Players and Spectators: A Parable

 

PLAYERS AND SPECTATORS [GUNNERS & DOERS (Going to do it OR Doing it)]

James 1:22-25 (New King James Version) 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; ²⁴for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. ²⁵ But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. 

Matthew 7:24-27 (New King James Version) 24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. ²⁶ “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” 

One Sunday there was a big football game, the football grounds were filled with excited and enthusiastic people around the stands. The air was electric as the mob waited to cheer on the players, about to enter the football field. There was a hush over the crowd as they were awaiting to see their heroes come out from the change rooms. The referees ran out onto the field. Then, the crowds nearest to the change rooms let out screams and shouts. The rest of the crowd followed with hysterical shouts, screams and chanting for their teams as the players burst out onto the ground by sprinting out past their cheer squads. The players quickly got into position to play against their opponents. The game started and the hum from the crowd seemed to ascend to the heavens.

 I was watching the game I couldn't help but see the clear contrast between the players with their helpers on the field and the crowds in the seats of the ground.

The players were out there trying their best. The coaches for both sides were very much a part of the game. They were down there in the thick of it. The coach with the winning side was there encouraging the players when they did something well, spurring them on when they were easing off in the game. The interesting thing was that the coach on the winning side never put down the players, he always worked on the positive side of the players. He still told them off, but it was always full of purpose to get them back out there in the team to win.

There were water boys who carried water to the lads and gave them water to drink when thirsty, gave them encouraging words from the coach or reminded them to get back into position. They also brought injured players off the field to rest or to be fixed up by the medical team.

The medical team were working hard in this game, as this was a ferocious one with many scuffles on the field, much to the spectators delight. The team consisting of doctors, nurses, and physios who were there stitching, bandaging, injecting, massaging, icing wounds and putting ointment on the lads. All of this activity was going on to get the players back on the field as soon as possible.

There were people next to the coach as I looked. These were the statisticians and the strategists who worked out the moves of their own players as well as the enemy team. The statisticians were working out the stats and keeping the score of the game so that the strategists were able to know the weaknesses of the enemy and the strengths of the players, so they could hit the weak spots of the other team's defence.

Everything was working to clockwork. All the team was working hard down there on the field, to help the other players. The players were putting their all into the game.

The crowds on the other hand were sitting there, cheering them on, offering suggestions to the coaches, the referees and the players on how to do their job. They were telling them what to do and what not to do. They were so full of advice. Some were saying that the players were stupid idiots, not to mention some of the other words mentioned., as if they were the world experts.

The spectators really thought they were helping the whole team. They were saying to themselves that they felt just as much as the team as the players.

The spectators knew how to play the game.

The spectators knew all the rules.

The spectators knew all the tactics and knew so much about the game.

The spectators never got dirty

got bruised, injured or hurt from the game.

contributed anything worthwhile to the team.

really knew from experience playing in the team.

knew from experience the pressures and pain of the game.

knew from experience the joys of being on a winning team.

In fact the spectators never really played the game.

In the church today there are players and there are spectators. The spectators know how to play the game, they know all the rules, they know all the tactics of being a Christian, they've sat and heard many a sermon, heard God speaking to them many a time about playing the game, living the life, befriending non-Christians, saving the lost, telling people about Jesus.

But still they sit, not getting dirty, bruised injured or hurt from getting into the game and following Jesus and what he said. Too worried about self, too caring of self rather than caring for others.

Some were gunners;

I'm gunner do this

I'm gonner do that. But they never do.

Some said that they would help out the team and play some role in the team, but never really contributed much, some nothing..

Others started off well but got really slack as time went on. Work was more important to them. For others it was worldly pursuits, boyfriends, girlfriends, hobbies, money, study, recreation, holidays and many other things that stopped them from playing in the game.

Some knew what to do, but chose to be a spectator instead, and felt guilty for doing so at first. After a while they got used to the idea of being a spectator and thought "if others can do it, so can I". Their guilt went away after a while and their consciences forgot God's voice. In fact, after a while, they started to like being a spectator. They got caught up with the crowd and the euphoria of it all. There they sat.

Some even thought that their position in the church was worth a bit in the Lord's service. Sadly many had church positions of Pastor, Assistant Pastor, Deacon, Elder, Administrator, Secretary, Treasurer but manyfs were among the spectators.

Some of the spectators thought that they were players all along. They were convinced that their lives reflected the life of Christ in them. They knew they were on the winning side and were happy about that. But they never saw lives come to Jesus, never really got out onto the front line battle with the other players. Sadly they were mistaken. They were never players, only ever spectators and their lives showed it.

Some used to play in the game in the past, but got hurt by people on the playing field appearing to be on the same side. That was it for them, never again. The coach, Jesus Christ was saying not to listen to those players, that the words did not come from Him anyway. He tried to encourage the players back onto the field but in self-pity they got out of the game. Their thoughts were no longer on the lost but themselves and their pride. They never really wanted to get back into the action again in case the same thing happened again. These people were also sitting among the spectators.

The spectators never really knew what it was like to experience the hurts and the joys of the Gospel. They did not know the strengthening of the Holy Spirit (the water boys) in the times of hurting, pain and thirst down there on the field.

Oh yes, they knew all about the coach, saw Him in action, even heard Him speaking to the players from the stands. Sometimes they even thought that the coach was speaking to them personally about getting in there and playing like a true Christian. The sad thing through all of this, is that they never really knew Him, never really spent time with Him down there on the field. They thought they did but were deceived. They didn't want to play the game, therefore they never got to know the Christ-coach. If they did want to know him they would be down there on the field playing the game.

The players were in the game, fighting against Satan and His devices, following Christ's commands, listening to His voice and doing what he said.

The spectators on the other hand knew what to do, they knew all the rules, all the tactics, how to play the game, but chose to be a spectator and not a player.

God wants us to be players and not spectators in His Kingdom.

AN EXPLANATION:

Now this does not necessarily mean then, that we should get involved in lots of things in our churches and busy ourselves in church work. For some things that are done in the church in the name of God are not God-ordained nor done in His ways and according to the Scriptures, Instead many of our activities are actually outside of the Spirit of God. Someone once posed the question, "If God took away His Spirit, I wonder what activities would still be going on in the Churches?" This is an interesting question to ponder, but one that needs serious consideration. We all need to seek out God's will in our own life, as Paul says "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling", and might I say we are all each accountable for our own obedience and individually responsible for the decisions we make.

Don't get me wrong here, there is no excuse for not being involved in the Lord's work and the work of spreading the Gospel as we are exhorted by the writer of Hebrews 10:25 (New King James Version) not to forsake "the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some". We are to use our gifts and talents for Him and His glory for His church and the furtherance of the Gospel. But, there is so much that goes on in church which distracts from being involved in the goal and purpose of the church to reflect and share the Good News of Christ's forgiveness. Churches get so involved in internal politics and waste so much valuable time and effort to apease the masses and prop themselves up before the people. We play out democracy and the rule by the people instead of listening to God in prayer. We play church, don't use the gifts that people often have in their churches, spend more on our own church and maintenance, while funds to missions and the poor is sparse and minimal. Many of our churches are growing smaller instead of bigger. Many churches are closing as they leave the true preaching of the Gospel, leave the strong apostolic preaching and teaching of the Word of God for 10-15 short devotions. Many sermons today are mere mental ramblings after a bit of a look from the Scriptures, without any depth of learning or the right dividing of the Word of God (and I have heard many in person and read thousands of these kinds online.)

Arthur Blessitt

Getting involved in the evangelising of the world is the supreme task of the church, even if your church is not doing it. Pray that God may show you what to do in your life. Step out with Jesus as your coach and captain, be a player, not a spectator. Pray that God may reveal His plan to you. This may be as much as the very next person you come in contact with. Arthur Blessitt, one of my heroes in the Lord, who has walked the Cross around the world in all the continents, nations, major territories and islands around the world. He said that God just gave him a vision; "the vision that God has given me is only as much as the next person I meet." Wow that's a great way to look at life, to touch and be Christ to the next person you meet or come in contact with. Be involved in this supreme task of evangelising the world. Be a player and not a spectator. 

“The supreme task of the church is the evangelism of the world” (J Oswald Smith).