The men’s basketball team from Oakwood Adventist Academy in Huntsville, AL, recently forfeited their game in the semifinals of the state high school basketball tournament. You see, our Adventist friends believe that God has called them to continue the observance of the Sabbath as laid out in the Old Testament (Exodus 20:8-11). The Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday. Their semifinal was scheduled to be played on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in the afternoon during the Sabbath. So Oakwood Adventist’s athletic director, Calvin Morton, reached out to the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) and asked if they could play the game a few hours later in order not to violate the Sabbath. Other teams were more than willing to switch time slots with them. No one had a problem with this. Incredibly, their request was denied. No reason given.
And so, the coaches and players decided they would forfeit the game. They were not going to violate the Sabbath. Period. They had worked hard to get to this point and had a good chance of winning the championship, but they weren’t going to put sports above their faith.
I am humbled by their example.
I must say that I do not agree with our Adventist friends when it comes to the Sabbath (Saturday) being our day of worship. What I understand from the Scriptures is that the New Law of Christ (New Testament) supplanted the Old Law of Moses (Old Testament) so that now we are to worship on Sunday, the Lord’s Day (cf. Ephesians 2:14-15, Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 8:6 - 9:15; Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:1-2).
But I agree with their choice! And I applaud them for having the courage and faith necessary to take a stand. For years now I have watched sports activities encroach upon our time together in worship and take brethren away from Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings.
I remember years ago I lived in a town where the state’s high school sports association started playing basketball games on Sunday mornings. Sadly, I also remember how our local Christian school capitulated and played in every one. The school would have an early “devotional” on Sunday mornings, which I guess they felt sufficed. But my heart grieved for the families and students that were taken out of the assembly and out of Bible class on Sunday mornings for no good reason.
Satan won.
Make no mistake, Satan is at work providentially in this world to hinder us in the exercise of our faith — in any and every way possible! In 2 Corinthians 4:4 he is referred to as the “god of this world”. In John 12:31 Jesus called him the “ruler of this world”. And those who choose the basketball court or the baseball diamond or the soccer field over the assembly do his bidding.
I know, I know. I can hear my brethren now saying, “Scott, it’s just a few games. So what if we miss a few Sundays here or there.” Brothers and sisters, it matters. We have continued to give up ground to Satan and he has taken advantage of it. One look at the state of our culture confirms this.
No more! We must stand up for what is right. We must draw a line in the sand and say, “I will not allow this world or the things of this world to interfere with my relationship with my God.”
Oakwood Adventist Academy may have forfeited their game and so lost their chance at a state championship. But there are things more important than that. My thanks to them for reminding us.
They’re the champs in my book.