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!

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.

Awkard Obedience

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 a 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 men 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.

When we last left Saul, he was hungry, thirsty, and blind. 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 that help in the form of Ananias.

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 who whose name means “The Lord shows grace.” There is only one problem. Ananias was reluctant to show Saul grace.

Don’t be too critical of Ananias. We have all been in his shoes. 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. Is anyone here 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, what we all need, love and acceptance! However, we only love and accept people who are just like us. Is anyone here surprised that the Biblical standard for giving is the tithe, 10%? On our way to our next vacation, we cry “poor” and give about 2%. Is anyone here 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. The problem is not a lack of knowledge; we know what God wants us to do. The problem is we just don’t want to do it. 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? That leads us to the question of the day.

Why are we so reluctant to obey God’s commands? There are several reasons. One is illustrated for us in the scripture reading. Ananias tries to reject God’s instructions because he is afraid. He has heard what Saul has done to others and he doesn’t what it to happen to him. You really can’t blame him. When was the last time you were afraid?

In 1996, Kathryn went to the former Soviet Union for the first time. Everyone responded to those trips in a different way. Some were excited and interested. Some did everything to discourage her. Some man said to me, “If she was my wife, I wouldn’t let her go! Russia is a dangerous place, and you can’t trust the Russians.” I responded by saying, “You don’t have to worry. She would never marry you. As a matter of fact, she wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole.” He has not been the only one through the years to try to discourage us.

I can honestly tell you that every mission experience I have had in my life has been coupled with resistance. The destination didn’t matter. It happened when we went to the Philippians, Mexico, Russia, Ukraine, and Haiti. It happened when we organized Mill Creek Workcamp and brought 400 young people to our community, Youngstown, Ohio, to help our poor. It happens every year we send our youth on a mission. Someone must play the role of the negative person. The question is, why? Sometimes, it is over-exposure to 24/7 news. They can’t give us enough negative information. However, more often it is old fashioned fear. They don’t want you to go because they would never go. They would never go because they are afraid. When you go on a mission trip, you make them look like a coward. Listen to what I am about to say. If you don’t feel God calling you to get involved in missions, then don’t. However, don’t discourage someone who is called. You are nothing more than a tool in Satan’s work belt. God expects us to help the needy in our world! Sometimes people disobey God because they are afraid. Sometimes they disobey God for another reason.

Years ago, I visited a friend. He is not a member of this church, nor do I want him to join. He helps me escape my church responsibilities. His son was getting married in a few months, so I began to ask him about the plans. He didn’t know anything. I asked, “Why don’t you know anything? He said, “They don’t tell us anything!” The bride was inside the house, so I summoned her. When she came out, I began to interrogate her. I asked her everything. What are the colors? How many in the bridal party? Are there children in the wedding party? Is her wedding dress white? Where is the reception? What is the menu? Is it a live band or a DJ? Are you going on a honeymoon? Where are you going on your honeymoon? This was my final question: “Have you had any problems planning your wedding?” She responded, “Just one, the minister. He requires premarital counseling. The groom doesn’t want to go.” I asked, “Why doesn’t he want to go?” She responded, “You know him. He doesn’t want to be told what to do.” I thought, he is going married, and he doesn’t want to be told what to do. This marriage will never last!

Maybe that is why we have such a hard time obeying God. We just don’t want to be told what to do. That is why so many have fallen in love with God loving us. We can do whatever we want because God loves us just the way we are. The problem is that while God loves us the way we are, God expects us to change to be a little more like Jesus every day. Never forget, someday you are going to stand accountable before God. When God commands us to do something, He expects us to do it. Do you remember what Thomas a Kempis said? “Instant obedience is the only kind of obedience there is; delayed obedience is disobedience. Whoever strives to withdraw from obedience, withdraws from Grace.”

Fred Craddock (1928-2015) taught homiletics at Candler School of Theology at Emory University. I consider him one of the finest preachers of the twentieth century because no one can tell a story quite like him. Let me tell you one more of his stories.

Over 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.

We are just like Ananias. We know what God want us to do, but we refuse to do it. Sometimes we are afraid. Sometimes we just don’t want to do it. 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 the curtain down!