When You Are Too Ignorant To Argue!

When You Are Too Ignorant To ArgueDr. Vince Hefner, PastorFirst Baptist Church, CherryvilleI have been to a number of sporting events in my lifetime. I have been to every age and talent level of football. The great thing about football is the rules are just about the same for every level. I know it is the job of offense to score a touchdown or a field goal. It is the job of the defense is to stop the offense from scoring. I know the job of the referees is to manage the game and to make sure the rules are being kept to ensure fair play. When a rule is broken the referee with the "White" hat will go to the middle of the field and will signal to the crowd what type of infraction has taken place. I may disagree with the call of the official, but at least I know what the signal means.The same is true for the game of baseball. I have been to little league fields and major league fields, and the rules are the same. I know the difference between a fair ball or a foul ball, and the difference between a ball and a strike. As in football, the official will make all decisions during the game. These same principles also apply in basketball, another sport that I have enjoyed watching at every level. The referees keep control of the game and explain any infraction to the audience. Why even in professional wrestling, the crowd can see the referee in the ring trying to keep mayhem from breaking out between the wrestlers, their managers, and any unruly fans!I'm going out on a limb and say that many fans believe they know more about their particular sport than the players, coaches, and referees. If you don't believe me just watch and listen to a fan while a game is in progress. In football, the fan will tell you if the coach should run or throw the ball on a particular play, or if the players are in the right position to make a play. A fan can also tell you if the referee has made a bad call on any particular play. I get amused at myself when I am watching a sporting event because I transform from a pastor to the leading authority of whatever sport I am watching. I have discovered that the officials are always against my team and make calls that would hinder my team's chances for victory. I always have the better view of the event than the referee, because from where I am sitting, my baseball players are always safe when they steal, my football players are always recovering fumbles on the field, and my basketball players never charge with the basketball! Talk about luck!The only game that I am not an expert in is soccer. My daughter has been playing for the last few years and I still haven't mastered the fundamentals of the game. I'm sure the rules are the same for every age level, but I don't know the rules. I know the referee has a whistle and a flag, and if something goes wrong he blows his whistle and waves his flag, but what does it all mean? I want to yell and cheer during the game, but I'm too ignorant to argue! Talk about being frustrated. I don't know what to yell about, who to argue with, and what's up with those flags?If I am ever going to really enjoy soccer, I must study the game, and learn the rules. It is very frustrating to be an unlearned, casual fan of a particular sport. This same principle holds true with Christianity. It is easy to criticize Christians and question why they do what they do. What is the number one rule of Christianity? Matthew 22:36-38 says, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law? And He (Jesus) said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and will all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself." When a Christian follows these rules, the world will have a hard time complaining about how we live our lives. Remember, don't give in to sin. Think about it!