A Commentary On Faith Continued
gtcotr/ws080206
“Faith demands we keep our focus.”
Key Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 4 (NKJV)
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
When I was in high school I was considered small for my age, barely 5’ tall my freshman year, weighing about 100 pounds. Yet, because I attended a rural class ‘B’ school which had a cumulative attendance of about 300 students, 1st grade through 12th grade, I was afforded the opportunity to play sports instead of just sitting on the bench like I would have done at a larger school. Not only did I have the opportunity, but it was almost an obligation to play, or at least to be available to stand on the field or court, just so the school could have a team some years.
I was small but did give it my best. My 8th grade year our coach encouraged me to practice my dribbling and ball handling abilities promising that if I worked hard over the summer, he would give me a place on the varsity team my freshman year. It was a goal and I succeeded. As a barely 5’ tall freshman I started on the ‘A’ team when basket ball season came around.
Let me tell you, that was a tough year. After football season where I played a safety on defense, half-back on offense, returned kick offs and punts, centered for our punter was the announcer for the Junior High football home games, I was ready for basketball. It was just the rest I needed before track and softball came around. We didn’t have a band or I guess we would have been doing half-time marches with a trumpet in one hand and a baton in the other.
My story is not an isolated one. If you went to our school during those years and had any agility at all, you played everything. It was just a very small school in those days with a whole lot of positions to fill and I just happened to be very small for my age.
There weren’t many schools as small as ours so we were obliged to play some larger, more capable schools during our seasons. I remember one Friday night we were playing a school named Paul Pewit whose line averaged 220 pounds. One of our player’s pig was sick that night, so I had to move from safety to the defensive tackle. It was a continual massacre which left me dealing with feelings of inferiority for years afterwards.
I digress, let me get back to my point … I actually do have a point in this.
One of the schools we all hated to travel to was Queen City. The Queen City Bulldogs were well known in my day for not playing fair and for having grossly bias referees when playing at their school. We call that ‘Home Court Advantage’. Their players would pile on after the whistle, were slow to get up and would pinch the opposing players in the pile, mash your nose, get up with a knee in the stomach or groin and often spit tobacco or snuff on you. It was ugly, but it was football at Queen City and it was expected.
You know, even as a half-back who was always at the bottom of one of those piles, I could manage keeping my mind and heart in the game on the football field under those pressured conditions much better than I could when we played them in basketball at their school. It appeared their whole city would turn out for these games. Again, they loved their home court advantage … and what an advantage it was. Basketball for their opponents was a torture session.
I was ok with the holding, the foot stomps, the elbows and the blatant forearm charging violations which were seldom called by the referees, but there was yet one weapon they used that hit its intended mark and put me and many of my team mates off our game. Perhaps the most unfair and sinister plot of all which could only have been accomplished because of their ‘home court’ advantage was this.
It is my belief that they solicited the prettiest girls in school to dress up in innocently revealing apparel, many of them as cheerleaders, and while their meanest boys pelted the opponent bench sitters with spit wads from straws and paper clips from rubber band sling shots, these siren girls would stand at both ends of the court, as close to the line as possible, smiling, waving, giggling, winking, jumping up and down, mouthing words we could never fully make out, and basically providing enough distraction to mesmerize, incapacitate and completely captivate the attention of almost every player on the opposing team.
I know it was a plan because not one of the home team players ever stopped two thirds of their way down the court, alone on a fast break, unguarded for the lay-up, just to mouth back ‘what did you say?’ to one of these vixens, like one of my team mates did while the ball just kind of dropped out of his hands and rolled until one of their guys picked it back up and resumed their offensive game. I promise you, they were taking full advantage of their home court potential.
Home court advantage. That’s what they had and that’s what the devil has in this game of life and death that we are playing in this world. As believers we are in this world but not of this world.
There are many hardships and disadvantages we can put up with and still keep our heart and mind in the game. However, some of the distractions which are aimed at taking us mentally, emotionally or spiritually out of the game are direct assaults on our weakest points hoping to stop us short of the victory. Satan has employed every kind of weapon and strategy at his disposal. This world’s referees are bias and the whole world has turned out to jeer and torture those who would lift up the banner of the cross and fight for what is right and righteous.
It’s not just the pains and pressures of this life but also the promises of fulfilled desires which tempt us to get our eyes off of the goal. When Satan came to tempt Jesus in the wilderness, he used enticements of the body, soul and spirit in attempts to defeat Jesus. Later, through pain, pressure and even promise, Satan and his workers continued in their attempt to distract, detour, derail and defeat Jesus. But none of it worked on Him … why?
Because He kept his focus. Living in victory demands we keep our focus.
Satan and this world have home court advantage and they will try everything they can to cause you to be distracted and lose your focus.
Our Key Scriptures, 2 Corinthians 4:17&18, tell us that if we desire to keep our heart and mind in the game, we must not loose sight of our goal.
Afflictions, persecutions and distractions will always be there, but so will Jesus.
Let’s look at a story in Matthew 14 as we close tonight. This is after Jesus had fed the 5000 with fish and loaves and sent the disciples across the sea of Galilee while He separated Himself to pray.
Matthew 14 (NKJV)
24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear.
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."
28 And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."
29 So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"
31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
When Peter was distracted by the storm, which was already there before he ever got out of the boat, he began to sink.
At one point the storm was the biggest thing in Peter’s mind.
* Then came a ghost walking on the water --- that freaked him out and became the biggest thing in his moment.
* Then he heard it was a miracle working Jesus --- This took center stage. Maybe he could perform a miracle.
* Then he was distracted by the wind and waves and they seemed bigger than anything else.
* Then he felt he was sinking and perishing --- this was now what he was focused on.
* Finally, it was Jesus again --- and it saved him.
Jesus asked Peter, “Why did you doubt?”
* Answer: Because Peter got distracted.
It was all a matter of focus. Whatever Peter gave his attention to captivated him and controlled his faith. It may be the same with us.
These light afflictions, which are but for a moment, will work for us while we do not focus on them but on the eternal things of God.
Walking by faith demands we keep our focus.
