I think we are willing to die... but for what?

Have you ever been to a high school football game? Have you seen the parents cheering on their children and the student section cheering on their peers? Have you ever been to a college football game? The cheering and dedication of fans there is three times as intense. We have such tunnel vision here in the south. Most people would agree that we will spend the most time on what is most important to us.

Philippians 3:8-12 "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead."

This passage clearly shows us that for the Christ follower, nothing is more important than Christ. Nothing is more important than our knowledge and relationship with God. Understanding these two principles reveals a stinging truth about our culture. We have removed God from the throne of our hearts and replaced him with things like football, money, sex, popularity, even comfort.

I work in student ministry so I work with a lot of high school football players. While this post is not directed at any specific student I work with, I want to use this example to bring out contrast because I have seen it and know it. Those same football players who spend so much time practicing say that they are Christians, Christ followers. I would simply ask them where their priorities are. What do they actually spend time doing? What is really sitting on the throne of their heart? Is it God?

I would ask those same questions to myself and to the contemporary church. What sits on the throne of the church's heart? Is it numbers? Do we calculate our spiritual health as a church by the number of people we pack into our buildings? Is it the building itself? Do we think we have a healthy worship ministry because we have the newest equipment or sing the newest chart topping Christian single? How about money or programs? How about self-righteousness? That one stings. Do we spend our time attempting to live righteously and do good works? I hope we do. As Christ followers we are commanded to but we must examine our motives. Are we living righteously because we are being disciplined in order to become like Christ or are we living that way because we think the goal is self improvement?

High school football coach charged in player's death – CNN.com
High school football player dies after hard hit – Komonews.com
High school football player collapses, dies during game – wkrn.com
Calif. High School Football Player Dies After Collapsing at Game - foxnews.com

I wrote about the dedication of a football fan at the beginning of this post. If you have ever played high school football or have a child who has, you recognize the term two-a-days. The average summer day for a high school football player consists of hours upon hours of practice in blistering heat. They wake up before the sun rises in order to make it to the field on time. They do not get home until after the sun has gone down. They work out so hard and run so much that it is common for players to throw up or pass out from exhaustion and exposure to heat. They are that dedicated and disciplined to become better at football. We are now finding out that the intensity of their practices harm them physically. Many of them find that their bodies are worn out by the end of their high school or college career. They wear themselves out in order to become better at football.

This example reveals in us the ability to devote ourselves to something so much so that we continue participating at the risk of death. Throughout the years of church history, accounts of missionaries and church fathers who sacrificed their lives for the cause of Christ have been recorded and published as books. We idolize them for their sacrifice. We must come to the realization that Christ calls us to the same reckless abandonment of our life as the martyrs we read about. It may not mean death but it does mean discipline and sacrifice.
Matthew 16:24-25 “Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

If we are to call ourselves His church, let us be devoted to Him who has justified us and reconciled us to Himself because of His great love for us.

We as the church must examine the throne of our heart. Do we find God there? We must look at what we value and spend time on. If it is not God, he probably does not inhabit that throne and we must repent.