Gang Members Baptized

I read this article a while back about gang members who gave their lives to Christ and were baptized: https://www.foxnews.com/faith-values/texas-church-gang-prison-baptized?fbclid=IwAR2FmsbjuobhhhGdqKmBSiWeZN2NLzp9OrI-VIyzDk2ON0O5lhsbj1OTxeM

In the United States, it’s not usually a risk to publicly profess Christ. It’s true that some people experience family alienation when they are baptized, but here it doesn’t usually lead to risk of actual bodily harm. Many of our brothers and sisters around the world are living in areas where this risk is very real. And this story is an example of that from behind prison walls in America.

This story could illustrate the fullness of commitment that we make when we repent and believe in Christ. It could illustrate the fact that Jesus does not just become our Savior, but our Lord (1 Corinthians 6). It would work with many of the passages on baptism, as well (Matthew 28, Romans 6, Colossians 2). This would also be an excellent illustration of reconciliation between Christians (Ephesians 2), as these gang members who were formerly mortal enemies are now brothers in Christ. It also illustrates faith (Hebrews 6), as these believers are trusting the Lord to take care of them in light of their courageous and dangerous decision.

Walk-off Homers and Heaven

This illustration idea comes from a walk-off home run in 2018 and an article that I read about it here: https://grottonetwork.com/keep-the-faith/belief/what-is-heaven-like/

I used this illustration a few weeks ago myself in a sermon on Colossians 1:3-14, while making a point about the encouragement that our faith can be to other believers. Paul specifically mentions this in Colossians 1:4.

2018 MLB season: Bottom of the ninth, Cubs at home at Wrigley Field, down 3-0 to the Nationals, two outs, bases loaded. Pinch hitter David Bote, who had been up and down from the minors a lot that season, is up to bat with everything riding on his at-bat.

And with two strikes, Bote got a low fastball in the zone, and he CRUSHED it over the center field wall. 4-3, Cubs win (I hear Harry Caray saying that in my head), WALKOFF grandslam, game OVER. (The incredible video is here if you want to watch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI8uH4_pzeo.)

The article I linked to above asked, “Is This What Heaven is Really Going to be Like?” And if you use this illustration, you’ll want to be careful to not make US the hero of the story. JESUS is the One who gets ALL the praise, and spiritually speaking, none of us get one step toward Heaven, much less make it “home,” apart from his death and resurrection. As Colossians 1:14 says, “In HIM we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” But Scripture in multiple places uses athletic illustrations as metaphors for the Christian life, and finishing well.

The picture of Bote rounding third and heading home shows well the impact we have on each other – the encouragement, the celebration at the salvation of one sinner (Luke 15:7), the great cloud of witnesses mentioned in Hebrews 11-12, the shared rejoicing at spiritual victories and growth (Colossians 1:4), and finally, the expectant hope of arriving at Home with Jesus (Colossians 1:5 – “hope reserved for you in Heaven”).

Paul and Tim Tebow – Two Abnormal Births

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul is speaking of the absolutely essential nature of the resurrection with regard to our faith.  Along the way, he gives strong evidence for the resurrection and discusses his own “abnormal” or “untimely” spiritual birth.  Tim Tebow’s own unusual birth story is well-known, so I won’t explain it here: here’s Randy Alcorn’s summary if you want details.

Tebow’s physical birth is a huge story of God’s grace and power, just like the story of Paul’s spiritual birth.  This is how I worded the connection between them:

“Tim’s birth was abnormal.  He almost died twice – once at the hands of the strong medicine, and once through the doctors’ medical advice.  But this situation wasn’t too much for God; it wasn’t too late for Him to intervene and bring His magnificent, glorious grace to the situation.  In Tim’s physical birth, and in Paul’s spiritual birth, He has shown that He is a God of great grace.”

From there, I think it is relatively easy to use both of these stories as pictures of God’s great grace in saving ALL of us.  My heart was no less in need of redemption than Paul’s heart.  In fact, I wasn’t preaching on 1 Corinthians 15 as my main text when I used this.  I used that passage as a cross-reference to my primary text, and then I used the Tebow story.

So, this illustration could be used for a lot of passages that deal with the miracle of God’s grace: Romans 3, Romans 5, Romans 6, 1 Corinthians 15, 2 Corinthians 8:9, 2 Corinthians 9:8, Galatians 1 (also about Paul’s story), Ephesians 1, Ephesians 2, 1 Timothy 1:14, 2 Timothy 1:9, and many more.