The King's Church in Ilford
The following is the text of the talk given on "Father's Day" - 20th June 2010 by Robin Hawkins
"Going For Goal"
Reading: Phil 3:12-14
Goals have a lot of significance for us at the moment! For the one or two of us that couldn't give a monkey's about the World Cup - don't go away. There's more than one kind of goal. But let's get all this hype into perspective. What is the World Cup anyway? A noisy competition to see which country can kick a ball best. Big deal! It won't make a ha-p'orth of difference to eternity. You can't take the trophy with you. You're not even allowed to keep it down here!
Okay, it's a game! But we set so much store by our favourite players. "Put not your trust in princes" - the Bible says. It could have added football players! Poor old Robert Green - He went into his local bank to open a Savings Account - and they wouldn't let him!
Anyway - the important thing is that Steve Gerrard came out and said the team were right behind Rob Green. Come to think of it that's the best place they could be!
But that's enough of that. These Robert Green jokes are crossing the line!
Listen: he won't be the only one who will let us down. There are going to 31 very disappointed countries over the next month.
Meanwhile Fabio Capello has a goal - to win the World Cup - and he has a strategy. He had a bit of a job finding English players, but he managed it in the end. He's built a team, and he's taught them a play as a team. He's given them belief. He's got them to trust him, and shown them he means business.
Winning the World Cup is a big goal. Capello knows he can't do it in one step. How do you eat an elephant? Answer: One bite at a time. So how do we win the World Cup - One game at a time.
Capello is a devout Catholic. When it comes to team-building, he may have had a good Teacher. Certainly if Capello's studied how Jesus built His team, he won't have gone far wrong. Jesus by-passed the prima donnas, the ones who thought they knew it all. He called a bunch of guys who were teachable, who would listen to Him.
Jesus gave his followers a goal - the Kingdom - nothing less than world rule. In the constant battle between good and evil, satan, the source of all evil would be defeated. Jesus taught them it wasn't going to be a geographical kingdom to start with. It was about Winning Hearts and Minds.
Jesus had a strategy too. His followers were His strategy. To fishermen He said, "Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men." I used to be in sales, and Jesus showed me one day that evangelism is simply good salesmanship. I have the best product in the world. It is faultless. Everybody needs it. So a good salesman presents his product, explains its features, what it does and how. He'll have some testimonials from satisfied customers. He's open about the price, but shows what value for money the client's getting. He answers the objections, and most importantly, knows how to close the sale. A good salesman trusts his product. He doesn't need to overstate it. He doesn't need to put pressure on.
Now I could relate to that; but I wonder what Jesus is saying to you today. Do you want to join His team? Are you man enough, because it's a tough calling. It cost Jesus His life, and He was just the first. It's a massive goal - world rule. Do you want to rule the world with Jesus? How is He going to do it? - One person at a time.
The victory of good over evil. Restoring the world, making it a good place to live - and to live forever in it. Is that a goal worth going for? You've got to believe it if you look at the kind of books or films us guys get into. Some master criminal tries to take over the world - but then Superman, Batman, Spiderman, James Bond, Die Hard, Clint Eastwood comes to the rescue in the nick of time - and saves the world from oppression, slavery and destruction! These films are make-believe, but we watch them because we want to believe there's somebody out there going to save us from the baddies.
Jesus is not make-believe. He's for real. He's the only One who is able to rescue this world from the evil that fills it. He's the only One who won't let us disappoint or let us down. He's the ultimate super-hero - but here's the big surprise. He didn't defeat evil with violence and guns - but with love. Not a soppy sentimental thing, but the kind of love that makes a man give his life for someone else. What He started, He wants us to carry on. I put it to you. He's worth following! Because he's got the answers.
