THE JUST FALL AND RISE AGAIN

Proverbs 24:16

Sunday Morning Sermon

December 12, 1999, AM

August 4, 1991, AM

Fair Avenue Baptist Church

As the football season winds down – high school, college and pro – I want to compare the Christian life with football.

I know some of you ladies will have a hard time understanding some of the terminology but you will understand the main points of my message.

When you get home this afternoon and turn on the football game you will notice that the running backs will not score everytime they run the ball.

Believe it or not, every play is designed to score a touchdown.  Every player is given a responsibility and when everyone fulfills their responsibility, a touchdown will be score.

You will notice that Troy Aikman will not throw a touchdown pass every time he throws the ball.  Every pass play is designed to be completed and score a touchdown.

If each player will do what the playbook calls for, they will score a touchdown.

The defense, as hard as they may try, will not be able to hold the other team to zero yards.  Believe it or not, the defense is set up to keep the other team from gaining a yard – IF everyone does what they are supposed to do.

Now, we know that teams do not score on every play.  Yes, some are better than others, but no one scores on every play.

So, what makes the difference between good teams and bad teams?

In our comparison to the Christian life, what makes the difference between good Christians and bad Christians?

Let me give you some simple points that may help you in years to come.

1.                 THE BEST OF PEOPLE WILL FALL

I began to think about some of the great running backs and players in the National Football League.

Jim Brown didn’t score a touchdown everytime he carried the ball.

Walter Peyton didn’t score a touchdown everytime he carried the ball.

Earl Campbell didn’s score a touchdown everytime he carried the ball.

Roger Stauback didn’t throw a touchdown pass every time.

WHY? Because even the best of people will fall.  Old Roger Stauback threw more than his share of interceptions.

Jim Brown and Walter Peyton fumbled the ball more than once or twice.

And ladies and gentlemen, sometimes good Christians will stumble and fall.  They will get their eyes off God and get away from the things of God and they will fall.

Our passage of Scripture we read together a few minutes ago told us that this is true.

And why do we fall?

Because we’re nothing but a bunch of sinners and rebels.  We will fall – and fail.

But the difference between a good Christian, the JUST man, and the average Christian, is the the average Christian will stay down.

He’ll stay in his sin.

She’ll stay in her sin.

They will give up on God and never come back like they know they really should.

But I’m just saying that even the best of people sometimes fall.

2.                 EVEN THE BEST GO DOWN MORE THAN ONCE

You know, when you think about it, even the greatest of running backs were tackled far more often than they scored.

Even the best of quarterbacks just barely completed 50% of their passes – meaning only half of the time they were successful.

And ladies and gentlemen, sometimes even the best of Christians will go down.

Sometimes even the best of Christians will quit.

Probably some of you in this room this morning.

And again I remind you of our Scripture passage in Proverbs 24, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.”

HEY – it happens.

And the sooner you realize that, the sooner you can get on with serving the Lord. 

People will quit,

People will stumble,

People will get out of church,

And it can happen to the best of us.

Listen, each and every one of us is less than 24 hours away from falling into sin of some kind.

It may be adultery,

It may be alcohol,

It may be drugs,

It may be some crime.

BUT IT HAPPENS EVERYDAY!

AND IT CAN HAPPEN TO US!

3.                 THE ONLY WAY TO GAIN IS THROUGH A SERIES OF FALLS

Can you imagine Emmit Smith taking a handoff, gaining a few yards, getting tackled, getting up and saying, “Well, I didn’t score a touchdown, I’ll guess I’ll just quit.”

NO-NO-NO

He probably said to himself, “Hey, I got 4 or 5 yards that time, and if I get 4-5 yards next time, and 4-5 yards the next time, sooner or later, I’ll get that touchdown.”

And you listen to me.

The only way you will grow spiritually is to fall on your face a few times and realize that you really do need God.

I believe sometimes God lets us fall flat on our face,

Get embarrassed,

Get back in with our chins hung in shame,

And then we’re stronger for it in the long run.

4.                 SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE ARE THOSE WHO JUST KEEP GETTING UP

We’ve already read it several times, but let’s notice our text again, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again…”

What?  stay down and quit?

NO – riseth up again!

Some of the best Christians I know and some of the best people in church that I know are those who have fallen, realized that they failed God, got up, brushed off the seat of their pants, and got busy serving the Lord.

We don’t need more quitters – we need more people who will rise up again!

Now let me give you some things to write down that will help you.

1.                 HAVE SOME GOALS TO SHOOT FOR

Sit down and write down some goals for your spiritual life.  Write them down so you won’t coveniently forget.

Better yet, get a “Walking with God” Notebook and follow the program.

The reason you can’t stay up in your Christian life is because it is so scattered.

How many people have a regular Bible reading schedule?

How many people have a regular time of prayer and specific things to pray for?

That’s what I thought – and that’s why most Christians don’t make it – no organized Christian life.

Why is it that every where you look they work on a schedule?  You go to work by a schedule, you eat lunch on a schedule, you go to class on a schedule, you work to a schedule, and then your Christian life and your walk with God are haphazard and thrown to the wind.

Set a goal to read your Bible through next year.  There is a daily Bible reading schedule in your 2000 church calendar book.  Follow that schedule and you can read your Bible through in one year.

Set some goals for your Christian life,

Decide to have a walk with God,

Decide to read your Bible,

Decide to spend time in prayer,

Commit to talk to someone about the Lord,

Commit to get your finances in order so that you can give more to the Lord’s work,

Commit to witness to that guy at work,

Decide to witness to that girl at school,

HAVE SOME GOALS TO SHOOT FOR!

2.                 SET SHORT TERM GOALS AS WELL AS LONG TERM GOALS

Make some short term goals as well as some long term goals.  Make up your mind to do something for Christ tomorrow…next week…next year!

Then think ahead several years.  What do you want to do for Christ?

Do you want to raise your kids right and see them serve the Lord?  OK, what do you need to do today and next year.

Do you want your marriage to be better and stronger?  OK, what are you going to do today and what are you going to do next month?

Do you want to read your Bible more? OK, get on a schedule and stick with it.

Write them down!

Write them down in your “Walking with God” Notebook.

Be accountible.

3.                 ALWAYS KEEP YOUR LONG TERM GOAL IN MIND

Take that piece of paper and review your long term goals.  Do it on a regular basis.  Review your long term goals.  Check your progress.

I can’t over emphasize the need and necessity for a “Walking with God” Notebook. 

If you don’t have a regular system and schedule, then you are not serious about your relationship with God.

Bro. Keith Gomez says, “If you’re not praying, you’re playing.”

I’m not talking about some “Now I lay me down to sleep, I’ve read my three chapters and that’ll keep…”

How much progress have you made?

How well do you know your Bible?

4.                 NEVER GIVE UP ON REACHING YOUR GOAL

Listen, you’ll get discouraged.

Some well-known preacher will fall into sin and you’ll be devastated and you’ll want to quit.

Hold it – Hold it!  Never give up on reaching your goal.

If you made a goal of raising your kids right – never give up that goal – no matter what.

Even if someone else’s kids turn out to live for the devil, keep your eyes on that long term goal.

If you want your marriage to last forever, you better never give up reaching that goal.

5.                 DO NOT ALLOW THE OPPOSITION TO DISCOURAGE YOU

For you guys that played football, you know as well as I do, that if you ever let the other team discourage you, it was awfully hard to win.

In fact, if you could discourage them, you knew that you stood a better chance to win.

That’s why the biggest players get off the bus first…

To discourage the other team…

That’s why some teams really raise the roof when warming up...

To discourage the other team…

That’s why the players talk trash to one another on the field…

To discourage the othe team.

AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT THE DEVIL DOES TO YOU AND ME!

He is going to do everything in his power to get you and I discouraged.

Because once we get discouraged, we’re on the verge of quitting.

AND BY THE WAY – IT WORKS!

6.                 DO NOT ALLOW PAIN TO KEEP YOU FROM YOUR GOAL

I’ve seen guys play hurt…

You’ve seen guys play hurt…

I’ve played hurt…

You’ve played hurt…

WHY?  Because we had a goal.

I love basketball.  I played regularly up until I was 30 years old.  I used to be in the gym almost seven days a week.

There have been times when my ankles were black and blue and I could hardly walk.

One year at camp our church was playing for the championship.  I could hardly walk.  I crawled up on the bed and my wife saw my ankles.

“You’re not going to be able to play, are you?”
“Yes.”
“How?”

“I’m going to have them taped up.”

“That’s so silly.”

“Maybe so, but I want to win and there is no way our team will win without me.  I’m playing.”

And I played,

In pain,

And we won!

I was determined not to let that pain keep me from that goal.

And ladies and gentlemen, we need that same attitude in our Christian life.

But it seems that the first time a little pain comes into the life of some Christians, they quit.

They get their feelings hurt and quit…

They have a few setbacks and quit on God…

But the same guy played football in high school with a broken arm…

The same guy got a tooth knocked out and kept right on playing…

And yet quits on God the first time things get a little painful.

I’m just saying that we cannot let pain keep us from reaching our goal – no matter what it is!

7.                 AFTER REACHING ONE GOAL – SET ANOTHER GOAL

After you’ve reached a particular goal – get another one.

WHY?  Because if you ever stop setting goals, it won’t be long before you become satisfied and then eventually quit.

Some people just keep going and going,

Even with setbacks,

Even with pain,

And they keep setting goals and working toward them.

Do you want to get up after you fall?

And you will fall…

If you’ll just follow these simple little steps you’ll be able to get back up and keep on going.