Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - Covering First Base - #6421

Monday, August 22, 2011

Download MP3 (right click to save)

If you're a baseball fan, it seems like winter is going to last forever. But finally you hear those wonderful words "Opening Day!" And the snowballs turn to fast balls, and you're happy again. Now, you know, as in the last ten years, St. Louis Cardinals star, Albert Pujols, is probably going to have another great season. He's acknowledged by many to already be one of baseball's all-time greats.

Now, he's got a new book. It's called "More Than the Game," and it actually shows there's a lot more to this first baseman than uncommon athletic ability. He says that baseball is, for him, ultimately a God-given platform to elevate Jesus Christ. But wait, isn't that true of whatever position any Jesus-follower is in?

Now, Albert Pujols loved to see opposing players be out at first base, but apparently can't stand the thought of them being out at the gates heaven.

He revealed in his book that he has, on occasion, asked players an eternity question while they're standing on his base. He says, "Do you think you're going to heaven when you die? If you died today, where do you think you'd go?"

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Covering First Base."

That's fascinating! Now, you may or may not like Albert's approach, but I'll tell you what, there is no doubt that he is a Jesus-follower who understands why he is where he is. Our word for today from the Word of God tells us that he is, like every believer, like you and I, "an ambassador for Christ." And in the Bible's words, "imploring people in Christ's stead, to be reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:20 ); divinely positioned to help people be in heaven someday. That's why you are where you are!

Whatever your situation is, is designed to situate you to be His face there, His voice there, His hands there. So those people there can have a chance at Jesus. So whether that's a hospital, or a funeral home, or an office, or a factory, or a soccer field, or a classroom, or a community organization, or your neighborhood, wherever you are you are there to there to help people be in heaven.

Now, I wouldn't have chosen to see a child we love dearly spend trying days in the hospital recently, and the battle was pretty intense with some medical issues that were challenging. But I can tell you one reason I was there. It was the same reason God's all-star rep, Paul, was in prison. He said he was an "ambassador in chains" for the sake of Jesus' good news (Ephesians 6:20 ).

You know, while I was in that hospital, I'm thinking, "You know what? Wait a minute, I'm an ambassador in a hospital. I wouldn't be here except for a situation I really wish wasn't happening, but there were so many opportunities to represent the love and the peace of Jesus to hospital staff."

Now, Paul, ambassador in chains, he said, "I'm placed where I am, in this lousy situation, because Jesus needed someone to tell Caesar's Praetorian Guards about Him." And we know later that he said, "The Christians in Caesar's household salute you." He was an ambassador in chains so the Gospel could infiltrate the very world of Caesar himself.

Well, like Paul, we knew our situation had positioned us to be Christ's "ambassadors in the hospital." Now I'm happy to say that our loved one is out and recovering, but I'll tell you what, that crisis meant that some doctors, nurses and other patients got to hear about Jesus. So, just like Albert Pujols is His "ambassador at first base," we all get to be His ambassador at Wal-Mart, at our kids' school, on Facebook, in our service club, at the gym, the club, the workplace.

And suddenly our "everyday stuff" isn't everyday anymore. It takes on eternal meaning. Because the people we know can't get to first base with God without our Jesus.