Bush League or Power Hitter for Jesus!
There is nothing more frustrating to a baseball manager than leaving runners on base, especially if they reached scoring position. It is so important that Baseball even places a coach near first base and third base to help players make it home. If we were to make the game of life a baseball game, then I wonder what percentage of baserunners would actually make it home? This post questions if we are doing our part fulfilling God’s command of sharing the Gospel to help others reach Heaven. As followers of Christ, we are called aliens or foreigners on our way home.
As an avid fisherman, I recently heard of a very interesting statistic. Jesus called us to be fishers of men. So how is that going for you? Arguably the most successful fisherman of all time is Kevin VanDam. His career stats are stunning: 7 BASS AOY Titles and an FLW AOY title; 4 Bassmaster Classic wins; 25 total BASS wins and 4 MLF Cup wins. What’s more, KVD has competed in over 320 BASS events and owns 121 top-10 finishes (183 top-20’s). Amazingly, he has scored a top 10 in 35 percent of the BASS events he has ever entered. All of that success has earned him $6,447,476.33 in career earnings. That gives him the horrific winning percentage of only 11%. In any other sports, if one of the best ever had an 11% winning percentage, then they would be the punch line of jokes, but not in fishing. I wonder if that is why Jesus called us to be fishers of men? You think Jesus knew how difficult it would be to be a successful in this task?
Just for fun let’s take another sport, the sport of baseball, and compare it to living a successful life as a Christian. Baseball is a game of numbers, so let’s start with some stats. As I have mentioned before in one of my other post, earlier this year I heard a heart breaking statistic. 96% of self-proclaimed Christians have never won another person to Christ. That one hit me like a Nolan Ryan fast ball in the ear hole of my batting helmet.
Prior to hearing that, I felt I had done my part believing I had helped bring a few lost souls to Christ. Sadly though, the truth is after hearing that stat, I felt like a t-ball player compared to the big leaguer I should be striving to be. I think they call it Bush League in Baseball. The thought of being a Bush League Christian just didn’t sit well in my soul.
Some would love to compare Salvation to a home run, hitting for the cycle, or even a grand slam, but let’s just say today that Salvation is only the beginning of your journey with Jesus. Agreeing to follow Christ with all your heart, leaving the old behind, and starting brand new as a born-again son or daughter of God is so important to the Kingdom of Heaven that the Bible says there is a celebration in Heaven every time a single sinner ask Jesus into their life.
So, game over, right? Is it that easy? I know denominations argue over this topic until they are to the point of sinning, so I will do my best to avoid that conversation, while at the same time, I hope to cause you to think about your personal journey with Christ today. Are you fulfilling your commission and maxing out the gifts and talents God placed in you?
The life a Christian begins with asking Jesus into your life and confessing Him as your Lord and Savior. Let’s call Salvation reaching first base. Salvation is often referred to as the “The Romans Road”.
Romans chapter 3:23 “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. (NIT)
Romans 5:8 “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin are death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow- not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky about or in the earth below- indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 10:9-10,13 “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe with your Heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
So, you are now safe after reaching first base. Question now is can you make it all the way around to home! Baseball minds say there is no better friend to a pitcher than a double play. I remember hitting into a double play back in the day. Running as hard as possible down the line trying to beat out the throw only to head to the dugout frustrated with doubt trying to creep into my confidence. I’ve also been picked off first, another walk of shame to the dugout follows that baserunning error. I’ve been thrown out stealing second or third base more times than I would like to admit. Often, I failed to listen to my base coach thinking I had it all figured out myself. How many of us don’t listen to our pastor, loved ones, or more importantly the Word of God or the Holy Spirit? We love the thought of salvation, but not so much the Lord part of the commitment.
As a Christian what does it take to reach second base? Let’s do what most everyone that accepted Christ in the New Testament did. By making a public confession through water baptism, we let the world know that we are leaving our sins under the water, much like Jesus coming out of the grave, we come up a brand new in person in Christ. This is a powerful commitment as you burn the plow, as Elisha did, so that he would never return to his old life. After Jesus crucifixion, Peter quickly returned to fishing. Here is that challenging fishing life again, Peter must have found some new nets or kept his old ones for vacation from his new fishers of men job. Jesus was not done with his old friend yet and thank the Lord He does not give up on us either. Jesus, after defeating hell and the grave, once again walked up to Peter on the shore letting him know that He was not to stop at first or second base! He had plans to make Peter a cleanup hitter.
What is the equivalency in baseball to reaching third base? What did Jesus need in order to fulfill his destiny and make it back home to heaven and to the right hand of God? He told Peter and the disciples that they would need to wait 50 days for the same power He walked in to show up. Once He reached the right hand of God the Father, Jesus promised He would send the Holy Spirit back to earth so they could do even greater things than He did as they spread the Gospel. John the Baptist said that he came to baptize in water, but One was coming after him that would baptize in fire. That One is the Chosen and Anointed One – Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He did promise and deliver the fire and power through the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
I love Luke chapter 4. It tells us exactly how we are to reach home plate. Luke 4:1 begins with Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist in water, followed by God confirming His identity and baptizing Jesus in fire by sending the Holy Spirit down to fully empower Jesus to fulfill His call. No miracles were recorded by Jesus until after that moment. I like to think of it as being fully equipped and prepared so when we get the call to the big leagues, we have the tools it takes to produce.
Luke 4:1 says Jesus full of the Holy Spirit was immediately led into the wilderness. Why do we whine about the valleys we are led into? In the wilderness Jesus faces His greatest adversary satan and overcomes every challenge thrown at Him through the Word of God and the Power of the Holy Spirit. Luke 4:14 adds one game changing word to Jesus as He left the Wilderness. The wilderness turned Jesus into a POWER HITTER as Luke 4:14 says Jesus left the wilderness full of the Holy Spirit and POWER!
It is difficult to make it Heaven as the adversary is experienced in deception, lies, and fear, and attacks us with many challenging weapons, but the promises of God and the forces of heaven far outnumber the enemy. Jesus took satan the pitcher so deep, that he will never be able to recover! How awesome is it, that we have all the promises and weapons in our bat bag to become a World Champion in Christ?
We know now how to make it back to home plate, so what is next?
We are called to fulfill God’s plan. A plan the Bible calls the Great Commission. Matthew 28:16-20 goes like this “16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
By studying the Word of God and the Biblical Principles, praying and fasting, seeking God with all our hearts, and developing a close relationship with God, we can become Fearless Powerful Cleanup Hitters consumed with the call of bringing others home!
There is no more powerful prize on earth than becoming God’s RBI Champion!
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Amen thanks coach.