SUPER SUNDAY by George Crumbly
Humphrey UMC 02/04/2007AM
Revelation 7: 13-17
Turn to Revelation 7
SUPER BOWL SUNDAY, The Colts and the Bears today play….Folks call this particular Sunday “Super Sunday” yet every Sunday is SUPER to the Christian because it is “The Lord’s Day”.
This is the day every NFL football player has on his mind the first day of fall training camp. This is the day they train for….the day they dream about…the day they yearn for. To make it to the Super Bowl and to win that ring!!
(I see those players today that are now sports announcers and analysis wearing those rings, John Madden, Emmitt Smith, Barry Switzer, Mike Ditka, Troy Aikman & many, many others sporting that ring.)
They worked hard to wear those rings. When they started the season regardless of how good they were, THEIR ULTIMATE GOAL WAS TO WIN THE SUPER BOWL!!!!!
The Christian works hard every day to make it into life’s Super Bowl…to make Heaven our home. Regardless of what is going on in my life I cannot lose sight of making Heaven my home!!
Revelation 7: 13-17
13Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?" 14 I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. 16Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst .The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.1For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
The writer of Revelations gives us a description of the saved, these are the ones that will make Heaven their home
(All I know is this…I have got to do EVERYTHING, I mean EVERYTHING to do to make Heaven my home)
Its sad today to see all of those great football players that never made it to the Super Bowl. I think of Barry Sanders a great athlete I loved watching run the ball. I have never been a Detroit Lions fan but I have been a Barry Sanders fan. He could have been traded to other teams in his career, possibly making it to a Super bowl, but he stayed with the Lions. Dan Marino another one I would have loved seeing in the Super bowl.
One of the reason’s I am pulling for the Colts is I love Tony Dungy & I enjoy watching Peyton Manning playing football. Peyton is great athlete yet he never won the Heisman trophy or a national championship. I admired him for going back to Tennessee to finish his senior year instead of going into the NFL draft to begin making millions.
Its sad to see good folks live their entire life here on this earth, yet they die and miss Heaven. There is NOTHING today as important as going to Heaven. No job, no person, no amount of money, no things or possessions are important enough for me to miss Heaven.
The football players goal at the beginning of each day? To win the Super Bowl. My goal before I get out of bed every morning? To make it to Heaven. I need to pray every day “Lord, if there is ANYTHING in my life that stands between me & you PLEASE show me!!” Each of us need to pray this prayer…if you are serious then I promise you God will show you!!
Matthew 6:20
20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
What are we to keep our eyes fixed on? Heaven!! We need to keep our eyes fixed on ABOVE, this is where we need to store our treasures, the things that are important to us, I mean the things that mean the most to us.
Luke 10:20
20However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
Salvation is more important than the power to overcome the Evil One. People fight over & fight for worldly power. Once again, there is nothing as important as going to Heaven.
John 14:2
In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.
People live today as though Heaven is full, there is no room. There is room for every believer, remember Jesus said He has gone to prepare us a place and He stressed if this was not so…He would have told us. (Bible say’s Hell hath enlarged)
Acts 7: 55-56
55But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56"Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
Why do I want to go to Heaven? First & foremost Christ is there. There is no Sin. There is no hate. There is no pain. There is no sickness. The Glorified Christ IS there!!
II Corinthians 5:1
1Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
Everything man has built is temporary. Hebrews 11:10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
The place God built is ETERNAL. Permanent.
We must be redeemed, blood bought. We must be obedient!! We must do what God tells us to do and not do what he tells us not to do. Just like with the Super Bowl, you just don’t show up & participate, it takes work, hard work & training to win.
I don’t want to give anyone the impression that we can work our way to heaven. I just believe personally I have got to stay focused on the things of God, I’ve got to do everything in my power to make it to Heaven.
I don’t want to give the impression that it is too hard to make it, its just going to take following God EVERYDAY, not sometimes or when ever we feel like it. There are people think they got a ticket & it stays punched no matter how they live or what they believe.
I can’t let, slack up, slow down or look back because Satan is going to do all he can to defeat me, to win me back over, to discourage me.
The Super Bowl is a game. The game of life today is for keeps. Our eternal destination is at stake.
I Corinthians 15: 26, 54
26The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
I use this scripture at the graveside funeral committal service, emphasizing COMPLETE VICTORY is when we die a Christian. Today truly is SUPER SUNDAY!!
