had if I were as excited to talk about the gospel as I was to talk about football.”

Ouch.

Why is it, that I can have no shame in talking about football and jump at every chance to say everything I can about how great it is, but I rarely jump at a chance to discuss the gospel? What is stopping me? Maybe it goes back to identity and I am more nervous about people finding out I am a “Jesus Fan” than a “Georgia Fan.” Maybe it is because I am simply not as excited about God. That thought is horrible because if it were true that would mean I am more pumped about a kid who can run fast and juke people than having the Creator of the universe on my team.

It’s really kind of embarrassing. And football is not the only thing I get more excited about than God. There is my wife, my random projects, my bike riding, movies (The Dark Knight was a prime example during the same summer as UGA football), and countless other things.

God and the Gospel are the most exciting things ever in the history of the universe. Seriously. The maker of Heaven and Earth loves us so much that He came and died for us. That does not just happen everyday! I know, I know, that is a cliché statement, but just sit there and think about how ridiculous that is.

Think about it, think about it…

Yeah. I know it is nuts. Not only does He love all his people, but He loves you. Just you, as a person, despite all of your problems and screw-ups. Now that is something to get excited about. I could go on trying to convince you to get excited, but I guess the best thing to do is tell you a story about a man named Derek. I went to Poland with my church in high school for a mission trip. We had a great time and ministered to people through sports and Vacation Bible Study. Derek was one of the guys who was always with us. Every chance he got, he would tell people the awesome story of what God had done in his life.

Derek grew up and had a great future ahead of him. He was amazing at soccer and eventually played on the national level. But somewhere along the way, Derek realized he was not content with life. Seeking out a solution, he turned to alcohol. He drank more and more everyday, and eventually got to the point where he would fill up his water bottle with Vodka during soccer games and consume the entire thing while he played. He had become so consumed with alcohol that he could not even enjoy his favorite sport without it.

And then, one day, God walked into Derek’s life. There was a radical transformation and he fell so in love with Jesus that he gave up alcohol cold turkey. It was such a sudden change that he even endured physical problems, but he refused to even consider giving into his old temptations. Such a huge change can really only be explained by one thing: God. I do not believe that anyone can instantly gives up that much alcohol on their own. Clearly, God stepped into Derek’s life and changed it forever.

Derek’s joy about his salvation and the work in his life was apparent to everyone he met. I wish I were more like Derek. I may not have been an alcoholic, but the only reason I did not become one is that God entered into my life and caused radical change in my heart before I could choose Derek’s old lifestyle. I should be excited about that! Much more excited about it than Georgia’s preseason ranking. The world needs more people like Derek. The only hope I, or anyone else has of being as excited as Derek is to spend time with God. When I taste God’s goodness, when I experience His peace, when I am reminded of how screwed up I am and how much more screwed up I could really be, there is only one appropriate reaction: To praise the God of Creation and to shout the good news to everyone I meet.