https://youtu.be/i72D4EVabZ0

“How Beautiful are the Feet”

Romans 10:14-21 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who [a]preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.” 19 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: “I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation.” 20 But Isaiah is very bold and says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me;I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me. 21 But to Israel he says: “All day long I have stretched out My hands To a disobedient and contrary people.”

History- this letter was written to persecuted Roman believers. They were under the severe oppression and persecution of the Roman government. At this time, there were multiple gods and temples for worship. The government did not care which god you worshipped, so they did not much care which god the Christians worshipped. However, Christians are appointed to call Jesus “Lord”. Under the Roman empire, only Caesar was permitted to be called “lord”, as this was a sign of ownership and authority. Many Christians were required to attend the pagan temple once a year and proclaim, “Caesar is Lord”, or else they could lose their job, family, or even their very lives. We do not think much about this now- but it was a real threat under the Roman empire to proclaim that Caesar is lord.

What does this mean?

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? The apostle having observed, that whoever, Jew or Gentile, believe in the Lord and confess “Jesus is Lord”, shall be saved; and that the same Lord was ready and willing to dispense His grace, without any difference to them; that hearing they might believe, and so call upon the name of the Lord, and be saved. Paul tells us there can be no true calling upon God without faith, no faith without hearing, no hearing without preaching, and no preaching without a divine mission.

There is no hearing of Christ, and salvation by Him, without the preaching of the Word of God; the most normal way of hearing from God is by the ministry of the Word. Paul shows not only the necessity and usefulness of preaching, but also points out the subject matter of it, which is Christ, and him crucified.

1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Acts 4:10-12 10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

1 Corinthians 1:23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a [a]stumbling block and to the [b]Greeks foolishness,

Paul says the message matters. They that preach ought to preach to the glory of God, otherwise men may hear the preacher, and not hear Christ.

Paul quotes the prophet Isaiah:  "Isaiah said, Who hath believed our report?”

https://youtu.be/U8Rj9PUAWXQ

How to keep good doctrineREAD Matthew 16:5-12In this story- Jesus is moving around once again, and his disciples follow him and forget to take bread for the journey. Jesus tells them to beware of bad doctrine. They interpret it as “he’s mad we forgot bread” Jesus rebukes them for thinking among themselves, reminds them of the past experience with bread, and tells them- its not about bread- its about doctrine. Then the disciples are like “oh, doctrine”Doctrine is important to a Christian-  a principle or position or the body of principles in a branch of knowledge or system of belief : DOGMAIts our dogma- its what directs who we are and what we believe- simple truths that are non-negotiable that keep us in the truth- we have to know what we believe and why we believe itAnd in this day and age of internet and tik-tok preachers/youtube etc. it is very easy to be led astray. This is why church membership is good- go and learn what we believe- study our stuff100 years ago- you would only listen you your local preacher, only read your Bible (if you could read) and not much else.Nowadays anyone can write a book, start a ministry, write a song,  get their message out and influence people’s minds, and frankly, just because they say its Christian, it not always is-And that’s great if they are spreading good seed- but for well-meaning people that don’t know how to discern good doctrine- you can easily be led astray because you aren’t living by principles of the word concerning doctrine. Especially if you don’t discern it as it comesSo how do you keep good doctrine?

Good doctrine is aware of what people spreadV6 “Beware the leaven”These disciples have just come from the miracles of loaves and fishes- they have seen what Jesus has done- and Jesus, not wanting to let a lesson go to waste, offers and example to those around him referencing bread- Beware of the leaven he saysWhat they all knew- which maybe you don’t know is that a small amount of leaven is used to make bread- I use 2 tbsp to 7 cups of flour in my bread- and that little bit takes over the bulk of the bread and makes the bread do what it does- small amount- big loaf-But you have to mix it, it has to go all throughout- but you have to get it in- well mixedSo Jesus says- pay attention to what is getting in spread in you (Arnold telling guy to scream)Just bc famous not right- Not everything outthere that says its Christian that is out there is good, moral, holy, good and righteous. Not only are their wolves, but deceived people. People want followers and $You have to go into something with your eyes open- it can lead you astray- it can lead you to no longer believe what the Bible says and it is no longer sound doctrine.In my life- approached no less than 12 times to join MLM- “why are we meeting” No- not inter.Listening- “where are you leading me- who is being glorified”1 joh 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.You have to be involved in the process or else this little bit of yeast will spread into your whole belief system, and you’ll turn around and you wont believe what you used to.2 Peter 2:1-3 “false prophets among the people”This has been a problem all throughout the history of Christianity2 Timothy 4:3-4  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.Simple truths like Jesus is 100% God and Man, Penal Substitutionary Atonement, Sinless life, the Trinity, Water Baptism, Innerancy of Scripture, Forgiveness of sins, Miracles of Jesus, Truth of the OT/NT, Resurrection, etcAnd these false doctrines, always have a kernel of Truth,

https://youtu.be/54Jp5lAH4mA

Know your ABCs   (Romans 10:1-13)             *All verses in NKJV*

- ABCs often refers to the alphabet, something basic that everyone knows, or should know.

- ABC is also an acronym. What does “ABC” mean to you? (…like family feud)

- American Broadcasting Company. Always Be Closing. Always Be Careful. Already Been Chewed…

- I found over 350 definitions of some kind for “ABC” online.

- In the physical life-saving sense, ABC stands for Airway, Breathing, Circulation. When someone goes into cardiac arrest, this is the basics for the process of their life being saved.

- In the spiritual sense, ABC stands for Accept, Believe, Confess. When someone is spiritually dead, this is the basics for the process of them finding salvation through Jesus Christ.

- It is important to follow the process, and know where to start.

- Read Romans 10:1-13

#1. Airway and Acceptance. ABC

- When people find out you are a firefighter, they always want to talk about the calls you’ve been on.

- CPR, uncon/unresp., seems complex, but can actually be one of the more simple scenarios to deal with. The main problem is easily identifiable, and the plan is straight forward. Check their ABCs.

- Check the Airway. If someone doesn’t have an airway, then breathing will be impossible.

- Example: Choking, blocked airway, no other measures will matter, if no oxygen getting to the cells, then the body will die. You have to clear the obstruction!

- Spiritually, you must Accept you are a sinner who needs a Savior.

- The starting point is you recognizing your own sins, and knowing you need forgiveness.

- Romans 3:23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 

- 1 John 1:8-10, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

- This is fundamental to Christian belief.

- Read Romans 10:2-3

- Zeal means “passionate commitment”. The Jew’s zeal was misdirected because it failed to recognize Jesus as the Savior. Zeal for the wrong things can be dangerous!

- The Apostle Paul know all about misdirected zeal, because it caused him to persecute Christians.

- Read Galatians 1:13-14

- Just because you attach God to your misdirected zeal, doesn’t necessarily make is godly… Politics?

- The Jews were ignorant about their need for Jesus and tried to establish their own righteousness through the law.

- They had a strong belief in God, but they needed a spiritual “airway” before they could breathe in salvation.

#2. Breathing and Believing. ABC

- Once you have an open airway, breathing will supply oxygen to the blood, which circulates to the cells to keep you alive.

- Even if your heart hasn’t stopped beating yet, you have to breathe or you will die.

- Example: Heroin overdose, suppresses CNS and then the breathing reflex, minutes later heart will stop… Now we have to bag them, breathe for them.

- They can’t live simply by us being their “breath”,

https://youtu.be/hwMcPy_QpsA

Choose your Rock Romans 9:30-33

Paul is making a very abrasive statement – very controversial if I mayHe is telling this Jews, who believe that they know the law, kept the law and educated others about the law, that them and the Israelites has so much unbelieved that:That which was primarily theirs is not longer theirsBut that the non -believers now posses it and they are better than Jews in terms of inheritanceIt’s an example of the prodigal son, that the son came to his senses and realized that in his fathers’ house, the servants were eating, clothed and secure than he was – all he had to do was return to his fatherThe Jews has made righteousness something that it wasn’t. They cared more about what was seen on the outside and pretty much disregarded what was on the insideThey were very interested in reading what God was doing than allowing Him to change their livesOn the other hand, the unbelieving world stumbles across the Word and the transformation power of Christ that they believe and are counted righteous.Sometimes it easier to share the gospel with a non-believer because they have no preset expectations – they take everything for face valueThat why the Bible uses the words, adopted to describe usEphesian 1:5 (Nkjv) - just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His willGalatians 4:5 (Nkjv) - But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born[a] of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.The adopted child comes into the family with a gratefulness that is rich and fullLove is enough for them – Anything extra is a blessingWhile we who are “Biological children” we have our expectation and dictation of what love looks likeAs a child, my Christmas gifts must be from this place, I need to be loved this way, get me this new toy so that I can feel lovedWhy? – We make it about usIt becomes what it was not supposed to be. These gifts are a by product of loveBut we make it about the created instead of adoring the creatorMatt Redman- The heart of worshipWhen the music fades and all is stripped away and I simply come longing just to bring you something of worthI’ll bring you more than a song, for a song in itself is not what you requireYou search much deeper within, through the way things appearYou are looking into my heartI am coming back to the heart of worship and it all about you!Its all about you JesusI’m sorry Lord for the thing I have made it, when its all about youIts all about you JesusWhy did the Jews miss it –instead of trusting God, they took overThey were so concerned with what they were doing that they forgot Christ – that which they searched and needed – But they got carried away by their worksThey didn’t notice God right in front of their eyesHow many times have been carried away by “good things” vs ‘God’s things”Romans 9:32-33 - Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, [a]by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. 33 As it is written: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

The stumbling block

When I think of the stumbling block, the airport comes to mind – specifically security checkAirport checkMetal detector at the airport or that 3D scannerDo you have any liquids?Do you have any weapons or explosives? - Airport security confiscated $5700 firearms in 2021You can have all the right travelling document- Look like you are ready on the outside only to be stopped at the gateIt doesn’t matter who you are, what you are doing there is a check point and you have to pass through itMy ...

https://youtu.be/YG_R-F23_RA

When you’re in a Spiritual Wilderness Matthew 15:32-39We all go through wilderness experiences- the bible word for wilderness means solitude, desolate, isolated, scarce. There is a geography, psychology and theology to ‘the wilderness’Maybe it’s an event, or a season, an ongoing illness, or a season of spiritual emptinessWe all go through them at one time or the other- and God can do something in thereIntense things happen in the wilderness!  There’s needs for water and food, danger, isolation, divine deliverance, but there’s renewal and encounters with God. Prayer, supplication, miraclesThroughout the Bible we see God do things in the wilderness to his people and individuals.So we see Jesus today- in the wilderness, surrounded by the multitude- and he performs another great miracle of the loaves and fishes Earlier it was 5000, now its 4000Two different regions- two different reasons- 5k region was jewish, 4k region was gentileJewish region of 5k- reminds of the Pentateuch, 12 baskets- 12 tribes, 12 disciplesGentile region of 4k 7 baskets collected- 7 is the number of completeness, 7 days of creation,There’s symbolism in the event- Jesus is declaring once again his messiahship, but also- letting the gentiles know that salvation will come to them as well- first for the Jew then the GentileBut its in the wilderness- and today- you may be in a wilderness- and this message will speak directly to you. And if you’re not- use this to minister to others, or file it away for yourself.

There is compassion in the wilderness15:32 Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude,All of the multitude follows Jesus into the wilderness, they are tired and hungry and Jesus has compassion on them- a feeling- an emotion about them and to them- a care for their situationAnd that’s the nature and character of Jesus- to have compassion on them- to help themJesus had emotions! He is not a distant savior who doesn’t sympathize with people in distressMatthew 9:36 He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary Luke 19:41 He saw the city and wept over it, Mark 8:2 “I have compassion on the multitude, Luke 7:13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”We serve a savior with emotions and compassion on people- he cares about our livesAnd as we read and see his compassion on this group of people, it should remind us of the compassion of God towards us in our wilderness- he has COMPASSION in the wildernessThis isn’t a new concept or idea- this is the nature and character of GodMicah 7:19 He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.God, rich in mercy- cares about his people- what is going on with us, what we are going through the details of our life-And here’s why it matters- because when you are in the wilderness- the Devil will torment you and try to get you to believe that God has lost compassion for you and has forgot about you as you are in that wilderness- that you truly are alone and isolated, that’s its scarce and scaryNow- sometimes we end up in a wilderness like these folks did for no other reason than following Jesus- sometimes it ends up that way- you follow you end up in the wildernessBut sometimes it’s a wilderness of our own decisions- our sinful natures, or just chanceAnd sometimes, you just end up there for no specific reason other than God allowed you thereBut this compassion in the wilderness is real- and a pathway to redemption-Have you ever been in a wilderness? You feel like your praises and prayers aren’t making it past the ceiling? You’re doing all the right things, you’re not steeped in sin, but you just don’t feel close to God? Things aren’t moving in your life? You’re just kind of stuck?I’ve had those in the past 20 years- even while pastoring this church- a sense of spiri...

https://youtu.be/SAABdA7mzlc

In Search of the Thirteenth Disciple

Pastor Cary Gordan

1Corintians 12:26-31 (NKJV)

“26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers and after that miracle then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are al prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the bests gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.”

We are all a part of the body (if you have repented, have been saved, ant turned from sin)

(v.28) is a person who has a gift of healing, carrying an anointing of healing.One member suffers we all suffer, on rejoices we all rejoice.(v.27) we are also members individually, we all have something in common loved equally by our Lord, and we all have different abilities and skills. The Lord has appointed these different abilities in The Church.There are people who have grace to be apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, healings, helps, administration, and varieties of tongues.(v. 29) Rhetorical questions; No, not all can be called to have the same graces of abilities. We are all unique and different.

Let’s explore two things that will help our local Church (one that is getting stronger and healthier, and more powerful); Ephesians 4:11-16

Question: Why are we looking for the 13th disciple? Because of Judas.

Inside the congregation, we have answers and solutions to every problem; Local Church is supernatural!Go back to the scripture where Jesus is talking about communion (which is uniting individuals into one) the disciples are around Him; He then states that one will betray Him. Who betrayed Him? I was Judas.There is always the potential of someone among the body of Christ to be the next Judas.Ask yourself, Is it I? Will I betray Jesus? Will I betray The Church? Betray the unity?The Spirit of God is always looking for the 13th disciple. Some one to replace Judas.There wasn’t just one Judas, there is a spirit of Judas that was there back then is still here today; turning disciples against each other, causing division.Is it I? I’m I the next Judas.The enemy is after your thoughts and wants there to be division, offenses, isolation, for you to go missing. Then the Lord has to go into a local Church and find another disciple to replace the guy that left.Remember, Jesus wants us to be one. Satan wants to tear us apart.

“11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the [e]edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” Ephesians 4:11-16

This is after the resurrection of Christ, Him sitting at the right hand of God.

https://youtu.be/QOsqCKyNod0

FVC-Counterfeits are Counterproductive – Revelation 2:12-17

Lords Prayer

Before we begin today’s sermon would you join me in praying the words our Lord taught us to pray?

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be donein earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: Amen

Dismiss Children

Introduction

Please stand for the reading of God’s Word.

Revelation 2:12-17 ESV  “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.  (13)  “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.  (14)  But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.  (15)  So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.  (16)  Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.  (17)  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

You may be seated

Last week we talked about the church of Smyrna and we focused on this particular verse written to the church there:

Revelation 2:10 ESV  Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

“Be faithful unto death”, do y’all remember the title of last weeks message?I SIGNED UP TO DIE.The church in Smyrna was facing persecution, and Jesus’ encouragement was “Persevere, even if they KILL you, persevere”.And I hope that some of y’all walked away with a new attitude… I signed up to die! Death don’t have a hold of me so death don’t put any fear in me! I SIGNED UP TO DIE!So that was the church of Smyrna, but today we are looking at the church of Pergamum… and the church of Pergamum is a step further in their persecution than last weeks church, Smyrna.Smyrna was about to face persecution, but Pergamum has already faced it… they done did it y’all… They done been persecuted, and you know what, they persevered!

Revelation 2:13 ESV  “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

Man at some point this man Antipas was snatched up, beaten, and tourtured… and to borrow from the poem we read last week…“His killer walked up on him, looked him in the eye, he said “Are you going to convert”… Antipas said “NO! I signed up to die!”What else is there to say about Antipas other than “He won!”…You know I was talking to Pastor Cary Gordon, and incredibly wise and learned theologian, about Jan Hus…I said “Pastor, you know church history way better than anyone I know, is it a good idea to keep honoring Jan Hus in our church when we buy this building, or is there some secret heresy he taught that I don’t know about?”And listen, Pastor Cary is putting out a documentary called Enemies in the...

https://youtu.be/w24houOPR1k

Intro Story-My fathers house

Nobody in their right mind would ever say that my dad was unjust or unfair in this situation

He had every right to remove me

It was his house and his rules and I broke them

I convinced myself and anyone that would listen that my dad was wrong

I believed it in my heart

For years I was angry as if it was my dad that was the problem

How could he do that? Doesn’t he love me? Why did he reject me?

It wasn’t until after I gave my life to the Lord that I knew I was wrong

I was the reason I was removed

I rejected Him

I was guilty and he was just

Romans 9:14-29

14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” 16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” 18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” 20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

25 As He says also in Hosea:

“I will call them My people, who were not My people,And her beloved, who was not beloved.”26 “And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them,‘You are not My people,’There they shall be called sons of the living God.”

27 Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel:

“Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea,The remnant will be saved.28 For [a]He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness,Because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.”

29 And as Isaiah said before:

“Unless the Lord of [b]Sabaoth had left us a seed,We would have become like Sodom,And we would have been made like Gomorrah.”

In the beginning of this verse it asks if God is unrighteous? Other translations use unjust

Paul is answering the question boldly. Certainly Not

Romans chapters 9-11 are talking about Israel’s election, rejection of the gospel, and salvation

Even though God had made His covenant with Abraham, Gods chosen people ended up not being chosen only be lineage

but to faithfulness to God and the gospel of Jesus

Because Israel rejected the Gospel of Jesus it opened the door for gentiles to be saved

So the question. Is God unjust? Certainly not

Often times the reason people think that God is unjust or unfair is because they try ...

https://youtu.be/iie77QB1EtA

Just Ten Yards.

I hear this two ways:

As a mocker questioning, “Just ten yards??” As an encouraging coach, “Just ten yards.”

Which one do you hear? Today, I want you to hear the second one.

RUNNING, Matt and I often pass by our 97 year old neighbor walking. This man walks at least five days a week. We passed by him in the very beginning of our run and then after 2.5 miles, we passed him again at the end of our run. He had walked maybe 2 football fields in the time we had run 2.5 miles. Some might say he moves at a snail’s pace, but I thought, “Man he’s doing good! At least he’s out here grinding!” I started to think about football. And I get how a lot of people like the big plays. It’s exciting to watch a guy run on a punt return and the long throws for a touchdown are fun to watch, but it’s the “one yard at a time” grind that I appreciate. It takes 10 yards for a first down- and sometimes it takes all four downs to get just ten yards. It can be painful and grueling to get just ten yards. It seems like a short distance, but in football, it can be the longest 10 yards of your life.

I see the running back grinding it out to get just a few yards that’s a greater representation of real life. Oh sure, sometimes you get a big play and instant success, and people will cheer your name, but it’s the grind that really defines us. In my life, I haven’t had many big plays. I’ve taken over ground yard by yard. Its the mundane, day to day, keeping going, don’t quit work that produces the greatest harvest. One of my favorite Scriptures is found in Paul’s letter to the Galatians:

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians‬ 6:9‬‬‬‬ NKJV

The running back is one of the most high-profile offensive positions on a football team. And it’s also one of the most demanding. Many dream of being a great running back in the NFL, but very few are able to make it to that level, and even fewer last for a while once they do. In fact, the average playing career length of running backs in the NFL is only 2.57 years, compared to the league average of 3.3 years.

While it may not seem like much of a difference at first, that's quite the monumental drop-off in career average from the league norm.

But why do running backs not last that long at the NFL level?

There are many contributing factors, but the main reason often cited for this is the fact that running backs take a beating on just about every play.

A featured running back on a team may handle the ball anywhere from 15 to 30 times per game, between the times he carries the ball and catches the ball as a receiver. And on just about every one of those plays, he will absorb a hit from a defender.

Even if the play ends in the running back going out of bounds or scoring a touchdown, it's likely a defender made contact with him. And even if he escapes without being touched at all, he likely made plenty of sudden cuts that’d cause wear on tear on his knees, hips, ankles, and feet. 

In addition to being the target of all 11 defenders on the field when he touches the ball, a running back is also responsible for picking up rushing defenders and blocking them on certain pass plays.

Most great running backs will have a set of traits and skills that set them apart from other players at other positions. Here are some of what makes a great running back.

5 Running Back Traits

1. Running Backs Have Great Vision

https://youtu.be/rtS4BWnA_qg

“Esau I Have Hated”

Israel’s Rejection: Romans 9:6-13

What does this mean? Matthew Poole: “Much is written pro and con upon this argument. But I remember, he that writes a commentary must not too far involve himself in controversy.”

I will explain to the best of my ability and knowledge of the Word. I am not a Calvinist, as I believe it is a heretical teaching. But I do believe in the sovereignty of God to do as He wills. I don’t believe it’s either or, I believe it is both. He can and does control world events and circumstances, He can move hearts and it rains on the just and the unjust; but He also allows free will choices and has bound Himself to those choices.

Paul tells us in v. 5 that there are certain privileges given to Israel, none greater than the Messiah. God incarnated His Son in the flesh of that nation and He choose that nation to show His glory.

Paul dismisses the idea that Israel was responding badly to Jesus because there was something wrong with the Word of God. The gospel is not the problem. The gospel exposed a deep problem with the Jews. The problem with the physical descendants of Abraham was that they did not have in their hearts the same faith of Abraham. They were merely genetically related to him. Paul distinguishes between two groups: those who have the faith of Abraham and those who do not. To prove his point, he returns to the biblical record of Abraham’s children and grandchildren. Something unexpected had taken place. The promised blessings, which should have been given to the eldest son, each time were given to a younger son because that child had faith and the elder did not. And each time, God knew whom would have faith and whom would not, before that child was born. In a Hebrew family, the eldest son is expected to receive the blessing, but never once did this actually happen among the forefathers of Israel:

Abraham’s eldest was Ishmael, but the promise went to Isaac (Ro 9:7,9, Gen 18:10) No Script. pls

Isaac’s eldest was Esau, but the promise went to Jacob (Romans 9:10-13)

Reuben was Jacob’s eldest, yet the promise went to Judah (Genesis 49:8-12, the fourth in line)

God is not bound by cultural rules of seniority. HE reserves the right to give His promised blessings to whomever He wishes. And to whom does He give them? He reveals His answer: to men and women of faith, not to the physical descendants of people with faith, nor to those who try to earn righteousness by zealously performing religious service. As with Jacob, He foreknows who will have faith and superintends over their lives, even before they have been conceived.

V.10-13 are terribly misunderstood. Some erroneously believe that it means God hates certain babies and that His hatred is not based in anything that the child does. Calvinist’s teach this proves “sovereign election” which teaches that God decides to whom He will give faith. Taken out of context, Paul’s words can be misinterpreted to mean that. But in the light that he repeatedly emphasizes faith as the basis for salvation, the point he is drawing from the example of Jacob and Esau, is that Jacob wasn’t loved because he led a better life than Esau but because he had a faith Esau did not have. While in the womb neither child had done any works, yet God already loved Jacob because He foreknew he would have faith. And He foreknew Esau would not. God doesn’t pick a person based on the good or bad they might do. That would make righteousness a reward for good works. The concept of “sovereign election” takes it a step too far, by adamantly opposing the idea that an unsaved person has any capacity to repent and believe.