JESUS WOULDN'T YELL
By
Coach Dave Daubenmire
September 4, 2008
NewsWithViews.com
“Just putting on your armor isn’t enough. All it does is protect you from the enemy. Just like a football player’s uniform, the full armor of God that we spoke about yesterday is designed to protect you in battle. It is not something just to be worn around your living room.”
I had been asked to address the opening day assembly of a local Christian School. I came out of the chute fast as I usually do, especially with young people. In this youth-culture where everything is “extreme” I want to make sure that the audience knows that it is ok to be extreme for Jesus. I spent nearly thirty years dealing with kids and have learned that the best way to keep their attention is to be “alive” when making a presentation. This day I was working with an especially captivated audience.
“We spoke earlier about the full armor found in Ephesians 6 and the only offensive weapon that is part of the armor is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Here is what you need to realize. Your sword is only useful if you know how to wield it!”
The eyeballs were bugging out of the heads of these students as they experienced what for many of them was their first-ever half-time, locker room speech from a Coach, except this was about fighting for Jesus.
“Let me ask you a question. After Jesus was led into the dessert and tempted of the Devil, does anyone know how Jesus fought the enemy?”
My brown eyes panned the room looking at the questioning faces; hoping one would know the answer. Finally, in the back of the room a voice squeaked out, "He used the Word."
“That’s right!!!” I blurted out as I jumped on the front pew. “IT IS WRITTEN.” Jesus fought by using the Word of God and we must learn to do the same! My eyes flashing the passion that players expect out of their coach. Electricity filled the air.
“Well I bet Jesus wouldn’t yell”
I quickly turned towards the sound of the voice. It had emanated from the mouth of a matronly teacher sitting in the third-row of this huge auditorium. She obviously did not appreciate my coaching style. I felt the hair stand-up on the back of my neck. But thanks to the power of the Holy Spirit I did not lash out at her obviously-rude behavior.
I ignored her and finished my presentation. As the kids filed out of the auditorium many came by and high-fived me and told me how much they appreciated what I had to say.
“Man, I wish I played for you,” several of them said. “You really fired us up.”
But I couldn’t shake what the frumpy teacher had said…..”Jesus wouldn’t yell.” It bothered me all afternoon. “Lord, I don’t want to miss-represent you. I don’t want to ruin my witness. If you wouldn’t yell, please let me know.”
Later that day I was at football practice and during a water break I was looking at the rocky hills surrounding our practice field and I suddenly thought of the Sermon on the Mount. Thousands came to hear our Lord as he sat at the top of a hill high over the city. Hmmm, I thought. Top of the hill, thousands of people, no public address system, I wonder how the multitudes heard Him?
I had my answer.
Where do we get these sissy ideas about Jesus? We’re talking about a guy who made a whip and cleared out the flea market at the temple. Don’t you suppose he raised his voice a decibel or two? Read what he said to the Pharisees and Sadducees “a brood of vipers.” Do you think He did this with soft, soothing voice?
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I think Jesus would yell.
I have always found Mathew 16 to be telling regarding the nature of Jesus. It flies in the face of what most Christians believe about The Christ. Modern-Christianity has turned Jesus into a wimp. I think He was a Warrior.
In the verse mentioned above Jesus has surrounded himself with his disciples after a day of ministering on the streets of Caesarea Phillipi, the Las Vegas of its day. As part of the debriefing following their day in “sin city” Jesus asks a piercing questions. Allow me to paraphrase. “Tell me boys, what are they saying about me on the streets of sin-city? Who do they think I am?”
Their answer is startling. “Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.” After a day of listening to Jesus ministering on the streets in Caesarea Phillipi those who heard him thought He was John the Baptist. They didn’t think he was Mother Theresa. How could they possibly confuse Him with John the Baptist if he was so loving and tolerant?
Jesus was a man. Jesus had emotions. He was in all ways tempted, yet without sin. The Bible tells us to be angry and sin not. Jesus got angry. Jesus flipped over tables. Jesus challenged the sinful leadership.
Yes, Ms. Milquetoast, Jesus also yelled.
Folks, men are leaving the church in droves. Pastors are trying all types of gimmicks to get them to come to church. Look at this. Why won’t they come? Because they don’t want to be turned into women. Give them a cause to fight for…something bigger than themselves…and you won’t have to use golf courses and Super Bowl parties to keep their interest.
Can I blow my own horn a minute? For the most part, both men and women enjoy my “coaching/preaching” style. It moves their hearts. It spurs them on to greater effort. They love the enthusiasm of a coach….the fiery pep-talk.
But don’t bring that enthusiasm to church. Church is for the dignified. There is no room for emotionalism and enthusiasm in church.
Really?
I looked up the word enthusiasm. As Rush likes to “words have meaning.”
Enthusiasm. Look it up for yourself. The root word is “theous”…theous is a synonym for “God.” “En” is a synonym meaning “within.” Ism means “characteristic behavior. So…en-thus-iasm means “the characteristic behavior of the God that is within you.”
Yes, Matilida, Jesus would yell. Jesus was enthusiastic. And we should be as well.
We are raising sissies in the church. We put them in Christian schools to be taught by Christian women who think it is un-Christ-like to get excited and yell. Meanwhile the enemies of the cross are plundering our nation.
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No wonder men go to football games. It is a safe place to yell and scream and get excited about your favorite team. But don’t do it in church. We’re all supposed to sit around and sing hymns. Don’t get excited about Jesus. Don’t exhort Christians to be all that they can be.
That wouldn’t be very Christian, now would it?
“And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.”
Sissified Christianity makes me want to scream!
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