I call this the victory season, for every Christian. This is the grand finale of all events in this world in which we live. The Mardi Gras don’t stand a chance. Nothing can compare to this season of seasons.
Of all the holidays and celebrations throughout the year, none have the effect on humanity that this one does. Because to born-again Christians, it is a serious reminder of something we already know. We are now in the full swing of the Christmas season.
Thanksgiving has now passed, we have enjoyed the feasting and the fellowship, and now some of us have to figure out how we are going to get rid of some of the extra pounds we picked up.
Black Friday is over and getting up before 6 a.m. and all of the running, shoving, pushing, crazy driving and fistfights over merchandise are over.
Now this morning, this is the happiest time of the year, yet there is more than one reason why we should be happy today; the Christmas season is the closest thing to heaven that this world will ever come. In this time God brings some of heaven down to earth and the world get a taste of heaven.
The Christmas cheer is a foretaste of heaven. But this message is not so much about the holiday aspect of Christmas because we all know about that; but this message is a reminder, one that should put a smile on all of our faces, joy in our hearts and our fists in the air. It’s the message that “we will win!”
None of us know what will happen tomorrow or next week, next month or next year. We trust God to take care of all of our tomorrows (Matt. 6:34); but there is one thing that we do know without a shadow of a doubt, and that is we know that we are going to win!
Look at athletes in athletic competition; they train for years and years but they don’t know whether they are going to win the competition or not. Football season is in full swing heading toward the playoffs, but not one team can say for sure that they know that they will win the Super Bowl. The same thing goes for college and professional basketball; they train and they practice, but there are no guarantees — all they can do is hope that they will win.
Community, the thing is this … not many people will go to any sports event if they knew the end in the beginning. It takes the excitement out of it; they like to watch the game. My family knows that I don’t like to know the end score of any game if I haven’t seen it; if I’ve recorded the game, let me watch it for myself.
And I’m the same way about a movie or TV show; if they’ve seen it and I haven’t, don’t tell me what’s going to happen in the movie — let me watch it for myself.
But some things we need to know so that Satan can’t play mind games with us. There are times when we do want to know the ending; soap opera fans have to admit that they want to know how certain episodes are going to turn out, that’s why they keep watching. And I admit, there have been a few times when I had recorded a game and didn’t want to see the whole thing, so I fast forward to the end. And if the team that I’m pulling for wins, I start it over; and I can enjoy it because I know regardless to how it may look in the middle, how far my team may be behind, I can relax because I know that my team is going to come back and win!
When you know the outcome, you don’t get stressed during the game; your adrenaline doesn’t flow; you don’t be as tensed as you would be if you were watching the game; you are calm.
Community, it makes all the difference in the world when you know who is going to win, because then it doesn’t matter what happens in the middle. Now why do I say that? I say it because life is unpredictable and full of ups and downs; and there will be a lot of middle moments; the game will look like it’s over; down by 30 points in the third quarter, you might as well quit.
That’s what the devil is telling somebody today; he’s saying the game is over, that you cannot make a comeback, that you will not survive and that things will never change. That’s the middle, but that’s when you have to fast forward the Bible DVR to Revelation chapter 21 and see who won the game.
Community, it started with the birth of our savior; and it ended with his resurrection! He fought the battle and he won! It doesn’t matter what it looks like in the middle. That’s where we are right now, in the middle; fast forward to Revelation 21 and see the end of the game; and there you will see the final score; and it says “heaven 100” … and “hell zero!”
Hallelujah! Which means we know we will win!!! John said, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain (Rev. 21:4)” …
Community, we’ve just peeped to the end of the game and we know the final score. So relax, “we will win!”
Rev. George Ellis is the pastor at Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church.