“You are the salt for everyone on earth.” (Matthew 5:13a Contemporary English Version)
At the end of Sunday’s sermon, my concluding remark, supported by a bright, florescent tennis ball on the screen, was intended to move the attending members of the congregation, including me, to be the someone who tells others about “Someone” (Jesus), one who could do something that would make life better, whether that person was saved or unsaved. Yes, the saved also have to be reminded to go to that particular “Someone,” somewhere, which is everywhere for we are the salt of the earth. Now I am not referring to the name of our church, but to Jesus’s words found in Matthew 5:13. I am referring to how Jesus used the similitude, and this is not the only time in the Bible He did so. He used the “salt” object lesson to make a point. Salt perfect, purifies, preserves, protects, presents a better taste, and positively, used just right in a particular situation, it prevents deficiencies. Think of real salt and then think of being the salt of the earth from a kingdom building perspective.
As I closed the sermon Sunday, I had a young man carry an old, leather, carry-on piece of luggage, filled with tennis balls to the back of the sanctuary and set them on a table near the usher’s station. I held up a tennis ball and told the attending congregation (I keep emphasizing “attending,” right?); told the attending congregation, “The ball was in their court.” This was not a tennis ball giveaway. This was not so all the little children would bounce the balls all over the church while waiting for their parents to finish fellowshipping with attending saints. Both those things happened, but they were to be used, as I instructed, as reminders to be Jesus’ witnesses, encourage them to turn to the “Someone” we just highlighted in the message, and to open the door to personal evangelism.
Will it work? Yes! My evidence to substantiate that it will work, if the attending members use it, comes in the form of my personal experience at the airport Monday night. Mrs. King was coming back in town after being in Chicago for six days. I got in my car after being in a virtual, corporate prayer meeting with attending members. I started the engine and immediately turned it off and went back in the house. I had forgotten MY tennis ball, left it laying on the dining room table. After retrieving it, I drove to the airport, wondering if I would have an opportunity to do some personal evangelism with at least one person of the multitude of people that were with arriving or departing. I sat in a chair where the seats were arranged in a theater style. I had my tennis ball, bouncing it visibly on the arms of the chairs which were made of sturdy material. I would switch from left hand to right hand. Two men from South Bend who were watching a Chicago Cubs game on one of their cell phones, kept talking about the game. One man was sitting and the other pacing around, hoping that the Cubs did not lose the game. His antics were that which you would associate with a die-hard baseball fan. He looked over and saw me bouncing my tennis ball. That probably made him think of pitchers holding a baseball as they sat in a dugout or a baseball player keeping their hands ready for when they had to go take the field. He asked me, “Are you a baseball fan?” I responded, not really, but I was going to Chicago in September to see the Cubs play the New York Yankees. The man’s friend who was sitting down, turned around and entered the conversation. After talking about baseball and the Cubs, he asked me about the tennis ball I was bouncing. I simply told him it was to remind me of the work I had to do as a Christian. Before he could say anything else, I asked them if they were church members? They answered in the affirmative, indicating they both worked in their church. I said, “That’s good! Keep it up!” After that exchange of words, we resumed talking about everyday things such as traveling, flight delays, etc. When my wife’s plane arrived, and as she came out of the concourse exit, she could see me still talking with this man. I exchanged positive salutations with the strangers and greeted my spouse, still holding my tennis ball. Did I save anyone? No. Did the object lesson work? Yes! At least I provided reinforcement for the two men about being Christians and gave them an object lesson too, one they could use. The tennis ball worked.
Let me close, because my story might have been too long for you on this Wednesday morning. But before I close, let me urge you to remember to use a tennis ball or your own innovative object lessons to remind you to do some personal evangelism, to recruit and/or retain people in the kingdom of God. Have a wonderful Wednesday. Be blessed!
“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NASB)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King