Have you ever praised someone publicly for being a courageous Christian only to later hear they said or did something “un-Christian”? It has happened a couple of times to me recently. For example, I last spring, I mentioned the South Carolina women’s basketball coach, Dawn Staley who led her team to a national championship. She was quoted by a reporter as saying that “something’s wrong with you” if you don’t believe in God. When criticized for stating her faith, she made it clear that she had no intention of backing down. Coach Staley said: “I’m not going to apologize for what I said or what I feel because I know my life and I know why things have happened in my life and I’m going to salute God as much as I can because I know it’s not just my doing.” Then, after winning the final championship game, the first words she gave to a reporter was: “We serve an unbelievable God!”[1] When I watched videos of her comments, I must say I was quite impressed by her Christian witness.
But, soon thereafter, I had one of those moments of regret when I learned that, just prior to the championship game, Coach Staley said something else—something inconsistent with a Christian worldview. Unfortunately, I think she gave a very un-Christianlike answer to a reporter’s question about her position on “transgender athletes,” who are biologically male, playing in women’s sports. This is what she said: “If you [as a biological male] consider yourself a woman, … you should be able to play [against other women].”[2] This statement is plainly contrary to God’s Word. In fact, Staley contradicted one of the first descriptions in the Bible as to what it means to be a human being. In Genesis 1:27, we are told: “So God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God He created them; MALE and FEMALE He created them.” (NLT2) It’s really simple. There are two (and only two) gender identifications when it comes to humans: Biological males and biological females. The Scriptures do not give us 50+ gender options as Mark Zuckerberg and his pals at Facebook do. And, to suggest otherwise, as Staley did, is clearly a terrible thing. Coach Staley says she serves “an unbelievable God,” but her line of thinking comes dangerously close to serving the secular god of transgender ideology. But, Coach Staley is certainly right about at least a couple things. Yes, indeed, as she says, we serve an unbelievable God; and, something’s wrong with you if you don’t believe in Him. But, what she fails to understand is that something is seriously wrong with you, if you claim to be a Christian, yet fail to familiarize yourself with basic Christian doctrines.
Now, the other person that I praised was in my last sermon. I summarized some of the achievements of the recently deceased President Jimmy Carter. For example, for many years, both before and after his time in the White House, he regularly taught Sunday School at his church. He dedicated much time and effort to meet the needs of others through his work with Habitat for Humanities. And, like Coach Staley, Carter openly professed to be a follower of Jesus Christ and was the first President to be a member of the Southern Baptist Convention. (Although it is rarely pointed out, Carter eventually parted ways with the Southern Baptists when he denied the inerrancy of God’s Word as presented in the Bible.)
In any event, when he recently died at the age of 100, the Christian news outlets were quick to point out his Christian virtues.[3] But, then came his memorial service in the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. That’s when things started to misalign with a Christian worldview. Now, I don’t want to make more of this than what it is. But, the hymns selected by someone to be sung at their funeral would seem to suggest something about that person. You would think that the words of the chosen hymns meant something special to the deceased—something they strongly believed to be the truth. What many Christians found troubling about the song that Carter had selected for his own memorial service was that it was not a hymn at all. In fact, it is known by many as the “Atheist Anthem” whose song title is simply, “Imagine.” It was written and performed by none other than the Beatles’ John Lennon and released in 1971. To give you the central message in this song, let me read to you the opening lyrics: “Imagine there’s no heaven; It’s easy if you try. / No hell below us… above us, only sky. / Imagine all the people, livin’ for today. / Imagine there’s no countries; It isn’t hard to do. / Nothing to kill or die for. . . and no religion, too.”
Perhaps, one of the most eloquent criticisms of having “Imagine” sung at Carter’s memorial service came from a Dominican friar, Father Patrick Mary Briscoe of a parish in Providence, Rhode Island. The biggest problem that he had with this song selection was that its words attempt to “replace the hope of the Resurrection” with “secular dreams.” The Father went on to say: “While the song may be considered an anthem of unity in our culture, its message is deeply opposed to Christian hope and the sacred purpose of a church. The tragedy of ‘Imagine’ lies not in its longing for peace, but in its denial of the ultimate source of peace. True unity and justice cannot be achieved by erasing God; they are found in surrendering to Him. . . In moments of mourning, the human heart yearns for assurance. A Christian funeral doesn’t merely console; it declares. It declares that death is not the end, that sin has been conquered, and that Christ has opened the gates of Heaven.” [4] I wholeheartedly agree with the friar’s comments.
So, why bring up Coach Staley and President Carter this morning? What am I saying here? Well, first let me be clear about what I am not saying: I am not being so arrogant as to say that Coach Staley and deceased President Carter are bound for Hell. Despite being opposed to their statements or actions, I am not condemning them. Judging them, or anyone else, is well beyond my pay-grade. For Jesus teaches us: 1 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.” Matthew 7:1-2 (NLT2) I have no idea what prompted Coach Staley’s transgender comment. Maybe she was afraid that if she expressed a Christian view on such a politically charged subject, the university administration might fire her. We simply have no way of knowing what was in her mind or in her heart. And, was President Carter partial to John Lennon’s song because he simply liked the tune? Or, maybe he saw the overall message as being one expressing the need for human unity in a world that is so bitterly divided. Your guess is as good as mine. So, again, my purpose in bringing them to your attention is not for the purpose of pronouncing some kind of judgment upon them.
Why then do I even bring them up? Well, there are two reasons. First, it is to emphasize that we shouldn’t put our faith in what people say. Rather, put your faith in what God has to say. From that premise, there are some very important points to note. To begin with, we can’t put our faith in what God has to say on any given subject unless we read, study and know God’s Word as presented in the Bible. There are too many Christians today who would hear someone like Coach Staley make her transgender comment and then think to themselves: “Well, she is recognized as a noted Christian, so I guess transgenderism is an acceptable option for people.” But, if you heard the comment she made and you had an understanding of human sexuality and gender identification based upon God’s Word, then a piercing alarm would sound off in your heart and mind. You’d put on the brakes before swallowing such worldly woke propaganda. So, whatever people may say, take the following tip from the Apostle Paul who tells us to: “Test everything that is said to be sure it is true, and if it is, then accept it.” 1st Thessalonians 5:21 (TLB) In doing that, make certain that the standard for the testing is whether what’s being said is consistent with God’s Word.
There are people out there who identify as Christians, yet have no real yearning to study God’s Word. That will never do. Read the Bible daily, get involved in a Bible study and group discussions that pour over the Scriptures. Sure, you can study alone, but there is something very beneficial about studying God’s Word with other like-minded Christians. Let your brothers and sisters in Christ, as led by the Holy Spirit, help to inform you of God’s commands and His plan for your life. As one Christian writer put it: “There are many people with some desire to be religious, but not enough desire to dig in to read and study the Bible. Many of these just find a man, a preacher, and trust him. Whatever he says, they depend upon. . . They believe what he says; trust his answers to every question, resting the salvation of their souls in him. . . Not a good idea because no man is infallible.”[5] That statement goes for me as well. When I make some off-the-wall comment, like bashing John Calvin for example, compare whatever I may say to the Scriptures to ascertain its truth. That holds true of every preacher. Don’t simply buy into what is being said—TEST IT! Even such great early church preachers and teachers as Paul and Silas warned their congregations about this. In the Book of Acts, we are told: “And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. THEY SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAY AFTER DAY TO SEE IF PAUL AND SILAS WERE TEACHING THE TRUTH.” Acts 17:11 (NLT2) So, rather than taking the comments of someone like Staley or Carter (or, especially, Satterwhite) at face value, always test what’s being said according to how it stacks up to God’s Word.
The second reason I have pointed out Coach Staley and President Carter deals with our effectiveness as Christian witnesses. As followers of Jesus, we have to be very careful what we say and do. If you are a Christian, there are eyes focused upon you and ears that yearn to hear the truth. But, if you don’t thoroughly familiarize yourself with Jesus Christ and His teachings, you will never be able to share the Truth with them—for Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.[6] Now, having said that, there is something critical that you need to know, and it is this: SATAN HATES YOU! He wants to eat you alive! The Apostle Peter warns us: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1st Peter 5:8 (ESV) But, here’s the thing: Satan won’t devour you—he can’t even touch you—if you put on the ARMOR OF GOD. That “ARMOR” is the “belt of truth,” the “breastplate of righteousness,” the “boots of Gospel of peace,” the “shield of faith,” the “helmet of salvation” and “the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”[7] And, once you wear the Armor of God, and keep on wearing it, Satan can’t hurt you anymore. Oh, he’ll try time and time again. But, as long as you hold firmly to Christ, there is no one, including Satan, who can snatch you from the Hand of God.[8]
Satan, of course, realizes this so he’ll try to take a shot at you in another way. Jerry Birch, the chaplain for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the N.B.A., explains it this way:
As a follower of Jesus, you must understand that Satan hates you. He hates you because he hates Christ. Because of your faith in Christ, you are a carrier of the “virus” of salvation. You have the ability to infect others with this grace of God by your conduct and conversation. When that happens, Satan loses. Satan knows he can’t get you off of God’s team. You have an irrevocable guaranteed contract—[so don’t you breach it]. Your salvation from God’s coming wrath is secure because it’s based on God’s amazing grace, not your performance. . . The only tactic left for Satan is to destroy your witness and make you ineffective and unproductive as an ambassador for Christ. HIS CHIEF WEAPON IS DISTORTING TRUTH INTO LIES.
I love the sports analogy Chaplain Birch gives to illustrate what he is saying:
If being a Christian were like the game of basketball, Satan can’t keep you off the court. But at the end of the game, he wants your box score to read something like this: Minutes played–47; field goals–0; free throws–0; rebounds–0; assists–0; steals–0; blocks–0; turnovers–10; personal fouls–6 (including a flagrant foul ejection). All to the embarrassment of the Kingdom of God! [9]
In other words, if Satan can’t keep you off God’s team, he’ll try to make sure that you don’t do anything positive to help win the game for God’s Kingdom. Or, to state it spiritually, if Satan can’t pierce the Armor of God that you are wearing, then he will try to dull the “Sword of the Spirit” that you are to use in spiritual battle. That Sword of the Spirit is the Gospel Message that contains the Truth of God’s Word. For example, let’s assume Coach Staley did not know about the sinful nature of transgender ideology. Somehow she missed the meaning of God’s declaration in the Book of Genesis that He “created them MALE and FEMALE.” (Genesis 1:27) And so, when she was answered that question about transgender males competing in women’s sports, Satan took advantage of her biblical ignorance. And because of that, she gave a response that distorted the Truth by saying, in effect: “It’s O.K. if a 6’ 10,” 230 pound guy feels like a woman on gameday—sure, let him compete in a women’s basketball game against women who are, on average, only 5.5 feet tall and weight 165 pounds!”[10] But, the problem is that when we, as Christians, make erroneous statements that are contrary to God’s Word (even when done unintentionally), we can cause tremendous damage. Can you imagine the young women who look up to Coach Staley as a Christian leader and who could be terribly misled by her comments supporting transgenderism? But, for the time being, let’s give Coach Staley the benefit of the doubt and assume that she may not have realized what the Bible has to say on this issue. Even if that is so, she unwittingly committed a foul and allowed herself to serve Satan’s purposes.
So, the only way to you can guard against becoming an unintentional tool of Satan is to immerse yourself in God’s Word. Memorize scripture and meditate upon it. We need to adopt the attitude of David, who in Psalm 19, wrote: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 (NIV) Then, if someone comes to you for spiritual advice, you’ll have a scriptural well to draw from that will allow you to witness to them. The problem is that some Christians won’t do that. Rather, they will simply avoid giving any Christian witness whatsoever for fear that they will say something wrong. Please don’t be like that. The Parable of the Talents, that we have previously covered in the past, forbids you to adopt a strategy that avoids spreading the Gospel Message to others. Remember what the Master told the unfaithful servant who buried the one talent he was given—in other words, he “buried” God’s Word and refused to share it with others. The Master (representing God in the Parable) said: 26 “You wicked, lazy servant! . . .28 Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. . . 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 25:26, 28, 30 (NIV) This parable clearly teaches that Jesus expects us to share with others the hope we have in the Good News of His salvation. And, as the Apostle Peter reminds us: 15b “If someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way.” 1st Peter 3:15b-16a (NLT2)
Now, you have probably noticed that I mentioned Coach Dawn Staley throughout this sermon, but I have not had as much to say about Jimmy Carter’s selection of the song, “Imagine.” So, let me conclude by pointing out four things about this song. First, I would have to admit that the song expresses the laudable goal of world peace. I feel confident that Jesus would agree we should have a desire for universal peace. But, there have been many men like John Lennon whose philosophical worldview is purely secular. And, over the centuries, they have cried out, “Peace, peace,” [11] but the reality is there will be no lasting peace until Jesus Christ,[12] the Prince of Peace[13], comes again.
Secondly, the song imagines a world of brotherhood wherein people are “living for today.” Again, there is no disagreement on this from a Christian perspective. Jesus taught as much when He said: 31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. 34 So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Matthew 6:31-34 (NLT2)
Third, Lennon longs for a world where there is “no religion.” Now, you might think that Jesus would object to this part of the song. But, it depends upon what you mean by “religion.” A. W. Tozer once said that it was “religious people” who condemned Jesus to die on the Cross.[14] Christians who practice their faith without the love of Christ in their hearts make up the bulk of such “religious” people. In addition, so many people in the churches across this country practice “religion” by simply going through the motions when it comes to living out God’s Word. But, Pastor Richard Owen Roberts rightly said: “God is not interested in organized religion, Catholic or Protestant. He is interested only in what we are.” [15] And, we are nothing until we have a deeply committed relationship with Jesus Christ and show His love in our daily lives.
And finally, John Lennon also would have you imagine that there is no Heaven nor Hell. In other words, he expressed an atheistic worldview in which there is no afterlife. For him, this life was all there is. And, it is on this point, Lennon could not have been more wrong. Quite frankly, the kind of world Lennon imagined would be a world utterly without hope or purpose. But, Jesus came, died on the Cross and rose again to give us the hope of eternal life with Him in His Kingdom. But, Lennon’s suggestion that the denial of Heaven and Hell can somehow offer any chance of a lasting world peace is terribly misguided. Ironically, again and again, history has proven him wrong. Atheist regimes, such as those led by Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, and others have resulted in mass deaths and atrocities beyond anything we can imagine.[16] So, let’s just say that Jimmy Carter’s memorial service song left much to be desired. At best, it could be described as a sad and confusing testimony on the part of our departed President.
When we consider Coach Staley’s words approving transgenderism and Jimmy Carter’s action in selecting an atheist song, there is a lesson that we can learn from this. The lesson is that you don’t want to imitate those examples. When we say something, let our words be in line with the commands and teachings of the Scriptures. Know God’s Word and proclaim it simply, boldly and clearly. And, when we do something (even if it’s selecting a funeral hymn), let our actions glorify God and not promote secular worldviews that deny His glory. In the examples given this morning, Coach Staley and President Carter failed miserably. And, at times, we will fail too—because we all sin and fall short of the glory of God, even after becoming a Christians.[17] But, even when we fall short, remember that the blood of Christ does an amazing thing: For those who repent, and genuinely hold to their faith, their sins are washed away—past, present and future.[18] That is something that I am not sure John Lennon could ever imagine. But, you don’t have to merely imagine it because God’s love for you, and His mercy and grace, are present realities for all who are in Christ. Let it be so for you today!
Let us pray.
Darvin Satterwhite, Pastor
Forest Hill Baptist Church
January 19, 2025
©2025 All Rights Reserved as follows:
Anyone is at liberty to use this sermon or any portions thereof for educational or religious purposes, with or without credit. The pastor believes the material presented herein to be true to the teaching of Scripture, and desires to further, not restrict, its potential use as an aid in the study of God’s Word. The publication of this material is a grace ministry of Forest Hill Baptist Church in Louisa, Virginia.
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[1] Kelsey Dallas, “We serve an unbelievable God,’ says Dawn Staley after South Carolina claims championship,” Deseret News, https://www.deseret.com/faith/2024/04/07/dawn-staley-thanks-god-after-south-carolina-win/ (April 7, 2024).
[2] Nicole VanDyke, “South Carolina coach Dawn Staley faces backlash for supporting male athletes in women's sports,” Christianpost.com, https://www.christianpost.com/news/sc-coach-dawn-staley-criticized-for-trans-athletes-comment.html (April 9, 2024).
[3] Michael Gryboski, “Navy service, Sunday School teacher: 5 interesting facts about Jimmy Carter,” ChristianPost.com, https://www.christianpost.com/news/jimmy-carter-5-interesting-facts-about-the-39th-president.html?page=3 (December 29, 2024).
[4] Jon Brown, “Christians torch 'dark' performance of Lennon's 'Imagine' at Jimmy Carter's funeral,” ChristianPost.com, https://www.christianpost.com/news/christians-torch-performance-of-imagine-at-jimmy-carter-funeral.html (January 10, 2025).
[5] Warren E. Berkley, “Front Page,” Expository Files 10.7; https://bible.ca/ef/expository-1-thessalonians-5-21.htm#:~:text=John%20said%20our%20duty%20is%20to%20"test%20the,and%20practice.%20That%20is%2C%20the%20Word%20of%20God. (July 2003).
[6] John 14:6 “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (NIV)
[7] Ephesians 6:11-17 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (NIV)
[8]John 10:27-30 27 [Jesus said:] “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” (NIV)
[9] Jerry Birch, Cleveland Cavaliers Chaplain (NBA), “Daily Devotional: Tuesday, January 14 - The Opposition’s Tactics, Sports Spectrum, https://sportsspectrum.com/daily-devotional/2025/01/14/devotional-the-opposition-january-14/?utm_source=Sports+Spectrum+Daily+Devotional&utm_campaign=38004abb61-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2025_01_07_06_33_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-f786aa164e-239663090&mc_cid=38004abb61 (January 14, 2025).
[10] Vince Pervis, “How to Get Recruited to Play Women’s College Basketball,” AllAmericanBowl.com,
https://www.allamerican-bowl.com/post/how-to-get-recruited-to-play-women-s-college-basketball?form=MG0AV3 (accessed January 15, 2024).
[11] Jeremiah 8:11 “They [false teachers] heal the brokenness of the daughter of My people superficially, Saying, 'Peace, peace,' But there is no peace.” (NASB)
[12] Micah 4:2-4 2 People from many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the LORD’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. 3 The LORD will mediate between peoples and will settle disputes between strong nations far away. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore. 4 Everyone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees, for there will be nothing to fear. The LORD of Heaven’s Armies has made this promise! (NLT2)
[13] Isaiah 9:6-7 6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen! (NLT2)
[14] “It was religion that put Christ on the cross, religion without the indwelling Spirit. It is no use to deny that Christ was crucified by persons who would today be called Fundamentalists.” A. W. Tozer quoted in Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, #9541, p. 526.
[15] Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 526.
[16] S. Michael Houdmann and Jeff Laird, “How should a Christian view John Lennon’s song Imagine?” Gotquestions.blog, https://www.gotquestions.blog/Lennon-Imagine.html (accessed January 15, 2025).
[17] Romans 3:23 “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (NLT2)
[18] Hebrews 10:10 “For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.” (NLT2)
