(#Sermon29May2016am)

You probably have noticed that lately the messages you have been hearing were about fighting a good fight as good soldier of the Lord. I’ve been talking about warfare and battlefields in the Christian life. I pray that the message today will lift you up and encourage you. So, instead of talking about warfare, let’s talk about sports- in the fun field of competition. And although sports could be fun, an athlete could very well suffer setbacks. We all fail, from time to time.

But we can turn life’s setbacks into a springboard for spiritual success! Already the Bible says in 1 Peter 4:12, Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But how do you feel when you fail? Do you get discouraged and walk away, or do you pick yourself up and try again? Praise God for the Bible. It gives us valuable insights into using failure as a springboard for success and victory!

It’s a fact of life that anyone who attempts at anything will make mistakes. And it’s part of development. All of us at some point will suffer setbacks and disappointments. Everyone will fail or fall in “something” eventually!

With a new star in Stephen Curry on the rise, sports journalist keeps on bringing up Michael Jordan’s record’s that have just been surpassed by Curry. But Michael Jordan was reported to humbly say this about his success: “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

Let’s all stand and open our Bibles in 1 Corinthians 9:24-29 “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

I was watching on YouTube the gruelling game 4 between Golden State and Oklahoma Thunder for 2016 NBA Playoffs the other day. It was gruelling because I wanted the Warriors to win but they lost badly. They were killed in the rebounds. Thank God, in game 5 they avoided elimination and forced the game into game six to equal the Thunder. Why am I telling you this? It is because my message today is about sports. I want to title this- “Two Defences for A Victorious Life”.

Here in the text that we have just read, Paul is using sports and athletics to bring spiritual application to our Christian life. Not only does Paul liken the Christian life to a soldier in constant battle in the field of life but also as an athlete constantly competing in a race.

This morning I want to talk to you about the spiritual applications we can learn from a race or sports. In Volleyball there are two teams of six- competing. All six in the team have theirs knees bent and hands on the air. And the team with the best rebounders and quick hands on the air always wins. In basketball, again, there are two teams of five competing. They go back and forth the basketball floor, they dribble, they run, they shoot, they passed the ball but most of all they need good rebounders and good passers or defenders.

I was assigned as a basketball trainer in the early seventies at a huge mining company in Cebu, ACMDC. Every mining division have their own basketball team. And the competitions were fierce to give entertainment to 11T workforce. The coach and I had the task of looking for players with good rebounding skills and quick hands to join our team.

You know in a team there are point guards; then the forwards and the centre man is the main rebounder. I said main because every single player has to be good rebounders. Rebounding skills are essential to the game. And a good rebounder must be one who also is quick to gain inside position against the opponent. And with hands raised in the air, he must be one who is quick to block out the opponent from scoring.

As a matter of fact, NBA coaches would look for someone whose sole purpose is to rebound for the team. They are considered extremely valuable, even though some of them cannot shoot a free throw even if maybe their life depended on it. Shaq O’Neill for example, out of 5,935 free throws, only converted 618. They would usually miss the shot, but for as long as they rebound they can make others to score it for the team.

They may not be good shooters, they may not be good runners but they are there to rebound and reclaim the ball from any missed shot. No wonder they are offered millions and millions of dollars for their ability to rebound. They must know how to position themselves to get the perfect rebound. And so they keep the enemy from scoring. This is why rebounding is so important in the game of basketball.

This is no different to our Christian life as Apostle Paul drives the point that we are all in the race for victory but he admits we can miss a lot of shot in our Christian life. He knows we can do better for the Kingdom Team. But, somehow, our weaknesses get the better of us all the time. I want you to know, however, just like Michael Jordan, these weaknesses should not mean we are losers. We just need to rebound and grab the ball back.

All of us are making a shot at life. And by the grace of God some have hit a score. But many of us have taken a shot and missed. Some have missed in living a life pleasing to Him. Some have missed the shot in their marriage or whatever it is that you are going through. Some have missed opportunities for not taking heed to the instructions given in Scripture. We somehow blew God’s loving intentions for us. And yes we messed up.

In this world, we get a lot of attention and praise from people when we make it. But it is what we do when we missed that determines whether or not we will come out victorious. Because folks, it is when we rebound and bounced back that will determine whether or not you will win in life.

May the message this morning teach us to rebound from where we have failed or fallen! If you don’t learn how to quickly rebound, then you give the adversary, your opponent the opportunity to take advantage of the times that you missed and messed up.
Any athlete expects to cross the line first. Any basketball player would make a shot and expect to hear the swish sound in the net. But what would you do when you’ve missed, where instead of the swish, you hear the crowd booing. What would you do when you thought you’d win but in reality you lost and you missed an amazing opportunity?

Folks, I want you to know that God is not so much concern about the missed shots as He is in the opportunity given to take advantage of your rebounding. Proverbs 24:16 -For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. God watches more what you do when you missed whether or not you would rebound than He does with your missed shot.

We all fail and we all fall short. And the problem is not so much in falling short. The biggest problem is- you very well knew you fall and you just stay fallen. In reality, you wouldn’t remain on the ground when you stumble. Isn’t it? You would stand up.

And if you are like Tess who is a bit weak on the knees, you’d scream for help than just stay on the ground fallen. Let me tell you, however, that there are those who are so prideful that they’d rather stay fallen and crawling than ask for help from the Pastor or from others in the team. Folks, we are a team. MBBC is our team, Isn’t it?

We all fall into sin. But don’t remain in sin. Stand up! Rebound! May this message really speak to us because I know all of us are vulnerable to falling? Praise God that He says in the book of Lamentations, It is of the Lord ‘s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. There’s no question about it- the enemy wants us down. I am sure of that. The Bible tells us that. Our experience tells us that.

That’s what the enemy wants to see. He wants us to enjoy the dirt and the filth on the ground of this world. But I love how Micah declared in ch7:8. He said, Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. You might have messed up, you might have fallen short, you might have missed the mark but God is there for those who will spring their knees back to rebound.

Arise and find God’s words in the Bible for you. God’s words are an open link to His promises. God has given us several promises for our strength and power. We would not know them unless we read them. They will give you quickness to rebound and to find sparkle in your marriage again; joy in your home again, and blessedness in your family again. This is not the time to give up, sit back in the bleachers and let Satan have his way.

Do not quit on God. This is the time where God assures us of His power to rebound from anything that made you stumble in life and that has kept yourself from His spiritual blessings. As I said, the title of this message is- “Rebound and lift your hands”. Rebound and lift your hands if you want to see victory in your Christian life. So there are only two points: 1. Rebound 2. Lift your hands.

1. Rebound
Rebounding is bouncing back. Now, here is the fundamental of rebounding defensively. Keep your knees bent for a quick movement. When your legs are straight; they are so relaxed, they cannot quickly move and respond. In the sports of Christian life, we must be good rebounders. You have to learn to keep your knee bent in prayer and be quick to repent and say, “Lord God, I messed it up. Please forgive me. I know that in your grace and mercy you won’t leave me nor forsake me.
Please help me to rebound. You know my weaknesses and I’m going to rebound from this for your glory. I will keep my knees bent in prayer.” Pray, pray, pray for help! You know the enemy wants to tell you you’re not good enough to pray because you’d mess up again, and perhaps, and again. You’re not good enough to deserve the love of God. You’re not good enough! God doesn’t love you. That’s false.

And to you who are matured Christians here, we know that have grown only because of the grace of God, we too need to be patient with people as God was and is patient with us. Some have a hard time rebounding. Help them. Love them anyway. Pray for them diligently. We are told in Titus 3:2 -To speak evil of no man…. but be gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

Folks, if you keep your knees bent in prayer, we’re going to help them beat the accuser. Keep rebounding and while you keep your knees bent in prayer, ask Him always to give you the courage to do His will. I know He is a forgiving God and He loves you and me. I don’t know what you’re going through but God does and He will sustain you.

He will bring you to spring up again if keep your knees are always bent ready to rebound in repentance. Some of you could be experiencing the pain of the consequences of your choices but keep talking to God because Psalm 30:5 says, For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. The second thing if you want to rebound offensively is…

#2. Lift up you hands up.
In basketball you raise your hands in defence. You raise your hands against the face of the enemy to prevent him from scoring anything in your life. Do you know that the same principles apply here? Lifting up our hands to God in praise exalts Him but it also blocks the enemy away? He cannot bear you singing and praising your God. Psalm 135:2 says, Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord. Make your house, your bedroom a sanctuary of prayer and praise.

Ephesians 5:19-21 says, Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Keep praying! I want God to see us in this “MBBC team” as prayer warriors. Keep praising God. Lift you hands up to God. Do you know what praise does? Praise helps us appreciate all the past, present and future blessings we enjoy through the Holy Spirit. The Lord calls all believers to be intimate with Him, and praise facilitates our nearness to God. Praise enables us to come closer to the Lord so He can come closer to us and help us resist the devil.
Praise helps us understand how we were made God’s heritage and accessed His power. We praise God because He has delivered us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. Praise helps us by focusing our attentions on God who is holy, pure and blameless in everything. Jesus said in Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” People who are in intimate fellowship with the Lord are able to give greater thanks to the Lord for His power and sovereign control in all things.

Praise helps us complete God’s primary purpose for creating us, which is to glorify Him. Failure to think correctly about God will only lead us to the sin of idolatry. We idolise self and other things. Folks, anything that replaces the rightful place of God as first and foremost in our lives are idols. It will lead us to wrong outlook and faulty expectations. I could go on and on. There are hundreds of ways the Bible tells us why praising Him is beneficial to us.

By praising Him it will help me rebound from whatever hardships, trials and difficulties there is in life. Praising God will hinder the enemy from dribbling for a score in our lives. In basketball, statistics shows that the opponent have a higher chance of missing a shot if you raise your hands up against their sight. Praise God and stop the devil from dribbling to score a point against you.

Go to the throne of grace in knee bent position ready to rebound with hands raised to block the enemy. Many times marriages need to rebound and families need to rebound. They have logged too long on the floor of worldliness, without spiritual meaning and blessings. What are you hopes and dreams? To see Satan happy and scoring? Let us have the faith to rebound against whatever slows us down in delighting, giving glory and honour to our God. The Bible says in Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also unto the Lord. But you know what?
Delight is incomplete until it is expressed in our obedience, service, giving and faithfulness. The enemy would do everything he can do to keep you out of that position. But there’s something about bending our knees and praising God that will protect your family, touch your marriage and fill your barns. And I don’t care what people think I want you to position yourself to do what Joshua did the five kings of the Amorites. He told Israel’s leaders to put their foot on the neck of those kings.

And that’s what you have to do to anything potential of wrecking your life. It may be alcohol. It may be laziness in reading God’s words. It could be any addiction. It may be pornography. Slump your foot on them and say you’re not going to destroy my life. I’m going rebound and I will start praising God. That’s what you have to do. You have to stamp your foot on sin and anything that dishonours God. Choose to honour. Do what is right with God and He will honour you.

May God help us not to live a life that will drive you to regret. Say, by God’s power in me, I’m going to recover and I’m going to rebound. By the way, you first have to turn away from your sin if you need God’s power to work in you. Don’t wait till the last moment to rebound. Samson in the Bible is a good example. He missed a lot of shots. And instead of bending his knees to rebound, he relaxed in the bed of Delilah, so oblivious of what’s to come. And it looked like it was over for him because the enemy stripped him of everything but when he called upon God for help in repentance, it says that his hair began to grow back. He regained his strength. And in Judges 16:30, in the last moment of his life, He slew at his death more of his enemies than all he did in the past put together. But why wait for the last moment to rebound when you can be victorious today?

I also think of Simon Peter. He failed God. In fact, he denied Jesus three times. He missed the shot as he denied Christ and when the rooster crowed, he remembered he needed to rebound. He remembered what Jesus said to him in Luke 22:30 – Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

In other words Peter don’t be afraid to shoot that ball again I don’t want you to go around thinking that I will not use you because you denied me. Yes, you’ve missed the first three shots but I see how remorseful you are in your heart that I am willing to put the ball back in your hand. And boy oh boy, on the day of Pentecost, in Acts 2:41 three thousand souls received Christ as Lord and Saviour through the preaching of Peter.

I’m saying to you there’s no telling what’s your future holds if you just learn how to rebound and say, I am NOT going to let this sin kill and destroy my life, my family, my marriage, my future, my dreams and my hopes. I am going to rebound and lift my hands to God. If you read your Bible there are many saints of God who fall into sin. They failed God miserably but because they rebounded, God used them mightily than ever before.

David missed the mark. And as he saw the utter destruction as a result of his sin, he came to God and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? If we are not careful, we could be like King David, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but what has my family got to do with this that they should suffer? I am pretty sure that you know what I’m talking about.

It just highlights the fact that our sin will surely affect the people around us, our loved ones. David saw his son died because of his sin against God, his troops were defeated- all because he sinned against God. I would not question why God does that. I guess He has the right because He is God. So while there is a way to rebound, rebound. God loves you. And because of His love for you, he’ll do anything to bring you back to Him.

If He touches your family, or the resources in your hands or anything to bring you back to Him, He will do that. It’s not evil to God because He owns you. He owns everything; even your children are His. Therefore, He can do whatever He likes. He taketh, He giveth. But I also know that God is patient. He will wait for you to rebound … for how long will He wait? Only God knows. All I’m saying is we all fail but God is merciful. He is gracious when we quickly espond in rebounding and lifting our hands in praise to His holy name.

If you keep your knees bent and your hands lifted up to God in praise, in the name of Jesus and the power of His resurrection and in the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; he will give you the power to rebound for God, for your marriage, for your family and children.

Folks, I believe that there is great significance of you coming to the altar to God. It is our gesture of humility before God. In the altar you are positioning yourself against your opponent. You are positioning yourself for a rebound against the enemy of our souls. In the altar, you say to God, Lord, I want a rebound. I missed it. I failed you. I wish to rebound and by your grace I will.

Can I remind you of something? God says in Isaiah 43:25, “I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”

Folks, God is in our corner! He is for us, not against us. He will forgive us because He loves to blot out our mess-ups for His own sake. He chooses not to bring up your past, yet He sees you for who we will be. If He isn’t holding your wrongs against you, why are you holding them against yourself? Come as we pray.