It's Your Serve
Sermon
From Dusk To Dawn
Sermons For Lent And Easter
Pass a public park and your eye may scan a duo playing a
strenuous game of tennis. Tennis is a tough game, requiring good
eye and hand coordination. When the ball is on your side of the
court you must be prepared to serve.
We ask people in military uniforms, "How long have you been in
the service?" We in the Christian family called the church need
to ask ourselves the same question. "How long have you been in
the service of the Master?" What have you done when the ball of
Christian discipleship bounced on your side of the court?
Andrew knew the ball was on his side of the court one day when
he and his brother Peter were working at their father Zebedee's
fishnets. They saw Jesus pass by and call out to them, "Come,
follow me and become fishers of men." Andrew responded to the
call of Christ. He followed Jesus from Galilee down the gospel
road leading to Jerusalem. Andrew was rarely in the spotlight.
Unlike his older brother Peter, Andrew seems to have been an
ordinary chap. Where Peter had been handed 10 talents, Andrew had
only received one. His talent was his ability to introduce people
to Jesus. He brought the lad who had the five loaves and two
fishes to Jesus on the mountain in Galilee. In our passage we
learn how Phillip brought Greeks to Andrew. It was Andrew who
introduced them to Jesus.
The Greeks had probably been present in the Court of the
Gentiles during Passover. It was there they had first seen Jesus.
They wanted to know more about him whom many believed to be the
Messiah. In bringing these Gentiles to Jesus, Andrew was silently
affirming that the gospel is for everyone, not only for those of
a Jewish background.
A young pastor was called upon to preach her first sermon in a
new church. She worked hard preparing what to say, typed it in
full manuscript and memorized every word. She was so nervous on
Sunday that the manuscript was forgotten and left at home.
Nervously she thought that if she repeated the sermon text,
"Behold, I am coming soon," she would remember her passage. Three
times she repeated, "Behold, I am coming soon." Suddenly the
pulpit broke loose and she fell into the lap of a plump lady on
the first pew. She got up and deeply abashed made her feeble
apology. The pew sitter gently replied, "That's all right,
Pastor, you told me three times you were coming."
Phillip and Andrew knew that Jesus had come for Jews and
Greeks.We know Jesus has come for rich and poor, red, yellow,
black and white. John wrote his gospel to tell the world that the
word in flesh who is light and life has come to this planet of
pain with a message of hope, life and love.
Like Andrew we are called. Most of us won't be in the
spotlight. Abraham Lincoln said, "God loves common people --
that's why he made so many of them." We are ordinary Christians
but we are disciples. As Andrew did long ago, we are to bring
others into the light of our Lord. There are more than 2,500
parts in most electric typewriters. Yet if one of the keys
doesn't work, the whole machine becomes a liability to the busy
secretary. All of us are parts of the body of saints we know as
the church; all of us have the ball on our side of the court. All
of us need to work together as we share the good news with
others.
Scientists report that humpbacked whales, which are nature's
largest mammals, have been heard to sing in duets, trios and
choruses for up to 30 minutes. The songs are more beautiful
when more than one whale is singing. Christianity is not a solo.
Christianity is a crescendo of sound bursting forth from the
mouths, minds and hearts of each of us. Evangelism is our call to
be Andrews and Phillips. As Jesus has called us to be his lambs,
so we must open our hearts to receive new sheep into the flock on
the block.
A poet sings:
"O Master, I play only three short bars ...
Thy three short bars are needed to complete
The music that shall lift men to the stars
O soul play well the few notes given thee;
The Master needs them for life's symphony."1
Saint Andrew became the patron saint of Scotland. In the
medieval age a monk named Regulus carried what was thought to be
Andrew's tooth, armbone, kneecap and three fingerbones from
Constantinople to Scotland. A vision of an angel had commanded
the monk to do this. In Scotland he established a church called
Saint Andrew's which is located next to the world's first golf
course. The cross of Saint Andrew is an X-shaped cross since it
is believed he wished to be crucified in this way instead of the
manner in which our Lord died. Andrew was called. Andrew brought
others to Jesus. Andrew shared the good news and even in death,
his dry bones brought the fiery Scots who worshiped at his church
to the foot of Calvary's cross.
1-Poem by B. Y. Williams quoted in All The Master's Men, by
Kendrick Strongs, Christian Herald Books, Chappaqua, New York,
1978, p. 121.
strenuous game of tennis. Tennis is a tough game, requiring good
eye and hand coordination. When the ball is on your side of the
court you must be prepared to serve.
We ask people in military uniforms, "How long have you been in
the service?" We in the Christian family called the church need
to ask ourselves the same question. "How long have you been in
the service of the Master?" What have you done when the ball of
Christian discipleship bounced on your side of the court?
Andrew knew the ball was on his side of the court one day when
he and his brother Peter were working at their father Zebedee's
fishnets. They saw Jesus pass by and call out to them, "Come,
follow me and become fishers of men." Andrew responded to the
call of Christ. He followed Jesus from Galilee down the gospel
road leading to Jerusalem. Andrew was rarely in the spotlight.
Unlike his older brother Peter, Andrew seems to have been an
ordinary chap. Where Peter had been handed 10 talents, Andrew had
only received one. His talent was his ability to introduce people
to Jesus. He brought the lad who had the five loaves and two
fishes to Jesus on the mountain in Galilee. In our passage we
learn how Phillip brought Greeks to Andrew. It was Andrew who
introduced them to Jesus.
The Greeks had probably been present in the Court of the
Gentiles during Passover. It was there they had first seen Jesus.
They wanted to know more about him whom many believed to be the
Messiah. In bringing these Gentiles to Jesus, Andrew was silently
affirming that the gospel is for everyone, not only for those of
a Jewish background.
A young pastor was called upon to preach her first sermon in a
new church. She worked hard preparing what to say, typed it in
full manuscript and memorized every word. She was so nervous on
Sunday that the manuscript was forgotten and left at home.
Nervously she thought that if she repeated the sermon text,
"Behold, I am coming soon," she would remember her passage. Three
times she repeated, "Behold, I am coming soon." Suddenly the
pulpit broke loose and she fell into the lap of a plump lady on
the first pew. She got up and deeply abashed made her feeble
apology. The pew sitter gently replied, "That's all right,
Pastor, you told me three times you were coming."
Phillip and Andrew knew that Jesus had come for Jews and
Greeks.We know Jesus has come for rich and poor, red, yellow,
black and white. John wrote his gospel to tell the world that the
word in flesh who is light and life has come to this planet of
pain with a message of hope, life and love.
Like Andrew we are called. Most of us won't be in the
spotlight. Abraham Lincoln said, "God loves common people --
that's why he made so many of them." We are ordinary Christians
but we are disciples. As Andrew did long ago, we are to bring
others into the light of our Lord. There are more than 2,500
parts in most electric typewriters. Yet if one of the keys
doesn't work, the whole machine becomes a liability to the busy
secretary. All of us are parts of the body of saints we know as
the church; all of us have the ball on our side of the court. All
of us need to work together as we share the good news with
others.
Scientists report that humpbacked whales, which are nature's
largest mammals, have been heard to sing in duets, trios and
choruses for up to 30 minutes. The songs are more beautiful
when more than one whale is singing. Christianity is not a solo.
Christianity is a crescendo of sound bursting forth from the
mouths, minds and hearts of each of us. Evangelism is our call to
be Andrews and Phillips. As Jesus has called us to be his lambs,
so we must open our hearts to receive new sheep into the flock on
the block.
A poet sings:
"O Master, I play only three short bars ...
Thy three short bars are needed to complete
The music that shall lift men to the stars
O soul play well the few notes given thee;
The Master needs them for life's symphony."1
Saint Andrew became the patron saint of Scotland. In the
medieval age a monk named Regulus carried what was thought to be
Andrew's tooth, armbone, kneecap and three fingerbones from
Constantinople to Scotland. A vision of an angel had commanded
the monk to do this. In Scotland he established a church called
Saint Andrew's which is located next to the world's first golf
course. The cross of Saint Andrew is an X-shaped cross since it
is believed he wished to be crucified in this way instead of the
manner in which our Lord died. Andrew was called. Andrew brought
others to Jesus. Andrew shared the good news and even in death,
his dry bones brought the fiery Scots who worshiped at his church
to the foot of Calvary's cross.
1-Poem by B. Y. Williams quoted in All The Master's Men, by
Kendrick Strongs, Christian Herald Books, Chappaqua, New York,
1978, p. 121.
