PASTOR’S CORNER: Keep your edge

Most of us are familiar with the Rocky movies starring Sylvester Stallone. They tell the story of a raw boxer, who overcomes improbable odds to become heavyweight champion.

In “Rocky III,” a now successful Rocky becomes impressed with his own achievements. Television commercials disrupt his time in the gym. The champ grows soft, and he’s knocked out by a challenger. The rest of the movie is Rocky’s attempt to regain his fighting edge. Now personally, my family and I have watched all five of the Rocky movies of the 1980’s and always enjoyed them.

There is a spiritual lesson in “Rocky III.” He lost this fight to his opponent because instead of being vigilant and focused, he allowed his success to disrupt his time in the gym. Instead of training hard after he won, he allowed his success to cause him to become complacent and as a result, he became soft and lost his edge to his opponent.

Because he didn’t take it seriously, he lost his next match.

Community, we can’t afford to be like Rocky. We can’t win in our spiritual battle against the forces of evil if we lose our edge. Here we are fresh riding off Resurrection Sunday. The fact that we serve a risen savior with ALL power, and as long as we don’t forget the tomb and the victory won there, we will always keep our edge over the devil.

But, sometimes when the Lord blesses us, when we have experienced a victory of some sort or when God answers our prayer in a critical moment, we too can become complacent and we slack off. We can shout on Resurrection Sunday and lose our edge by the next Sunday. We let our guard down and Satan our opponent comes along and knocks us out.

Community, until we cross the threshold of heaven, we cannot afford to let our guard down or lose our edge. Why? Because our adversary the devil is always walking around. He never lets his guard down and he is always on his game 24/7. If you don’t believe me, just look around. How many folks have we seen active in church but are no longer there? It’s not COVID-19! Folk that used to be on their game in church, on fire for the Lord, won a victory, have become complacent and it can happen to the best of us.

This is a good time for personal inventory. Am I where I once was in the Lord? Am I still on fire for the Lord? Am I still running for my life? Am I still actively involved in my church, in the spiritual part of the church?

Now I’m not talking about those who still have a desire but physically they are not able to do; those who are bedridden. I’m talking about those who have been knocked out of the game and lost their edge, their prayer life, their scripture reading and their fellowship with the saints of God.

Friends, let me tell you something this morning. The biggest lie that the devil has sold some Christians is that you don’t have to come to church; that because the church is in the heart you don’t have to go. The first negative thing that comes their way is if God doesn’t deliver immediately. They become discouraged and stay home from church. That’s a lie that the devil is selling and some Christians are buying it.

When you don’t fellowship with other Christians you lose your edge. This is why the Bible says “Don’t forsake the assembling of ourselves together,” (Hebrews 10:25). We lose our edge and Satan gains ground when we are not around other Christians. Don’t we know that Satan operates in isolation? That when we are alone our minds become a playground for the devil, that we are open game.

If you will, notice, when you are in the company of other people fellowshipping, you feel better because there is a strength that comes from fellowshipping that you cannot get when you are by yourself. That’s the way God designed it. It is not good for man to be alone,” (Genesis 2:18). Community on the heel of the resurrection, at the tomb, keep your edge because it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish!

In II Chronicles 14:1-2, Asa began his reign as King of Judah. Asa did that which was good and right in the sight of the Lord his God. He took away the altars of the strange gods, the high places and broke down the images, and cut down the groves and commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers and do the law and commandments. Community, this was a recipe for success and they had no war for 10 years because the Lord had given them rest. Psalms 33:12 says “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…”

The Ethiopians came against him, and the Lord struck them down (II Chronicles 14:9-12). Asa even removed his mother from being queen because she made an idol god (II Chronicles 15:16). He kept his edge.

But when the king of Israel came against him, he panicked and looked to the Syrian army for protection instead of seeking his help from the Lord (II Chronicles 16:1-3;7-10;12-13). He is rebuked by the prophet Hanani. He gets angry and has the prophet put in prison. He is inflicted with a disease in his feet, yet he did not seek the Lord for healing.

My friends, we can’t lose with the stuff we use. Let’s stay connected, let’s keep our edge.