GO SPORT
The importance of church for Christian sportspeople
Study 10
Ready
How does your sport impact your ability to be part of your church?
We are often caught between knowing it is good and right to be part of a church in order to worship God, grow in our faith and be held accountable by others, and playing sport; as sport can often clash with timings of church.
How do we get the balance right? It is important to note from the start that this is a conscience issue and people will have different views on it. With the issue of balancing church and sport, one of the most important things is for each individual to think it through for themselves and come to a position they are happy with. Romans 14:5 says: “One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.”
Here are three biblical principles to help you think about your decision.
Set
We were created to rest
1. Why does God rest on the seventh day of creation?
2. What do these verses show us about rest?
3. How do they describe what rest is?
Read: Genesis 2:2-3
What you need to know:
In Genesis 2, God’s blessing of the 7th day is linked to the fact that he, the God of the universe, rests on it. By him blessing it, he is establishing it for creation as a day of rest. It then becomes the day of rest for all humanity.
Whatever level of sport we compete at, we all need a day of rest - but this is not prescribed to be on a specifi c day. It is important to see that rest is not just stopping from work but reorienting yourself back to God. We are created to rest.
We were born to worship
Read: Romans 12:1-2
4. How is worship described according to these two verses and what is it in response to?
5. Is worship therefore restricted to a specifi c time or place according to these verses?
6. Do you see your sport as a time of worship? If not, why not?
What you need to know:
Because of God’s mercy given to us through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, our response is one of worship with all that we are, all of the time. Whilst there are other reasons to meet together in church, worship cannot be confi ned to church meetings alone.
It is important to grasp that as you use your gifts for sport, in relationship with others, for the glory of God, it is an act of worship in and of itself. We are born to worship.
We were made to meet
Read: Hebrews 10:23-25
7. What are the reasons the writer gives for ‘not giving up meeting together’?
8. Are there ways you can be committed to church and your sport?
What you need to know:
At the time of this letter, the Romans have declared Christianity illegal – and thus the temptation is to give up meeting together in the face of persecution. Yet, even as the Hebrew Christians might risk their lives doing so, the message is ‘Don’t give up!’ That’s how key it is to meet – without it you will not last as a Christian.
Hebrews affi rms the need to meet together. It describes why this is important for ‘spurring one another on’, ‘encouraging one another’ and helping each other keep going until the ‘Day approaches’. We are made to meet.
Go
The three biblical principles which we have looked at are:
1. We are created to rest
2. We are born to worship
3. We are made to meet
How will they help inform your future decisions about sport and church? What practical tips are there that you can give to those who have to compete at a time that clashes with church?