Champions

1 Corinthians 1:25-26

Introduction: Superbowl Sunday.

Champion – noun– a person who has defeated all opponents in a competition or series of competitions, so as to hold first place: the heavyweight boxing champion.

Anything that takes first place in competition.

One definition that I found that I like about what it means to be a champion is this: A champion is an upholder, an advocate, a defender, a supporter, and one who speaks up for a cause.

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Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don’t see many of “the brightest and the best” among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families.27 Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses,28 chose these “nobody’s” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebody’s”? – 1 Corinthians 1:26-28 (MSG)

An author by the name of Jamey O. Graham wrote and article entitled, ‘There is a winner in you.’

He says, ‘There are many out in the world who feel like they are losers, nobody’s, and the least among us’ (maybe because they’ve never won a prize for their talents or heroics). 

He goes on to say, ‘Whether you know it or not “there is a champion in you!” If you turn to God, seek God, believe God, and live for God, He can turn your loser disposition, loser circumstances, and loser attitude into a champion.

For this God we serve loves to lift the least, find the lost, and transform losers into champions.

‘God is always turning Losers into Champions, the Lost into the Found, and the Least into the Greatest’! 

In our world today, a loser is defined as a low life, a nobody, someone who is insignificant, unimportant, disliked, disinherited, and disconnected from family and friends, the popular and the prosperous. 

• A loser is considered as someone who is defeated, someone who has failed at a task, a job, an assignment, and even failed at life! 
• Moreover, a loser is considered as someone who accepts defeat, give ups, throws in the towel, and won’t even try to win in life! 

THERE IS A CHAMPION IN YOU! (Part I)

Transition: 1 Corinthians 1:26-28

Application: I have always identified with 1 Corinthians 1:26-28.

1 Corinthians 1:26-28, ‘Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy1 when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world,1 things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important’. (NLT)

Let’s me talk share a little about 3 Bible Champions:

1. Abraham – The Champion of Obedience and Success.

Was called by God to leave his home in Ur and settle in the Promise Land. His family. His familiarity. Everything!

Abraham is best known for the depth of his faith.

In the book of Genesis he obeys unquestioningly the commands of God and is ready to follow God’s order even to sacrifice his son Isaac, (along the journey) a test of his faith.

• He became the Father of many nations.
• Descendants like the number of sand in the sea.

He went from Abram to Abraham!

Abram – ‘exalted father’ – Means “exalted father”. It may have been meant to suggest that Abram came from a royal line.

Abraham – ‘the father is exalted’. The Father of A Great Nation or a Father of a Multitude.

The Abrahamic covenant (that God made with Abraham includes) blessings such as eternal increase, dedication to God, and separation from sin.

Abraham is a Champion of Obedience and Success!

Transition: Now let’s look at David. To understand him as a champion we don’t start with him and his battle with Goliath but rather who he was and where he came from:

II. David – The Champion of the Overlooked and Underestimated

In the Bible, David’s father Jesse initially overlooked him when Samuel came to anoint the next king of Israel. Jesse’s choice to overlook David reflects the cultural practice of giving precedence to the eldest sons.

However, God chose David, demonstrating that he looks at the heart, not outward appearances.

David’s father overlooked him. Jesse left him in the shepherd’s fields when Samuel came to anoint one of his sons as the next king.

• David could have been insecure, had low self-esteem and thought, “My father doesn’t even believe in me.”
• When he took lunch to his brothers on the battlefield, one brother made fun of him, tried to make him feel small. David could have been offended, got upset, but he didn’t seem to be.

• When he told King Saul that he wanted to face Goliath, Saul said, “Don’t be ridiculous David; you’re just a boy.”

• When Goliath saw how small David was, he started laughing, making fun. David said, “Goliath, what you say doesn’t bother me. I’ve already looked in the right mirror. Your threats, your insults have come too late. I know who I am.” David slung that rock and Goliath came tumbling down

https://www.facebook.com/JoelOsteen/posts/davids-father-overlooked-him-jesse-left-him-in-the-shepherds-fields-when-samuel-/10166558315285227

Application: As we all know, David had major flaws: He committed adultery, he was a murder of an innocent, and so on. That’s the latter part of his life, but David definitely was an example of a Champion of the Overlooked and Underestimated.

Transition: Let me look at one more. Joseph

III. Joseph – The Champion of Favor through Adversity.

Application: Let me start by noting that Joseph wasn’t all perfect.

• He was the product of his mom Rachel and His dad Jacobs favouritism which created tremendous conflict with his siblings.
  • He was given a ‘coat of many color’s’ by his father.

Application: Down through the ages, man has walked with the partial favour of the Lord, but the coat of many colours symbolizes all the favour of God, all His divine grace, power and love, all the gifts and fruits of the Spirit—the whole thing.

Application: Whether we like it or not, understand it or not, God’s favour on Joseph was a God thing too!

Joeseph winds up being the saviour of the Nation of Isreal when it was on its last leg!

• Joseph was sold into slavery (almost killed by his own brothers).
• Put in jail and got out of jail because of God’s favour.
• Became steward to Potipar, on official of Pharoah
• Was imprisoned after false accusations
• Became the governor of Egypt after interpreting Pharaoh’s dream.
• Wisely rationed Egypt’s produce in preparation for famine.
• Saves not only his family but all of Israel.

• Jacob did come to live in Egypt with all of his family.

• Before he died, Jacob blessed Joseph’s two sons and gave thanks to God for His goodness: “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too” (Genesis 48:11). J

Conclusion: Some of the champions in the bible are not the mighty, those with pedigree, intelligence or charisma but rather those whom God favours who are often overlooked and underestimated, those who are full of faith and live obediently, and those who understand and trust God during great adversity and challenge.