Tag: Book of Acts

Examining Obedience

Any Bible student will tell you; the Book of Acts can be divided into two sections. The first twelve chapters comprise the first section and cover Peter’s efforts in the early church. Chapters thirteen through twenty-eight comprise the second section and cover Paul’s evangelistic efforts. Our reading, Acts 9:10-19a, is part of the second section. Saul, later Paul, was just converted in the previous chapter. He was traveling to Damascus to persecute Christians when he is confronted by Jesus, himself. In the end, he was hungry, thirsty, and blind. Once in Damascus, he was forced to do the most unnatural thing, wait! The scriptures do not tell us how long he waited. However, the scriptures do tell us that while he waited, God was at work. If Saul was going to fulfill his destiny and become the greatest evangelist in the history of the church, then he would need some help to get started. God drafted Ananias to help.

The name Ananias was a common name at this point and time in history. The name means “The Lord shows grace.” Ananias had the right name for the job. He would be forced to offer grace to a man who deserved no grace. Just think about it for a moment. Saul didn’t deserve a single ounce of grace. Because of Saul, people died. Because of Saul, countless lives were disrupted. Because of Saul, countless people were forced to leave their homes. Because of Saul, some mothers never saw their children again. Because of Saul, no one got a good night’s sleep. In his little corner of the world, Saul evoked the same emotions as Vladimir Putin (born 1952) in our world. Welcoming Saul into that early Christian community was like welcoming a Muslim Jihadist into our church. There is no other way to say it. Saul doesn’t deserve an ounce of grace, but grace was offered to him by a man whose name means “The Lord shows grace.” There is only one problem, Ananias was reluctant to show Saul grace. Anaias knew what God wanted him to do, but he was reluctant to do it. Don’t be too critical of Ananias. Obedience is a complex topic. It isn’t just true in the Bible; it has always been true.

The date was July 3, 1863. The place was Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. For two days, that small community of 2,400 residents had been ravaged by war. The Union army was led by George G. Meade (1815-1872). The Confederate army was led by Robert E. Lee (1807-1870). The day began with cannon fire. Both sides shelled the other for hours. The sound was deafening. They say the people of Philadelphia, 140 miles away, could hear it. Then, the cannons grew silent. The Confederates stopped firing because their ammunition grew low. The Union stopped firing because the smoke had grown so thick, they couldn’t see their targets. Lee thought the Union had stopped firing because they had run away, like they had done in the past. Desperate for a victory, Lee took a great gamble. He ordered General George Picket (1825-1875) to line up his soldiers and march up the hill in open view to confront the enemy. Standing shoulder to shoulder that line of 12,000 men stretched out for a mile. At first, their ascent looked promising. Those few minutes were called the high-water mark of the Confederacy. Then, in a moment everything changed. At a single point on the battlefield, the Union army opened fire on their enemy. Within an hour, it was over. Lee’s gamble failed. Only half of those 12,000 returned. The Confederacy had not just lost at Gettysburg, it was the beginning of the end of the war, itself.

Here are some questions for you. Do you consider those 12,000 soldiers heroic because they obeyed their orders? Do you consider those 12,000 soldiers foolish because they obeyed their orders? If you were part of Picket’s Charge, would you have marched up the hill? If you were part of Picket’s March, would you have run for the hills? Obedience is a large part of the Christian faith. Speaking of obeying God, German-Dutch Christian writer Thomas a Kempis (1380-1871) once said, “Instant obedience is the only kind of obedience there is; delayed obedience is disobedience.”  

Obedience is a complex topic. In my time in the ministry, I have learned a few things. One of the things I learned was about obedience. What God wants us to do is not a mystery. We know what God wants us to do, but we just refuse to do it. You can’t claim ignorance. Are you surprised that God expects us to care for those who live in poverty? The Third World is filled with poverty. However, we are doing nothing to help them. As a matter of fact, we do an excellent job of ignoring them. Are you surprised that God wants us to love unconditionally? It sounds easy, but it is hard to do. God doesn’t see our differences (gender, age, race, nationality, education, and economics). God only sees what we have in common. Everyone needs love and acceptance! However, we only love and accept people who are just like us. Are you surprised that the Biblical standard for giving is the tithe, 10%? On the way to our next vacation, we cry “poor” and give about 2%. Are you surprised that God wants us to live moral lives? We are ambassadors of Jesus Christ! We are representing Jesus. The problem is, we have accepted immorality as proper behavior. The truth is, we may live in the most immoral times in American history. Do I have to go on? Do I really have to go on? We are just like Ananias. We know what God wants us to do, but we refuse to do it.

The problem is we just don’t want to do it – obeying God means we may be inconvenienced. That is why so many promote the fact that God loves us. He does, but that is not an excuse for being disobedient. So many want the benefits of the faith without any sacrifice. The great German theologian Detrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) of the twentieth century called it “cheap grace.” I hope that is not your story. Every day we are forced to choose. Are we going to do what God wants us to do and obey? Are we going to do what we want to do and disobey?

Fred Craddock (1928-2015) taught homiletics at Candler School of Theology at Emory University for many years. I consider him one of the finest preachers of the twentieth century. No one influenced my preaching more than him. No one could tell a story quite like him. Let me tell you one more of his stories.

During a school break, Fred decided to go back home for a visit. It is no place special on the map. It was just a little town in Arkansas. On the first morning of his visit, he ventured downtown. He walked into the diner that had been there for a hundred years. Fred just wanted to sit there, eat breakfast, and remember simpler times. He said the place had not changed. Everything was identical to his youth, even the owner. As Fred waited for his fried eggs, the owner walked up to him and said, “I know you! You used to live here. You went on to be a preacher! I need to talk to you.” Fred nodded yes, but he thought, “Just go away! All I want is breakfast and some quiet.” The owner pulled up a chair and began to talk. He said to Fred, “I don’t know what to do.” Fred said, “About what?” The owner responded, “About the curtain!” He motioned to the curtain and Fred looked. The curtain had been there for years. Fred remembered that curtain from his childhood. The curtain wasn’t there just for decorative purposes. It had a practical purpose. The curtain was there to separate the white customers from the black customers. The white customers would enter the restaurant through the front door and ate on that side of the curtain. The black customers entered through the back door and ate on that side of the curtain. Just then, Fred’s breakfast was delivered. He wanted the owner to finish up his story because his eggs were getting cold. To hasten it along, Fred asked the owner, “So what is the problem?” (Fred knew the problem.) The owner said, “Should I take the curtain down or should I leave the curtain up?” Fred gave him a blank look and the owner continued. “If I take the curtain down, I will lose my business. If I leave the curtain up, I will lose my soul!” The owner knew what God wanted him to do, but he was afraid. The story doesn’t change.

The owner of the restaurant, Ananias, and you and I are the same. We know what God wants us to do, but we refuse to do it. Sometimes we are afraid. Sometimes we just don’t want to be inconvenienced. Are you going to take the curtain down, or are you going to leave the curtain up? Charles Stanley (Born 1932) once said, “The bottom line in the Christian life is obedience, and most people don’t even like the word.” Take your curtain down!

In The Name of Jesus

I live outside of Youngstown, Ohio. According to Google, there are eight psychics in my immediate area. The closest one is eight miles away – Psychic Readings by Laura Lynn in Boardman. Have you ever gone to a psychic or fortune teller? I hope not, because there is nothing fun about them. There is a dark side to that old practice. I do not doubt their ability to see into the future. I worry about the source of that power. Let me say this clearly: the source of that power is rooted in the occult. In other words, the ability to read into the future comes from Satan, himself. Fortune telling has been with us a long time. It is even found in the scripture lesson for today. 

We are in the sixteenth chapter of Acts, verses sixteen through twenty-three. Paul, Silas and Timothy are looking for a place to pray. That should be easy, but it has become quite hard. According to the text, their solitude is broken by a female slave who could read the future. Her ability to do so has made her master a great deal of money. Our generation has disguised fortune telling as entertainment; her generation saw it as satanic. The meeting of Paul and the fortune teller is not a brief encounter. She stalks Paul and his small group for an unknown amount of time. I am not exactly sure what happened, but something did and it broke the camel’s back. With his patience completely gone, Paul looked at the woman and called on the name of Jesus. The demon was extracted from the woman. The story ends with the woman being liberated. Time and time again, the Bible tells us that calling on the name of Jesus reveals God’s authority. Have you ever called on the name of Jesus in your time of greatest need? 

Years ago, I served three United Methodist congregations in the Saint Clairsville, Ohio area – Morristown, Lloydsville and Bannock. The total attendance at all three was approximately eighty. I preached at all three every week. I was in Morristown at 9:00. Lloydsville at 10:00 and Bannock at 11:00. The best thing about those churches was the people. They were good to me and taught me a great deal about pastoral care.  

I will never forget the day a woman called me and said, “Russ, I need your help.” She went on to tell me her neighbor’s son was killed in a traffic accident. He was out celebrating his twenty-first birthday and drank too much. When the highway patrol cut his lifeless body out of the car, they found a half-emptied case of beer and countless empty beer cans. The young man never had a chance. I found out later his father had bought him that case of beer to help him celebrate. I spent hours with the grieving mother over the next few days. With red rimmed eyes she asked me two questions that I will never forget: “Was God punishing my son for some past sin?”  No, God did not make your son drink and drive. How many times must we be told not to drink and drive?  Then, “Why didn’t God hear my prayer and save his life?” It was clear to me that she was ignorant about prayer. 

Do you know of anyone who is ignorant about prayer? You must know someone who prayed with a sincere heart for their greatest desire, only to be disappointed. They prayed for a terminal brother, sister, or child only to have them die. They prayed for a baby, but the baby never came. The cradle still sits in the corner collecting dust. They prayed for a perfect job, but perfection never came. They are still wearing a name tag or a hair net. The problem was not the sincerity of their words. The problem was not their lack of faith. The problem was not their unholy lifestyle. The problem was that they were ignorant about prayer. Prayer is not about getting what you want. Prayer is not just saying the right words. Prayer is your spirit yearning to be with God. When you pray in the name of Jesus, three things happen. You need to remember these three things because they will revolutionize your prayer life.  

First, when you pray in the name of Jesus you are admitting your limitations. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) once said, “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.”  How many times has life driven you to your knees? God always has our attention when life is hard. I witness that daily. 

Did you know the countries with the fasting growing conversion rates to Christianity are all found in Africa and Asia? Not one of those countries on the list is found in western Europe or North America. There are several reasons for this, but one stands out. The areas of the world where Christianity is declining are the same areas that have the highest standard of living.  In other words, those areas have the most money. God has a hard time getting our attention because we can take care of ourselves. That is why more church mortgages in America were paid off during the Great Depression than any other decade in the twentieth century. How many people don’t pray because they don’t think they need God? They can take care of themselves. When we pray in the name of Jesus, we are admitting our limitations.

During the 1800s, Reverend E.P. Scott was a missionary in India. Against the advice of his peers, he decided to travel to a remote tribe to share the Gospel. Several days into his journey, he was confronted by a group of warriors. They took their spears and pointed them into his chest. He responded by pulling out his violin, closed his eyes and started singing. What did he sing? He sang All Hail the Power of Jesus Name. The warriors didn’t know what to do so they lowered their spears. In time, the warriors began to cry. Scott was saved and spent the rest of his life teaching that tribe about Jesus. There is something about that name, Jesus! 

Second, when you pray in the name of Jesus you are identifying Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You are not praying in the name of Mohammed or Buddha. You are not calling on the name of your country or your favorite sports franchise. You are calling on the name of Jesus. In the scripture lesson Paul commanded the spirit to come out in the name of Jesus Christ. That is important because it shows Jesus’ authority over the spirit. This is not the only place. Jesus had authority over a variety of things in the Bible. When you pray in the name of Jesus, you are telling the world that you belong to him.

One of the great stories in the Bible is the Garden of Gethsemane. You know the scene. The end is near. After three years of teaching and healing, Jesus is staring at the cross. It was Holy Week and so much had already happened. Jesus had already entered Jerusalem on that humble animal. Jesus had already cursed the fig tree and taught at the temple. Jesus had already been anointed and shared that last Seder with the disciples. Judas Iscariot had already agreed to betray him. There was nothing left for Jesus to do but wait. Jesus was waiting to be arrested. As he waits, he goes to the garden to pray. He knows of the coming ugliness. He struggles as he prays. In Luke 22:42 Jesus prays, Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will but your will be done.”  Those are powerful words. Jesus does what we are unable to do – submit to God’s will. 

Third, when you pray in the name of Jesus, you are submitting to his will. Do you remember your old Sunday school teaching? God hears and answers all prayers. Sometimes, God answers, “Yes.” That is what happened in the scripture lesson. The slave was healed. Sometimes, God answers, “No.” Paul was never healed from the thorn in his side. Sometimes, God answers, “Later.” There are many examples of that in our world. Sometimes, God answers, “Are you crazy?” Praying to win the lottery isn’t going to help. We always want the answer to be yes, but it doesn’t always happen. What really matters is, are you submitting to God’s will? That is hard for people. When you pray in the name of Jesus you are submitting to God’s will.

Everyone knows the name Ted Turner (born 1938). When cable television exploded onto the American scene, Atlanta-based Ted Turner was one of the leaders. One of his first stations was CNN, the Cable News Network. It was the first to carry news 24/7. I always remember channel nine, WTBS. They carried all the Atlanta Braves baseball games. Today, Ted Turner is 84 years old and is worth an estimated $2.5 billion. He has made many wonderful business decisions, but his spiritual life is completely bankrupt. His story is sad. He was raised in a Christian home and as a youth he dreamed of going into the mission field. That all changed during the illness and death of his sister. That experience changed him. He became disenchanted with Christianity. He said, “I prayed for my sister, but she died anyway.” Discouraged, he walked away from the faith and never looked back. 

Do you have any Ted Turners in your life? I don’t mean billionaires. I mean people who have become disenchanted with the faith. They are not ignorant about life. However, they are ignorant about prayer. Prayer is not a magic wand granting you wishes. Prayer is so much more. Prayer is an admission. We just don’t have all the resources we need to solve our problems. Prayer is an identification. We are saying Jesus was the greatest life that ever lived. Prayer is about submitting. You must surrender to God’s will and accept the fact that God knows best. Do you remember the words of the great reformer, Martin Luther (1483-1546)? “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” 

Romeo’s Big Day

Romeo is my grandson. Born on May 22 of this year, he is a little guy, yet he has had a big influence on many lives. He is perfect in every way. Everyone who sees him, or hears about him, cannot help but smile. Last Sunday, Romeo had a big day. He was baptized at the Church of the Lakes in Canton, Ohio. Both sides of his family were well represented. His baptism remind us of the significance of baptism. I wrote this blog in Romeo’s honor to remind you of the significance of baptism.  Chinese Christian Watchman Nee (1903-1972) once said, “Baptism is an outward expression of an inward faith.” That leads us to our scripture reading.

We find ourselves in the sixteenth chapter of Acts, verses eleven through sixteen. Paul, Silas, and Timothy are in Philippi. That community was a Roman colony, so it was the perfect place for former Roman authorities and soldiers to retire. However, the Jewish population was small. Without an organized synagogue (twelve Jewish males were required to organize a synagogue), Paul’s small group goes outside of the city gates to pray. It is while they are there that they meet a woman by the name of Lydia. She was a foreigner herself, from the city of Thyatira. Verse fourteen tells us she was a worshiper of God. What does that mean? That means she believed in both the Jewish understanding of God and the Jewish moral code of the scriptures. However, she had not yet converted to Judaism. That conversion never happened because on that day she accepted Jesus and was baptized into the faith. The story does not end there. Verse fifteen says she and her entire household were baptized that day. Who exactly was baptized on that day? There was Lydia, herself, her husband, their children, and some believe, their slaves. Everyone was baptized because of the influence of one person.

Do you understand why baptism is so important? It is important that you know I am a United Methodist by choice and not by birth. I was raised in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). That means I was immersed at my baptism, not sprinkled. I was baptized at twelve years old. I never saw an infant baptism until I officiated at one. However, I believe in infant baptism because your baptism welcomes you into the life of the church from the very beginning. Never underestimate the power of Christian influence. 

The early church understood the importance of baptism. It is older than the faith itself. Baptism was not created by the early church, but it was redefined by the early church. Baptism began with God’s Chosen People. Never forget, the Jews are both a race and a faith. Some were born into the faith. Other non-Jews or Gentiles were baptized into the Jewish faith. The symbolism was clear. The individual was held under the water to symbolize a washing. It was like taking your Saturday night bath. They were washing away the sins of their old life and starting over again fresh and new. That form of baptism is called sinner’s baptism.

That was the baptism that John the Baptist offered. Many left the city and went into the wilderness to be baptized by John. Everyone was encouraged to be baptized because everyone had sinned. Then, Jesus came and threw a curve ball. The early church wanted to be like Jesus, so they baptized new converts. At first, baptisms only took place on Easter morning. Men baptized men and women baptized women because the person being baptized was in their birthday suit. The symbolism changed. When they were held under the water they were dying with Christ. When they were pulled out of the water they were being resurrected with Christ. We call that form of baptism  “immersion” or believer’s baptism. Baptists are still baptized by immersion.

Everyone would have been immersed if it wasn’t for the Dark Ages. For it was during that horrible time baptism changed. You know it is true. Moms and dads have always loved their children. Parents have always wanted to see their children go to heaven. During the Dark Ages the infant mortality rate was high. Parents were afraid their children wouldn’t make it into heaven without baptism, so they ran their newborns to the church to be baptized, just in case the unthinkable happened. It is for this reason most the western church practices infant baptism.

In infant baptism two things happen. First, there is a spiritual side of baptism. The original sin of Adam is washed away. Within each newborn is a flaw that leads them to sin. Each person was born with that flaw. Spiritually speaking, I have never met a perfect person, you are not perfect. Second, there is a practical side of baptism. Children are not born into isolation. They are born into communities. Part of that community is family. Part of that community is the church. The goal of infant baptism is salvation. We are promising to influence the child toward Jesus, our only hope of salvation. We want the child to wade into the faith gently.  

In my time in the ministry, I baptized both adults and infants. I have immersed and sprinkled. Baptizing an adult is humbling because you can see the Holy Spirit has been working in them. Baptizing an infant is exciting because multiple generations are involved. As a United Methodist, infant baptism is my norm, so I want to take some time in the blog and examine infant baptism. I will do by looking at the ritual offered in the United Methodist Book of Worship and by looking at three words.

The first word is faith. One of the great stories in the Bible is Jesus’s baptism. John is in the wilderness baptizing people in the Jordan. There must have been a sea of sinful faces, which is why the one sinless face stuck out. It was the face of his perfect cousin, Jesus. John believed in Jesus from the very beginning. It is for this reason he was uncomfortable baptizing Jesus. Why would a sinless person need a sinner’s baptism? Yet, Jesus is determined to be baptized. When Jesus is baptized, something wonderful happens. God, Himself, suddenly appears. God says in Matthew 3:17, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”  In other words, God was endorsing Jesus as the Messiah. For the Jews, it meant the waiting was over. The Messiah had finally arrived. To us, it means more. It means that Jesus was the most unique life who ever lived. He was the very incarnation of God, the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. Baptism reminds us that Christianity is the one true faith! Baptism is a witness. We are telling the world that Jesus is our only hope of salvation. Moses and Buddha were fine people, but they were not the son of God. They are both dead, but Jesus is alive. That takes us to the second word.

The second word is family. In the scripture lesson, Paul is traveling with Timothy. Who is Timothy? For one thing, Timothy was a product of a Christian home. Timothy’s grandmother was Lois, and his mother was Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5). Timothy was not a first-generation believer. He was at least a third-generation believer. I do not know how much Paul knew about family dynamics, but I do know this: Paul knew the greatest influence on Timothy’s life was his family. The greatest influence on your life is your family. The greatest influence on the child being baptized is their family.  

That is why in the old ritual we ask the parents of the baby these questions:  

Beloved, do you in presenting this child for holy Baptism confess your faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? 

Do you therefore accept your duty and privilege to live before this child a life that becomes the Gospel; to exercise all godly care that he be brought up in the Christian faith, that he be taught the Holy Scriptures, and that he may learn to give the reverent attendance upon the private and public worship of God?  

Will you endeavor to keep the child under the ministry and guidance of the church? 

The parents always say, “We do” or “We will.” However, on the day the parents answer, “No!” the baptism is over. Infant baptism means nothing if the faith means nothing to the parents. Let me ask you this question: how important is the Christian faith to you? If you want your child to take the Christian faith seriously, then you must take the faith seriously. In infant baptism we are admitting Christianity is the one true faith. In infant baptism the family is promising to be a holy model of Christian living. That takes us to the third word. 

The third word is fellowship. There comes a point in the baptism ritual that the attention leaves the baby and the parents – it is now the church’s turn to make the promise. How many times have you recited these words? 

With God’s help we will so order our lives after the example of Christ, that this child, surrounded by steadfast love, may be established in the faith, and confirmed and strengthened in the way that leads to eternal life.  

Don’t just read the words, look at the meaning. The church is promising to create a Christian environment to influence the child toward salvation. That is why Vacation Bible School is important. That is why Sunday school is important. That is why the annual youth mission trip is so important. That is why Junior Church is so important. God has entrusted these young souls to the church, so church must do their best. How could you enjoy the riches of heaven if one of these precious souls was missing? This is the truth. We can have the best Christian Education program in the history of the church, but if the parents don’t give the church the opportunity to work with their young, then it means nothing! In infant baptism we are admitting Christianity is the one true faith. In infant baptism the family is promising to be a holy model of Christian living. In infant baptism the fellowship is promising to create a Christian environment.

Years before the war began, Kathryn and I traveled to Ukraine. Even then, the Ukrainian people faced many challenges. A missionary in Ukraine named Patrick was organizing a baptismal service. He was encouraging everyone who had never been baptized to be baptized. I don’t know how else to say it. Spiritually, the Ukrainian people seemed confused. They were part of the Soviet Union, so there is a communist hangover. For this reason, some were atheists. Some Ukrainians professed to be Orthodox, but they have not practiced their faith in decades. Some Ukrainians called themselves Protestants. The Protestants, like Methodists, were lumped together. Some Ukrainians joined cults. When religious freedom came to that land, cults arrived and began teaching their false theology. Patrick’s baptism service was important because he was simply trying to lead the people back to their Christian core. He was not promoting the United Methodist Church. He was simply promoting Jesus! Patrick knew the truth. If we do not have Jesus, then we have nothing at all. That is why baptism is important. Do you remember the quote from Watchman Nee? He once said, “Baptism is an outward expression of an inward faith.”

Are You Listening?

A story is told of Franklin Roosevelt (1882-1945), who often endured long receiving lines at the White House. He complained that no one really paid any attention to what was said. One day, during a reception, he decided to try an experiment. To each person who passed down the line and shook his hand, he murmured, “I murdered my grandmother this morning.” The guests responded with phrases like, “Marvelous! Keep up the good work! We are proud of you! God bless you, sir!” It was not till the end of the line, while greeting the ambassador from Bolivia, that his words were heard. Nonplussed, the ambassador leaned over and whispered, “I’m sure she had it coming.”

I have told that story many times. I find it to be a humorous story that makes a profound point. This is the point: there is nothing simple about listening. God must be very frustrated that many don’t listen to Him. It is the main point in our scripture reading.

We find ourselves in the sixteenth chapter of Acts, verses six through ten. In the previous chapter, Paul and Barnabas had separated. The conflict circled around John, also called Mark. He had dropped out of the first missionary journey, so Paul found him to be undependable. When the two separated, Barnabas teamed up with John. Paul teamed up with Silas. Paul needed more help, so he enlisted Timothy. We looked at his story in my previous blog.

To completely understand the reading, you must understand the geography of that corner of the world. Our understanding is limited. It will have to suffice to say, Paul, Silas, and Timothy were frustrated. They tried to enter several areas but were unsuccessful. Then, everything changed. When they arrived in the seaport of Troas, God communicated with Paul through a vision. What is a vision? It is the experience of seeing something or someone while in a trance. Paul saw a man starving in Macedonia. Some believe that starving man was Luke himself, the author of Acts. Regardless, Paul got the message. In the morning, the text says Paul got up and traveled to Macedonia. At the very heart of this simple story is the complex word, communication. Paul’s ministry went nowhere until God communicated with him. It is still true today. No ministry will succeed until God communicates His will with us. Communicating with God is vital in ministry if you want to succeed.

Did you know the Bible contains nine different ways that God communicates with us? This is the list. God communicates with us:

  1. Through the scriptures
  2. Through the Holy Spirit
  3. Through fellow believers
  4. Through the audible voice of God
  5. Through dreams
  6. Through angels
  7. Through circumstances
  8. Through hardship
  9. Through visions

The question is not, is God is communicating with us? The question is, are we listening? Perhaps, this is a better question. What is preventing us from hearing God? What is preventing you from hearing God? God is constantly trying to communicate with us, but His words are falling on deaf ears. The problem is not our ears. According to the United States census, only 22% of Americans are deaf. Half of the deaf are over the age of 65 years. The solution to our problem does not include an audiologist. The problem is not that we are bad people. I’ve worked with many good people through the years. There is a bigger issue. In my opinion, the major reason we have a hard time hearing God is that we are too preoccupied to listen. Our lives are so crowded that we have no time left for God. He simply isn’t a priority. It is the price we pay for living in our society. Let me ask you this series of questions:

Are you preoccupied with your reservations? In other words, are you preoccupied with your problems? There is no shortage of problems or worries in our society. Research tells us we are worried about all kinds of things. We are worried about growing older and our health. We are worried about our finances and our job security. We are worried about our wrinkles and our physique. We are worried about not looking attractive. (I worry I am too attractive J ) Are you worried about your pet’s health or age? Are you worried about the future of your neighborhood? What do you worry about in the middle of the night? American author and motivational speaker Leo Buscaglia (1924-1998) once said, “Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.” How much time do you spend worrying?

How much time do you spend thinking about God? You have heard it a million times, faith ends where worries begin. Emotionally, our worries pull us in different directions, but they always pull us away from God. Our worries pull us so far from God it is impossible to hear God. Our worries have crowded Him out. Could that be your story? Are you preoccupied with your reservations? Are you listening to God? That leads me to my next question.

Are you preoccupied with responsibility? Our lives are full of responsibilities. Several years ago, it was reported that the best part of going on vacation was planning the trip. I believe that is true. The trip itself is a great deal of work, but the planning of the trip is very little work. When you plan your trip, you dream of carefree days without any responsibility. Can I be honest with you?

In the final years in the ministry, I grew tired of being responsible. I felt responsible for everything. Every time someone complained, I took it personally. When someone complained about the size of the Sunday school, it was my fault. When someone complained about the youth not attending worship, it was my fault. When a staff member caused a problem, it was my fault. When the temperature wasn’t perfect, it was my fault. When there was a mistake in the bulletin, it was my fault. When church members fought, it was my fault. When the door didn’t get locked, it was my fault. When a light wasn’t turned off, it was my fault. When a bad meal came out of the kitchen, it was my fault. When there wasn’t enough money, it was my fault. When people left the church, it was my fault. When someone got their feelings hurt, it was my fault. I was in the ministry for forty years and did my best. I experienced success, but, in the end, I felt like it was always my fault. In my last year, I was overwhelmed with responsibility. I was majoring in the minors. I was so consumed by responsibility, there was no time left for God. I didn’t retire to get away from preaching, pastoral care, weddings, funerals, or baptisms. I retired to get away from responsibility.

Have you become preoccupied with responsibility? I am not just talking about church, I am talking about your life, your job, your home, your children, your parents. Would it be nice to have some “me time”? If there is no time left for you, then there is even less time left for God. No wonder God has a hard time communicating with us. Are you preoccupied with your responsibilities? Are you listening to God? That leads us to the next question.

Are you preoccupied with your recreation? There is nothing wrong with recreation. With all our responsibilities, we need some recreation. I love this time of year in Ohio. The leaves are changing, the weather is cool, and sports are taking over my television. As I write this blog, the post season is on in Major League Baseball. I have watched several games. I will watch more as the World Series draws near. I love football. I follow local high school teams on Friday night. I watch college football throughout the week, but it dominates my Saturdays. Professional football is on from Thursday through Monday. It dominates my Sunday. Now they are airing preseason professional basketball and hockey. It is a great time of year!

Years ago, I was in Florida during the fall. On Sunday morning, I decided to go to church. I will be honest with you. I picked the closest church. I don’t remember what tribe it belonged to. I do remember the service because it was great. The music was fine, and the prayers were sincere. The message was well thought out and powerfully delivered. The whole service fed my soul, and I didn’t want it to end. When the benediction was given, I just stood there trying to absorb the last ounces of the Holy Spirit. When I opened my eyes to leave, a man walked up to me and said, “Do you think the Dolphins will win today?” He missed the whole thing because he was preoccupied with recreation. There is nothing wrong with recreation, until it starts pushing God out. How much time do you spend on your recreation? How much time do you spend trying to listen to God? Are you listening to God?

On June 7, 2014, comedian Tracy Morgan (born 1968) was involved in a six-car traffic accident on the New Jersey Turnpike. One person died, Morgan’s friend and collaborator James McNair (1951-2014). Morgan was lucky, he lived, but he found himself in a coma. He said, ““You don’t die for a few weeks and then come back to normal, trust me. Something’s going to be missing, something’s going to be gained—you just got to live your life after that. But after surviving something like that, I’m probably never going to feel normal. I went to the other side.” Morgan said while he was in that coma God spoke to him. What did God say to Tracy Morgan? Morgan said that God said, “Your room ain’t ready. I still have something for you to do.”  Do you believe that God spoke to Tracy Morgan? Do you believe that God is trying to communicate with us? The question is not, is God communicating with us. The question is, are you listening?

Following Sherman

We find ourselves in the first five verses of the sixteenth chapter of Acts. So much has happened, it is impossible to summarize. By this chapter, Paul has taken center stage. His first missionary journey is complete, and he is about to embark on his second. However, before he leaves, he enlists some new help. His list of potential helpers is short. As a matter of fact, only one name is mentioned, Timothy. According to our text, Timothy was the product of a mixed marriage. His mother was a Jewess believer, and his father was a Greek, or Gentile, non-believer. His references spoke of him in glowing terms. Having just stated these facts, one question remains: why Timothy? What was it about Timothy that made him stand out? What made him an excellent candidate? That is the question I want to try to answer. They are the same qualities that God is looking for today. Could it be you have some of those qualities? Let me begin with the obvious. 

Timothy was not selected by Paul for any physical reasons. This was not like the NFL draft where the physically gifted are selected first. We do not know how much Timothy weighed. We do not know how fast Timothy could run. We do not know if Timothy was extremely quick or tall. We do not know if Timothy was short or overweight. Luke does not include any of this information for one reason – it simply doesn’t matter. Church history is filled with people of every physical description. Timothy was not selected by Paul for any physical reason.Your physical state does not excuse you from Christian service. That is a good thing.

Timothy was not selected by Paul because he was the right age. I know age is one of the factors in this story. We can assume Timothy was young. He must be young. Both his parents and his grandmother are still alive. In First Timothy 4:12 Paul tells us that Timothy was young. However, age does not seem to be the driving force behind Paul’s choice. If he was a United Methodist, it would be a factor. Did you know the medium age in America today is 38 years-old? Did you know the average age of a United Methodist is 57 years-old? Did you know our denomination has intentionally decided to shrink that gap by promoting more youthful laity and clergy? I believe every generation has something to offer. After all, God uses every generation. Timothy was not selected by Paul because he was the right age. Your age is no excuse for not serving God.

Timothy was not selected by Paul for any economic reasons. There is no mention of money in this story. However, I do know that money is important. If you don’t believe me, then try to live without it. Try to maintain your church ministries and building without money. It would have been easier if Timothy had some extra cash. He could have paid for everyone’s lunch. He could have paid for some traveling expenses. He could have paid for some advertising. If Timothy had had some money, then they could have eliminated all the fundraising. The problem is, money isn’t mentioned in the story, so money wasn’t a major factor. Timothy was not selected for any economic reasons. So why was Timothy selected? Timothy was selected for one reason, FAITH! 

Second Corinthians 5:6-9 says: 

Therefore, we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.  

Timothy was a man of faith. Faith isn’t a magic wand to get what you want. Faith is a deep trust in God, who knows what is best. Does your faith teeter on getting what you want? Is your faith rooted in trusting God? The two are a million miles apart. The great Martin Luther (1483-1546) once said, “God our Father has made all things depend on faith, so that whoever has faith will have everything, and whoever does not have faith will have nothing.” 

When I was in high school, I had a friend by the name of Nancy. We attended high school youth group together. She was bright and attractive. However, there was no romance, just friendship. The love of her life as a teenager was her horse. To say the least, she was an extrovert. She made every experience fun. I spent hours with her acting silly and laughing. Years later, I attended her wedding and had more fun at the reception. A year later, she told me she was going to have a baby. Her future seemed so bright. Then a horrible thing happened. Both she and her baby died during the birth. Her husband struggled for answers and her parents mourned – she was an only child. My parents told me her parents left the church because they didn’t believe in God anymore. How could God do such a horrible thing? Their faith was gone. I don’t want to be critical, but they didn’t get the memo. There is nothing easy about life or the faith. Faith is not a magic wand to get what you want. Faith is trusting God to know what is best. 

Over Memorial weekend in 2016, Kathryn and I traveled to Vicksburg, Mississippi. We love history, and in particular, Civil War history. Today, Vicksburg is a struggling community on the Mississippi, but in the 1860’s it was a booming metropolis. Do you remember your American history? If the Confederates controlled Vicksburg, they controlled the entire Mississippi River. It was vital that the Union take Vicksburg. Ohio born U.S. Grant made that happen because of a forty-seven-day siege. Once Vicksburg fell, the Confederacy was cut in half and the Mississippi was opened to commerce again. That battle happened in 1863. However, the Union occupied Vicksburg for years to come.   

One of the great names attached to that battle was Ohio born William T. Sherman (1820-1891). In time, he would make it to Atlanta, and then complete his famous march to Savannah, the famous “March to the Sea”. You can say, in Vicksburg he practiced for his future success. Trying to isolate the state of Mississippi from the war, he traveled 180 miles from Vicksburg to Meridian, Mississippi. He destroyed railroad lines and private property along the way. Sherman was confident that he would succeed, but one thing did surprise him. He never expected freed slaves to follow him and his army along the way. That would happen time and time again, until the end of the war. They followed Sherman for one reason: they didn’t just believe in Sherman, they had faith in Sherman. They really didn’t know what the future held. There were no promises of free money, education, or a piece of land. The only thing those former slaves knew was life had to be better following him. Blindly, they followed Sherman because they believed he knew what was best for them. That is true faith. The former slaves had faith in Sherman. Timothy had faith in Jesus. Timothy was selected because he had faith. This is my question for you: 

Are you a person of faith? I am not talking about magic wand faith. I am talking about the kind of faith that trusts God no matter how hard life gets. American author and minister Max Lucado (born 1955) once said, “Faith is not the belief that God will do what we want. It is the belief that God will do what is right.” 

Not Enough Potatoes!

Amazing Grace is one of the great hymns of the church. You may know the story. It was written by John Newton (1725-1807). He was born in London in 1725. He grew up without any religious conviction. As a young man he was pressed into the Royal Navy. After his service, he got involved in the Atlantic slave trade. The practice was just as sinister as it sounds. West Africans were captured and sold into slavery in the Americas. As many as 1/3 of the slaves died in route. In 1748, when Newton was 23 years old, his ship encountered a terrible storm off the coast of Ireland. Newton cried out to God for mercy. That experience marked his Christian conversion. He stayed in the slave industry for another six or seven years, then he began to study Christian theology. The hymn, Amazing Grace, came from his own personal experience. He knew he was a sinner saved by God’s amazing grace. How many times have you sung Amazing Grace?  When was the first time you pondered God’s amazing grace? That takes us to our scripture reading.

We are in the first eleven verses in the fifteenth chapter of Acts. Paul and Barnabas have just completed their first missionary journey. It should have been a happy time because so many new converts were added to the fold. Everyone should have been happy, but that is not the case. I spent forty years in the ministry, so I am qualified to make the next statement. Everyone says they want church growth, but that isn’t true. Church growth always leads to change and most people don’t care for change. Historically, the church has never cared for change. You can find the tension in this passage. The first converts to the church were Jews. That means they came from a common background – Judaism. The new converts to the church are Gentiles, non-Jews. They come from a variety of backgrounds. Most of them had very little interest in the old Jewish ways. The only thing they care about is Jesus.

The original Jewish converts had a problem. Was it necessary for the new Gentile converts to follow the laws of the Old Testament? To be more exact, do the new male Gentile converts have to be circumcised? It is a sensitive topic at various levels. As with all church debates, everyone chose a side. Like drawing a line in the sand, the two sides parted. On the one side are the characters mentioned in verse one. They insist the new members must be circumcised. Many believe their numbers were made up of converted Pharisees who valued and upheld the law. Their voices carried some weight in the past, but the times had changed. The spokesmen for the other side were Paul and Barnabas. They said the law, circumcision in this case, had nothing to do with salvation. They said, we are saved by grace and by grace alone. They said Jesus’s sacrificial death was enough. It is a point that many still wrestle with today. Is Jesus enough? Or is Jesus needed for salvation?

Recently, I read a study that shocked me but did not surprise me. It came from the American World View Inventory and the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University. They reported, only 35% of Americans continue to embrace the traditional biblical view salvation comes from the sacrifice of Jesus. He is our only hope of salvation. That means 65% of Americans adults do not believe Jesus is not necessary for salvation. In other words, most believe salvation can be earned. I find myself in the minority. Paul says in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace that you have been saved – and this is not from yourself, it is a gift of God – not by works, so that we cannot boast.”

We are saved by grace and by grace alone! We are saved by grace, not political correctness. Christianity is the only world religion which has an answer to death. We are the only ones to serve a risen savior. We are saved by grace, not by our political views or patriotism. I believe America is the greatest country in the world. If you cannot succeed in America, then you cannot succeed anywhere. However, that does not mean God only loves Americans. God’s love is universal. You are saved by grace, not osmosis. God does not have any grandchildren, only children. He doesn’t care if your grandfather was a preacher, or your mother taught Sunday school. God wants to have a relationship with you! We are saved by grace, not church membership. You can be a church member and know nothing about Jesus or his ways. There are many reasons to join a church. You are saved by grave, not good deeds. Cooking dinner for a sick neighbor is nice, but it will not save your soul. We are saved by grace and by grace alone. May we never forget we are like John Newton, sinners in need of a savior. (Romans 3:23-24) Our only hope of salvation is Jesus!

I had a colleague by the name of George. I respect him because he has a pastor’s heart. He once told a story I have never forgotten. I have told it many times. I worried my church members were like the woman in his story.

According to George, he had a woman in one of his churches who loved her church. She was supportive in every way. She never missed worship and served on every church committee twice. She sang in the choir and was generous when the plate was passed. She never missed a workday. However, her true passion was the kitchen. She spent many hours in the church kitchen. If you have ever worked in a church kitchen, then you know it is true. The regular kitchen workers have a certain job. Her job was to peel the potatoes. Only the Lord knows how many potatoes she peeled through the years. She never had to be asked, she just got into position and peeled the potatoes. It became her identity within that congregation. She was known as the potato peeling lady.

One day George was told the potato peeling lady was feeling sick and went to the doctor. The doctor sent her for tests, and the tests revealed she was terminal. George was a wonderful pastor and supported her as the disease progressed. As the end drew near, George was with her. From her deathbed she looked at George and uttered words that broke his heart. She said, “George, have I peeled enough potatoes to get into heaven?” George was speechless. The good woman had spent her entire life in the church and never heard the most important thing. We are all sinners saved by grace. Our only hope of salvation is Jesus. There are simply not enough potatoes!

I hope that is not your story. I hope you understand you cannot earn your salvation. We are sinners saved by grace and by grace alone. Take this opportunity and recommit your life to Christ. Heaven wouldn’t be the same without you! Philip Yancy (born 1949) once said, “Grace does not depend on what we have done for God but rather what God has done for us.”

An Encouraging Word

We find ourselves in the fourteenth chapter of Acts, verses twenty-one through twenty-eight. As I mentioned in previous blogs, Paul and Barnabas are on their first missionary journey. To be exact, they are on the island of Cyrus. Our reading is the closing words of that missionary journey. They must have been ready to go home. Their trip had been filled with both adventures and hardships. However, before they return home, they want to do one more thing. They want to check on their new converts. Verse 21 says they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch. We looked at those communities in the past. The scriptures do not tell us how many were saved originally, nor does the scripture tell us how many remained. I am sure some walked away from the faith in their absence. Some walked away because the emotions of that moment had faded. Some walked away because living out the faith was hard. Paul and Barnabas went back to encourage those who remained. That simple fact was important. Never underestimate the power of encouragement. It is as powerful today as it was in Paul’s day. Just think about it for a moment.  

Encouraging, and being encouraged, is part of the human experience. It is one of those things that separates us from mere animals. It is one of the building blocks of our society. We are always encouraging. We encourage babies to take their first steps. We encourage our youngest students to get on the bus for the first time. We encourage college students to do their best. We encourage people who are overwhelmed with responsibility to take it one day at a time. We encourage the sick to trust their medical professionals. We encourage the elderly to eat so they can gain strength. We encourage the grieving by reminding them they are not alone. Encouraging, and being encouraged, is part of the human experience.

Encouraging words are extremely important. When you encourage someone, you give them energy. When you encourage someone, you give them hope. When you encourage someone, you change their perspective. When you encourage someone, you restore their self-confidence. When you encourage someone, you help them work harder. When you encourage someone, you help them succeed. When you encourage someone, you help them rebuild their self-esteem. Don’t tell me encouraging words aren’t important, they are extremely important. When was the last time you encouraged someone? When was the last time someone encouraged you?

If there is any group that should understand encouragement, it should be the church. Romans 15:2 says, “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.” I do not want to sound critical, but this is the problem. The church is far more comfortable discouraging people than we are encouraging people. You know it is true. We hear it all the time. My past is filled with discouraging words. How many examples do you need?

When I finally surrendered to my calling, I was filled with a variety of emotions. I had a million questions, but I knew only one thing. God had called me into the ministry. I went home to tell my parents. I thought they would embrace my calling because they loved their church. I was sure they would encourage me; I was wrong! There was not a single word of encouragement, there was a mountain of discouraging words. My father said volumes in his silence. He thought I was crazy. My mother said, “We don’t see it. You are not intellectual enough.” I heard I was dumb. Their discouraging words still upset me.

When I finished seminary with a mountain of debt, I went for my ordination interview. I assumed I would be welcomed into the United Methodist Church. I was wrong! They didn’t want me. I was denied and, I believe, they just wanted me to go away. However, the next year I was approved and went on to be respected by many of my colleagues. Their respect became my sweetest revenge. Yet, that denial still haunts me. I still have a hard time forgiving those discouraging people.

When my wife Kathryn organized her first volunteer in mission’s trip, I signed up. It was 1993 and we went to the Philippines. As the news of that trip spread throughout the community, everyone had a reaction. I thought people would encourage me to go. The church is supposed to reach out to the world and help the forgotten. I was wrong! They came up with every reason not to go. The plane may Crash. The food will be bad. They hate Americans and the rest. I guy said, “I hope you have a will. I don’t think you will be coming back.” I remember all those things because they are the same things people say to me every time, I go on a volunteer in missions trip. I would encourage you to go to Estonia with us next summer.

Between 2011 and 2013, my church co-hosted two Mill Creek Workcamps with Group Work Camp of Loveland, Colorado. Each time, we brought 400 young people from around the country to work on approximately 60 homes within the city of Youngstown, Ohio. Everybody won: the residents, the youth, and the church. I thought everyone would be encouraging. I was wrong! Some were discouraging. Some questioned the character of the youth; they are just on vacation. (Who vacations in Youngstown, Ohio?) Some questioned the residents; how do we know they really need help? Some questioned the city; how safe is the city? Some questioned the leadership; good intentions are not enough. Why are church people discourage? The church should be a body of encouragers. Paul and Barnabas went back to their new converts to encourage them because everyone in the convert’s world was trying to discourage them. 

This is the truth. I am, like you. I really don’t care what the discouraging voices say. While frustrating, they have very little long-term effect. I have forgotten most discouraging words spoken to me. I am going to do what I want to do. I am going continue to try to discern God’s will and do it. An encouraging word is far more influential. Let me tell you a story about both discouraging words and encouraging words.

In 2006, I was just pulling into my garage about 9:00 in the evening. My cell phone rang. It was my District Superintendent. I considered him a friend. I could hear the strain in his voice. He told me my name came up around the Cabinet table. They wanted to move me to the Akron area. He knew my response before I said it. I didn’t want to move, I couldn’t move. I had a variety of good reasons. He invited me out to lunch the next day and said we would talk about it. During that meal I gave him all the reasons for not moving. He seemed to understand but ended by asking me to go talk to the District Superintendent in the Akron area. He said, “Maybe he won’t want you. It is important that you respect the system.”

I agreed and a few days later I found myself in the Akron District office. He asked me a few questions and I told him I didn’t want to move. I couldn’t move. My words fell on deaf ears. He told me he was going to arrange an interview with that church. I said, “I don’t want to move, I can’t move.” He said, “Don’t worry. Maybe they won’t want you.” On the night of that interview, the weather was horrible. The meal was stiff with the District Superintendent and the parsonage was in horrible condition. As my wife Kathryn, my daughter Anna and I drove to the church, I knew it wasn’t going to be a pleasant evening. I was going to have to do something ugly because I couldn’t move to Akron.

The committee was nice. I answered their questions honestly. There came a point when I knew they wanted me. It was time to be ugly. The question that ignited the whole thing was, “How do you feel about selling your home and moving back into a parsonage?” I was honest with them. I said, “I hate it. To tell the truth, I don’t want to be your pastor. I just want to go home.” Kathryn broke out in tears and the committee was compassionate. The women huddled around her and gave her a box of tissues. Anna sat in stunned silence. The District Superintendent looked at me and said, “You can’t do this.” I said, “I think, I just did. I told you I didn’t want to move, I can’t move.” He responded, “If you have a job in July, it is only by the grace of God.” We drove home in silence, and I was sure my career in the United Methodist Church was over.” When we got home the words were few, but I remember saying, “I don’t care what they do to me, we aren’t moving. I’ll sell Fords if I must, but we aren’t moving.” Obviously, sleep was hard that night. 

The next few days, I jumped every time my phone rang. I was sure someone official would call me. That official call came several weeks later. The voice on the other end of the line sounded sinister. I was informed the Cabinet had filed a complaint against me. I was asked to have lunch with the Bishop several weeks later. The weeks dragged but on the appointed day I appeared on time and looking professional. When I arrived, I was asked to sit and wait for a few minutes. With no other choice, I did. Suddenly, the Bishop walked in with three District Superintendents. There was my good friend. The guy who threatened me, and a neutral District Superintendent.  I was offered a sandwich, and I choked down a few bites. The Bishop looked at me and said, “Russ, we are all uncomfortable with this matter. We consider you one of our finest pastors.” I thanked him and he added, “But, this is the business of the church.” He looked at the Akron District Superintendent and said, “Why don’t you tell us what you remember from that evening?” He told the story perfectly.” Once completed, the Bishop look at me and said, “Russ, is there anything you would like to add or correct.” I said, “No! He has an excellent memory.” The Bishop looked at me and asked, “Why did you torpedo the interview?” I said, “I told everyone I couldn’t move, but no one listened to me. So, I told the only group that has listen to me, the laity.” He looked at the District Superintendents and said, “Did Russ tell you he couldn’t move?” They both said, “Yes!” The Bishop looked at the three District Superintendents and said, “Why don’t we start listening to our pastors.” He looked at me and said, “How can I help you?” I said, “Can you come and preach at my church’s fortieth anniversary in the near future. We would be honored if you would come and preach. He said, “Talk to my secretary, I’ll be there.” 

On the day of our anniversary, he did come. He treated me with dignity and respect. Before he preached, he had a few kind words about the church and me. I have never been comfortable with compliments. So, what happened next was truly humbling. The church gave me a standing ovation. I didn’t deserve it, but the church gave me a standing ovation. Every time I spoke to the Bishop after that day, he reminded me of that moment. The encouragement I received that day changed my life. I have forgotten those who tried to discourage me, but I gave that church my best effort because they encouraged me.

Do tell me an encouraging word isn’t important. They bring the best out in others. They bring the best out in you. American motivational writer William Arthur Ward (1921-1994) once wrote, “Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you.”  Paul and Barnabas went back to their new converts to do one thing, encourage them!When was the last time you needed a word of encouragement? When was the last time you encouraged someone else?

Mother Theresa Was Right!

In 1858 the Illinois legislature–using an obscure statute–sent Stephen A. Douglas (1813-1861) to the U.S. Senate instead of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), although Lincoln had won the popular vote. When a sympathetic friend asked Lincoln how he felt, he said, “Like the boy who stubbed his toe: I am too big to cry and too badly hurt to laugh.” He is not alone.

Many famous people throughout history have experienced disappointment. Consider these examples:

Alexander the Great conquered Persia but broke down and wept because his troops were too exhausted to push on to India.  

Hugo Grotius, the father of modern international law, said at the last, “I have accomplished nothing worthwhile in my life.”  

John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the U.S., wrote in his diary: “My life has been spent in vain and idle aspirations, and in ceaseless rejected prayers that something would be the result of my existence beneficial to my species.”  

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote words that continue to delight and enrich our lives, and yet what did he write for his epitaph? “Here lies one who meant well, who tried a little, and failed much.”  

Cecil Rhodes opened Africa and established an empire, but what were his dying words? “So little done, so much to do.”

Disappointment seems to be part of the human experience. It is not just true of the famous. It happens to everyone. When was the last time you were disappointed?  It may have been the time you bought your home. It seemed perfect, until the first rain came. You walked down the stairs and saw your wet basement. It may have been the time an old friend came to visit. You counted the days down, but you got sick on the big day. It may have been the time your children partied their way out of college. Why didn’t they study? We all understand disappointment because disappointment is part of the human experience. Life is filled with disappointments. If that is true in the secular world, then it is true in the life of the church as well. That takes us to our scripture lesson.

We find ourselves in the fourteenth chapter of Acts, verses eight through eighteen. If you have read my past few blogs, then you know the text’s background. Paul and Barnabas are on their first missionary journey. To be more exact, they are on the island of Cyprus in the town of Lystra.

As with all new ministries, their expectations must have been high. They must have dreamed of winning the whole community to Jesus. Their evangelistic efforts in that town began with the community’s saddest citizen, a gentleman who had never walked. It is safe to say he was a professional beggar; he existed on the compassion of others. His friends or family placed him in the same spot every morning to beg. The same group took him home in the evening. The whole community saw him as a victim, but Paul saw more. Paul asked the man to do something he had never done — walk! Miraculously, the cripple did walk. There should have been a happy ending to the story, but the crowd didn’t understand. To Paul and Barnabas, the healing demonstrated the power of God. To the people of Lystra, they believed Paul and Barnabas were gods. The whole experience was a disaster. Have you ever done something for the right reason, but everything went completely wrong? The story began with high expectations and ended in complete disappointment.

When was the last time you were disappointed? When was the last time your expectations didn’t match your reality? It may have been the time you organized Vacation Bible School. You were looking for a big crowd of happy children, but only a handful came. It may have been the time you scheduled music for a special program, but only a handful came. It may have been the time you ordered twelve pizzas for youth group, but only two youth came. It may have been the time you cooked 150 chicken dinners to raise extra funds for the church and only sold 47. There is no other way to say it. You were disappointed. Have you ever said, “I will never do that again”? If you are planning on doing something great for God, then you better be prepared for disappointment. In my time in the ministry, I have experienced disappointment countless times. Then, I read a story that changed my view of the ministry. This is the story.

Mark Hatfield (1922-2011) was an American Politian and educator. A Republican, he served eight years as the Governor of Oregon and thirty years as a Senator. As a Senator, he once visited Mother Theresa (1910-1997) and her “House of the Dying” in Calcutta, India. The trip was intense. He witnessed how sick children were cared for in their last days and the dispensary, where the poor lined up by the hundreds to receive medical attention. Watching Mother Teresa, Hatfield was overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the suffering she and her co-workers faced daily. “How can you bear the load without being crushed by it?” he asked. Mother Teresa replied, “My dear Senator, I am not called to be successful, I am called to be faithful.” Mother Theresa was right! We spend far too much time worrying about being successful in the ministry and spend far too little time worrying about being faithful. The Bible is filled with many unsuccessful faithful people. How many examples do you need?

Do you remember John the Baptist’s story? He was born to an elderly couple, Zachariah and Elizabeth. His birth ruined their retirement plans and paved the way for something new. John the Baptist was a cousin of Jesus who did great things for God. Yet, he lived in Jesus’s shadow. Oh, he had his supporters; some believed he was the Messiah. However, John knew his place – he was only the forerunner of the Messiah. That was good enough for him. He was not interested in worldly success; he was only interested in being faithful, doing the will of God. Mother Theresa was right! Being faithful is the only thing that matters.

Do you remember the story of that first Palm Sunday? The gospel writers go out of their way to emphasize the size of the crowd. It has been estimated 2,500,000 people crowded into Jerusalem for that Passover. They came to pay their taxes and they came to be with their loved ones. However, that Passover was different because Jesus was the hot topic. So, they went to see Jesus. Some went to see Jesus because they needed something from him. They had a sick person in their life who needed healed. Some people went to see Jesus because he was trending. In other words, Jesus was a celebrity. Some went to see Jesus because they wanted him to lead a political revolution against the Romans. However, Jesus was not interested in a political revolution. Jesus came to lead a spiritual revolution. They came and there was a big crowd. Yet, what happened? The big crowd on Palm Sunday was reduced to a small gathering at the cross on Good Friday. What do you think? Was Jesus more impressed by the big crowd on Palm Sunday or the small gathering on Good Friday? Mother Theresa was right! Being faithful is the only thing that matters. It sounds so simple, but it took me a lifetime to apply that simple truth.

When I was appointed to the Western Reserve United Methodist Church in Canfield, Ohio, in 1994, I had big dreams. The reason is simple: during my lifetime, the mainline Protestant church had been dying. Our branch of the church peaked out in 1957, when 57% of the United States belonged to a church. Every year that percentage has been dropping, it is now 46%. To prevent our demise, my generation of clergy was inundated with church growth principles. We were told that any church could grow. All you needed to do was discover the needs of our community and start ministries to meet those needs. The models that we were to follow were Saddleback Church in California and Willlowcreek in Illinois. If your church didn’t grow, then you were a failure. I did not want to be labeled as a failure, so I longed for church growth. I spent my last twenty-eight years in the ministry longing for church growth.

This is the problem — Western Reserve was not located in southern California or the greater Chicago area. Western Reserve was in Ohio’s Mahoning Valley. Our population base isn’t exploding, it is imploding. According to census reports, in 1970 the population in Mahoning County, the county in which the church was located, was 303,424. In 2021, the population of Mahoning County was 233,869. That means we have lost approximately 70,000 people in 51 years. My hometown of Warren in Trumbull County, just north of Mahoning County, had a population of approximately 68,000 when I graduated from high school in 1975. In 2021, the city of Warren had 39,070. This is the point — there are fewer of us all the time. Some left looking for work. Some left for better weather. Some just left. That means expanding any business or organization is extremely hard. I don’t care what business it is.

However, I am a church growth person, and the numbers were everything. On my last Sunday, I told the congregation I had failed. I was not able to turn their church into a megachurch, but I didn’t feel like a failure. I was proud of many things we did during my time at that church. I was proud we grew numerically. We rebuilt the congregation. I was proud our finances were solid, and we were able to help other none profits in our area. I was proud we worshipped. We offered three worshipped services every Sunday. Each service had a different style. I was proud we offered three worship services on Christmas Eve. I was proud we offered four services on Easter. I was proud we built a first-class pavilion and a wonderful outdoor chapel. I was proud we got involved in missions. Annually, our youth went on a mission trip with Group Work Camps. Twice we co-sponsored a Group Work camp to help the needy in Youngstown, Ohio. Annually, our church participated in sending many adults to the former Soviet Union to help orphans. Those were life-changing trips. Plus, we sent people to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to help flood victims. I am proud the church became a landlord during my time. The church is the home of Great Expectations Day Care and the Mahoning Valley District office. I am proud of the identity we forged in our community and the relationships I built. I should have felt like a failure because my church never became a megachurch, but I felt like a success because Mother Theresa was right! We are not called to be successful. We are called to be faithful.

Many have asked me what I miss about the church in retirement. The answer is not much. If God calls us into the ministry, then God tells us when to stop. However, one of the people I do miss is Bonnie. She owns the day care at the church, and we became friends. I did not know how important she was to me until I was gone. I miss talking to her about nothing. One day near the end of my time, we were talking, and she said something that caught me off guard. She said to me, “Russ, can I be honest with you? I can’t believe you are still here. I thought you would have moved away a long time ago. You seemed so ambitious when we met.” She closed by saying, “I’m glad you are still here.” I responded, “Me too.” If you want to survive doing ministry, then forget your expectations and surrender to God’s will.  Mother Theresa was right! We are called to be faithful, not successful.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

We find ourselves in the thirteenth chapter of Acts, verses forty-two through fifty-one. Paul and Barnabas are on their first missionary journey. According to the text, they are on the island of Cyprus and, as in other stories in Acts, their method of teaching was straightforward. They entered a community, located the synagogue, and told people about Jesus. Up to this point, everyone seems to be open to their message. At first, this community, Pisidian Antioch, was no different.

This chapter gives us the outline of Paul’s message. It is chronological in nature. First, he reminded them what God had done for their ancestors. God had liberated their people from Egypt. Second, he reminded them of the period of the judges. Third, he reminded them of the period of the Kings. Then, he told them of the one God chose from all the rest, David. Through his line the Savior would be born. In time, it happened. Two thousand years ago, the Savior was born and given the name Jesus. You know his story. His time in this world was brief but he had a long-lasting effect. His sad death looked like the end, but it was just the beginning. Death could not hold him. Jesus’s resurrection changed everything. God’s love was no longer reserved for the Jews. God’s love is universal. Salvation is available to all who believe in his resurrection. That means, your belief in the resurrection is not optional, it is indispensable! According to the text, the news of Paul’s message spread throughout that community. Everyone reacted to his message in their own way. They still do.

One of my favorite movies is The Good, the Bad and the Ugly? Filmed in Italy, it was released in 1966 and made for $1.2 million. It made more than $25 million at the box office. The movie stars Clint Eastwood (born 1930), Lee Van Cleef (1925-1989) and Eli Wallach (1915-2014) in the title roles. Set in 1862 New Mexico, the plot revolves around three gunslingers who are searching for Confederate gold. It came out to mixed reviews, but it is now considered a classic. It teaches us about the dangers of greed, but today it acts as the perfect outline for this blog about how people respond to Jesus. Look at the text with me.

Paul stood before the crowd and told them about Jesus. Many responded and asked him to stay longer. They wanted to hear more about Jesus. The good responded to Paul’s message in a positive way. They were open to Jesus and their lives were transformed. I am assuming you are a good person if you are reading this blog. I have known many good people in my life. The good are open to Jesus.

I am beginning my second year of retirement. I find myself reviewing my time in the ministry. I am proud of many things I accomplished. Near the top of that list are the youth mission trips my church supported. For over twenty years, my church annually sent youth on a Group mission trip. Each year they went to a different community. The location was always different, but the program was the same. Our group of approximately twenty were part of a camp of 400 youth from around the country, who performed some basic home repairs in that community. However, the camp was more than just free manual labor. The camps were really about Jesus! Every night the entire camp gathered for worship. Every night after worship they would gather for devotions. Thursday nights were always special. For it was on that night the entire camp was asked to commit, or recommit, their lives to Jesus. I do not know how many lives have been changed at a Group Work Camp. However, the organization reports that 90% of participants were closer to Jesus leaving the camp than they were when they came to camp. I believe that figure is accurate and that is why so many have worked so hard to make those trips possible. If we are not offering our youngest to Jesus, then we are not offering them anything at all. The people who supported and attended those camps were good people because they were open to the Good News. The good accept Jesus. Look at the text again.

Paul stood before the crowd and told them about Jesus. The bad rejected the message about Jesus. Their problem was not theological in nature, they understood what Paul was saying. Their problem was, they refused to believe it. That leads to a series of questions. How many people do you know don’t want to have anything to do with Jesus? How many people do you know have altered the Gospel message to fit their opinions? How many people do you know have used the Gospel message to promote their politics? How many people do you know have watered the Gospel message down to make it more comfortable? The Christian faith was never designed to be comfortable. The good accept the Good News of Jesus Christ. The bad reject the Good News of Jesus Christ. The bad are still with us.

What do these ten people have in common? 

Steve Jobs 

Tina Turner 

George Harrison 

Julia Roberts 

Lew Alcindor 

Cassius Clay 

Fidel Castro 

Napoleon Bonaparte 

Brad Pitt 

Joseph Stalin 

I hope that list is wrong. I found it on the internet. If true, each one of the ten people walked away from Christianity. Steve Jobs and Tina Turner became Buddhists. George Harrison and Julia Roberts became Hindu. Lew Alcindor became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali; they became Muslim. Fidel Castro, Napoleon Bonaparte, Brad Pitt, and Joseph Stalin said, or say, there is no God. That list bothers me. How can you walk away from Jesus and be something else? This is an even harder question. How can you walk away from Jesus and say there is nothing at all? How many bad people do you know? The bad rejected Jesus. Look at the text again.

Paul stood before the crowd and told them about Jesus. The ugly do their best to frustrate people from talking about Jesus. In the scripture lesson, a select few caused all the problems. They used their influence to have Paul and Barnabas silenced. They got them expelled so no one could hear about Jesus. Sadly, the ugly are still with us.

It was back on June 24, 2015, that a Christian was shot in Suez, Egypt. It was not an accident. He was shot twice in the chest. The violence was shocking, but the reason for the shooting was sinister. He was murdered because he refused to denounce his Christian faith and accept Islam. Does anything else have to be said? Things are not getting better in our world. The spiritual tension in our world is growing. Being a Christian is no longer a safe thing. The world seems to be against us. The ugly do their best to frustrate people from talking about Jesus. That leads us to an interesting question.

When was the last time you told someone what Jesus means to you? Please don’t misunderstand the question. I am not talking about preaching to your loved ones. I am not talking about judging the people in your lives. I am not talking about leaving a Christian track in a public place for someone to find. I am not talking about reporting your local church history or most recent debate. I am not talking about how you feel about your minister. I am not talking about long heavy theology. I am talking about speaking from the heart and being able to tell someone what Jesus means to you. It is not really an option. God expects two things from us. First, God expects us to be living the faith. There is nothing worse than being a hypocrite. Second, God expects us to be able to articulate the faith. When was the last time you told someone, what Jesus means to you? Dallas Theological professor Howard Hendricks (1924-2013) once said, “In the midst of a generation screaming for answers, Christians are stuttering.”  You know it is true.

When you do, you will get the same reactions as Paul. Some will love to hear it; they are the good. Some won’t want to hear it; they are the bad. Others will be mad they heard it and will try to get you to stop talking about Jesus; they are the ugly. American clergyman Warren Wiersbe (1929-2019) once said, “Let God be the judge. Your job is to be the witness.”

Preach It!

Preach It!

I love this story. There was a pastor who never prepared his sermons in advance. His name was Ralph. Every Sunday morning he’d sit on the platform while the church was singing the hymns, desperately praying, “Lord, give me your message, Lord give me your message.” One Sunday, while desperately praying for God’s message, he heard the Lord speaking to him. The Lord said, “Ralph, here’s my message. You’re lazy! Preaching is hard work.” That simple story leads us to our scripture lesson.

We find ourselves in the thirteenth chapter of Acts, verses thirteen through fifteen. Paul and Barnabas are on their first missionary journey. According to the text, they are on the island of Cyprus. Their method was simple. They entered a community, located the synagogue, and told the people about Jesus. In many cases the people were open to their message.

According to the text, Barnabas and Paul were in Pisidian Antioch. That community was a trade hub for a large Jewish population. The synagogue was easy to locate. The order of worship must have been familiar to them. They heard the appropriate pieces of scripture, the Law, and the Prophets. What came next was of no surprise to them. Visiting rabbis were always asked to speak. The synagogue rulers were more than inviting. Verse 15 says, “Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement, please speak.”  I read that verse one time and got it. They were not just asked to speak and tell them about life in Jerusalem. The rulers didn’t want to hear about their adventures. The rulers didn’t want to hear the latest news. They were asked to do much more. They were asked to preach, because the rulers wanted to know if God had a word for them. They did not have a clue how their theology was about to change. Standing in a room filled with strange faces, Paul didn’t just talk, he preached about God’s plan of salvation for the world. In other words, he told them about Jesus. Preaching is God’s chosen method to save the world. That is why preaching is so important. For this reason, I have spent my life trying to become a better preacher.

It must have been Easter morning 1984. I was a first-year seminary student at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Indiana. I was also the youth director at the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Frankfort. It was about Ash Wednesday when the pastor of the church asked me if I would like to preach at the Easter sunrise service. His question filled my heart with fear. I had never preached before, and I didn’t know where to begin. I hadn’t taken a single preaching class and didn’t feel comfortable enough with him to ask for help. I can remember sitting in the seminary library with an open Bible and a blank piece of paper trying to prepare. When Easter morning came, my primary text was John 20:24-31, the story of doubting Thomas. My handwritten manuscript was filled with abstract thoughts, which I delivered poorly. The only thing I felt when it was over was relief. My sincere effort was not good enough. The next day someone called the church to complain about my message. They said, I ruined their Easter morning. It was at that moment I learned I had nowhere to go but up. I had much to learn about preaching. I have learned something about preaching at every church I have served.

When I transferred to Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky in 1985, I became a student pastor at the Pleasant Grove Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) near Danville. That congregation changed my life. They understood their calling was to train and encourage students. For the next three years I stood in front of them and did my best. At first it was a little rough, then I began to settle. It was there I found my identity as a preacher. To be honest, my sermons sounded a great deal like my classroom notes, with a story or two. It was an emotional day when I announced I was leaving. I was near the end of my formal education and wanted to return home. When I packed my boxes, I didn’t have a single sermon manuscript. I did most of my preaching from an index card. Looking back, I am sure I was horrible, but I, at that time, thought I was quite good. I gained confidence in that church.

My first United Methodist appointment in the East Ohio Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church was the Morristown Charge in the old St. Clairsville District. That charge consisted of three churches. There was Morristown, Lloydsville and Bannock. I lived in Lloydsville and could drive the circuit in twelve miles. My District Superintendent was a man by the name of Abraham Brandyberry. He too had a past with Asbury Theological Seminary. He told me something I have never forgotten. He said, “Russ, if you want to be a great preacher, then you have to preach!” That appointment gave me the opportunity to preach three times every week. I learned listening is a big part of preaching. Each week the three congregations responded differently to the same message.

When Kathryn and I were married, I was appointed to the Waltz United Methodist Church near Medina, Ohio. I stayed a single year, but I learned a great deal about preaching from that congregation. They were a former Evangelical United Brethren congregation, who valued preaching and expected a 45-minute sermon. It was there I began to work on my sermons and developed my thoughts. It was not enough to be a storyteller.

When we moved to Garfield Heights, I was appointed to the Hathaway United Methodist Church. That church was known for one thing, their horrible music program. The choir was filled with wonderful people, including the choir director. She had held that position for years because she was the matriarch of the choir. There was only one problem, she was a terrible choir director. Generally, everyone looked forward to the summer months because the choir was gone. For the first time I felt the pressure to deliver a quality sermon. I felt like I had to bail out the service! It was there I learned the importance of quality preaching.

My last United Methodist appointment was the Western Reserve United Methodist Church in Canfield. Like every other congregation in the mainline protestant tradition, they wanted to rebuild their aging congregation. Quality preaching was vital if we were going to succeed. That church evolved through the years. Each step challenged my organization skills. It was there I started developing sermons series. I laid those sermons out months in advance. It was there I first experienced contemporary worship. I enjoyed using power point slides and movie clips. It was there I learned there must be a balance in preaching between the divine truth and entertainment. The days of the talking head behind the pulpit were over. I worked hard on those sermons and the church responded. I have learned something about preaching in every church I have served. The truth is I am still learning.

Through the years, I have learned every sermon must have four vital characteristics. Kevin DeYoung (born 1977) of the University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan put them in print. If you do not find them in every sermon, then you, as the preacher, have failed.

  1. Veracity – Every sermon is about God. Preaching is not just an opportunity to express your opinions. People want to hear what God has to say to them, not human opinion.
  2. Clarity – Every sermon must be understandable. Clarity doesn’t mean the congregation must remember your three points, but they should know what the text is about and what you were trying to say.
  3. Authority – Every sermon must be delivered with certainty. No preacher is infallible. Our authority comes from God, Himself. It is God who makes claims on people’s lives, declares the truth with boldness and takes courageous stands where others fear.
  4. Authenticity – Every sermon must connect with the congregation. Your personality must come through, and at the same time, your concern for the congregation must come through. It is impossible to preach someone else’s sermon. The preacher must make their sermon their own.

The point of this blog is to promote the value of preaching. If you are a preacher, then work on your sermons. It is my experience that good preaching takes hard work and time. I used to write “Saturday Night Specials,” but no more. If you take your time, it is amazing what God will reveal to you in a variety of ways. God will reward you for your efforts. If you are a member of the laity, then pray for your preacher and be encouraging. Preaching is hard work.

Years ago, on the editorial page of the British Weekly, this provocative letter was published:

It seems ministers feel their sermons are very important and spend a great deal of time preparing them. I have been attending church quite regularly for 30 years and I have probably heard 3,000 of them. To my consternation, I

might be more profitable spent on something else.

That letter triggered a great debate that went on for weeks. It ended with this letter:

I have been married for 30 years. During that time, I have eaten 32,850 meals–mostly my wife’s cooking. Suddenly I discovered I cannot remember the menu of a single meal. And yet . . . I have the distinct impression that without them, I would have starved to death long ago. 

That leads me to some interesting questions. How many sermons have you heard in your life? How many sermons do you remember? Do you think that God made a mistake calling preachers to change the world? God does not make mistakes. The founder of the great Methodist movement John Wesley (1703-1791) once said, “Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, I care not if they be clergymen or laymen, they alone will shake the gates of Hell and set up the Kingdom of Heaven upon Earth.”