Historic Imperfection

It was a perfect season, until imperfection reared its ugly head in the final minutes of America's biggest sporting event. When the dust settled, the surging New York Giants defeated the supposedly invincible New England Patriots by 3 points before a stunned crowd and record national audience. The upstart Giants were not supposed to survive earlier contests in Dallas and Green Bay, but they had. The odds of Giants going all the way were 20 to 1, but they won. They were not supposed to beat arguably the best quarterback and team of all time, but they did. It seemed nearly impossible, but it wasn't!

Friday night before the Super Bowl, I showed a movie clip at a youth program at out local church. It has become my all-time favorite - bar none. Its title, interestingly, is 'Facing the Giants'. The story is about a small Christian high school and their embattled Christian coach fighting for his job. Coach Taylor's personal struggles lead to a profound revival in his faith which in turn lead to a spiritual renewal in his team and then the entire student body.

Long story short, the 36 smallish members of the Eagles make it to the state championship and face the mighty 3-time champion Giants. They were outnumbered, outweighed, out-experienced and out-classed, or were they? The coach had earlier stressed, and convinced his boys, about a new purpose for the team's efforts. They would play to glorify God. They would praise Him if the won. And they would praise Him when they lost. And praise Him they did. And win the big game they did, as well. Like the unexpected Super Bowl victory of the NY Giants, the heavy underdog Eagles faced a superior foe, but prevailed and accomplished the seeming impossible.

In the locker room following the contest, a humbled and sobered Coach Taylor went from player to player asking each the same simple question. "What is impossible when God is on your side?" To a man, each player answered the same. "Nothing, coach." The team then kneels together in prayer to thank God and further glorify His name.

A sideline throughout the movie is the inability for the coach and his wife to have children for 4 long years. That too was rectified along with having some of their severe material needs met by grateful parents who appreciated the spiritual impact made on their kids by the coach. The film ends by focusing in on a plaque over the Taylor's fireplace inscribed with the words, "With God, nothing is impossible."

Coach Taylor's Eagles represent a fictional account as wonderfully conceived and produced by the Sherwood Baptist Church in Georgia. But the principle conveyed throughout is anything but fictional. It is Biblical.

In Matt 19:24-26, Jesus was dealing with a man who was unable to part with his material goods in order to follow the Lord. After the disappointing turnout, the Lord turned to His disciples and stated in verse 24, "And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

When His stunned followers heard His perplexing words they responded as seen in verse 25. "When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" The answer in verse 26 was equally stunning, but reassuring. "But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

The Bible constantly reveals the God of the impossible and shows His great sovereign power over all things. But there is one thing described as impossible when dealing with Him. It is spelled out in Hebrews 11, the great 'Hall of Faith' as it is known. Verse 5 speaks of the special faith of Enoch and how he fully pleased God. But the following verse relates the one impossible thing as far as God is concerned. Verse 6 reads, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." It is possible to deal with the plague and lasting consequences of human sin, but quite impossible without sincere saving faith in Jesus Christ in the mix.

The Patriots saw their hopes and dreams of perfection dissolve before their very eyes. But those on the roster of God achieve a level of lasting perfection when fully justified in the fashion spoken of in Hebrews 10:14. "For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified."

Bill Breckenridge