OPEN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUViw41Q7Hs&feature=related
(We used the first 2:17 minutes of this online video. It’s a series of highlights of Jeremy Lin’s powerful game-winning performance against the New Jersey Nets February 4th, 2012)
What you just observed is called Lin-sanity.
Jeremy Lin is newest the sensation of the NBA season. In the few short weeks since the game you just saw highlights from, the sales of his jerseys have skyrocketed to the most top selling item on the NBA market. In addition, his name is being placed on basketballs, shoes, hats, toys, etc. He has become one of the most popular basketball players of this season.
Lin is a Harvard Graduate. And while at Harvard, he led that college’s basketball team to a record 21 wins. Because of his stellar performance, he was able to enter the NBA and begin to fulfil his dreams to be a professional basketball player.
The only problem was – the NBA if filled with some of the best basketball players in the nation. And he was only one of many. And most teams weren’t all that impressed with him.
The Dallas Mavericks had him for a time
As did the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets.
But he was eventually passed on to the NY Knicks (where he now plays).
But even Knicks Coach said: “I didn’t know he could play defense, I didn’t think he could shoot well enough and I didn’t think he could go up and finish. I’m going, ‘He can’t finish, can’t shoot, can’t play defense. I like his speed, but I don’t know.”
Because of those doubts, Knicks were planning to trade Lin for another player on Feb. 10th.
But then – just 6 days before that deadline - came February 4th. The Knicks faced the New Jersey Nets… and two of their best players were on the injured list. But even with those players, the Knicks were a terrible team – they’d lost far more games than they won that season.
When their point guard became injured, the Coach reluctantly put in Lin… and the world turned upside down. Lin led the Knicks to a 99-92 victory AND outplayed All-Star guard Deron Williams, scoring 25 points, and having five rebounds, and seven assists.
From that point on, Jeremy Lin led the Knicks to win the next 6 games, becoming an overnight sensation… and the press eagerly awaited interviews with him.
APPLY: But up until February 4, 2012 - nobody believed in Jeremy Lin.
3 teams had passed on him and the Knicks were just a week away from trading him
With excellent hindsight - Kobe Bryant said he would fire EVERYONE who underrated Jeremy Lin when he came out of Harvard
But NOBODY wanted Lin.
Nobody saw his true potential.
That is - until he got a chance to play in the game… and the rest is history.
Now, in our story this morning, we are introduced to 2 New Testament players in whom it would be hard to find true powerful potential.
One of those – was a man named Ananias
Acts 9 is the ONLY time that Ananias is EVER mentioned in Scripture
He might have been a decent Christian in his day but like Jeremy Lin - he hadn’t done much up to now this point that was impressive. Up until that point in his life, Ananias hadn’t DONE anything that merited getting attention. He was just an ‘ordinary’ Christian… just like you and me. He wasn’t “impressive”; he wasn’t inspiring.
But then – God gave him an opportunity to play in the game…and the rest is history..
God said to him: Ananias go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul (we know him as Paul), for he is praying.” Acts 9:11
Now Ananias’ job was simple.
All he had to do was:
· Lay hands on Paul in order to heal him of his blindness (Acts 9:12)
· Tell Paul that he was being selected by God to take the gospel to the Gentiles (9:15)
· And then he was challenge Paul to be baptized into Christ. (Acts 9:18/ 22:16)
It was a simple job.
You could have done it.
I could have done it.
But Ananias almost didn’t do it.
Ananias ALMOST didn’t go down to Straight Street to meet this man.
He almost didn’t heal Paul of his blindness.
He almost didn’t give Paul his marching orders.
He almost didn’t baptize Paul into Christ.
BUT ultimately did do all that.
Ananias decided to obey God - because God had called him to play for the team.
Now my question for you this morning is this:
What are you ALMOST doing for Jesus?
Ananias almost DIDN’T take an opportunity to play for God.
Are you NOT playing for God?
Are you NOT doing anything for Him… because you ALMOST do something?
ILLUS: Don – is one of the Elders here.
When Jerry Saltsman wanted to plant this church here 30 years ago or so Don and Barb were one of the founding families of this congregation. Barb has been very involved in Mission support and ladies groups, and Don has devoted himself to teaching Sunday School and in-home Bible studies - and he’s been one of the driving forces of our church.
Just like all the other elders you have here… Don is a very dedicated man for Christ.
But Don wasn’t always that way.
Years ago, he and Barb were attending the Church of Christ at Treaty. They were very faithful attenders. They went every Sunday morning. They went every Sunday Evening. They went to mid-week services. They attended mid-week Bible studies.
They attended all of these activities faithfully.
But that’s all they did… and all they wanted to do.
They were on the team… but essentially they were sitting on bench.
Then one day the Preacher came by.
He sat down on the couch and looked Don in the eye and said:
”Don - what are you going to do? Are you going to die on the vine? If you’re not doing anything for Jesus… you’re going to die on the vine.”
Die on the vine??? What was that preacher referring to?
Well, in John 15:5 Jesus says
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
Jesus was saying: if you’re on my team, you better be doing something. If you’re on My team (Jesus says) I will not be happy if you’re just sitting on the bench. I want you out on the field playing for the team, making a difference.
So my question this morning is this:
Are you playing for Jesus… or are you sitting the bench?
ILLUS: Our quartet is working on a song that goes this way:
“I wonder, what kind of church would my church be if every member were just like me.
How many souls would be saved today, if it all depended on what I say?
How many prayers would my Lord have to answer if all that He heard came from me?
What kind of church would my church be, if every member were just like me?
How many times have I said “I’m a Christian” and turned a deaf ear to a need?
How many time have I said “I love Jesus” – but never one soul did I lead.
How many luxuries have I passed by to have more to give to the Lord
Jesus I promise as long as I live, from now on I’m gonna do more.”
So, I ask again: “What are you ALMOST doing for Jesus?”
Now granted – Ananias had an excuse… and it was a pretty good one.
Saul of Tarsus was a scary man… a dangerous man. Everybody in town knew why Saul had come to Damascus. He’d come with authority to arrest every Christian he could find and lead them back to Jerusalem in chains. He was not a man any Christian would want to come into contact with.
So, Ananias had pretty good excuse.
And you know… most of my excuses are pretty good too.
And so are many of yours.
But if you’ll notice God wasn’t impressed with Ananias’ excuse.
He didn’t say “Well, Ananias – as long as you put it that way… I understand.”
Oh No – God wasn’t about to accept that or any other excuse.
Ananias wanted to say “NO”
BUT God said – GO!
Go! I don’t care if you’ve got an excuse; you belong to My team… you belong to Me.
And I want you out on the floor playing for My team.
I’M NOT GOING TO ACCEPT YOUR EXCUSES!
Now people come up with all kind of excuses why they shouldn’t be doing something for Jesus
· For example, some might say “I don’t have the time.”
One man observed that time is something we create.
I MAKE time for things I want to do!
If I want to watch TV, I’ll make the time to watch it. If I want to eat, I’ll make the time to eat. If I want to take a nap, I’ll make the time to sleep.
Thus, to say “I don’t have the time” is to say “I really don’t want to.”
It doesn’t matter enough to me to set that time aside.
I don’t care enough to make time for that activity.
· Now, a new Christian might say “I’m too new in the faith to do much”
ILLUS: A young man who had heard the Gospel was baptized into Christ. A little while after this, a Christian teacher asked him: “What have you done for Christ since you believed?"
The young man replied: "Oh, I’m just a learner."
"Well," said the teacher, "when you light a candle do you light it to make the candle more comfortable, or to have it give light?"
He replied, "To give light."
"Do you expect it to give light after it is half burned, or when you first light it?"
He replied, "As soon as I light it."
"Very well," said the teacher, "go thou and do likewise; begin at once."
· Still others will say (mostly older Christians) “I have already done my time.”
I’ve already done my bit for the Kingdom.
I want to sit back now and retire.
One preacher heard a parishioner say “I’ve already done my time.”
And he responded “Oh really! You’ve DONE your time? I didn’t realize serving Jesus was like serving jail time.”
There are Christians who do what they do in church because they view it as an obligation. A burden. Something to endured until they’ve put in enough time to justify sitting in the pew for the rest of their lives.
Now God understands our need to sit out a few minutes during a game.
Even the best players get tired once in awhile.
But sooner or later, a GOOD player gets back off the bench and back into the game.
A GOOD player does that… a lazy player doesn’t.
ILLUS: God’s not interested in our excuses
Moses stuttered.
Abraham was too old.
David was too young.
The Apostle John tended to be self-righteous.
Jeremiah got depressed.
Gideon and Thomas both doubted God at one point
Timothy had ulcers.
Naomi was a widow.
Peter was afraid of death.
(pause) And Lazarus WAS dead.
YOU don’t have an excuse that will top any of that!
All God wants is that we get into the game… and play.
There were probably hundreds of great Christians in the New Testament days, But because Ananias got into the game… and he gave it all he had, God honored him. God named HIM in his book. The name of Ananias is immortal because when God called on him, he got in the game and played for his master.
ILLUS: Ethel (a woman around 90 years old) approached me after 1st service and asked what she could do. I explained to her that she was already doing quite a bit. I reminded her that she was regularly praying for people in the church and sending out cards to encourage others.
She sadly told me her eyesight had made it so she couldn’t send out those cards anymore.
“Well,” I said, “then get your daughter (who was standing next to her) to do it for you. If you can’t do something, find someone who can and encourage them.”
ILLUS: At the first church I served, there was a member who was in the nursing home. She had had a stroke and half of her body was paralyzed. Half of her face drooped. And she had a hard time controlling her emotions. If you told her something that was sad she’d cry, and if you told her something encouraging she’d cry. But one day I came into her room to find her filling out cards of encouragement to people back at church.
She was in a nursing home!
She had had a stroke!
Half her body was paralyzed!
And yet – SHE was still out on the floor, playing for her master.
Ultimately, Ananias did what he did because he knew God believed in him.
Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
God believes in YOU.
He has created things for you to do.
And now He’s asking you to get out on the floor and play for Him
That’s why Jeremy Lin never gave up on playing basketball…because Lin believed that God believed in him.
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0qrTXZFksQ&feature=related
(This video included footage of Jeremy Lin’s recent basketball performances overlaid with comments by Lin about what God has done in his life and how humble he is to have been helped by his Jesus to realize his dreams of playing professional basketball).
Now, like I said at the beginning of this sermon - Jeremy Lin almost got traded because nobody saw his potential. And then I said there were two men in our story today …who didn’t seem to have potential.
One was Ananias
The other was Saul of Tarsus.
Saul of Tarsus wanted nothing at all to do with Jesus
Jesus meant nothing to him
In fact, Saul literally HATED Jesus and anything that had to do with Him.
Anyone who lived in that day would have said that there was absolutely NO POTENTIAL for Saul to become a Christian
BUT THEN one day – Saul came face to face with Jesus
The man Saul had hated all this time, now came looking for him and offered him a chance to play for His team.
At that point, Saul had to make a decision.
CLOSE: And maybe that’s where you are this morning.
Maybe you’ve lived your life without Jesus…
Maybe you’ve had nothing to do with Him…
Maybe you wanted nothing to do with Jesus or His church.
But now you’ve come face to face with Jesus and you realize you need to make a decision. That’s why we offer an invitation at the end of every service for you to make that decision for Jesus…
