The Buckeye Faithful

Revelation 7:9-17

When we moved to Columbus in 1985, we had no idea how rabid Buckeye fans could be. However, we quickly learned when virtually every time we were introduced as moving from Lansing, Michigan, the response was invariably the same, “Well at least you’re not a Michigan fan!”

 The center of these comments came from the rivalry between Ohio State and the University of Michigan. It was perpetuated by their coaches in the 70’s – Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler. However, since the year 2000, U of M has won only three times. This was to be the year when the tide turned, or so they thought.

Last Saturday, Ohio Stadium was packed with 106,588 mostly Buckeye fans. It was a sea of red screaming for their team. A friend of mine, who has season tickets, said he had never heard the crowd as loud when during the game Ohio State blocked a punt and ran the ball in for a touchdown.

Similar to “The Game” last Saturday, here is a different kind of victorious scene.

 ⁹ After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they were shouting with a great roar, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!”            NLT

John draws us a picture of believers who surround the throne of God worshipping Him. Because no matter what happens in life; no matter how bad our circumstances are; no matter how painful life is; when all is said and done; God is victorious. And His victory ultimately is ours.

 The people who John was writing to were suffering great persecution. John himself had been exiled to an island penal colony because of his faith. Through this passage, he was giving them a vision of hope; of purpose; of salvation. He was giving them a reason to not compromise, but to keep putting one foot in front of the other. 

That reason still exists today for you and for me. We may not experience victory every minute of every day, but it is there waiting for us. That’s a promise made by the Living God who is faithful yesterday, today and forever.

 Therefore, like the Buckeye faithful, let us “shout with a great roar”, only not for the Scarlett and Gray, but for our victorious Lord.

Victory is Ours

Philippians 3:10-14

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%203%3A10-14&version=NIV;NLT

 

Tom Brady is the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots. Last Sunday, the Patriots defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars making them eligible to play in the Super Bowl. It’s not so amazing that the Patriots won, but how they won.

 

At the ripe old football age of 40, and with an injured right hand (his throwing hand), Brady lead his team to victory by overcoming a double digit deficit with less than three minutes left in the game. No matter what adversity he faced, he kept his focus, and his team’s focus, on attaining their goal.

 

Paul had the same mindset for himself and for the Philippians.

 

¹⁰ I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead… ¹³ I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.      NLT

 

In football, the temptation is to lose sight of the goal; to think about the injured hand, the penalty, the fumble, the double digit deficit or the teammate out with a concussion. The reverse is also true. When you get a lead, there’s a temptation to ease up on the gas pedal; to think you’ve got the game in the bag; to coast.

 

Life is the same way. There is a temptation to either obsess on the problem to the point of being overwhelmed. Or to focus on how good things are and coast. Either way, you lose sight of the goal.

 

Paul was a fighter. Here’s what he wrote to Timothy, his son in the faith.

 

⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.    2 Timothy 4:7-8 NIV

 

How do you respond to problems and blessings? Are you a fighter? Do you keep your eyes on the goal? Victory is ours, if we only take hold of it.

 

 

Defining Moment

2 Timothy 4:1-8

 

 

Frank Gifford died this past week. He was 84 years old. He played in the NFL for 12 years and later was one of the original announcers on ABC when Monday Night Football debuted. One of the current ABC news announcers said that “he was a good man and a good person”. That was his eulogy; his defining moment.

 

According to my NIV Study Bible, Paul wrote 2 Timothy after his fourth missionary trip. At the time he was in prison. This was nothing like the rented house he lived in the first time he was a prisoner. This was a cold hard dungeon where Paul was chained like a common criminal.

 

He seemed to believe that he was near the end of his life, and with that in mind gave his own eulogy when he wrote, “⁶For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

 

You get the sense that Paul is looking back on his life and remembering his friends at all the churches where he ministered: Ephesus, Corinth, Galatia, Philippi, and others. He is remembering how God has used him in the lives of so many people for his Lord and Savior.

 

With that in mind, he gave Timothy some final instructions. “I give you this charge: ² Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.”

 

Previous to this in chapter 3 he also wrote, ^“16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

 

Paul seems to be preparing Timothy so that when he reaches the end of his life, he too can say like Paul, “I have fought the good fight”. Indirectly, Paul is preparing you and me for the same defining moment.

 

If we follow Paul’s instructions, then we too can say with him, “⁸ Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

 

In the meantime, let us live life, one day at a time, with faith in Christ so when we

arrive at that defining moment, we too can say like Paul, “I fought the good fight”.

 

 

 

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20timothy%204%3A1-8&version=NIV;TLB

https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/2Tim.4.1-2Tim.4.8