Me and Ricky down by the Schoolyard

A few Saturday nights back, I was standing by the fence watching my son play football with the Orange County All-Star (6th grade) team. Ricky was there to watch his grandson. We began to talk about the game and what was happening on the field. Slowly, we began to talk about our lives. Once I told him I was a pastor in Port Arthur, he told me that he was active in his church and worked in Port Arthur for the school system.
Over the next couple of hours we watched football. Have you ever noticed how little action actually takes place during a football game? The players would get up to the line, the ball would be snapped and our conversation hesitated for the brief 5 to 15 seconds of action. The whistle blew and we picked up right where we left off.
Our conversation centered on our faith. I had never met Ricky before, but I could tell that this was a man who really studied his Bible and he often used scripture to make a point. I was most impressed by his theological views and insights. My favorite was when he quoted the scripture about God creating people in Genesis 1:26, “God said, let us make man in our image.” It is just as the Gospel of John states, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him…” We human beings are created in the image of Jesus. We both thought the fact that Jesus is in the Old Testament is sometimes overlooked. Jesus was there from the start. I had a great time talking to Ricky. Time passed quickly as we found ourselves chatting.
Did you know that in ancient Rome when Christians were persecuted for their beliefs, they couldn’t simply walk up to just anyone and speak about their faith? In those days they had a secret sign. A Christian would walk up to a person and casually use his or her foot to sweep the dirt or dust in a semi-circle. If the other person were a Christian believer as well, they would use their foot to complete the figure. What was the figure you might ask? It was the sign of “the fish” which can often still be seen on cars and trucks today. Fortunately, we didn’t need to be secretive. Just bold enough to claim our faith. By the way, not that it matters much, but Ricky is an African-American man and I am white. What was most important was clear from our conversation…we are brothers in Christ Jesus. We also discussed racial issues and politics. It was a lousy football game… we lost. But the company was heavenly! Share your faith. We are all God’s children.

Jesus’ Passion Should Be Our Passion

Pastor Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Church tells the following story. “A few years ago I went back to the church where I grew up. I looked around at the church and realized how little things had changed and yet how many things had changed. The service was still going on the same time each Sunday. The music was the same hymnal that had been used for years. In other words, I’m sure the choir had bought new robes and there had been many preachers since I was a kid, but little seemed to have changed. But then, I began to look around. Yes, some things had changed. The attendance had stayed steady but the church had not grown. All around the church over 10,000 people had moved to the area and yet for some reason, this particular congregation had failed to make a significant impact.” Hybels goes on to say, “many people in the pews want to make an impact, they just don’t know what to do… so they do nothing. They sit in their comfortable pews and watch a line of pastors go in and out of the door and wait for them to bring in the people, and it never happens.” (Hybels, Courageous Leadership 66-67)
Maybe you can relate to this story. Maybe you have sat in those pews and waited. Maybe you waited to be led. Stop waiting! Be a leader. It is not just pastors who are called to lead the Church, you are a leader as well. Let me remind you of a scripture, Hebrews 13:7 “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” God has placed leadership skills within many of you. You can lead people in many ways such as service, witness, evangelistic outreach, and education. You have been given leadership gifts to some degree, even if it only to speak to the unchurched in an effort to spread the news that Christ loves them and accepts them.
What is at stake if you lead? I agree with Bill Hybels when he says, “it is the world itself!” We often hear of a jury giving a large settlement to someone over the loss of life, so how much is a life worth? According to our court system human life is worth millions of dollars. Can a price be put on introducing Christ to someone? That is priceless! What does it cost us? Maybe someone will be offended, maybe we will be laughed at, maybe worse, but no matter the cost, Jesus asks us to speak up for our faith. You can lead people into relationship with Jesus. You can make a difference in the lives of those in the Church and those outside of the Church. Was Jesus passionate about this? Absolutely! Jesus was never laissez-faire about the immediacy of getting up and following Him. He loved the lost and wanted to reach people so much so that it took Him to the cross. I don’t think Jesus has changed one bit! And yes, devoting your life to God will come at a price. Why would we think we are any different from Jesus? But, if that’s all that’s holding you back then know this, it is better to live for Jesus and inherit eternal salvation, than to live for something else and inherit death. Luke 9:25 says, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?”