1. 17 Inches [John Scolinos and Home Plate
In 1996 John Scolinos spoke to more than 4000 baseball coaches at the American Baseball Coaches Association convention in Nashville, TN. He was a legend among baseball coaches. He was a Hall of Fame College Baseball Head coach who coached at Pepperdine University and Cal Poly Pomona University. He died at age 91 in 2009.
He spoke for twenty minutes with a Home Plate dangling from his neck. Finally, amongst the snickers from the audience he revealed the purpose of his Home Plate.
"You're probably all wondering why I'm wearing home plate around my neck. The reason I stand before you today is to share with you baseball people what I've learned in my life, what I've learned about home plate in my 78 years."
Several hands went up when Scolinos asked how many Little League coaches were in the room. "Do you know how wide home plate is in Little League?"
After a pause, someone offered, "Seventeen inches?" more of a question than answer.
"That's right," he said. "How about in the Babe Ruth League? Any Babe Ruth coaches in the house?" Another long pause. "Seventeen inches?" came a guess from another reluctant coach.
"That's right," said Scolinos. "Now, how many high school coaches do we have in the room?" Hundreds of hands shot up, as the pattern began to appear. "How wide is home plate in high school baseball?" "Seventeen inches," they said, sounding more confident.
"You're right!" Scolinos barked. "And you college coaches, how wide is home plate in college?" "Seventeen inches!" we said, in unison.
"Any Minor League coaches here? How wide is home plate in pro ball?" "Seventeen inches!"
"RIGHT! And in the Major Leagues, how wide home plate is in the Major Leagues?" "Seventeen inches!"
"SEV-EN-TEEN INCHES!" he confirmed, his voice bellowing off the walls. "And what do they do with a Big League pitcher who can't throw the ball over seventeen inches?" Pause. "They send him to Pocatello !" he hollered, drawing raucous laughter.
"What they don't do is this: they don't say, 'Ah, that's okay, Jimmy. You can't hit a seventeen-inch target? We'll make it eighteen inches, or nineteen inches. We'll make it twenty inches so you have a better chance of hitting it. If you can't hit that, let us know so we can make it wider still, say twenty-five inches.'"
Pause. "Coaches ..." Pause. " ... what do we do when our best player shows up late to practice? When our team rules forbid facial hair and a guy shows up unshaven? What if he gets caught drinking? Do we hold him accountable? Or do we change the rules to fit him. Do we widen home plate?
He turned the plate toward himself and, using a Sharpie, began to draw something. When he turned it toward the crowd, point up, a house was revealed. "This is the problem in our homes today. With our marriages, with the way we parent our kids; with our discipline. We don't teach accountability to our kids, and there is no consequence for failing to meet standards. We widen the plate!"
Pause. Then, to the point at the top of the house he added a small American flag. "This is the problem in our schools today. The quality of our education is going downhill fast and teachers have been stripped of the tools they need to be successful, and to educate and discipline our young people. We are allowing others to widen home plate! Where is that getting us?"
Silence. He replaced the flag with a Cross. "And this is the problem in the Church, where powerful people in positions of authority have taken advantage of young children, only to have such an atrocity swept under the rug for years. Our church leaders are widening home plate for themselves! And we allow it."
"And the same is true with our government. Our so called representatives make rules for us that don't apply to themselves. They no longer serve us. And we allow them to widen home plate and we see our country falling into a dark abyss while we watch."
"If I am lucky," Coach Scolinos concluded, "you will remember one thing from this old coach today. It is this: if we fail to hold ourselves to a higher standard, a standard of what we know to be right; if we fail to hold our families to the same standards, if we are unwilling or unable to provide a consequence when they do not meet the standard; and if our schools and churches and our government fail to hold themselves accountable to those they serve, there is but one thing to look forward to ..."With that, he held home plate in front of his chest, turned it around, and revealed its dark black backside. "... dark days ahead."
2. In Eli's day, Ichabod came to Israel when the glory of God left (1 Samuel 2-4); this was not the only time such a thing occurred -- Jeremiah 5.18-31
a. Jeremiah had two converts -- his scribe and an Ethiopian
b. Generally our test for success or relevancy is NUMBERS -- Jeremiah didn't do so well
c. Our job is not merely to get numbers in the pews, it is to make fully devoted followers of Jesus
3. Sometimes an unpopular message has to be heard -- some recent US Church Statistics (2012)
* 5000-6000 churches shut down each year in the USA
* 3500 Americans leave church daily
* < 20% of the population attends church regularly
* 15% of US Churches are growing; 2% of those by adult conversions
* 800 church plants survive each year out of thousands attempted
* We need 10,000 churches planted every year to keep up with the population growth (we are in the negative)
* There is massive evidence of decline in US churches -- Why has "Ichabod" come to our churches?
4. Focus on -- Jeremiah 5.30-31:
I. The False Prophets
A. It is an AWESOME Responsibility to Speak for God
1. Deadly Mistake (Deuteronomy 13)
2. "Question the answers" -- Bereans -- Acts 17.11
B. Today Churches Emphasize Relevance over Transcendence -- Jeremiah 6.10, 13
1. Trying to fit into our culture rather than change it -- Acts 17.6 (upside down)
2. Attempts at Relevance:
* Dealing with Sexual Issues -- "Leaving Lust Vegas" Preached series from a bed on stage
* "Suess-Charist" -- combining Communion (Eucharist) with Dr. Suess
* Hanging a Trapeze in the auditorium for performance to attract a crowd; then a motorcycle jump in auditorium
* Pastor to his congregation: If 4000 attend on Easter I will spend 3 days in a 6X6 Plexiglas box on top of the church building; 5000 came
II. The Failed Priests
A. Job -- to Bring People into the Presence of God
1. Administer worship and intercede for the people
2. Chose own ways over God's ways -- "I think we should ___." "People will come if we ___."
3. The fads of our day do not constitute prayerfully seeking Go
4. Tufts University -- Some Preachers no longer Believe What They Preach
* "I find Christ a compelling figure but I am not convinced the bible is true."
* "I see my job on Sunday morning as play-acting. I know what to say but do not believe what I am saying. That is what it takes to get me through this."
* "If someone offered me $200,000 I would turn in my resignation. Then, I could pay off all of my debts."
* Donald Trump to these three: "You're fired!"
B. Today We are Emphasizing Help Over Holiness -- Jeremiah 6.14
1. Truth -- We often come to church in pain
Jobs -- Marriages -- Children
2. We want a quick fix for our issues -- "Take this Job and Love it;" "Are You Fit to be Tied?"; "10 Tips for Troubled Teens"
3. Deeper issue Our PRIMARY Focus -- That God-Shaped Hole
4. Do you know that the church cannot fill every need?
a. In our quest to be successful and fill the seats, we have said, "We will solve all of your problems." [Pleasant Valley CoC could not help Laura and Taylor in their move
b. The PRIMARY focus of the church is not to be a Sonic Drive-In -- "I'll take one order of, 'Solve my money troubles,' with a side of 'serve my every whim or I'll quit or go down the street to a church who will.'"
c. The PRIMARY focus IS about the Holiness and Glory of God -- Be Holy for I am Holy.
d. Discipleship has no fast track -- it takes time and effort to grow as disciples of Jesus -- the question is, "Do we want it?"
e. Salvation is simple, not easy
f. Sanctification is Long obedience in the same direction
III. The Fickle People
A. Modern Preferences
1. Prefer Dr. Phil or Oprah or a "Feel Good, Health and Wealth Preacher" to a prophet of God
2. Preacher's job -- 2 Timothy 4.1-4
3. Why do we have corrupt political leaders? The people love it. It applies across the board.
James A. Garfield (20th US President) -- Now, more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature.
B. Emphasizing Significance Over Truth -- Jeremiah 6.16
1. God's Directions -- stand -- look -- ask for the ancient ways -- good way
a. Reminds us of Jesus -- John 14.6
b. Those ancient, good paths brought excitement to the people of God
2. The Peoples' Response -- NO
a. "Freedom FROM Religion"
b. God does not force himself on us -- Revelation 3.20
1. Fail to consider the end -- Jeremiah 5.31
2. Ichabod comes to church when:
a. We do not Honor God's word
b. We do not Adore God's Son
c. We do not Pray
d. We do not Share the Good News
e. We do not Unite in Christ
3. What makes the church relevant today? It is the presence of the Living God!
a. Not gimmicks
b. Not our cleverness
c. Not our resourcefulness, etc.
d. It is about HIM, not US!
4. The remainder of the series will be Reclaiming God's Glory
