Pastor David Platt preached a sermon several years ago about idolatry in sports. He compared the University of Alabama football fans’ affection on Saturday to those who worshipped on Sunday. He said, “Let me ask you a question. Suppose you were a visitor from another country, and you came to this city on a weekend. Which would you identify as the most important religion to those people? What religion most excites and consumes people? We live in a society where sports compete for our time, money, and devotion. We must consider how to flee idolatry in sports participation for the glory of God.”

Platt later wrote a blog about the subject and said, “Every good thing we enjoy in life is a gift from God (James 1:17), including our hobbies. Whether it’s sports, music, fishing, reading, etc., we were made to enjoy God through the things He has made. However, due to the remaining sin in our lives, we also must be on guard against turning our hobbies into idols. It’s all too easy to begin enjoying and worshipping the gift while ignoring the Giver.”

John 2 – No Idols

In chapter 2, Jesus faced a similar situation to those who today turned sports into an idol. His goal was to draw people and their worship back to God. He traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover, where He found the temple overrun by vendors and money changers. He cast them out because they were no longer devoted to worshipping God but had turned the temple into a marketplace for profit. The Lord was explicit about reserving everything in the temple for the purpose of worship. When Jesus completed His work of atonement for the sins of the world, the place of meeting changed, but the standards are the same. Believers are now His temples (1 Cor. 6:19-20), and we are to remain sanctified. Every coach, athlete, or sports fan should ask themselves, “What do you think the Lord wants to drive out of your temple?”

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete submit themselves to God’s cleansing process, first by refusing to tolerate the presence of sin, then by asking God to remove it.

Journaling helps you understand and respond to the Bible. As you journal, use the acronym HEAR to Highlight, Explain, Apply, and Respond to what you have read in the reading plan.

Bible Memory Verse – “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 LSB

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