So, our local baseball club has started the season 0 and 23. Every game was lost by default, because they wouldn’t come out of the Clubhouse. I managed to visit the Clubhouse after their 23rd loss and talked to a few of the players.
Rog said that this was his first year playing ball. He was really excited to get into some games, but some of the guys who had been around for a while “showed him the ropes,” so he’s following their lead. Rog admitted that before the third game, he actually left the Club house and made it all the way to the dugout, but then he saw all the people in the stands, and the opposing team looked pretty formidable. He noticed he was the only one in the dugout, so he headed back to the Clubhouse to be with his teammates.
Doc was really talkative and a really fun guy to have around. He plays a lot of practical jokes, and gets the guys to open up and talk. Doc makes the Clubhouse a fun place to be. The problem is Doc’s more of a night owl, and he often doesn’t get home until its getting light again, so Doc doesn’t even make it to the clubhouse at all some days.
Ruben has been around for a while, and has some injuries that cause him a lot of pain. The whirlpool and massage just do wonders for him. So he will often come in and get his massage and spend some time in the whirlpool then catch a bite to eat before heading home.
Tank tells me the buffet they put out for the team is fantastic! He said he has never had such good food with any other team, that’s why he loves this Clubhouse so much! He has the menu memorized every day, and helped me get a plateful of food like I haven’t had in a long, long time. The lobster tail was amazing, and the Death by Chocolate mousse was top notch. Tank admitted he’s put on a few pounds since joining the club, but assured me it was worth it.
I visited with a couple rookies in the film room. They were studying film, and picking apart the opposing pitchers in the league. They were able to point out subtle little things that these other players that were doing that were all wrong – if they ever faced them, they would be able to read these unwitting signals these opposing players were giving, and just tear them to pieces. But they both said they needed to spend more time in the film room before they even thought about dressing for a game.
Management has brought in the best coaches available, modern equipment, all the resources this team could ever need to win. I was really impressed with every person in this organization – they have great chemistry on this team! This is a team that wants to win, that has one of the best Clubhouses around, great coaching. And some day, when they take the field, they will be awesome!
The local church is our Clubhouse. It’s where we go to encourage one another. To learn. To heal. To rest.
But the local church is not what we are here for. There is a battle to be fought. And it’s not against another team, it’s against the evil spiritual forces that oppose God and his people. We are called to attend our local church so we can charge out of the clubhouse, get on the field, and have a “winning season.” We won’t win every game, but we know in the end, the championship is secure.
Jesus Christ, God in a body, is the reason we gather. He is the reason we go out into a hostile world and share the gospel with those who have never heard. Or those who have heard and not yet understood. Or those who have been predisposed against the gospel and need to see it lived out before their very eyes. If we stay in the clubhouse, we have missed the reason we are on this team.
We don’t get people to join the team by inviting them into the Clubhouse. We get people to join the team when they see what the team does, how passionate the team members are about what the team is doing (living a life of worshiping God). The team only has any impact when it is out on the playing field, doing what they are intended to be doing.
Each team member is welcome in the Clubhouse any time, but the Clubhouse is not the most important place in the team’s life. The team needs to study the play book, to understand the fundamentals of the game. The team needs to work out, to exercise, to practice on their own so they will be ready. Sometimes the team will have team meetings where more extensive training and instruction is given. They are expected to attend these training sessions and learn all they can to be better team players.
We have one life. When we are with Jesus for eternity, we will no longer be able to engage in the sport of bringing people who are spiritually dead the Good News that Jesus is LIFE.
So go to your local “Clubhouse.” Spend some time there. And then get out and play ball!
