It’s the final play in the fourth quarter of the High School State Championship basketball Game. Your team is down by one with one final play. The arena is packed and this is your moment to get your name on a banner forever. The referee blows the whistle for a timeout with only four seconds left on the clock. You go back to the team huddle and all of the sudden something wells up in you to say, “Get me the ball. I am going to win this game!” Everyone agrees. The huddle breaks. Your heart is pounding in your chest– This is your moment! The referee hands your team mate the ball. You come off two screens and square up for a wide open shot. The ball hits the back of the rim, bounces off, and lands to on the ground. You missed the Shot and lost the game! You fall to the floor with an overwhelming sense of defeat.
My question is, “Why did you lose the game?” You lost the game because SAYING you’re going to make the shot doesn’t win the game. Actually MAKING the shot wins the game. In other words, WORDS DON’T WIN GAMES.
- Words don’t pass TESTS
- Words don’t make you physically STRONGER
- Words don’t keep a GIRLFRIEND
- Words don’t sustain a MARRIAGE
- Words don’t get you into COLLEGE
Words don’t win games in life and words don’t win games with God.
Let me prove it you.
Jesus explains in Matthew 21:28-31 the clear difference between TALK and ACTION. He said, “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ “I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
One son SAID the right things. The other son DID the right things.
James said in James 1:26-27, “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
The bible is clear that pure religion is not TALKING about helping orphans. It’s about HELPING orphans!
My question is, “Who are you? Are you the person that talks a good game or are you the person that has a good game?
What about your school work? What about your physical body and health?
What about your relationships? Most importantly, What about your relationship with God?
WORDS DON’T WIN GAMES