OBSESSED WITH SPORTS

by Dr. Ken Matto

A man had 50-yard-line tickets for the Super Bowl.  As he sits down, a man comes down and asks if anyone is sitting in the seat next to him. "No," he says,  "the seat is empty."

"This is incredible," said the man. "Who in their right mind would have a seat like this for the Super Bowl, the biggest sporting event in the world, and not use it?"

He says,  "Well, actually, the seat belongs to me. I was  supposed to come with my wife, but she passed away.  This is the first Super Bowl we haven't been to together since we got married in 1967."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. That's terrible. But couldn't you find someone else-a friend or relative, or even a neighbor to take the seat?"
The man shakes his head. "No, they're all at the funeral!

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Many Christians have been diverted from their testimony for Christ into the never-ending life of sports fanaticism. It seems we have traded our bibles for scorecards. There are many Christians who care too much for the world of sports and too little for the things of Christ. As a believer it is my responsibility to prevent myself from being dominated by anything or anyone except Christ. (Romans 6:12)

We must remember that Christ said we cannot serve two masters. If our mind is on sports, it will not be on the things of Christ. Our lives are governed by an exchange principle. If I choose worldly things, I have then exchanged God for the world, and vice versa. Sports is the easiest and most innocent appearing vice which can rule our minds. I would like to list sixteen traits a person obsessed with sports may exhibit:

1. You know more about sports than the Bible.

2. You yell at the radio or TV.

3. You take the Lord’s name in vain if you become angry at a play.

4. You eat in front of the TV set so you will not miss a play.

5. You hurry home so you will not miss any part of the game.

6. You consistently speak of sports.

7. You bet on games.

8. You neglect your family for the game.

9. You disturb other employees on the job just to talk about the game.

10. You only read the sports section of the newspaper.

11. You stay up late to watch the game, even on a work or school night.

12. You become angry if someone talks while the game is on.

13. You miss the evening service for a sporting event.

14. You turn the game on during a meal.

15. You keep the game on when company visits.

16. You neglect spiritual studies for sports.

Satan has arranged the world of sports to keep minds in bondage to it. In Fall we have football, which flows into hockey and basketball in the Winter, which flows into baseball and golf in the Spring and Summer, which flows back into football in the Fall ad infinitum. If some of the listed characteristics are present in you, then Satan has built a stronghold in your life. Our church and country are in perilous times and all we seem to care about are the scores of last night’s game. The sports craze has numbed many Christians. Some churches reschedule their evening service on Superbowl Sunday so people will get home in time to serve their other god. There was a time when God received our attention seven days a week, then society pushed it back to Sunday, now we run home from church to read the sports section of the paper, now God’s time is cut to one hour. One hundred years from now the SuperBowl will mean nothing. Sports has been used by Satan to numb both Christian and non-Christian to surrounding situations in church and country. It has worked because "Sports is the God of the Ignorant." Listen to after church conversation. Don’t get mad, evaluate!

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