“Does not the Potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some
pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?”

(Romans 9:21)

02 / 09 / 08
(NIV used)

FIRST THOUGHTS:

Within the body of Christ, we are ALL on the same team, but only the “Priests” are on the first string.

The coach: the Potter (Or God)
The team: the lump of clay (All Israel … God’s chosen ones by faith)
The first string: clay for noble purposes (The Priests)
The second string: clay for common use (They help the Priests, just like the second string assists the first string team)

I have played on many sports teams in my life. On some teams I was a starter, which is often called being a first stringer. On other teams I was a second stringer. Here, we simply relieved the first string players when they were tired. Yet on some other teams I was, well, a “bench warmer”. But when the team did well, we ALL got praised and we ALL won. When the team did poorly, we ALL got punished and had to do extra laps. The purpose of this devotion is to remind us of the commitment and dedication it takes to be on the first string of God’s team. We are all saved by faith! However, everyone must answer these questions:

1.) Are you satisfied by simply being on the team? You know, enjoying the win that others have achieved?
2.) Are you satisfied with simply relieving those players who have sacrificed everything to be the best and are, therefore, on the first string? (If we dare to admit it, this is probably most of us. “Hey, let me know when you guys get tired. We’ll come in for ya … but only for a short time.” This way, if we win, we can say that we played.)
3.) Or have you given up your life to practice night and day to be best player you can be: a first string player?

Let us look at the original starting lineup:

The first stringers (chosen by the Coach): (Numbers 18:1 and 7) “YHVH said to Aaron, “You, your sons and your father’s family are to bear the responsibility for offenses against the sanctuary, and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses against the priesthood.” and “But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death.”

The second stringers (chose by the Coach to relieve the starters when they are tired): (Numbers 18:2 and 6) “Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister before the Tent of the Testimony.” and “ I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites (the rest of the team) as a gift to you, dedicated to YHVH to do the work at the Tent of Meeting.”

SINCE WE SHOULD OBVIOUSLY ALL BE STRIVING TO BE ON THE STARTING LINEUP, LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THAT ENTAILS:

The first stringers are to teach righteousness (obedience):
- “Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven (the rest of the team), but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (the starters) (Matthew 5:19)
- “I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:15-16) Recall the job description of the priests (first stringers) and the Levites (the second stringers) from the book of Numbers. It was their “… responsibility for offenses against the sanctuary…” They had to make sure that the offerings were acceptable to God. Paul is describing his “priestly duty” to make sure that the “rest of the team” (The Gentiles) are an “acceptable offering” to God.
- Do you remember the “greats” of the past … Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, even Michael Jordan? God’s team also has its “greats”. Just scan through Hebrews, Chapter 11, for a glimpse into the “hall of fame” (I mean “hall of faith”). Let’s look at 2 Peter 2:5 for another example, “… when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others. (The rest of Noah’s team)”
- “First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.” (Acts 26:20) What was the message? That they should all be first stringers by repenting and proving it by striving to obey (Turning from sins).

They are to forgo their own desires for His. They give up this world and its passions to achieve their goal. They accept the rigorous training it takes to be a starter (the best):

- “I am to be the only inheritance the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession.” (Ezekiel 44:28) God knew that if His first team got distracted, the whole team would suffer. So, the Coach had to make sure He kept the first stringers focused! I have been on sports teams that kept us from the rest of the school crowd so that we would stay focused on the “big game”!
- Occasionally, though, the Coach still has to remind the team: “Hey, the big game is coming, stay alert!” “For everything in the world–the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does–comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:16-17) and “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans (The other team) run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness (The win), and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:31-34)

They are held to a higher standard. The Coach knows that if the leaders are bad examples, the rest of the team will follow. The leaders MUST know the Laws (God’s play book) and MUST know how to teach others with compassion and love:

- “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 3:1)
- “This sin of the young men (priests who did not take their job seriously) was very great in YHVH’s sight, for they were treating YHVH’s offering with contempt.” (1 Samuel 2:17) Not every season was a winning season! These priests were wicked, therefore, so was the rest of the team.
- “In all that has happened to us (the team), you (the Coach) have been just; you have acted faithfully, while we did wrong. Our kings, our leaders, our priests and our fathers did not follow your law (the play book); they did not pay attention to your commands or the warning you gave them (the extra laps and longer practices).” (Nehemiah 9:33-34)

Every team has a team captain, or the team leader! This player is the ultimate player and example. He is the one who pumps up the team and gets them to play their hardest. The whole team looks to the Captain!

- “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)

Here is just one of the pre-game “pep talks” for the big game coming up:

- “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us … Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.” (1 peter 2:9-12 and 16) Did you catch the Captain’s charge?:

o We are to be “aliens and strangers in the world” and to “abstain from sinful desires” In other words, if you want to be a starter don’t worry about making it big here on earth, but focus on the win (eternity and its wealth). The good players are the ones who take the play book home to study and walk through it in their heads. They go over it and practice continually. “Practice makes perfect” is their standard and rule.
o “Live such good lives among the (other teams) that, though they accuse you of (cheating), they will see your (obedience and righteousness) and glorify (the Coach) on the day He visits us.”
o “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil (sin).” This is a huge one for the starters. Yeshua (Jesus) is our example – NOT our excuse to sin! Since we are free from death, we are NOT to use that freedom as a cover-up for evil! “Thanks for the pointer, Captain!”

- We all know that the Captain can do ONLY what the Coach tells Him to do. Although He is the best player on the team, the Captain does NOT make the plays! The coach gives the plays! “… I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the son also does.” (John 5:19) Why do you think He was chosen to be Captain? He executed the plays perfectly and adhered to every wish that the coach desired! The Captain is always encouraging His teammates to imitate Him so that they will become the best … “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” (Exodus 19:5-6) “You too can be a starter”, He says, “If you do what I say.”

The big game has finally come! The bleachers are full with spectators. In the crowd are past players that have been your idols and that you have set as your role-models. In other words, you “… are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us thrown off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1).

There you are, though, sitting on the bench … again (been there and done that). You are cheering on those who are in the game. Cheering on those who practiced endlessly, while you fooled around or were watching the cheerleaders during practice. You watch and cheer, satisfied with your position on the bench. As you are cheering: “GO team … GO!” Something happens! “Oh no! Johnny is injured really bad! He is being taken out of the game!” Your head turns to the coach, then back to the field, then back to the coach. Is this your chance? Is this the opportunity you have been waiting for?

“Then I heard the voice of the (Coach) saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

“Yes!” You think. “I know the plays (Laws of God)! I know how to lead with compassion!” You stand up and scream back to the Coach:

“…. Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8)