"Heart Of A Champion"

Rocky. I think that that has to be considered one of the greatest guy movies of all time, a movie about dedication/passion/sacrifice. All of those things are what it took for Rocky Balboa to achieve the "dream" of becoming the world champion. I remember playing one of the theme songs to Rocky in our High School locker room getting ready for football games - "Eye of the Tiger".Why was it such a popular movie? Couldn't have been the acting.It was the story - rags to riches.Rocky wanted to be more than just a boxer. He wanted to be the best. He was ready to do whatever it took to win.and we all wanted him to reach his dream and win - every Rocky movie.

Today folks.I'd like to propose to you that there is a dream and a destiny and a race to be run and to be won spiritually in our lives as well.God has set the course for our lives and is calling us into the game.into the race.

God's intention is that we not only run the race that He has laid out for us, but:

• That we run the race to win.
• That we run the race with passion.
• That we run the race with purpose and with a sense of destiny.
• That we run the race with discipline and endurance....
• Understanding...that there may be sacrifice along the way.

The Bible tells us without question that God has a purpose for each of us...Listen to these words of destiny..

"I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world." (Jeremiah 1:5)

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, plans to give you a future and a hope'" (Jeremiah 29:11).

Ephesians 2:10: "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago."

We are a custom design; we are tailor-made by God.

Clearly God has a purpose and a calling set out for each of us..

Then listen to this warning..

Proverbs 29:18.."When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild." (NLT)

This verse makes it very clear that without a dream, vision, word from God..without divine guidance, people run wild/recklessly..people are unrestrained..people are scattered abroad and wander aimlessly. The world becomes a mess without God's leading. So let me ask you:

• What is your dream and destiny?
• What is the race you're running?
• Where are you running?
• Are you running aimlessly or with purpose?

These are great questions to ask ourselves..Questions that make our hearts beat faster when we think of the answers..

Folks, my goal today is to not only help you see that God created you with purpose..and that He clearly has a destiny for your life..but to put some thoughts into your mind and some emotion in your heart about how you can attain to that which God has in store for you..Today I will ask more questions than I give you answers to.just let them soak in.

Let me tell you about someone that many sports fans believe to be the very best football coach who ever lived..

Vince Lombardi was a model of excellence. In the 1960's, Lombardi transformed the Green Bay Packers from a losing team into a powerhouse....Demanding dedication, passion, and sacrifice from each and every player, Lombardi led the packers to 5 NFL championships and the first 2 Super Bowls during his 9 years at the helm in Green Bay. Lombardi believed that desire and preparation determined success, whether on the football field or on the business battlefield. His uncanny ability to motivate and his drive to succeed were primary reasons why Vince Lombardi is considered by many to be Football's Greatest Coach..Lombardi was known as a man of passion, purpose, destiny, and character.

Lombardi always demanded 3 things of his players:

1) Dedication (commitment)
2) Intensity (passion)
3) Sacrifice (discipline)

Their success as a team, he believed, relied on these 3 factors.

Let's get right at these three things.

#1 DEDICATION (commitment)

"Every time a football player goes to ply his trade he's got to play from the ground up - from the soles of his feet right up to his head. Every inch of him has to play. Some guys play with their HEADS. That's O.K. But more importantly, you've got to play with your HEART, with every fiber of your body..If you're lucky enough to find a guy with a lot of HEAD and a lot of HEART, He's never going to come off the field second." - Lombardi.

As followers of Jesus Christ, it's one thing to have a whole bunch of knowledge in our heads about who God is and what the Bible says..But we need to allow that knowledge to register in our HEARTS.

Lombardi knew that if he could get a football player to believe the head knowledge he had and move it to his heart, HE WOULD SUCCEED. Lombardi took average players at best and encouraged them to believe with their HEARTS, that they would and could succeed.

When he took over at the helm of the Green Bay Packers they were the worst franchise that you could ever coach. They were the joke of the league. But..in just one year he took the "PACK" from 1-10-1 to 7-5. Then in the next 8 years the Packers won 5 NFL championships, and the first 2 Super Bowls.

"Unless a man believes in himself and makes a total commitment to his dream and puts everything he has into it, his mind, his body, his heart: What's life worth to him?" (Lombardi)

In Matthew 22:37 Jesus said this: "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind." God commands us to love Him with everything we've got - everything - not just parts of us.

And success spiritually comes when we become DOERS of the Word of God, not only HEARERS of the Word of God. When we listen not only with our HEADS, but, more importantly when we listen with our HEARTS. Let me ask you a few questions I asked myself this week..

Is your HEART open to receive all that God has for you?

Is your HEART committed to running the race that God has set out for you to run?

Is your HEART willing to believe what the Word of God says about your life?

Is your HEART willing to believe what the Word of God says about your future? And will you then act with your heart on what you know to be true in your mind?

Here's the key to this first word on the road to destiny: Commitment - and along with it some more questions: Are we responding to the truth of God's Word? Are we acting out what we believe to be true about the faith?..

Are we dedicated and committed to living for God - not just learning about Him? ..And is that dedication measurable - what does your commitment to God look like?

Junior Seau, middle linebacker for the San Diego Chargers of the NFL has an intense work ethic - listen to his schedule:

• Works out from 6:00-7:00 AM.
• Looks at game film from 7:00-8:00 AM.
• Plans his day from 8:00-9:00 AM.
• Works out with the team from 9:00-10:00 AM.
• Goes over the game film with team from 10:00-11:00 AM

He was asked the question: Why do you come in and work out and view the game film by yourself and then do the routine all over again with your teammates? Answer: "Because I like the fact that I am working out while my opponent is still sleeping."

Listen to the words of Jesus from John 10:10: "The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness."

Folks, one thing we must remember in our heart preparation and commitment is that the enemy never quits..He will do whatever it takes to throw us off our game spiritually. It may be a negative spirit, or a relational discouragement that he sends our way that we simply don't see coming and it takes us off our game plan spiritually..Whatever it might be..understand that his attacks will come and we must be more prepared. I'm convinced more than ever before that we underestimate on a daily basis the power of the enemy of our souls..

So how do we combat the enemy's attacks?..Well I believe that we simply pursue the fullness that God intends for us..We begin to, or we continue to, prepare our hearts for the destiny God has set out for us to achieve. How? It seems rather elementary...but here it is: By spending time hearing from God with your life and then acting on what He tells you. That's really the only heart exercise there is..spiritually. To commit yourself daily to listening to God...and then acting on what you hear..(more on this acting out part in a minute).

This word commitment really is a gut-check word in our spiritual lives..and it begs a couple more questions that each of us needs to answer:

• Are we convinced in our hearts about pursuing the destiny God has for us?
• Are you dedicated to following Christ with all of your heart?
• Are you dedicated to living out the dream and fulfilling the purposes that God has for your life?..And if so, ...What preparations are you making? What does your heart's workout regiment look like?

See folks, commitment spiritually is not just about taking in knowledge (a mind thing)..It's about an intense dedication to follow Jesus with all of our heart - every day. It's about waking up every day and before your feet hit the floor..committing yourself - committing your heart to listen to God and for His leading that day - See, you've got to play this game of life with your heart..not just your head..That's where your dedication and commitment is best registered with God..It's a matter of the heart.

Here's the second word that leads us to destiny..

#2 Intensity (passion)

"There is only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything.." (Lombardi)

Michael Jordan,..who was cut from his high school varsity team and was told he was not good enough to make the team,..settled that day in his heart to become the greatest basketball player ever. Since then he was voted Athlete of the Century. He won 6 NBA Championships, numerous scoring titles, commercial endorsements, and the list goes on...(advertisement clip here)

Listen to this quote from Michael Jordon: "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I'VE FAILED over and over again in my life. And that is why I SUCCEED."...Being told that he could not make the basketball team became the fuel he needed to become the best.

"It is a reality of life that men are competitive and the most competitive games draw the most competitive men. That's why they are there to compete. To know the rules and objectives when they get in the game. The object is to win fairly, squarely, by the rules, but to win." (Lombardi). You gotta remember when you read that, that he was a football coach (not a philosopher or theologian)..but what about our spiritual lives?

• Are we here to win spiritually?
• Are we ready to run with endurance?
• Are we ready to run with passion?
• Are we ready to do whatever it takes to receive the prize?

It is essential to understand that the battles of life are primarily won in our hearts. So let me ask some more quesitons:

• Do you fully trust God with your heart, life, and your dreams?
• Has Christ fully captured your heart?
• Are you ready to follow Him anywhere?
• What battles are you facing spiritually that are stealing your passion?

Folks - passion is much more significant than we realize in our spiritual lives..I mean, ask yourself - When is the last time you got fired up.?..I mean really excited about God in your life? Or..When is the last time you wept about what Christ has done for you..or when's the last time you got choked up about anything beautiful or great in your life? When is the last time you got genuinely passionate about where God was leading you to ... The purpose and destiny to which He's calling you?

Folks, this word is what drives my life..If you asked me for one word that defines how I want to be defined spiritually it's this word - PASSIONATE.

I love life..Pretty much every day I get up and I'm excited about the adventure God has for me that day..And I love lots of things in life - I love athletics..I love hunting..I love a great workout and I love food..(There are few things better than a big juicy steak with mushrooms on top)..See folks, I think it's correct to get passionate about my life..And especially about the calling God has placed on my life..Very simply, He's called me to be a leader - To lead my family for a lifetime and to lead this church for as long as He allows..His purpose for my life is to love my wife with passion - and to serve her tirelessly. His purpose for my life is to love my kids unconditionally and to serve and sacrifice my life to see them find the destiny God calls them to..And His purpose for my life (during this season) is to lead this church and to serve and love you people - to sacrifice my life to see this work of God go forward. (Please don't take that as a whining statement or a bragging or arrogant statement..It's simply very clear to me..)

That's the calling God has placed on my life..and I am extremely passionate about these things. They keep me up at night. I live and breathe to succeed at that which God has called me to. Now, this doesn't mean I don't fail - I fail miserably in loving and serving my wife. I fail miserably in leading and serving my kids...And I fail miserably in leading and serving you people...But that's not the issue in life..Catch that - It's not how bad we fail at times in the purpose God has called us to..It's how passionate we are about getting back up after we fall down..

Another Lombardi quote - "It's not whether you get knocked down - It's whether you get back up."

Folks, your ability to get back up in life is all about passion. (It's passion that keeps Jordan in the game.) Our ability to see success in life is based on knowing what God's purpose is for our lives..That He created us with greatness in mind - with a specific destiny to pursue..and we must pursue that destiny with passion.

People..Let your heart get carried away with life - I believe more than ever before that passion is what our world needs more than anything else..A holy passion that burns in our souls as we pursue the destiny for which God has called us to..If we passionately pursued His calling, our world would be changed..Think about it:

• Love would be overflowing.
• Servanthood would be the norm.
• Families would be unbreakable.
• Grace and kindness and mercy and peace would be cornerstones.
• Lives would have meaning.
• And souls would be illuminated with the light of God..and darkness would be stamped out.

People, do you see it? Pursue God with passion - live life to the fullest..Find out what He's calling you to and then live it out. That's where fulfillment is found. That's where joy abounds..And that's where passion lives..

Find your purpose..and your passion will follow. Find your purpose and passion will burn intensely and brightly..Find your passion and you'll change the world.

People, let's follow God with dedication and commitment. And let's follow with intensity and passion.

Now, let me add one more word that leads to destiny - SACRIFICE.

#3 Sacrifice (discipline)

"Once a man has made a commitment to a way of life, he puts the greatest strength in the world behind him. It's something we call HEART POWER. Once a man has made this commitment, nothing will stop him short of success." (Lombardi)

Hear these words of Jesus: Matthew 6:21 - "Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be." Our hearts hold our ability to succeed or to fail in what God calls us to.

Listen to these words from the Apostle Paul (Philippians 3:7-14):

Paul understood the dedication, passion and sacrifice that is involved in following Christ. Paul made a commitment to this way of life. Paul put his whole heart into following Christ. Nothing else could satisfy but that burning passion of following Christ.

Listen again to his description of the spiritual life in Hebrews 12:1-2:

That JOY Jesus knew was seeing you and me running the race, and seeing you and me winning our races and chasing our destiny.

Folks, the calling of God on our lives takes not only commitment and passion - but a real look at the sacrifices made along the way. And as the verses in Hebrews said, Jesus is our best example of that.

Christ ran the toughest race of all. He paid the ultimate price. Jesus had to be DEDICATED to the Father. Jesus had to be PASSIONATE about you and me. Jesus paid the ultimate SACRIFICE. He gave everything - even His life - in sacrifice..for us. And His call to us is to give our lives back to Him - it's a life for a life..I want you to be clear on that - Following Jesus is not an easy walk in the park..It takes discipline and endurance and sacrifice. Sacrifice that most of us know very little about..It's a very high calling.

In the world of competitive cycling, the Tour de France is the supreme test of strength and endurance. For 22 days and 20 different stages and 2286 miles, this gruelling race carries on.

Lance Armstrong was not supposed to be the champion of the 99 & 2000 Tour de France. His doctors expected him to be weakened and likely dead of cancer. Today Lance Armstrong stands triumphant over both cancer and the Tour de France. Suddenly, apparently out of nowhere, his entire life, his future, his well being all came crashing down at once. In 1995 the diagnosis had come back as cancer.

And what Lance didn't know was that it was spreading like wildfire throughout his body. His cancer had established itself in his abdomen, his lungs, and even his brain. There were 11 masses in his lungs alone, some the size of golf balls. His brain was invaded by two malignancies. Best estimate of survival? 50/50. It was a year of pain and misery. But it was not a year of depression, resignation, and failure. For in 1997, Lance was declared in credibly cancer free. He had fought through the darkness, and now the brightness of success had returned.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 says this: "Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified."

Paul is suggesting that we should live the Christian life with purpose, intensity, and focus. Like a runner, we should train in preparation for the race. And then discipline ourselves to focus on the goal and give the race our best shot.

1 Timothy 4:7-8 says this: ".Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next.

Folks, as I close, answer these questions in your heart:

• HOW ARE YOU RUNNING YOUR RACE?
• Are you running your race with complacency?
• Are you running your race with compromise?
• Are you running your race with indifference?

OR

• Are you running your race with DEDICATION?
• Are you running your race with PASSION?
• Are you running your race with PURPOSE?
• Are you running your race with DESTINY?
  Are you running your race with DISCIPLINE?
• Are you DEDICATED to the Father?
• Are you passionate about following His purpose for your life?
• What sacrifice are you willing to make?

Folks, this message is all about heart..A heart dedicated to finding and following God's leading in our lives. A heart passionate about pursuing the destiny God has for us..

A heart that is willing to sacrifice..to do whatever it takes to get up when you get knocked down - to succeed when others think you will fail - and to endure many hardships along the path..Dedication, passion sacrifice...That's what creates destiny in peoples' lives - that's what lights up your soul and mine..and that's what will cause us to hear Jesus say at the end of this game called life.."Well done my good and faithful servant." That's all I want to hear.

Folks, chase God with all your heart. His way is best..

* Dean would like to say a special thank you to Luc Dauray, the Youth Pastor at Westside King's Church in Calgary, Alberta for giving him some of the ideas and stories presented in this message.