Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “Winning And Losing”.
It is difficult to deny our feelings, be disinterested, neutral or indifferent when something we care about is on the line. A prime example is the outcome of a contest involving a sports team or individual.
No matter how much we may want to hide or deny it, if we care about the team or individual, we hope that they will win. But and if the other side wins, that is not a reason to begin to dislike, or even hate, them. They don’t become our enemy because we lost and they won. But this is how people and powers are seeking to make people feel toward one another.
They are taking what use to be and still should be friendly competition and hyping it into a type of war between enemies. Instead of seeing those we are in competition with as our brothers and sisters we have many common interests with whom we should love, they want us to only see them as rivals that must be defeated at all cost.
People are placing so much emphasis on winning that it has overshadowed the reason for playing the game or being in competition. Games and competition that is entered into voluntary should be about the enhancement of those involved. Fierce competition should make both teams better at what they do.
UNC and Duke played each other for the right to play for a national championship. Regardless of who wins, they made and make each other better and have many things in common. Each team would represent the other and as such should wish for and hope for their success as they play for the championship.
Vigorous debate over issues should help people to see the issue from multiple advantage points and help to make informed decisions. But regardless of who wins or loses, such competition should begin with love and respect and should end that way.
The bible tells us that no one can love God and not love their brother or fellow human being. If we say we love God and dislike or hate our brother we are lying. This is why those of us who call ourselves Christians must never allow our differences with our brother and sisters we share our community, towns, cities, states, nation and world with to cause us to not love them and care about what happens to them.
We must never allow ourselves to view them simply as rivals, or worst enemies, in a struggle for ideas and ways of living our lives. Indeed, if we care about the church of Jesus Christ, it is impossible to ignore and be indifferent about what shall become of it. We care about whether it succeeds or fails, wins or loses. Nor can we ignore and be indifferent about the plight of the world’s people who Christ gave His life and died for so that we and they might have eternal life.
Yes, we may disagree with others on a range of issues and occasionally lose at the ballot box and elsewhere from time to time. But this does not make them our enemies nor should we not wish for and pray for their welfare.
Not only because wanting to see others fail is not in keeping with the attitude God’s children should have toward others, but much of their success is tied in and hinges on our success and vice versa. Do we wish that they should want us to fail when we win?
Christians must help all of us to see, though we don’t see eye to eye on everything, there is a way we can all live together in harmony and peace however elusive it may be. This is what loving our brothers and sisters who don’t look like us, think like us, worship like us, vote like us, play like us, work like us and don’t do so many other things like us is all about.
God calls on us to win them over to His side so that they too will be saved with love even when we sometime lose the temporal battles. For the ultimate prize is eternal life and anything else that is won or lost along the way was all just part of the journey.
You can hear the complete sermon by clicking the sermon title above. You can also see and listen to our previous Sunday School, Missions and BTU sessions by clicking this link. Be sure to download our mobile app on your phones and mobile devices to get the latest news, updates and shortcuts to all of our ministries, functions and activities.
Click the SS Daily Bible Readings for an excellent devotional and preparation for the upcoming Sunday School study. Don’t forget to leave a comment or question down below. As always, remember to fear God and keep His commandments.
Pastor Jordan
