Tim Tebow mic’ed up

Tim Tebow is the most talked about Football player this season in the NFL.  Whether you are a fan of the Florida Gators or of the Denver Broncos, it is hard to ignore a personality like Tim Tebow.  The flame to this fire is really being fueled by the media critiquing Tim’s unorthodox throwing style, and Tim’s Christian lifestyle.  The world seems to be amazed by both.  The hard part is realizing that most people are licking their chops waiting for Tim to mess up.  This is a seemingly impossible stage to be standing on for any length of time.  For now Tim seems to be handling this tension well while putting God on display day after day.

I believe as Christians we ought to be praying for Tim.  No, I am not telling you we should change our team allegiance.  What I am talking about it is not football wins, but instead spiritual opportunities.  He is being given national and global opportunity to point people to faith in Jesus.  We need to pray that the Good News will be shared with more and more people.  We also need to pray that Tim Tebow will stay close to Jesus, and God will keep him true.  May Tim’s mistakes not be a critical crack against the message of Jesus.  We need witnesses like Tebow to show that living for Jesus is possible through faith.  Tim and the Broncos will still lose football games, but may God’s work in Tim Tebows life move forward!

I am currently reading Tim’s autobiography – Through my Eyes.  Here are a few thoughts in his own word.

“Therefore I have learned that, though God is in control of the big picture, I am responsible for how I use my platform, whatever size – at this moment in time – to influence others.  Or whatever my age.  Or whatever I am , or no matter what is going on in my life at any time.  I have a platform that he can use for His good purposes and perhaps even the good of others – Today!”

“As I tell my story, I hope that you will see that its true focus is on God and on those eternal values that He holds before us as beacons and benchmarks, to help us live lives of abundance that will ultimately glorify Him, while also lifting and bettering the lives of children everywhere.  What it all boils down to is that if there’s one kid who keeps pushing to attain his dreams, or …

if there’s one dad who accepts the saving grace of Christ and changes his whol family, or …if there’s one person who sees my mistakes, realizes that we all fall short, and keeps pressing on, or …if there’s someone who agrees that Christians don’t have to be weak, either in mindm body, or soul, then undertaking  this project was the right thing to do, regardless of what the world things is the “right time” to write a memoir.  God challenges us to change the world.  And to accomplish this, He asks us to change it one life at a time.”

Through His Eyes - by Tim Tebow 

And Jesse the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife.  Matthew 1:6

God chose Abraham to be the father of nations.  Israel will be God’s people to demonstrate the glory of the Lord to the world.  Israel is being led by judges, and now they want to be led by a King (like all the other countries). 

But when they said, ”Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel so he prayed to the Lord.  And the Lord told him, “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.  As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.  Now listen to them, but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.  1Samuel 8:6-9

God gives them Saul to be the King.  He starts with promise and God’s annointing.  His insecurity led him to spend his energy of protecting his reign over the Kingdom of Israel.  He sinned against the Lord.

Samuel confronted Saul:  ”You acted foolishly.”  You have not kept the command the Lord gave you.  If you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.  But now your kingdom will not endure, the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”  1Samuel 13:13-14

The Prophet Samuel travels to Bethlehem to meet with Jesse.  He meets the first six sons and rejects them as the new king.  They called for the shepherd David who was protecting the sheep from attack. Samuel annoints David.  Saul wanted to kill David because one day would make David king.  It was time for a king after God’s own heart. 

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.  The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:9

David was Renaissance man: Poet, musician, warrior, and outdoorsman!  Who does he think he is?  Tim Tebow?  He also had a group of Mighty Men who would live and would die for him.  (1Chronicles 11; 2 Samuel 23)

“The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you.  When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.  He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” 2Samuel 7:11b-13

I believe we are always one step from stupid.  However, David passed several checkpoints before he stepped into his mistake.  He should have know better.  He was a man after God’s own heart…..

 In the spring at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the King’s men  and who Israelite army.  They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah.  But David remained in Jerusalem.  One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace.  From the roof he saw a woman bathing.  the woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her.  The man said, ”Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter Eliam and the wife of Uriah.” 2Samuel 11:1-3

David passed four checkpoints:

1. Check your location

2. Check your eyes

3. Check your mind

4. Check your heart

David passed all four check points, and stepped into adultery.  It goes from bad to worse, when he discovers she is pregnant.  Sin always brings a consequence.  All sexual sin does not end in prenancy, but all sin brings a consequence.  It separates us from God.  David attempts to cover his sin by bringing Uriah home from war.  Uriah refuses to go sleep with his wife while the Ark, Joeb and his men are in the field in tents and at war.  David gets him drunk, but Uriah still doesn’t return home.  So David sends word to have Uriah killed on the front lines at war.  Uriah is murdered, and Bathsheba mourns.  David then takes her in as his wife.  This displeased God.  God loves David and then sends Nathan the prophet to rebukes David.

Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” 2Samuel 12:13

Hear more of David’s confession at Psalm 51

How do we come back to God’s Heart?

• Be open to God’s rebuke
• Confess your sins
• Repent from your sins
• Take responsibility of the consequences
• Embrace forgiveness

Are you able to received rebukes?

Are you willing to give rebukes?

When is the last time you confessed  sin? (a day? a week? a month?)

What steps have you taken to turn around?

Will you receive forgiveness?

Will you give it? (parents?  siblings?  friend?  spouse?  coworker?)

There are always two stories happening.  There is an earthly story and a heavenly story.  When the two collide, is when you begin to see and understand the Kingdom of God.  The good news is that David’s horribe mistake is not his final legacy.  The same is true for Uriah’s wife. 

Her legacy: Uriah’s wife is now know as mother of Solomon

His legacy: King David is not known by his horrible sin.  He will be forever known a man after God’s own heart (even after this horrible sin)

The Greater Story that God is telling about an imperfect King from Bethlehem is that one day a perfect King would come to Bethlehem that would fulfill the promise to King David.   God came!

Will you be a man/woman after God’s own heart?

Do you have a relationship with Jesus?

Do you have unconfessed sin?

Do you need to repent?

How will you handle this rebuke?

Will you come back?