1 00:00:00,126 --> 00:00:04,038 Now if you played high school football guys, 2 00:00:04,038 --> 00:00:06,936 if you weren't a starter, you were a scrub - 3 00:00:06,936 --> 00:00:08,633 a bench warmer, 4 00:00:08,633 --> 00:00:10,057 a substitute, 5 00:00:10,057 --> 00:00:12,154 a backup. 6 00:00:12,154 --> 00:00:14,784 I remember early in high school, 7 00:00:14,784 --> 00:00:16,725 the coach would walk by 8 00:00:16,725 --> 00:00:19,364 and all the subs were getting too close 9 00:00:19,364 --> 00:00:23,053 to the line of the playing field. 10 00:00:23,053 --> 00:00:26,744 He'd walk by: "Back up. Back up. Back up, boys." 11 00:00:26,745 --> 00:00:32,214 So we called ourselves "the backups." 12 00:00:32,214 --> 00:00:33,924 So if you're on a football team, 13 00:00:33,924 --> 00:00:36,837 you'd played in either one of four places: 14 00:00:36,837 --> 00:00:38,813 offense, defense, special teams, 15 00:00:38,813 --> 00:00:43,338 or the bench. 16 00:00:43,338 --> 00:00:47,414 But contrast that with the Kingdom of God. 17 00:00:47,414 --> 00:00:49,503 There aren't three phases of the game. 18 00:00:49,503 --> 00:00:51,841 There's one phase. 19 00:00:51,841 --> 00:00:55,514 And everybody's a starter. 20 00:00:55,514 --> 00:00:58,211 No backups, no substitutes, 21 00:00:58,211 --> 00:01:00,584 no bench warmers. 22 00:01:00,584 --> 00:01:03,109 If you're warming the bench 23 00:01:03,109 --> 00:01:05,044 and the pew in church 24 00:01:05,044 --> 00:01:07,584 soaking it in, 25 00:01:07,584 --> 00:01:09,763 and you're not advancing the kingdom, 26 00:01:09,763 --> 00:01:13,207 get off the bench 27 00:01:13,207 --> 00:01:16,493 because you are in Romans 16 28 00:01:16,493 --> 00:01:18,858 and they were workers. 29 00:01:18,858 --> 00:01:20,784 If you're a member of a church - 30 00:01:20,784 --> 00:01:22,261 a hundred, five hundred, 31 00:01:22,261 --> 00:01:23,665 you're a full team player. 32 00:01:23,665 --> 00:01:26,761 But so many Christians who aren't preachers 33 00:01:26,761 --> 00:01:28,281 or have any public ministry 34 00:01:28,281 --> 00:01:33,213 feel like they're a second team substitute. 35 00:01:33,213 --> 00:01:35,393 I don't do anything really in my church. 36 00:01:35,393 --> 00:01:36,454 I take up space. 37 00:01:36,454 --> 00:01:38,373 I love the sermons 38 00:01:38,373 --> 00:01:41,093 and I love the church lunches, 39 00:01:41,093 --> 00:01:44,613 but I don't have any real significance. 40 00:01:44,613 --> 00:01:47,447 I mean, when it comes down to it, 41 00:01:47,447 --> 00:01:50,281 I'm not really needed. 42 00:01:50,281 --> 00:01:54,935 I wouldn't be missed a whole lot if I left. 43 00:01:54,935 --> 00:01:56,808 I don't make much difference. 44 00:01:56,808 --> 00:02:00,416 It doesn't matter a lot if I miss some days. 45 00:02:00,416 --> 00:02:04,065 I'm not really anybody. 46 00:02:04,065 --> 00:02:06,413 And then the devil comes to you 47 00:02:06,413 --> 00:02:08,191 and he steals the truth from you 48 00:02:08,191 --> 00:02:11,124 with lies like: "See there, 49 00:02:11,124 --> 00:02:14,963 you're really not important." 50 00:02:14,963 --> 00:02:17,938 "It doesn't matter if you go. It wouldn't matter if you left." 51 00:02:17,938 --> 00:02:20,684 "You're not a blessing much to anybody." 52 00:02:20,684 --> 00:02:22,017 "You're always struggling." 53 00:02:22,017 --> 00:02:24,480 "You're a burden at times to others." 54 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:26,167 "It would be better if you leave 55 00:02:26,167 --> 00:02:28,759 because you're really insignificant 56 00:02:28,759 --> 00:02:30,744 and not important." 57 00:02:30,744 --> 00:02:35,505 "You're just a member." 58 00:02:35,505 --> 00:02:38,754 Just a member. 59 00:02:38,754 --> 00:02:42,474 That's right. Just a member. 60 00:02:42,474 --> 00:02:44,442 Just a Christian. 61 00:02:44,442 --> 00:02:47,374 Just a child of God. 62 00:02:47,374 --> 00:02:49,442 Just an heir of heaven. 63 00:02:49,442 --> 00:02:51,864 Just an ambassador of Christ. 64 00:02:51,864 --> 00:02:54,246 Just a follower of the Lamb.