Goodmorning and welcome in everyone. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that I wanted to share something with you.
Many people like the game of baseball. I really enjoyed watching the Minnesota Twins win the world series. I was so excited when they finally won, that I accidentily broke a window! In order to win at the game of baseball, you must first step up to the plate. You cannot win any race or competition if you don’t step up and try. I think it’s because some people are so afraid of failure that they don’t even attempt it.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
When we step up to the plate, it means that we are taking on the responsibility of trying to hit the ball and score for the team. If you never even try, it’s guaranteed you won’t make it anyway. Just stepping up to the plate shows that there is a possibility to drive runs in, or even hit a grand slam. Sometimes in order to be successful, the results don’t matter as much as the attempt to try. People have claimed that Thomas Edison’s teachers said he was “too stupid to learn anything, and was fired from his first two jobs for being “non-productive.” As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. Many days he stepped up to the inventing plate, but fell short of succeeding.
Many men are overly concerned with missing the pitch, rather than the opportunity that God has presented them with, to hit a homerun. Therein lies their error to succeed. Success in the Christian Life is not based on our physical strength, but on the hope of future successes that is found through the Holy Spirit and faith in Christ Jesus. All men are called in the church to step up to the plate and to preach. What a beautiful thing to tell people about God’s forgiveness. It doesn’t matter how many rejections that you may encounter, because eventually you’re going to hit one run right out of the park. Just that one run could result in a grand slam. When we preach God’s Word we don’t want to physically look at the results at that moment of time, because later on, the things that you did years earlier, can result in somebody else’s conversion.
Many times in the world we judge ourselves simply because we don’t have immediate results, but that’s not always the case when it comes to preaching. You don’t plant a tomato seed and pick the tomatoes off it the next day, because It takes a little time to grow. Some seeds don’t come to fruition until years later.
An example of this is the life of the Apostle Paul. His writings were from 2000 years ago and still have a fruitful effect on people today. Look at Moses, and the prophets, blessed men who lived long before our time, but their life and their faith have a great effect in our lives now. Laboring for the Lord is not in vain, it’s all a matter of who’s going to step up to the plate to do it.
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Jesus called out to people to preach and teach the word. There is a a huge need for it, and the laborers are few. Many times in high schools, a guidance counselor will try to pinhole a person into a certain kind of work, depending on the needs in society. But there is no greater need a person can commit their life to, then helping people grow in their faith. God causes the Word to grow in a persons heart, but we are responsible to plant and water the seed. It you have a flock of baby chickens, you need to feed and water them daily, but it’s God that causes them to grow physically. The church its very similar, but the one main difference is that we are giving out spiritual food to God’s sheep.
Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Somebody needs to stand up and go to work for the one who died on the cross to save us from our sins. When people go to a secular job each week, they might only do things if they are forced to do them. Others will only show up for a paycheck, but men are supposed to preach God’s Word, motivated out of a love for Jesus, as He first loved us, driven by His uneding mercies and grace. Works are the proof of our love toward Him.
1 Peter 5:1-4 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
The Apostle Peter was a simple fisherman who obeyed Christs calling to preach the Word. Even though he was grieved about certain things that he had done wrong as an Apostle, the Lord forgave him and commanded him to continue feeding His sheep. Jesus lovingly restored him, and Peters response was to lovingly serve him back.
John 21:15-17 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
In order for the sheep to grow they need to be fed with scriptural food often. Somebody needs to do it.
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
I guess that we learn in life, just like Thomas Edison or a big league baseball player, there may be times that you swing and strike out. At that moment you may feel like you failed. Someone may not be interested in a bible. They refuse to open up their hearts to the message of faith and forgiveness found in Christ. But we must always remember, that the only thing that can prevent us from succeeding, or driving in a winning run, is refusing to get back up, and continue….
………Stepping up to the Plate
Let’s think about these things for right now, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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