Ocotober 31, 2011 - It doesn't take much space...

One of the reasons I love hoops is because it is so easy to get the opportunity to play. It doesn’t require much equipment (and the equipment can even be kind of ragged.) Just about anything round up in the air can serve as a hoop (i.e. a bicycle tire rim on a pole.) I can even remember times with my kids of simply making my arms into a circle and telling them to shoot at it. Plus you don’t need a lot of space to be able to practice ball handling, etc.

The reason this comes to mind is because I think as believers we often fall victim to believing that our evangelism outreach needs to have a huge platform with bright lights. As a church we often gear toward big events as the way to reach people. When in reality it doesn’t take much “space” to get face to face with someone and share the hope of glory, which is Christ in you! (Colossians 1:27)

This past week while in the Dominican Republic we crawled out of our van to go into a small storefront to exchange money. When I came back outside there was a group of kids mesmerized by some of our InBounds coaches. Two of the coaches (Justin and Clay) had basketballs under their arms and another, Frank (who speaks Spanish), began talking with the kids. One of the kids even had a worn out old basketball with him.

I asked Clay to do some dribbling drills in front of the kids. They were “hooked.” Next thing I know I am sitting in a very small area of a crowded parking lot with kids having an impromptu hoops clinic. And the beauty is that Frank was in turn telling them about Jesus and giving them Gospel tracts to read.

How about you? Are you taking advantage of the “space” that you are in to share the Good News?

Yesterday I preached in two services about the fact that we are not only called to be servants of Christ but also stewards of the mysteries of Christ. (1 Corinthians 4:1-2) This passage calls us to be faithful to this task. (A “steward” means that God has entrusted this to us!)

So how are we faithful to this? By serving Christ - via serving others! (You know the whole “done unto the least of these, you’ve done it unto me” sermon.) And we need to be faithful to share the Gospel in those encounters.

Side note from yesterday’s sermons: We cannot claim to be serving Christ while ignoring others!