Yesterday I preached the final sermon in the series titled Strong Members, Strong Church. The point of my sermon was to help us see that coming to and serving in church is not something we should do begrudgingly; not a chore to check off our list of to-dos so we can feel better about ourselves the rest of the week. Instead we should see it for what it is...a gift from God. And to get my point across, I used the story from the movie Rudy. Ever seen it? Daniel Reuttiger, aka “Rudy”, was born the third of 14 children. He grew up in a relatively normal life in a small town, but he was carrying around a big dream. He wanted to play football at the University of Notre Dame. After playing football in high school, he joined the Navy for a short while. But never forgetting about his dream, he mailed in his application to the institution he had so longed for. But, his grades werent that great, and he didnt get in . He settled for the Holy Cross College for a couple of years. Rudy learned that he was dyslexic, which explained why he struggled so much in school. But he didnt use that as an excuse not to try, and he never let go of his dream. He sent in application after application, and finally got in on the 4th try. However, he still had a ways to go because his dream was to play football for the Fighting Irish. But there was a slight problem. Rudy was a little guy. He was only 5’6” and weighed 165 lbs. But in true Rudy fashion, he didnt let that stop him. From time to time, the football coach would let walk-ons tryout. Rudy tried every time, and finally made the team...well the practice squad anyway. He didnt mind. He was happy to say he was on the team. But remember, his dream was to play. Finally in November of 1975, during the final game of the season, and Rudy’s final chance to play, the coach put him with only a few minutes left. Rudy was so excited, and so thankful to be on the field. He played harder than anyone else. He played defensive end, and lined up next to that wall of man muscle, you could hardly see him. But on the very last play, with only a few seconds left, Rudy sacked the quarter back! The crowd went crazy, and the team hoisted him up on their shoulders to mark a moment exciting enough to make a movie about it. So whats the connection you ask? Here’s the connection. Rudy wasnt built to play football. He lacked the talent and the strength to be on that team. By no athletic standard at all did he ever qualify. Yet he desired it. And when the coachs good graces gave him a great chance to play, he saw that opportunity as a gift. What about us who fly the Christian flag and have joined or at least attend a church? If the truth be told, we don’t deserve to be on God’s team. We’re not built for it, as our natural tendency has a tilt away from God and not towards Him. And measured against any godly standard, we don’t qualify. Yet the Lord, by what we can only explain as His grace, has picked us for His team. Through faith in Christ, He has drafted us from the lowest ranks and given us a jersey that says Team Redeemed. If you fall within this category, then I want you to examine your heart with these questions. Do you see the church as Gods gift to you? Does your attendance and work in the church reflect to others that youre thankful to be a part of the Body of Christ? Do you truly realize how difficult your Christian life would be without the church? If not, then let Rudy be your reminder.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 11:31:46 +0000
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