CHARLES HARRIS: Playing Jesus’ ‘game’ by the rule book

Suppose someone made a perfect translation of the official rules of baseball and sent them to a distant land. When the people there received that rule book they were fascinated and decided to introduce this sport into their land.

The baseball field was laid out according to the rule book with every distance measured accurately. The strike zone was learned and soon everyone knew that “it’s one, two, three strikes you’re out, at the old ballgame.” They knew balls and strikes. They knew the definition of a balk, the infield fly rule and a double play. Now consider this: Had they invented a new game? Or were they simply playing an old game in a new place?

Now suppose that in our own land everyone lost interest in baseball. There were attempts to make it more exciting with every team making up its own rules. Soon no one had any desire to watch or play the original sport. Suppose that the game stopped being played altogether and 500 years passed. Then someone found the old rulebook and began encouraging others to get involved in the game.

A baseball field was laid out with every distance measured accurately. The strike zone was learned, and soon everyone knew that “it’s one, two, three strikes you’re out, at the old ballgame.” They knew balls and strikes. They knew the definition of a balk, the infield fly rule and a double play. Now consider the same questions: Had they invented a new game, or were they simply playing an old game at a new time?

In this same manner, imagine a world where Jesus introduced a new “game” called Christianity. He gave a “rule book,” which was easily understandable, and soon the “game” was found throughout the first-century world. Everyone knew the “rules” about salvation, the Lord’s supper, the works of the flesh, the fruit of the spirit, heaven, the return of Jesus and the daily life of Christians. They knew about His church, purchased with His own blood. That book was translated into many languages and the same “game” was found in many nations.

Imagine people beginning to change the “rules” to make it fit better into their definition of what a “game/church” should be like. Imagine the book being laid aside with every person feeling free to write his own rules. Soon it would be impossible to even recognize how Jesus planned for the “game” to be played.

Do you know what the church at Beattie Road is about? We have taken the “rule book” and are doing all we can to play the “old game” in a new time and a new place. Come, let’s study the “Rule Writer’s” Book together.

The Beattie Road Church of Christ meets at 1731 Beattie Road in Albany. Times of services are: 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Wednesdays. For more information, call (229) 435-2193 or (870) 500-5535 or visit beattieroad.com.