So what if England are world champions!

It appears from this morning's 7 o'clock news, on Radio 4, that the England cricket team have won a match, more particularly, the World Cup final against New Zealand.

There is nothing wrong with sport per se.  I like watching the occasional cricket match at Kent's County ground, in Canterbury.  However, this outburst of spontaneous joy at England's victory needs to be tempered by 2 considerations.

Firstly, this match, like so many sporting occasions, was held on Sunday.  While not being a strict Sabbatarian of the Free Presbyterian sort, I do hold to the New Testament principle that the first day of the week (another name for Sunday) is to be set aside for the worship of the Lord, the hearing of His word and the fellowship of His people.  Moreover, we recall that John "was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day" (Revelation 1 v 10).  Furthermore, in  Hebrews 10 v 25, we read that we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together.

Secondly, sporting glory is as nothing compared with the needs of the soul.  While England were winning the world cup (almost at the same precise moment) a man received Jesus as his Lord and Saviour.  He was led to Christ by a dear friend of mine who has a real desire to reach out with the Gospel.  That man's act in getting right with God, is worth more than a 1,000 world cup victories - after all, didn't our Saviour say "What shall it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul?" - Mark 8 v 36.

I wonder if those England cricket players know God personally, through faith in Christ; if they don't then this victory on the sports field, has a hollow ring to it.  When I was in my early teens, I would often go to Stamford Bridge and watch Chelsea football games and there was nothing wrong with that (I still watch highlights of their games on You Tube).  At that, time (the early 1970s) they were a highly successful team with trophies to show for it - however, 2 members of that team have since passed into eternity, one at the age of 32 following a car accident.  Where are they now?

The captain of the victorious England football team in 1966 passed into eternity in 1993 following a battle with cancer - where is he now?

We could go on giving example, after example, of men and women who have won honours on the sports field, and had their names enrolled in a list of sporting greats, but were their names in the Book of Life when they left this world?

By all means, take pleasure in sporting events, but let us keep this in perspective - what matters more than anything else is to be right with God, and that is only possible through faith in Christ, as our Lord and Saviour.