While I liked playing football, I’ve never been a big football fan, nor any other sport that did not involve big engines. I played with drag racing, coming from a drag racing family, and my wife and I were big NASCAR fans.

When I read Paul’s writings, it would appear that he may have been a fan of sports; at least at one time. He talks about athletes, running races, and the likes. In fact, I’m convinced that Paul was a Georgia fan, and that can also be found in Scripture - Watch out for them dogs. What a horrible mistranslation from Scripture.

There’s been a lot of talks this year about God and sports. Is God interested in sports and what does the Bible say about these activities?

While the subject of this study is on sports, this relates to many things in our lives; things that occupy our time. Yet we can not use the excuse that it’s ok because there are other things that are bad also. A person standing before a judge for stealing is not justified in his crime by saying, “murder is bad too”. While stealing and murder are on different levels from sports, we are also being judged on a different level from a civil court. We are being judged by a perfect God. We are being judged by a God who gave up His life for us and commands that we give up our lives for Him. A God who said, “Be holy as I am holy” and “Go and make disciples”.

Let’s see what the Bible says about sports and other activities.

When Yeshua started His ministry, He told Peter and Andrew, “I’ll make you fishers of men”. At the end of Y’shua’s ministry, He said, “Go, and make disciples of all nations”. All through Scripture, we are told that we are to be doing the will of the Father, that is seeking and saving that which is lost. This is a task that we have failed at, on every level.

There are several reasons for this failure, from an un-Biblical Salvation process to an un-Biblical Christian walk. In all actuality, according to Scripture, those who claim to be Christian but do not do the will of the Father are not God’s people at all. In Matthew 7, Y’shua said to those who cried Lord but did not do the will of the Father, “I NEVER knew you”. This should be a loud wake-up call to the church of this nation.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles? ’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers! ’
(Matthew 7:21-23)


What could cause such a level of incompetence among God’s People?

Y’shua gives a warning of those who allow the riches of this world and the cares, or worries, of this world to come into their lives - it causes them to not spread the Gospel, not do God’s will.

The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.
(Matthew 13:22)


While this has nothing to do with sports entertainment, we see a puzzle piece connection that is flowing through scripture. We understand the sin’s of Sodom was the fullness of food, idleness of time, and not helping those in need.

Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy
(Ezekiel 16:49)


Can we honestly say that the constant infatuation with sports in the church today (among other activities) is not guilty of these same things? While we are abundant in our idleness, filling our bellies with goodies during parties and the likes, we give only five cents of every 100 dollars to help those in need. Remember, this study is about sports but can pertain to so much more in our lives.

Paul says,

And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play
(1 Corinthians 10:7)


It is an idolatry.

I know a person whose wife was staying out all hours of the night with friends. During the conversation with this friend, he made a comment that he did not know much about the Bible. This friend goes to church regularly, proclaims Christianity pretty loudly, want’s to tithe, etc. Yet, after his comment on not knowing much about the Bible, I asked him who his wife loves more, him or her friends. He replied, “her friends”. I asked this friend, “when you can tell me more about the sports teams you follow than you can about Y’shua, admitting you know very little about the Bible, who do you love more?”

We were warned of this church generation that would have a form of godliness yet deny the power of godliness. We were warned that they would love the pleasures of this world more than they love God.

lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power
(2 Timothy 3:4-5)


The problem is that we can’t serve two masters. There is the person who loves God and could care less about sports and other things in this world. Then there’s the person who claims to love God but knows more about sports, video games, television shows, reality shows, and such then they know about God. They spend more time in the studying of these worldly activities then they do in the study of God. The very fact lies in the manner in which their lives are lived, caring more about pleasures, money, things, then they do for the hungry, lonely, and lost.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever
(1 John 2:15-17)


Have you ever looked at how these factors play into virtually every worldly activity? Since we are talking about sports look at this: The lust of the flesh is any activity that we desire to do but does not glorify God in the building of His Kingdom. Lust of the eyes is anything that we think looks good, is enjoyable to see or watch that is not glorifying to God. The pride of life is that which we boast about and is not glorifying to God. This makes us guilty on several levels of several time-wasting activities. Sports is one of the most prideful time-wasting activities we have today, while many people are rooting for and cheering on their favorite team and they’re boasting, “we won” - as if the spectator sitting on the couch feeding their face with pizza, chips, beer and the likes had anything to do with the win.

We don’t have much time on this earth. I think about what a short life I’ve lived so far, yet, according to the average lifespan, my life is already over half gone. There is so much less time in my life than what I’ve already lived.

you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away
(James 4:14)


We should be spending every minute with the great importance of God’s will, and God’s work. Peters says we should not live the rest of our time in pursuit of the lust of men but for the will of God.

Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries
(1 Peter 4:1-3)


Paul says we are wise when we use the rest of our time in pursuit of the unsaved.

Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time
(Colossians 4:5)


And Paul tells the Ephesians to...

...Be very careful, then, how you live —not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
(Ephesians 5:15-17)


Some may be thinking that this makes Christianity sound boring, like no fun. I am fully convinced that if your pleasure lies in the world around us and you're bored with the work of God, God cannot be inside you. When the Holy God who wants that none be lost is inside us, we end up with an intent desire and passion to make God’s Kingdom come on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Is God concerned with sports? Yes, He is. Because sports occupy’s the time of the people who claim to be His. Not just occupies but dominates, and His will is going unworked because of such time wasting activities. He want’s that none should perish but there are over 2 million people in the world today that are destined to hell because they have not heard the Gospel of the Kingdom of God; and those who claim to love Him sit idly by in their worldly amusement while while the lost go to hell - God is very concerned with sports.
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