Run To Third Base; Forget First And Second

By Ken James

July 2008

Exercise your imagination with me for just a moment.  We are seated in the stands, watching our favorite baseball team play its archrival.  The leadoff batter smacks the ball just past the first baseman into right field.  He leaves home plate, sprints down to third base, and stands there with a satisfied look that denies the reality of the moment.  The umpires, the opposing players, the fans, and even his own teammates are dumbfounded!  Naturally, he is called out by the umpire, and when he gets back to the dugout, the manager confronts him, not too kindly, with “What were you thinking?”

The not-so-popular player responds, “Well, I was on first base three games ago, and I was on second base four games ago.  I didn’t think I needed to go there again.  Obviously, any positive impact this player would have on the game would be nullified by such thinking and such action.

Now stick with me for a few more moments, and allow me to draw some parallels between the baseball scenario above and evangelism. (By the way, I know that I am not the first to attempt to make baseball analogous to spiritual matters.)

In the past forty years, I have conducted many Witnessing Clinics, Evangelism Training Conferences, Soul-Winning Classes, etc.  As I reflect back on those experiences, I am forced to admit that they made very little impact in the evangelism outreach among those who attended.  I have concluded that most of our training is like asking the folks to “run to third base” and ignore first and second bases.

Using the baseball diamond as a metaphor for personal evangelism, I see the batters’ box as the conversion experience, first base as an intense love for Jesus Christ and submission to His lordship, and second base as a love for those who don’t know Him.  Third base, then, becomes the act of sharing our story (personal testimony) and the good news (Gospel truths) of salvation with those who are lost.

I believe that in all our training we have equipped folks with methodologies, tracts, tools, and step-by-step clinical presentations of the Gospel truths that lead to salvation. Yet, most are not compelled in their evangelism by the love of Christ and a love for the lost people about them.  It is like asking them to “run to third base” and forget first and second.  Consequently, we have many who are equipped and trained, but few who really engage in personal evangelism.  Thus, as far as any positive evangelistic impact, we strongly resemble the baseball player who hit the ball and ran to third base.

In one of the strongest appeals for evangelism, Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthians says, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised
again” (5:4). 

The proper progression in baseball is first base, then second, then third, and, finally home plate.  Metaphorically, it is the same in evangelism. Love for Christ (1st base), love for the lost (2nd base), sharing the good news (3rd base), lead to conversions (home plate).  Let’s run all the bases!

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