By Apostle Aje Pelser

I loved watching ‘Le Champion’ – a weekly sports documentary from Europe – as a child. It inspired me to be a champion in sport and I particularly enjoyed their processes of preparing for the race or the fight or the match! Later on I set a regional record for hurdles and felt that glory to a degree and I can only reflect and confirm that looking at champions inspires the champion within.

Sometimes as a Christian we need to look at our Champion to find ways to overcome in this life too – Jesus was a champion in all aspects of the word.

Online Dictionary gives us a definition of a champion:

“a person who has surpassed all rivals in a sporting contest or other competition”

Jesus is unsurpassed in love, power, authority, respect, willingness to suffer, glory, and the good news is that He is our champion.

1. Cheer on the Champ!

When a boxer gets into the ring – he takes the punches and spends years conditioning his body to go through the fight. When he wins he takes his wife out for lunch – she is more than an overcomer.

Jesus took the blows and humiliation for us on the cross, he won the victory over sin and death – we believe in him and cheer Him on – we are more than overcomers.

2. Abide and hang out with the Champ

In order to be more than an overcomer – you need to get to know the Champ – our Lord Jesus Christ is a Champion in spirit, soul and body. He overcame every obstacle we have to face because he decided to live a life here on earth. God sent His son and His word became flesh – human – and dwelt among us.

He got tired, hungry, sad, and happy and he even had to learn obedience through the things He suffered.

When he overcame temptation, Satan, sickness, demons and finally death God exalted him and gave him the name above all names.

I hear people talk about who they saw, met and hung out with all the time and people go “Wow that’s great.”

We get to hang out with the most awesome champion of all time.

Abiding with the Champ ensures His victories rub off on you. You learn how to float like a butterfly sting like a bee if you like and you live and move and have your being with Him.

3. Imitate the Champ – find out His ways

Paul said we should imitate him as He imitates Christ.

The life of Christ should be studied through the harmony of the Gospels. There were 4 good accounts that were included in the Gospels that you can read like a journal from different angles. Matthew write predominantly for the Jews who needed to see Jesus as their King and Messiah – the lion nature of Jesus if you like.

Mark wrote a super sport blitz highlights package of action. Jesus the worker of miracles like an ox.

Luke was a physician and historian and wrote the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts of the Apostles for one friend and disciple – ‘The most excellent Theophilus”

Could you write the account of God’s dealings with you and your experience of a living Jesus to a friend on that level? If you had the inspiration of the Holy Spirit you could!

4. Accept the Champ

But to truly be a follower of the Champion we are talking about – Jesus Christ the son of God, we have to accept His lordship and confess ‘Jesus is Lord.”

There comes a moment when you are sold out. There comes a point of no return and you start thinking: “You know what, I’m a fan for life.”

I became a soccer fan of Manchester United in the nineties when Ryan Gigs was playing and then they won that nail biter against FC Bayern in the European Champions League.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored that famous goal in extra time for the win.

Ryan Giggs said in a recent interview that he found practise harder than matches because his defender was Gary Neville. Saturday was easy compared to weekdays for him. Giggs says the levels of training were so intense that when new players came into the side they had to adjust quickly.

I see that in our church work too, we are experienced in ministry and we are committed to in depth training and discipleship. When you are sent from here