The Real Prize

 The 2026 FIFA World Cup, the premier international soccer tournament starts this June 11th. There will be 104 matches played by 48 international teams across 16 cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It will be the largest World Cup to date. The 2026 World Cup is estimated to generate $80.1 billion dollars in total global economic output! The World Cup is a huge deal - but I don't really care.

It's not that I'm against it - I just don't care. I respect the level of skill of these players, I understand that soccer is the most popular sport worldwide with an estimated 3.5 billion fans - I'm just not one of them. So while the World Cup is a prestigious award, it doesn't mean much to me.

- But imagine if Heaven had a tournament like that? What if there was some prize equivalent to the World Cup in Christianity? - Something given to those outstanding Christians…? Who might win such a prize? Would it be the missionaries who have baptized the most people? Would it go to the preachers with the largest congregations and influence? Would it go to the person with the largest prayer ministry?

Now, while all of those things are certainly very good – that would probably leave most of us out of the running, wouldn't it? Personally, I've been in full time ministry over 34 years and I've never served a congregation over 300 people. So, what does that mean for us? In comparison - to all those other 'successful' people - have we... failed? Or - have we simply been looking at the wrong scorecard?

Well, fortunately for us – we're not always called to be successful as much as we are…

I. Called to be faithful

Now frequently, those two can go hand in hand. But it depends on how we define success. For instance, Jesus started His public ministry at age 30 and just three years later was killed because of His teachings. Now as far as the world was concerned, they probably didn't see that as a success. But Jesus was faithful to His Father even unto death.

- The early Christians in the city of Corinth were quarreling about who was more spiritual - those who came into the Church by following the teachings of Apollos, or Peter or Paul. Those were all men who could be in the running for a 'World Cup' in Christianity. But Paul wrote, in 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 (NIV)...

So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. (2) Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. (3) I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. (4) My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.

(5) Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

Paul wasn't focused on a title or a trophy to determine success - he talked about 'servants'. 'Those who have been given a trust' – those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior have the responsibility to be faithful to Him.

Not all of us have been called to a foreign mission field. Not all of us have been called to preach to a crowd of thousands. But we are all called to be faithful wherever we're called. We all have different gifts and talents and abilities. We live and work in different areas. We are called to be faithful wherever we are and in whatever we do…

Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, (24) since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Now, it would be easy for me to say, "Well, Deep River is probably never going to be called to be a 'Mega-church' – so let's not worry about doing things to grow. That's not really who we are and I'm not really called to be a preacher of a 'big church'."

I'm not suggesting that we sit back and reject success – but that we make sure we work hard at being faithful and leave measures of success up to God. Too often, both in our churches and in our personal lives, we may hold a rather anemic understanding of the "measure of success" to which God calls us. When we do that – we end up limiting God. If we focus on faithfulness in our lives, and in the Church – then we really give God room to work.

As your preacher – do you expect me to pray on a regular basis? Do you expect that I will read my Bible on a regular basis? Do you expect that I will be faithful to my wife? Do you expect that I will talk to people about Jesus? Do you expect that I will be a spiritual leader for my family? Now - do you have those expectations for me just because I'm your preacher - or because I'm a Christian?

When we choose to accept the gift of God's grace; when we're baptized into Jesus – we're called to become more like Jesus and to tell others about Him. How could we expect to do those things well if we're not faithful in our own personal self-discipline. Do we think of ourselves as being in control of our faithfulness? - Because faithfulness doesn't just happen by accident; it's a lot of work; it's a daily choice.

- A husband and wife - married for fifty years, faithful for fifty years – that doesn't just happen. It's a lot of work, but that self-discipline, that faithfulness is well worth it.

1 Corinthians 15:57-58 (NIV)

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (58) Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Stand firm! "Do you practice like an amateur but then expect to perform like a pro?" If you're not spending time in God's Word; if you're not spending time with God in prayer – how can you expect faithfulness to come easy?

I don't keep reminding you to be faithful in your Bible reading just so you can check it off of your list of religious things to do. Spending time in God's Word changes you. Spending time in God's Word prepares us to live this amazing life He has planned for us. Spending time in God's Word prepares us for eternity – something that really matters.

The world has gotten very familiar with watching 'Christians' live a watered-down version of Christianity - one that doesn't affect much, other than your physical location on a Sunday morning. Then, when they see a person who actually follows Jesus in their life - they label them as extremists. The world is so used to seeing people keep their religious beliefs and values completely separate from their everyday lives, so when someone actually lives out Christian values - they're called judgmental, bigoted or hate filled.

We are called to be faithful wherever we are called and that will take discipline on our part. And we are called to be faithful…

II. In big and small things

How many times have you heard the advice, "Don't sweat the small stuff"? There's a reality that some things we get worked up over don't really matter.

Now usually, we're pretty good at figuring out what the big things are and what the small things are – but I've seen a trend in modern Christianity that bothers me a bit. Many Christians try to decide for themselves what the 'big things' are and what the 'small things' are. The problem is – those decisions have already been made by God. And God doesn't need our advice on what the small things are.

And for a 'small' example, many people who follow Jesus have decided that one of the small things they don't need to worry so much about is our words. But let's look at Jesus' words in Matthew 5:21-22 (NIV)...

You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' (22) But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

Was Jesus telling His followers to 'not sweat the small stuff' when it came to their words? No – Jesus definitely treated words as pretty big things. We can say all we want that our words really don't matter, but that's not what Jesus taught. Words matter - words mean things - words can build up or tear down.

Words are a reflection of what's inside of us. We can say that everybody these days just talks like that - foul language, mean spirited talk, degrading or coarse joking... Sure, it seems like everybody talks like that - but not everybody claims to have God's Holy Spirit living in them. Words are not small things. Words are powerful and we need to be wise in choosing how we speak in our private lives, publicly and online, too. Some of the cruelest words Christians speak today aren't spoken out loud at all - they're typed behind the safety of screens.

We're called to be the light of the world! Our faithfulness in our words will go a long way in determining how successful of a light we are.

Now it's not my goal to stand in judgment and make anyone feel guilty for saying a 'bad word'. But I do want to encourage us to think differently about our language; what it says about what's inside of us. And I also want us to think more about another 'small thing' - our motives. Those things that lead us to do what we do. I want to again look to Jesus' words from Matthew 15:17-20 (NIV)...

Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? (18) But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' (19) For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. (20) These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.'

Jesus always raises the bar of expectations for His followers. Jesus wasn't satisfied with just having people do the right religious things. Jesus wants to change us completely from the inside out!

Think about it - as much as some might protest – no one cheats on their spouse by accident. It starts in our minds; in our thoughts; in our hearts. "Well I can't control every thought that pops into my head!" You're right, but I've shared this memorable quote, "I can't stop a bird from flying over my head, but I can stop it from making a nest in my hair."

If we surrender to Jesus and allow Him to decide what the big things are and what the small things are – then, we can allow Him to work on our hearts. Then we can become faithful in the little things as well as the big things.

I think a lot of times we get confused between success as the world defines it and faithfulness because we forget who's in charge. Those who don't acknowledge God set their own rules. They say what's a 'big deal' and what's not. They say what's acceptable and what's not. They say what's important and what they should strive for to be recognized as a success.

But this world is not our true home. Everything we see is temporary. 'This' is not our destiny - and in order to reach our real home - we are called to be…

III. Faithful to God

As followers of Jesus, we don't ultimately answer to the world and we shouldn't look to the world to define our success or failure. Think about it, very few people who publicly take a firm, Biblical stand for Jesus get a whole lot of respect. Most of the time, they're laughed at, impugned and mocked. But it's not the world's approval that we should be seeking…

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NIV)

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, (22) set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

I'm pretty sure that God is not calling me to ever win a 'World Cup'. But I do know that I am called to be faithful to Him in everything I do. I do know that I am called to be faithful in leading my family for God. I am called to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. And I know that I am not alone in my journey towards faithfulness.

Ephesians 6:10-17 (NIV)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. (11) Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. (12) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (13) Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

(14) Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, (15) and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. (16) In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (17) Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

In order to be truly successful in the scope of eternity, you have to be faithful to God.

So What?

At Deep River, we have the blessing of having a little history. We've had faithful family members who have gone before us and given us the blessing of their example. We've seen those who were faithful in their marriages; who were faithful to their families; who lived lives faithful to God. None of them had anything like a 'World Cup' trophy to set them apart as a success. Many of them died with very little to speak of by the world's standards – but if they were faithful, they were a success in God's eyes.

Now I'm guessing that there are some who might be tempted to say, "Well, if you look at my life so far – I haven't been 100% faithful so I guess I'm out." None of us have been perfect but nowhere in scripture are we told to beat ourselves up over the past. God isn't as concerned with your past as He is your future.

We're not called to complete success. We're not called to complete perfection. But we are called to be completely faithful. We are called to stand firm from this day forward.

Who will you let determine if your life is a success? If you leave it up to the world - you'll be forever chasing after something that doesn't last. But if you are faithful to God, in complete submission to Him – you will find success and win a prize that'll make the 'World Cup' look like a Cracker Jack prize.

If we're faithful, no matter what this life throws at us – in the end, we will be a success in God's eyes! Stand firm.