Have you ever read the book Stop That Ball? It was written in 1959 by Mike McClintock.
He tells the story of a young boy and his tetherball… a ball that breaks loose one day and bounces all over
town. In his backyard, he had his ball. He had his bat. He hit the ball. He made it fly. He hit
his ball as it came by. It went around
and then came back. He gave his ball
another whack. He hit it high.
He hit it low. He hit so hard, the string let go. Yes, the string let
go. There went his ball, away up high,
out past the wall.
Throughout the rest of the book,
this poor boy chases that ball in futile desperation. He never catches it, but, through sheer luck,
a cannon shoots his ball all the way back to his house. Enthused, he races home, mysteriously finds
the ball tied to the string, but shrugs and resumes his play. He hit it high. He hit it low. He hit
so hard, the string let go.
And, in disbelief, the boy ponders, “Could this go on all day and
night? It could, you know, and it just
might.”
Have you ever had a sinking feeling that life is nothing more
than a series of unfortunate events… that all you are doing is chasing an
allusive ball all over town? You get up,
go out and do your thing, come home, eat, go to bed, and get up the next
morning to start the same routine all over again. Do you wish life was different… that you could catch that ball?
I think most people do. Most people are looking for something more than the ordinary routine; something
that makes life worth living.
Some never find this.
It’s sad, really. Some people live their life day to day,
looking for something to fill the emptiness in their heart. Most people want to believe that there is
more to life than merely surviving. They believe
there is more; there has to be
more. Most people hunger and thirst for something; they just don’t know what
that something is.
In our study, we have reached the
end of Revelation and the end of the
Bible. And the fact that Revelation is
at the end is significant. In chapters 4
through 19, we learn of the earthly
tribulation humanity will face as the Lord God prepares to bring our present
age to a close. We discover that some
will spend an eternity separated from God, while others spend eternity reunited with God.
John gives us this conclusion by saying, “14 Blessed are those
who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the
city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. 15 Outside the
city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol
worshipers, and all who love to live a lie” [1]
(Revelation 22:14-15).
Once this separation happens, chapters
20 to 22 reveal what awaits those who have been ransomed from death. We are given a glimpse into a future beyond our
imagination; it is a future age without death or sorrow; without sadness or
fear. It is a future age that many long to experience. However, it is here at the end of Revelation
where we discover the single, most important thing in all of life. Yes, heaven is important, but it isn’t the most
important thing.
Most sane people want to
experience Heaven, but truthfully, what they really desire isn’t the place… it’s the relationship. They are hungry for meaning and purpose; they
are thirsty for a life filled with love and acceptance… the kind of things a
person can find only in a relationship
with the Lord, not in a place. I mean, look at what John says here at the
end. After describing the place,
he concludes by saying “come.” But not
“come to the place,” rather come to the “bright and morning star” (verse 16); to the “Alpha and the Omega,
the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” [2]
(verse 12). John writes, “The Spirit and the
bride say, ‘Come.’ Let anyone who hears this say, ‘Come.’ Let anyone who is
thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life”
[3]
(Revelation 22:17).
Speaking of Himself, Jesus said, “I am the bread of
life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again”[4]
(John 6:35). He said, “The one who believes
in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from
deep within him”[5]
(John 7:38). Jesus didn’t come to earth
and invite us to a place; He came inviting people to enter into a relationship with Himself.
The “ball” so many people are
chasing in life is a relationship with Jesus. And it sure seems like the Early Church
understood this.
After Peter’s first sermon, 3,000
people believed and were baptized. Acts
2:47 says, “And
each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.”
[6] Odd, isn’t it, that the first Christians were
able to accomplish so much without large worship centers, attractive programs, relevant pastors, or
dynamic worship bands. And they certainly didn’t have the local government on
their side. And yet, the Church grew
each day. Let that
sink in for a moment.
Oh, don’t get me wrong. Buildings and programs and music certainly
help, but they are not the end; instead, they
are the means to the end. These things
help a church reach its goal, but they are not
the goal. I mean, in a world where
people are lonely and hopeless, they’re not searching for stunning architecture
or a pastor who preaches in jeans. They
are looking for answers. They want to know “who” or “what” can heal
them… where they can find hope and meaning.
People who are chasing what eludes them don’t need a place; they need a relationship.
The early Church grew because
those Christians focused on the message of Jesus. They didn’t have anything else to offer
except the “Bread of Life” and the “Living Water” … which is exactly what Jesus
came and offered the world. And it seems
to me, here at the end of the Bible, John is leaving us with the same
message. In a world filled with lost and
lonely people who are chasing an elusive “ball” – which is peace, contentment,
purpose, and meaning – what they need most from the Church is the “Bright and
Morning Star… the Alpha and Omega;” the Tree of Life; the Lord Jesus Himself.
If there is one lesson we should
learn from this study of Revelation, it
is that we do not exist as a church to make more members or grow the
organization. We exist to lead others to Christ.
Our programs, buildings, and ministries are tools we use to accomplish
this. People need Jesus, not a
place. When they find Jesus, they will finally
stop chasing that ball.
[1]
Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation
(Re 22:14-15). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[2]
Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation
(Re 22:13). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[3]
Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation
(Re 22:17). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[4] Tyndale House
Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation
(Jn 6:35). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[5] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard
version. (2009). (Jn 7:38). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] Tyndale House
Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation
(Ac 2:47). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
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