NFL and the Church

I watched with dismay just now about fifteen minutes of Sports Center on ESPN and learned about the players union decertifying their union in order to take the owners to court in an antitrust lawsuit. I find it difficult to side with either group, especially when they cannot figure out an amicable way to divide $9 billion in annual revenue. With all the talk of football I sat on the couch and started thinking how much the church is like football. Not that we have $9 billion to divide, but there are some other startling similarities.

All of the NFL team have owners. The owner pretty much makes the rules because he owns the team. When there are coaching changes to be made, like with the Titans this year, the owner ultimately has final say over who serves on the coaching staff. The owner has expectations of his team and typically will supply all of the means necessary for them to hopefully reach their goals. All owners want to have a winning team and typically will settle for nothing less than 100% effort from the players and coaching staff. The church also has an “owner,” the Lord Jesus Christ. It is He who makes the rules though we sometimes get this backwards. He makes the rules because it’s His team. He selects the pastors who serve because it’s His team. He tells the “coach” (pastor) what His goals are for the “team” (church) and He always provides the means necessary for the church to achieve His goals. Because He is Lord, He will settle for nothing less than a life committed wholly to Him.

Every NFL team has a playbook that is often several inches thick. Players are expected to memorize their assignments in that playbook. Often games are won and lost based on how well the players carry out the game plan from the playbook and not solely because their talent was superior. We also have a “playbook” (the Bible) where our Owner (the Lord God) has given instructions for us to live by. If we carry out what He has designed in our playbook, to the best of our ability, the church goes forward because everyone is following the same game plan.

Every team in the NFL is made up of individuals that work together as teammates. Peyton Manning would be the first to tell you that if the offensive line does not block, if his backs and receivers do not catch his passes, that the team is likely going down in defeat. These teammates help each other and encourage each other to give their best. Watch when a player gets a penalty, often teammates will come up and slap him on the back or the helmet as a way of encouraging him to put that behind him and look to being the best he can for the rest of the game. There are times when strife rises up on football teams, and often leaders of that team will have a “players only” meeting where they air their differences and pull together as a team. As church members we need to encourage one another to live for Christ. When a brother or sister sins, we need to come alongside of them, and when we know they have talked to the Lord about their sin, then encourage them to put that behind them and look to the rest of their life to bringing the Lord glory. When there’s strife in a church, according to Matthew 18, we should go to our brother in private and hopefully make peace. This reminds me of the player’s only meetings, with the difference being that part of our “ownership team” (the Holy Spirit) is always sitting in on those meetings.

There are different positions on football teams. Not everyone can be the quarterback. Not everyone can be a running back. Not everyone can be the middle linebacker. Those are known as the “glory” positions. But the teams also need interior linemen, special team’s players, and even reserves to step in as needed. Every position is vital to the team if it is going to win. Likewise we each have different “positions” in the church with different responsibilities, but all are necessary for the advancement of the church.

There are opponents every game that try to keep a team from gaining yardage, scoring touchdowns, and winning games; they are out to defeat the other team. We likewise have an opponent, the devil. Sometimes teams get a little too cocky because maybe they are playing a team with a poor record, and next thing you know they have lost a game to an inferior opponent. Likewise we know the devil is already a defeated foe and that the Lord has already achieved the victory. But as Peter said in 1 Peter 5:8 we need to be attentive to the fact that our enemy is seeking to not only defeat us but do us great harm in the process.

In 1995, the Carolina Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars joined the NFL as “expansion” franchises. In less than 10 years the Panthers made it to the pinnacle of their sport playing in Super Bowl 38. We are about to embark on an “expansion” project into the Plano community. I believe this expansion will be highly successful for several reasons:

• We have an owner who has provided all of the resources we need to achieve His goals.
• We have a perfect playbook that is fail-proof if we will but follow it.
• We have a team of players who genuinely enjoy being on the same team. When a teammate slips up, we try and hold them accountable, encouraging them to give their best from that point forward.
• We have a team of players who recognize the position they have been called to play and understand that if each person fulfills their responsibilities by properly using the gifts and talents they have been given, that the church is likely to achieve great success.
• Finally, we recognize who the enemy is and understand that our success is not achieved by lining up and going toe-to-toe with our foe, but for us success is achieved on our knees.

I know there are many short-comings in this metaphor, but there are also many truths in it. If you speak “sports”, maybe this has helped you understand a little better the church. And if you don’t, well there’s always another day and another blog. Thanks for reading.