{"id":32117,"date":"2022-09-10T15:57:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/what-professional-wrestlers-and-pastors-have-in-common\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T15:57:00","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:57:00","slug":"what-professional-wrestlers-and-pastors-have-in-common","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/what-professional-wrestlers-and-pastors-have-in-common\/","title":{"rendered":"What Professional Wrestlers and Pastors Have in Common"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
<\/div>\n

By Jay Sanders<\/em><\/p>\n

Pastor, please don\u2019t forget the carpenters.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not talking about a musical act from the 1970s or the guy who built the manger for your children\u2019s play.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m talking about professional wrestling.<\/p>\n

Maybe I should explain.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

First of all\u2014and I apologize to anyone who\u2019s going to be offended by this\u2014 professional wrestling is scripted. I know it looks like the guys on TV hate each other, but after the cameras stop rolling, they\u2019re eating eggs at Huddle House together.<\/p>\n

Trust me. I\u2019ve seen it with my own eyes. But that\u2019s a story for another time.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

When a wrestling promoter really wants to hype a wrestler and make him look good, he books him a match against a carpenter.<\/p>\n

The carpenter is usually an older wrestler who knows what he\u2019s doing. He’s skilled at making the \u201cpunches\u201d he takes look like they really hurt. A carpenter gets no glory for his performance in the ring but his hard work is essential in making the match work.<\/p>\n

In that sense, churches have carpenters, too. They\u2019re the nursery workers, administrative assistants, custodial staff, bookkeepers, and the people who take care of the lawn.<\/p>\n

They don\u2019t preach or sing. They don\u2019t teach a class. Most of their work is done behind the scenes. Sometimes it\u2019s even done for free.<\/p>\n

Remember these people.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Remember that such people are not your underlings. They\u2019re serving Christ\u2019s church just as much as you are, only in different ways.<\/p>\n

They matter. Let them know that. Talk to them. Fill in for them when it\u2019s appropriate. Listen to them. Make sure they’re taken care of.<\/p>\n

But<\/strong><\/h3>\n

But there\u2019s a very significant difference between the carpenters in church and the ones in professional wrestling. In wrestling, carpenters exist to make their opponents look good.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not the job of the church carpenter.<\/p>\n

In church, rather than making the pastor or staff look good, carpenters aim to reflect the greatness and glory of Jesus.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
See also  The Power of the Ordinary Moments<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Pastor, it\u2019s not about you. The church isn\u2019t your show. Those serving behind the scenes aren\u2019t there simply to do the jobs that are beneath you.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s extremely important you remember that. Don\u2019t think of yourself more highly than you ought to. Otherwise, you might end up like Steve \u201cDr. Death\u201d Williams.<\/p>\n

Dr. Death<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Williams was a professional wrestler who had a reputation for being tough. He built a nice career for himself off of that reputation.<\/p>\n

But it all came crashing down on July 20, 1998. It was called the \u201cBrawl for All\u201d tournament and it wasn\u2019t fake. There were no carpenters in these matches.<\/p>\n

Wrestlers were encouraged to fight for real. It didn\u2019t end well for Williams. When he lost in a somewhat embarrassing style, his career was essentially over.<\/p>\n

Pastors have an important job. But sometimes we think we\u2019re more important than we are. We need to remember God can achieve His will without us.<\/p>\n

After all, He has countless carpenters at his disposal.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It might be a letter or an email. It might be a phone call or an announcement before the entire church. Maybe it\u2019s just a one-on-one conversation.<\/p>\n

Whatever it is, make sure the carpenters in your life and ministry feel appreciated.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not their job to make you look good.<\/p>\n

But any good that people see in your ministry can likely be traced back to God working through them.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s the bottom line.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Jay Sanders<\/h2>\n

\n

\n

Jay is the senior pastor of Towaliga Baptist Church in Jackson, Ga.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n