Do you ever feel like you are in a struggle with someone or something all of the time? Most people sense that each day of their lives they are in a contest of some kind against some opponent, seen or unseen. Planning to overcome the enemy, defend against his darts or launch our own offensive gets to be the core of our routine. Every believer leaves home on a daily basis, prayed up and confident that they will return the victor in the fight against the unseen forces of evil that would destroy the quests, dreams and hopes of the people of God. 
    Perhaps that explains our fondness for contests. Any kind of contest: Boxing, basketball, baseball, or water melon seed spitting. We thrill at watching two equally matched opponents demonstrate their skills in the competitive arena. Some even spice up the contest by placing bets on which one will win. We get excited in face offs whether its between David and Goliath, Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett or Luke Sky Walker and Darth Vader. We love the thrill of the contest because in a small way we can project ourselves into the arena. For one reason or another we associate with one competitor or another. We can see ourselves in the arena! When our team wins, we win! When our team loses, we feel as though we have personally lost. 
    On Super Bowl Sunday churches scramble to find ways to relate. Last year reports in the media told of churches where the ushers were dressed in referee stripe shirts, the pews were marked off as yard lines and the church service began with the deacons in a huddle and a toss of the coin between the ministers to determine who would preach. Wouldn't it be something if our love for Christ dwindles to the point that to maintain a worship service on Super Bowl the church would have to equip its Mother's Board with pom poms and mini-skirts to be cheerleaders? Will the choir need to dance down the aisle singing "Drop kick me Jesus, through the goal posts of life?" Will we penalize deacons for long prayers for "delay of game?" Will we have to give every usher yellow flags to throw at people who refuse to sing? Instead of hymns will it be necessary for the choir to sing the fight songs of both Super Bowl competitors? If the service lasts beyond the time that the televised pre-game show begins, will the head deacon need a whistle to blow to give the preacher a two minute warning? For some people, deciding to attend worship on Super Bowl Sunday is tough, but not for others. For them, every Sunday is a Super Bowl Sunday! The cause of Christ is matched up against Satan week after week! Guess what? Our team always wins! 
    When your team is up against a powerful foe, who do you want on your side? If it's the 7th game of the World Series - bottom of the ninth inning - bases loaded - 2 outs - you are down by 1 and you can choose anyone in baseball history to be your next batter - who would it be? 
If it's the last minute of the Super Bowl, you have the ball, you are down by six and you can choose anyone in football history to be your quarterback - who would it be? If it's the last 10 seconds of the final game of the NBA playoff - you have the ball - you are down by one and you can choose anyone in basketball history to take your last shot - who would it be? 
    In such a moment none of us would pick a rookie. We want somebody who has proven themselves in tough situations. 
   As Christians, we enter a super contest for our souls every day. We're glad to know that we have Jesus, the MVP of the universe on our team! 

   This text focuses on the prophet Elijah as he challenges the people to watch a contest between God and the prophets of Baal. 
   The wicked King Ahab and his wife Jezebel established Baal worship throughout the land. The people had relegated God to a second place status in their lives. Some had discounted him altogether. Baal worship was growing in the land, promoted by the king and 450 Baal prophets. 
   According to Holman, Baal worship revolved around two themes that represented the conception of Baal his worshipers held. Baal was both the sun-god and storm-god. He was worshiped as sun-god when the people wished to express thanks and gratitude for light and warmth and fertility. Worship of Baal as storm-god took place to appease the destructive nature of Baal, demonstrated by drought and storms that devastated the vegetation of the worshipers. The efforts to appease Baal whenever adverse conditions prevailed culminated in the sacrifice of human beings, usually the firstborn of the one offering the sacrifice. Baal worship was as diverse as the communities in which he was worshiped. Each locality had its own Baal, who was named after the city or place to which he belonged. Baal was considered the owner or possessor of the land on which his followers lived. 
   Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to put up or shut up. A super contest was planned between all 450 of Baal's prophets and Elijah the prophet of God. The actual contestants would be the false god Baal and the real God Jehovah. As each called on their God, the true God would answer by raining down fire from heaven. An added, unspoken, expectation was that the real God would end a drought that devastated the land 
   The first half of the contest was dominated by the prophets of Baal, all 450 of them. They danced their ritual dances, sang their chants and called on Baal to consume their sacrifice with fire from heaven. As they danced, Elijah taunted them on the sidelines, amused that Baal must have been hard of hearing or out to lunch. 
   After the false prophets failed  Elijah wet the wood on his altar by pouring four jars of water over it three times. In response to Elijah's prayer, Yahweh rained fire from heaven to consume the wet wood. It became obvious that Elijah's God was the real God.  Elijah ordered the false prophets killed. 
   Elijah next prophesied that the drought was soon to end (1 Kings 18:41) after three rainless years. From Carmel, Elijah prayed and shortly after the rains came. 
   The real God had won a super contest on Mt. Carmel and in the hearts of the people. The test contrasted his power and the impotence of Baal. It showed the moral superiority of God and the inferiority of all others. 
    For the people, the contest meant they underwent three years of drought, calling on the wrong God. Their personal battle was one of survival. The help they needed was always close by, but they were calling on a helpless, useless, source that could not assist them when they really needed help. 

   On a daily basis, most of us face huge life challenges. The nature of the challenge varies but the adversary is still the same. Decisions concerning finances, marriage, school life, employment opportunity and morality face us each and every day. The pressure of dealing with these challenges is immense. Sometimes they even seem insurmountable and the odds seem stacked against any form of success. 
   There are some who try avoid the challenges, while others recognize that problems must be tackled head on! 
   Christians study, pray, and verbalize a general love and dependence on God. We sing regularly, "I will trust in the Lord.." When problems come, it is put up or shut up time. All of the pre-game hype and promotion that comes with our Sunday school class professions of faith is useless comes to a head on the day when faith must come face to face with adversity. When problems come, each of us enters the super bowl. 
 When Elijah went into his put up or shut up situation he followed three steps that helped him to emerge the victor. He was a 450 to one underdog. It had'nt rained for three and one half years. He was meeting his opponents in front of their home crowd. When put up or shut up time arrived, he  entered the contest using three steps that  might be useful to us today: 
    FACE OUR CHALLENGES WITH CONFIDENCE: Just as Elijah refused to be intimidated and actually reveled in the moment, every believer should face each of life's challenges with confidence. Confidence is a faith-based virtue. Those who exhibit confidence know God's power. They are not intimidated by the odds because God + one equals a majority. With confidence Elijah quietly prepared his altar.  (V 30-35)With confidence he ordered four barrels of water and ordered his sacrifice to be soaked four times. We should also face our challenges with confidence that comes from the word: "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me" Philippians 4:13. God's people have always been outnumbered, but they have always arisen the victors. They have always been the underdogs, but they have always won! 
   REMEMBER GOD'S CAPABILITY: It is easy to be overwhelmed by a problem if we forget our capabilities. We can be restrained and detained for great periods of time if we can be tricked into forgetting our capabilities. A baby elephant is tied to a cement pole in its early life in the circus. The baby elephant pulls against the pole but is not able to escape. As the years go by the elephant grows in size with enormous power. In the circus, that same elephant is often tied to the back of a tent by a little rope. Why doesn't the elephant pull the tent down? Because his mind is still tied to the cement pole. He cannot focus on his present capability. Believers facing challenges don't' focus on the size of challenge, they focus on the size of God. When David stood before Goliath he didn't worry about Goliath's height, but kept remembering what God had done for him in the past. The 12 spies who reported on the prosperity of the promised land said they could take the land despite the problems. There is no mountain too high for God to climb! No river too wide for God to cross! God specializes in doing things that are impossible! 
   TALK TO GOD BEFORE YOU ENTER THE ARENA: When Elijah faced his challenged he did what every believer on record has been known to do, he talked to God. He said "..let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word." (v36). Before Israel crossed over the Red Sea, Moses prayed. When they face starvation and drought in the desert, they prayed. Name the challenge and watch believers go into prayer before they enter arena. The believer's prayer is not for victory, but that God's will might be accomplished. The Hebrew Boys stood before the fiery furnace confident that God was able to deliver and committed to the point that they declared even if he did not deliver them they would not be defeated or intimidated. They wanted to accomplish God's will. Before the battle pray, because prayer changes things. Pray because prayer can cause the impossible to become possible. 

   Finally, brothers and sisters every believer must be ready when he or she steps into the arena. We must be ready, mentally, physically and emotionally. 
    No contest can be won unless the competitor enters with the right frame of mind. It is important to know the nature of your adversary and to remain focused. That's why Paul writing to the Ephesians said, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12). When we are focused we remember "greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world!" 
    Don't attempt to enter life's super bowl without the right equipment. Paul said in Ephesians 6:13 " Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" 
    Every Super Bowl competitor who expects to avoid serious injury wears the right equipment. 
   --Underneath every competitor's uniform, unseen by the observing eye is a GIRDLE. It helps to keep everything in place. Every believer that steps in the arena of life must wear the girdle of truth. It is important to have "right" on your side. This is what Paul referred to as having your loins girt about with truth. 
   --A good HELMET protects the head from collisions that are sure to come when we butt heads with the enemy head on. Paul called it the helmet of salvation. Every helmet comes equipped with a chin guard  The saved life is like a good helmet. It  helps believers withstand the attacks of Satan. The holy spirit is like a built in chin guard. When things are down, it reminds us to keep our chin up, everything will be all right. 
   --A MOUTH PIECE is essential in the contest. For believers a mouth piece keeps us from saying the wrong things or even saying the right thing but at the wrong time! This is what David meant in Psalm 39:1 when he said, "I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me." Don't go into battle without a mouthpiece! 
   --SHOULDER PADS protect the shoulders of those who are receiving hits and delivering blocks in the contests. This is what Paul referred to when he said, "having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness" 
   --CLEATS are special shoes that help competitors to grip the ground. Paul told the Ephesians to keep their "feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." Gospel shoes don't slip and slide as other shoes do, but the grab the turf and hold on! When life gets tough, they hold on! 
If thunderstorms break out and the turf is wet, they hold on! 
   Every good competitor enters the contest prepared to play until the game is over! There is no praise or reward for those who quit before the end. I hear Revelation 21:7 say, " He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." 
   Every saint should be able to say, "Today is Super Bowl Sunday, but tomorrow will be super bowl Monday!" Every day we come up against Satan is super contest. However, we can say with  assure, "Our team will win!" 
   We know our team will win because of the line up! 
 At left end there is GENESIS at right end there is REVELATION. 
   At takle and guard is Matthew, Mark, Luke and John at center is Malachi! 
   At half back is faith and hope! At full back there is prayer! 
   But my teams always wins because, my team has the best quarterback! 
   The quarter back of my team wears jersey number 1-1-1. One for the father, one for the Son and One for the Holy Ghost. 
   My quaterback knows how to play the game because he's a super bowl veteran! 
   One day, 2000 years ago he met the forces of Satan out on Calvary, died on an old rugged cross! 
   But just before the game was over, Early Sunday morning he arose from the grave with all power in his hands! 
   You don't have to wait until the battle is over...shout now! 
   Your super bowl team has already won!