APRIL 11, 1999

Second Sunday of Easter

Holy Communion Sunday

SERMON: IT=S YOUR TURN!

JOHN 20:19-31

by

Eldridge E. Fleming, Ph.D.

New Hope Presbyterian Church

Biggersville, Reinzi, Mississippi

Worship Theme: Christ calls us to action.

Readings: Acts 2:14a, 22-33; 1 Peter 1:3 -9; John 20:19 -31

Call to Worship: (Psalm 16:7-9a, 10-11a)

Our readings today come from the New Testament, and we=ll begin with the second chapter of Acts 2:14a, 22-33.

Then in the Book of I Peter 1:3-9, we have a very succinct summation of the gospel.

In the book of John 20:19-31, we have the reading of the gospel.

The word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.

Little George had always enjoyed baseball. When he was big enough to play T-ball he did so; but of course, he had learned about playing with a ball a long time before that. Little George had first learned how to hold on to a rattle, and then a little ball, and then a slightly larger ball and then a bigger ball. Finally, when he was old enough to play T-ball, he could grasp the ball and play with it and with his glove, he began to enjoy the game.

He finished T-ball, and then he advanced to the type of ball games where they had their own pitchers. He=d never played as a pitcher, but he could do pretty well on the bases and he could do some fielding that was okay. The coach kept an eye on little George -- as he played -- because he could see that the youngster really wanted to do his best.

Little George would throw the ball from where he caught it to the next base and throw it with such a zip -- all the while having a goal in mind. He wanted to do that which was the most sacred spot on the team -- he wanted to pitch. That was where all of the players usually thought of the action being. Especially on defense, it was the pitching, for when the pitcher was good, the others didn=t have to work so hard and the game could be won a lot faster that way. So little George played, he played one of the bases, and he played it well. And then came the day when the pitcher tired and was taken out of the game, and the other fellow that relieved him came in and pitched a while; but soon he couldn=t hit the mark, either. He, too, was tired.

The coach had watched little George throw and the youngster=s accuracy had caught the coach=s attention. So one day in the middle of the game, the coach went out to the pitcher and motioned for little George to come to the mound. He went out, and the coach -- in a bit of a ceremony -- took the ball, as was the style, from the pitcher in play and gave it to little George. He told little George, AIt=s your turn. Now pitch!@

With all the power he could muster, little George stood on that mound and looked down that long distance to the plate and he drew back with all the muscles in his body tense and ready -- and let it fly. Zap! He hit the mitt! And the boy with the bat just stood there. George was so pleased with how he=d done, again he did it. Pow! And it was gone out to field. The batter had hit it, but little George had done his best! He gained his composure and knowing he still had a chance, he kept right on playing -- ball after ball, pitch after pitch. And finally, they won the game.

You see, Jesus pitched time and time again through his disciples. He spent years with them, teaching them. He even sent them out on practice trips to let them learn what it was like to work in the power of God. The power of God as he knew it, as he had used that power to help others. They had Atasted@ success and knew what it was like to see people respond to their preaching and healing ministries. The end was soon to come for his being present with them and it was their turn. So he gave them their instructions. He said to them, AIt=s your turn. Start to pitch!@

It=s our turn! He=s passed it on from those disciples to the ones who followed, and the story has been repeated over and over again and it has been passed on from one to the next and to the next -- until finally, it=s our turn. So when we reach for that which has been given to us, we want to make sure we have a good grasp on it and we want to make sure that when we throw or pitch, we put it in the right place so that we can enjoy the rewards of victory.

It=s your turn and it=s my turn! It=s our turn. We=re up to pitch. What are we going to do? How are we going to do it? What are we going to do with this mighty story, this mighty Kingdom, this mighty God, this mighty Savior of the world that we have before us?

We are reminded that Jesus had a plan for advancing his kingdom. AI=m sending you,@ he said, AAs the Father sent me, now I=m sending you.@ That was it. People who know who he is and what he does are drafted by him to be instruments of his peace, instruments of his power. Jesus explained the reason for advancing the Kingdom, ABut these are written,@ John told us, AThat you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in His name.@ That=s the summary of the whole scene, that=s the summary of what you and I are involved in: That believing that you may have life in His name. The gospel is proclaimed for a purpose: So that one can believe and so that one can have faith, and that faith, then, in turn, leads to life.

Robert Kopp, Center Presbyterian Church, McMurray, PA (The Abingdon Preaching Annural 1999, April 11th) raises some interrogatives about sharing the Good News, or evangelizing:

I. Why Evangelize?

II. Who Evangelizes?

III. How to Evangelize?

IV. Where to Evangelize?

V. When to Evangelize?

I shall use these with my own experiences and applications.

So why do evangelized people go out into the community? Why do we go places in the world to talk about this Savior? This Savior who gave of himself that we could have life eternal? Why do we do that? Well, the answer is really simple and it=s concealed in that passage that we read earlier: This is written so that you who believe may have life eternal. People who love Jesus love other people because Jesus said that our loving others is the best way to prove our love for him. So we love one another.

Jesus said -- in the fourteenth chapter of John -- AA new commandment I give you that you love one another, and by this all men will know you are my disciples, that you love or have love for one another.@ But that one another includes all of us; that one another includes everyone else that God loves. So that is the very purpose of our evangelizing, that is why we would tell others the story of Jesus, that is why we would give that preparation to the work of the spirit and share it with others so that they would know what Jesus has done for us.

Do you want to demonstrate your love to someone? You can do that by sharing the good news of Jesus with him or her. There=s no better evidence to show love than that. If we share with others that which is most sacred to us, we have given them an inside view of where we are and who we are and how we operate. The reason we want to share the good news of Jesus with others is so that they may learn and have that same kind of love, and respond to others with that love.

Who does that sharing? We all do. You do and I do. If you love Jesus, you are an evangelist. You are one who can tell the gospel story. That=s what we do if we love him. Jesus said that=s the way others will know that you love one another, and if you love another, you share the story of Jesus with them.

How do we do that? How do we evangelize others?

It seems to me that the easiest way to do that is to tell your story. The story of what God has done with you. For you. To you. About you. Through you. Tell your story.

What is your story? It is your history -- or your account -- of your faith walk; that is, how you walk by faith day by day. And as others listen to your story, they feel all the things that are emotions within you.

Years ago due to my position as a minister and later with the North Mississippi Medical Center, often I would go to Alcoholics Anonymous= open meetings. I would listen as the speakers would present the programs. If any of you have been there, you know that AA meetings -- open meetings -- begin with the reading from the big book, usually from Dr. Bob and his friend=s writings, and then they introduce the person who is going to have the program. And the person who gives the program -- if they are a fellow member -- begins by saying: AI am (first name). I am an alcoholic. This is my story.@ Then with details, beginning from the earliest experiences that led to their plight, they recount what has happened to them. And, as you listen to their story, you feel empathy, sadness, aches -- all the emotions that are within you -- but it=s their story, and as they tell their story the point is driven home to the one who is looking for a way out. Those family members and the others who are still in the clutches of alcohol addiction hear things in that story that helps to pull them out.

I think of the same thing happening with you and me as we go out to tell and to share our stories with others. AI=m Eldridge. I=m a Christian, and this is my story. It started when . . .@ and then I tell what happened to me. When we do that, we=re often unaware that we are setting the stage for the working of the Holy Spirit in the heart of others; and as we set the stage by telling our story, they begin to put their story together and compare it with ours. And as they compare their story, the Spirit of God has an opportunity to work in that heart to bring about change and to bring about perfection. To show and demonstrate love in a way that=s never been done before.

And where do we tell the story? We do that everywhere we can, at every opportunity we get. We do not have to have a sterile room in which to do evangelism, we don=t have to be sitting in a certain place with a certain kind of prop; we have to be where the person is. It doesn=t matter where. We could be walking down the street, we could be riding in a car, we could be visiting a neighbor who=s sick, we could be on our job doing our routine work -- we can do it anywhere. Anywhere that it=s appropriate for us to tell our story. And most of the time we=re telling our story unawares, because when people see and hear our story, they=re listening for our hurt, they=re listening for our victories, they=re listening for our advice. And as we tell our story, we lay the foundation for the presence of the Holy Spirit to work within their lives.

Then, of course, there is the question of when? You do it whenever you get a chance. You do it whenever and wherever you have an opportunity. You tell to others your story about the Lord Jesus Christ.

It=s your turn. Now pitch! Amen.