In the message last week, I talked about a man named Nicodemus, who was a religious leader, well-known, respected, influential, incredibly rich. Rich, incredible influence, respect for Jesus, yet he never took a stand for him. He was comfortable and complacent in his position, and while his heart surely burned for Jesus and his message, his own comfort and complacency kept him on the sidelines when he should've been in the game.

I asked: “Would the story of Jesus and the religious leaders be different had somebody with the authority and respect of Nicodemus stood up for him?”

When I say the words, "get in the game," what comes to mind? If you grew up playing video games in the 2000s, EA sports is probably what comes to mind.

But when it comes to your walk with Jesus, you living the life you were born to live, you leading your family, you making a difference in this world, what does it mean for you to get in the game?

There are three characters in the Bible I’d like to reference today that were faced with the challenge to get in the game: Nicodemus, Judas, and Peter.

1. Nicodemus
I did talk about Nicodemus briefly last week, but let me give you a little bit more info about his conversation with Jesus that will help us understand the point today.

John 3:1-12
1 There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. 2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” 3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” 4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” 5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” 9 “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked. 10 Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? 11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. 12 But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

Jesus was just as surprised that Nicodemus couldn't understand as Nicodemus was surprised that you had to be "born again." You can see some of the frustration in Jesus based on his question, "You are a respected Jewish teacher, and you don't understand this?”

Why is this an important detail?
Because it shows that while Nicodemus looked like he was in the game, he wasn't. It is impossible to look at the entirety of the law and the prophets that Nicodemus spent his entire life studying and not see that Jesus stood before him was the Messiah. Over 300 prophecies fulfilled in the one person of Jesus Christ. Nicodemus couldn’t see even one. The fact that Nicodemus could not see it is evidence, at least to my heart, that while Nicodemus knew what sport was being played, he wasn't in the game.

We have a lot of the same stuff going on in the church today. People look the part, and they even come to the stadium, but they're not in the game.
And this is actually terrifying.

Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

I think we are going to be alarmed one day at how many people we see in the pew, but not in heaven.

And let me just tell you, getting in the game does not mean surrendering it all to a lifetime of full-time ministry. For some of you that's true, but for most of you, it's not. Getting in the game does not mean selling everything you have and going to the jungles of South America or the savannas of Africa. But it does mean going all in to follow him, to obey him, to do his will. It means your yes to whatever he asks, no matter the cost. It’s a yes to praying for someone at the grocery store. It’s a yes to serving in that kid’s ministry. It’s a yes to doing what the Word says even when it is difficult.

Getting in the game requires you being willing to do whatever the coach asks of you.

Nicodemus knew the sport but wasn’t in the game. Is that you too? You can play the Christian well, but you have been content in the stands or sidelines.

Here’s an adjustment you can make: Say yes to Jesus and get in the game. An unconditional yes. No buts. No deals. No if this than that. Simply a yes that says no matter what, I’m all in.

2. Judas
Judas is an interesting character in the Bible. We often have a hard time seeing Judas in our own lives because the notion of betrayal is so grotesque to us, but Judas’ betrayal was born out of being in the game but disagreeing with the coach.

Pastor Stephen Davey
“Just like the thousands of Jewish people living in and around Jerusalem, (the disciples) were thrilled to hear Jesus talk about the coming Kingdom, Judas assumed Jesus was going to overthrow Rome and return Israel to power and glory. Judas loved his country and his people – and there’s nothing wrong with that. He was fiercely dedicated to his nation, his kinsmen, his synagogue. He wasn’t the kind of person who would slip into church and sit on the back row. But over time, Judas became disillusioned. Jesus kept talking about dying – about the temple being destroyed. What kind of Messiah was that? And disillusionment turned into bitterness and into resentment and into hatred and finally betrayal.”

Some history on Judas:
“Iscariot can be related to Kerioth, perhaps his homeplace; but it also relates to Latin term sicarius, which was the designation of a radical Jewish group during the time of Christ. They were called the sicarii, in honor of the sica, a dagger that they concealed in their robes and used to take the life of Romans and disloyal Jews alike. In the Book of Acts, chapter 21 and verse 38, a revolt had recently occurred where one thousand men were a part of it – these men were called sikarios – translated ‘assassins.’ Josephus, the first century Jewish historian, wrote, ‘The Sicarii hated Rome and any Jew suspected of leaning toward Rome.’ It made sense for Judas to put away his dagger now and follow the One who will bring Rome to her knees and return the glory to Israel. He had found someone to fulfill his own vision.”

Judas had some thought processes inside of him that help make sense of why he did what he did in terms of betraying Jesus. He betrayed Jesus most likely because he saw Jesus as a betrayal of these ideologies he’d clung to so fiercely. (How attached are you to your own ideologies? Willing to let the Word change them?) So as time went on, and the mission of Jesus became more clear, Judas became more disillusioned. It made him unable to hear and comprehend what Jesus was saying.

Jimmy Johnson once said, “One of the keys of managing teams with massive personalities is to learn to coach the entire person, not just the position.” I am convinced that Jesus knew what Judas was going to do before Judas was chosen, But I'm also convinced that Jesus was doing everything he could to coach Judas beyond his role as a disciple. There were things in Judas that Jesus wanted him to change. I genuinely believe Jesus wanted Judas to see the truth about what the kingdom of God really was. Jesus was coaching beyond the position, but Judas couldn't be coached.

It leads me to a very important question that is directly tied to you being in the game or not: Can you be coached?

I remember playing baseball in school. We had a coach named Mike Rogers, and he was really good. In fact, one of my classmates went pro with the Montreal Expos back in 1999 and after making it to AA ball, he got injured, which ended his career. I asked him, "I bet you had some incredible coaches over all those years. Who is the best?" He said, without hesitation, "Mike Rogers.” Coach Rogers was tough, though. You didn't get to do it your way under Mike Rogers. You didn't get to step over the fundamentals. You didn't get to play for yourself. And if you refused to do all those things, it's simple: you didn't get to play.

I know for us Americans it is really tough to embrace this notion that you don't get to just do it any way you choose, that there are guidelines and structure and rules to this walk with Jesus.

But one thing that always gonna keep you out of the game is your unwillingness to be coached. The Bible is gonna make you change some things to move forward. The Bible is going to challenge your thought processes and the way you've done things. The Bible is going to force you to learn new skills and new methods of operation in order to succeed.

Judas had it in his mind how it was supposed to go and when it didn't go the way he wanted, he did more than just walk away, he turned his back on Jesus. He was unwilling to change, unwilling to embrace a different way of thinking, unwilling to have anything challenge what he thought was the truth, whether that's what he had learned on his own, or what he taught from youth.

Are you willing to be challenged? Are you willing to let your beliefs be challenged? Are you willing to let the Word change what you've believed your whole life?

If you are, then you're coachable, you're teachable, and God can use that. But if you're not, then you're going to get to a certain point where you are no longer in the game, because the game is going to require you to obey the Word, to be willing to do what the coach, Jesus, tells you to do.

What does that look like in real life?
How do you respond when somebody corrects you? “Coaches” you? Argument from authority, argument from relationship, etc.

Roman Kistler
“People would rather walk off the cliff than admit they're walking in the wrong direction.”
You know anyone like this?

Refusing to accept correction means you think you know everything, and the last kind of person you want on any team is a know it all. It is arrogance personified.

Leo Tolstoy
"An arrogant person considers himself perfect. This is the chief harm of arrogance. It interferes with a person's main task in life – becoming a better person”

Proverbs 12:15
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.

Proverbs 15:32
If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself, but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.

Whether its from a 3 year old or a 103 year old, crave correction. Your desire to be better should be stronger than your desire be right.

What’s an adjustment here? Be coachable. Be teachable. Be willing.

3. Peter
We've seen an example of being out of the game. We've seen an example of being in the stadium. Now let's look at an example of being in the game. Peter was definitely not perfect, but he was in the game.

Luke 5:8-11
8 When Simon Peter saw it, he got down at the feet of Jesus. He said, “Go away from me, Lord, because I am a sinful man.” 9 He and all those with him were surprised and wondered about the many fish. 10 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were surprised also. They were working together with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will fish for men.” 11 When they came to land with their boats, they left everything and followed Jesus.

I reference this verse because I am convinced if you are going to get in the game God has for you, it comes with some acknowledgements.

Like humility.
There’s nothing like the realization of who you really are to keep you humble. Peter knew he could be brash and aggressive, but situations humbled him. Peter knew he wasn’t God’s gift to religion or the church, even theology. He knew exactly who he was.

Like willingness.
John 13:36-37
36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”

Right after Peter uttered those words, Jesus foretells Peter’s denial. Peter failed in denying Jesus, but his willingness can’t be denied. This is why we love Simon Peter so much: We relate with his willingness and failure.

Yet look at the big moments in Peter’s life:
- Following Jesus: “I’m sinful and unworthy.”
- Walking on Water: Takes his eyes of Jesus.
- Getting rebuked as Satan: Didn’t understand Jesus’ mission.
- Denying Jesus: Failed to be faithful in spite of his willingness.
- Rebuke from Paul: You’re being a hypocrite for acting different around Jews and Gentiles.

Peter was humble, willing, but Peter was best at receiving correction. If you are going to play the game, you’re going to be corrected. Let’s say be coached for those of you who aren’t hot on the word correction. And Peter embraced that.

Look again at those big moments:
Following Jesus:
“I’m sinful and unworthy,” yeah, but that’s because you’ve been fishing for the wrong thing. let me correct your purpose.

Walking on Water:
He takes his eyes of Jesus, sure, but he quickly recovered by trusting God.

Getting rebuked as Satan:
He didn’t understand Jesus’ mission, and let’s be honest, many didn’t.
But as time went on, Peter embraced correction and tried hard to understand.
Another person we’ve talked about today had the same opportunity and failed miserably.
Both had the same issue, but only Peter embraced correction.

Denying Jesus:
Yes, Peter failed to be faithful in spite of his willingness, and failed big time at that, but he didn’t let that be the end of it.
When Jesus met him in John 21, he embraced the loving correction from his gracious savior and friend.

Rebuke from Paul:
You’re being a hypocrite for acting different around Jews and Gentiles.
He didn’t front. He made changes. He corrected.

Do you want to know why we’re still talking about the Apostle Peter in a good light, even in spite of his issues? He was humble, he was willing, he embraced correction. That’s what got him in the game. That’s what kept him in the game.

Let me just tell you in his own words written by his own hand:
2 Peter 1:3-10
3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises.
(THIS IS YOUR CALL TO GET IN THE GAME)
Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
(THIS IS WHAT THE BATTLE LOOKS LIKE)
8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(THIS IS WHAT GROWING LOOKS LIKE)
9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
(THIS IS WHAT FAILING LOOKS LIKE)
10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.

Here’s what Peter is saying:
- Get in the game by responding to God’s calling.
- Understand the battle on the field is going to challenge you.
- You growing so you can help others grow is the purpose.
- And if you’re humble, if you’re willing, if you’ll embrace correction, completely follow Jesus, not only will you succeed, there’s nothing in the world you’ll love more than being on the field.

So where are you?
Are you in the game? All in, on the field, growing, succeeding? Are you in the stadium? You know about the game but you’re either in the stands or on the sideline. You’d like to be in the game but you are worried about giving your all and being coached. Are you not in the game at all?

Ephesians 2:8-10
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Are you in the game? And if not, then why not?

God is inviting you now to respond to his calling, his promises, He is calling you to walk in the good things he planned for us.

But all of that is on the field. What’s keeping you from getting out there?

Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us today.

Let’s pray.

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?

How does he want you to respond?