When we think of champions. . .we think of folks who win sports titles in various capacities. . .either as a team or through individual efforts. As you may know, I enjoy watching Formula One on TV and this year Max Verstappen won the World Championship for the 4th time in a row. He didn’t win every race, but he never gave up trying to win every race. His closest challenger was Lando Norris pushed him on the way to the very end of the 2024 Championship, who likewise kept trying his best to win the World Championship, but he managed to win the Constructors Championship for his team by winning the last race of the season. It required a lot of effort on both of these racing drivers.
So, what’s my point. It is not easy to become a champion . . . whether it’s for a team or whether it’s for the individual…
Fact is, it takes determination . . . practice. . . exercise. . . discipline and, yes. . . commitment to never give up, give in, back up, back down, sit down, quit or walk away until victory is achieved.
God has given each of us the heart of a champion far beyond the field of athletic endeavour. Much like a good earthly father wants his children to be champions in whatever they undertake. . . our Heavenly Father desires that we. . . His children, win in the game of life. When we became members of His Body, we began are journey to rid ourselves of our sinful nature and to become more like a champion, as we grew in understanding and knowledge in how to best achieve our goal of eternal life in Jesus. It takes effort on our part to conqueror and to triumph and gain the victory.
We always refer to Jesus as a conqueror. . .one who conquered death, hell and the grave. . .yet we never call him a world champion. This is something we must all do to achieve the results we are looking for and be champions in God’s sight.
Jesus was and is a conqueror. . .He spilled His blood. . .overcame demonic and satanic opposition to become a champion for our salvation. We must make every effort to do the same.
In order for us to be conquerors. . .we must first become champions in the areas of our lives where we’ve been given a vision, a goal, a dream or a calling.
We must prevail. . .as champions over the areas where we’ve been given stewardship.
There are many characteristics of a champion but please let me share two with you.
First, you must be committed to rising above average.
Revelation 3:16 in the New King James Translation says: “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”
In God’s letter to the Laodicean church He had nothing good to say about them. He simply pointed out, as the scripture suggests, that they were neither hot nor cold. . .just average. They weren’t good or bad. . .just average.
When a person is average they’re as close to the bottom as they are to the top. Just like the racing drivers who finished races somewhere in the middle of the pack, having never won a race during the season or gaining any big points.
In life. . .it’s not sinful to be average in your appearance. . .your income. . .the kind of home you live in. . .your athletic endeavours. . .your job or anything else.
Sadly, most people in the world, including many believers, seek the tangible trappings of success but ignore what it means to be spiritually successful.
The Bible told us in Luke 12:15-16 “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses.”
By the way, this scripture is not a condemnation of wealth or riches but it is of covetousness.
Here’s the point. If what we have or what somebody else has is more important to us than being and doing all God has required of us. . .then it’s sin.
If we’re more attentive to our time at gyms, tanning parlours, going to football matches, weight-loss centres, and hair replacement facilities, shopping online, movie cinemas, party halls or like me watching motor sport on TV. . .than we are in expanding the kingdom of God. . .being involved in the works of the churches. . .then it is sin!
Being lukewarm. . .average is serious business with God.
The Laodiceans were about to be spewed out of God’s mouth because of their lukewarm attitude toward things that were important to the Lord.
I heard someone say once that we should never be more content with a satisfied life than we are with a crucified life.
Being lukewarm, mediocre or average is not pleasing to God.
Simply, if God was ready to spew them out of His mouth because they had a very ‘insipid’ or very untasteful to The Lord. Physically, when we put something that is insipid in our mouth, once it hits the taste bud and we realize it is insipid…we immediately spew it out of our mouth. That’s the same way the Lord felt about our lukewarm attitude.
It is one thing to know the truth. . .it is another to do something about it.
It’s amazing how many people do not want to be average but they never do anything to rise above what they don’t want to be!
C.S. Lewis, the noted theologian and amazing author, once said… “If you are continually stirred and fail to act, the time will come when you will be unable to act.”
We need to make a quality commitment with immediate effect, to rise above average. . .to be the best we can possibly be. . .in everything our hands find to do…Especially in God’s service. We need to be fully committed to reaching out to those in our community and spreading the news about how they can be saved. We need to be busy doing what God has told us to do in Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Secondly, We must have the heart of a champion.
What makes up the heart of a champion? I read through twenty or thirty quotes before I came to just the right one.
Chuck Norris, the karate champion and movie star, once said… “People come up to me and say, ‘Chuck, you’re the luckiest guy in the world to be a world karate champion and a movie and TV star.’ When they say this to me, I kind of smile because luck had nothing to do with it; God had everything to do with it.”
Champions are those who put out efforts, make sacrifices, endure hardships, preserve, and never give up. Take Paul the Apostle as a good example, he never gave up, he kept going to the very end, even through all the trials and tribulations he faced. It wasn’t easy for him, but he kept going and finished the race that was beset before him. Paul was a champion and left us with a great example to follow, he gave everything in order to be pleasing to God. He was a man after God’s own heart.
Be a champion for God today. Utilize the blessings He has blessed you with. Put your Talents to work for God’s glory or you too could get spewed out.
Question is, Are you a champion for God… do you want to be a champion for God ? Then let’s do it together.
Lesson delivered by; Bro Robert H Brown
