One By One

(Picture is of my mom and dad, Wade and Naomi Reeves, at Christmas 1955. My dad's sisters Dixie Austin (left) and Ruth Tant (right) still live in Nashville, TN).  

This morning's Facebook posts brought news of the passing of a sweet man from my growing up years at the Holmes Road Church of Christ in Memphis. Ted Bounds was one of those men who had a very profound and encouraging effect on my life. Even in recent years, confined to a motorized chair, he would always have words of appreciation and encouragement whenever I would see him. I am grateful for his life of faith and dedication. 

Last week I learned that another friend and mentor from my growing up years had passed away. George Hutchison was an elder in my home congregation and later moved to Williford, Arkansas, where I did some of my early preaching. I can't begin to estimate how many times I stayed in the Hutchison's house - as a high school and college student and even as an adult. Some of you who have heard me preach may have heard the illustration of the man who "watered" his house during the dry summer months to keep the foundation from sinking. That was George.  He and Kathleen truly blessed my life. George is one of the people who gave me a love for restoring old cars. He was always working on at least one in his shop.

The passing of these two men coupled with that of my mom last summer reminds me that those of my parents' generation are quickly "going down the valley one by one." When I stop to realize all of the changes that have taken place in my life in the past year it almost takes my breath away. A new ministry. A new home. Developing new relationships and friendships while leaving others behind. And yet all of those changes pale with the realization that both of my dear parents have moved down that road and are now at home with the Lord. 

No longer am I able to pick up the phone and call "home." No longer do I have a place to lay my head (and my burdens) down as freely as I could at their house. A place of security and safety. A place of unconditional love and acceptance. A place of physical and spiritual nourishment, affirmation and rest. It is a hard realization and a difficult adjustment. 

But wait! I am quickly reminded that there is such a place - a place of quiet rest. A place of full release. A place of joy and peace. "Near to the Heart of God." I would not know of this place had it not been for the influence of Godly parents, family and friends like Ted and George and countless others who pointed me in that direction by their faithful lives. Now it is my turn. I must be the one pointing my children and grandchildren along with the next generation of Christian young people and preachers to the home that transcends anything this world has to offer. It is a formidable challenge that cannot be neglected.

"Oh Lord, please help me to continue the legacy of faith and dedication set before me by those who have gone on to a greater reward. For one day I, too, shall take my final glance at this life before turning and stepping down into the valley myself."   In Jesus Name, Amen!

Every year the editors of the Webster Dictionary pour over thousands of publications in search of new words or new definitions of old words. In 1982 a new word was added to the English Dictionary because of the amount of usage it received in the press and other places. What word am I talking about? It's the word (or phrase) "Couch Potato." According to the dictionary "Couch Potato" is defined as “a person disinclined to activity or exertion, especially  one who spends a great deal of time watching television.” 

Do you know anyone who fits that description? You can almost picture them sitting on the couch watching TV with a bag of chips in one hand the remote in the other hand and a blank stare on their face. Perhaps that even describes you? 

It is certainly not physically healthy to be a couch potato. The hours of inactivity coupled with the added calories of junk food leads to high cholesterol, high blood pressure and may even lead to heart disease, diabetes and other physical conditions that are detrimental to one's health and well being.

While being a "Couch Potato" is unhealthy from a physical perspective there's another condition which is just a dangerous to one's spiritual health. That's being a "Pew Potato." What is a "Pew Potato?"  It's someone who comes to church and sits on a pew but never does anything else They never try to help another person. They never seek to serve someone in time of need and never do anything to help the church (which is the body of Christ - Eph. 1:22-23) grow. They just come and sit - month after month, year after year. 

Are you a "Pew Potato?"

The Bible says that God created you and me for a life of service. In Ephesians 2:10 Paul writes, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Just as our physical bodies are designed for exercise and exertion our spiritual lives have been created for the purpose of ministering to the needs of others. The reason why many people are miserable and empty is because they have never poured themselves into a life of service to others. They think everyone should be serving them.

            

We’re saved to serve. We are not saved to sit.  

In Segovia, Spain is a Roman aqueduct built in 109 A.D. For eighteen hundred years, it carried cool water fromthe mountains to the hot and thirsty city. Nearly sixty generations of men drank from its flow. A recent generation, however, saw the great aqueduct and said, "It is so great a marvel that it ought to be preserved for our children as a museum piece. We will relieve it of its centuries-long labor."

They laid new iron pipes to transport the water and gave the ancient bricks and mortar a reverent rest. Almost immediately the aqueduct began to deteriorate and crumble. Without the flowing water to keep the mortar moist the brick and stones began to sag and collapse. What centuries of service could not do idleness quickly destroyed. So it is with our spiritual lives.  

Jesus said, "Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave" (Mt. 20:26-27). There is no room for a Pew Potato in the kingdom of God.

          

A Priesthood of Believers

"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pt. 2:9).

In Old Testament times God’s people relied on men called “priests” to be their representatives before God. Ordained priests first appear in Israel’s history at Sinai, when Israel constructed the tabernacle. Israel as a whole was referred to as a “kingdom of priests” - Exodus 19:6. Within Israel God chose Aaron and his sons as priests or ministers in his house. They are brought near to “stand and serve” - Deuteronomy 10:8; 18:5. 

The functions of priests were many and varied. Priests cleaned house by performing sacrificial rites, sprinkling blood on the furniture and utensils of God's house and cleansing the earthly sanctuary with the blood of bulls and goats. If the house became defiled, God threatened to leave his house and his people,  thus the role of the priest in maintaining purity was extremely important.

Priests were sacred butchers, butlers, and bakers. They butchered the animals, ground the grain, and baked the bread that was placed on the altars. Yahweh’s altar was his table - Ezekiel 41:22; 44:16, where priests offered his morning and evening “bread” - cf. Leviticus 3:11; 21:21-22. Priestly ministry at the altar was their “table service” before God.

In the holy place, priests kept the lampstand in working order by trimming wicks and replenishing oil (Exodus 30:8; Leviticus 24:1-4). Each morning and evening they offered incense (Exodus 30:7-8), and each Sabbath they changed the twelve loaves of bread on the golden table (Leviticus 24:5-9). Through their work, the King’s house was well lit, aromatic, and supplied with daily bread.

The priests' work involved with service to both the literal “house” of the Temple and service to the nation or “house” of Israel. By their teaching and judging priests served as guardians of Israel’s holiness. By teaching the law (or Torah) to the people - Leviticus 24:8 - they trained Israel to distinguish between behavior that was "holy" and that which was "unholy" and helped them to be holy as God is holy.

When they sanctified or cleansed the temple or house of God they were restoring worshipers to fellowship with God. They led Israel to Yahweh by offering his bread on the altar, and also in leading the people to lift up the “bread” of praise and thanksgiving. When they offered incense on the golden altar they were also offering intercessions  - cf. Psalm 141:2. None of this priestly service was for the priests alone but for the Israelites whom they represented.

The “High Priest” was specially designated as the one who would go into the Most Holy Place of the temple once a year to sprinkle the blood of a goat upon the “mercy seat” (Ark of the Covenant), In doing so he became the “mediator” between God and men.

    

You and I do not live under the Levitical priesthood. When Jesus died on the cross He became the supreme sacrifice for our sins once and for all - Heb. 9:12.  He is our High Priest - Heb. 4:14-15,and as His disciples we are “a royal priesthood” -1 Pt. 2:9. With the arrival of this new and better priesthood through Jesus - Hebrews 4-5, 7) Christians united to Christ who is King and Priest become priests and kings in him - Revelation 1:6; 5:10. All that the Levitical priests did in the tabernacle and temple were shadows of things believers now do in reality in the heavenly sanctuary. And, just as the Aaronic priests served Israel by serving in God's house so is ministry by Christians in the church.

We are all guardians of God’s holy house. We are called to distinguish between holy and unclean and to maintain the purity of God’s household - the church. All believers offer the sacrifice of praise through Jesus, the Bread of God. Every Christian offers the incense of prayer in the holy place of God’s house, and through practices of forbearance and forgiveness we keep God’s house clean. Through using the gifts given by the Spirit, each member of Christ’s body contributes to the edification of the whole. Paul reminds us that in this was we “grow up in all things into Him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” - Eph. 4:15-16.

In the old order, priestly service was housekeeping by a select group. In the new order, all are priests, called to the ministry of building the body.

In the church that Jesus established there was no “clergy / laity” system whereby the work of the church was done by a special class of people. God’s intent is that we all be involved in the great mission of  “speaking the truth in love" (Eph. 5:16).

That's "The Way I See It."

Acknowledgement:

Priesthood of Believers

Oct 29, 2010

Peter Leithart

Being a "Then-Some" Person

Jesus said, “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles”(Mt. 5:41). Herein is one of the great truths for living a happy life.  It has long been my observation that people who are willing to do more, sacrifice more and give more are much happier than those who are content to meet only the minimum requirements of life. The happy people are those who do all they are asked to do “and then some.” They meet the expectations of their job, “and then some.” They devote themselves wholeheartedly to their families, “and then some.”  They give time and effort to help others in the community, “and then some.” In every case it is the “then some,” – that second mile effort – that brings about joy and fulfillment.

    

Imagine how such an attitude could affect the church.  What if every member of our congregation resolved to be faithful in attendance  - “and then some?” What if we truly gave as we have been prospered – “and then some?” What if we supported the various programs of work as much as possible – “and then some?”

     

I heard of a man who had become dissatisfied with his wife and wanted a divorce. The attorney told him that he would make the necessary arrangements with one stipulation. “To make her really miss you,” he said, “go home and for one month do everything in your power to make her happy. Give it your best – ‘and then some.’ It will drive her nuts.” The man did as instructed and gave his best – “and then some.” When he returned to the attorney all of the paperwork was ready but he immediately protested. “How could I possibly divorce such a sweet gal? Tear those papers up at once!” What had brought about the change? It was his “then-some” attitude.

     
If you’re discouraged with how your life is going. If you’re discontented with your family, your friends or the church try going the second mile and giving just a little more. You’ll discover that the difference between “tri” and “triumph” is just a little “umph!”

FAITH

"Abram."

"Wha... What? Wh.... Who is it?"

"I AM GOD."

"G...G...God? What do you want?"

"I want you to get up, pack your belongings and move."

"Bu....Bu... but God I am settled here. I like it here. There's plenty of land for my flocks. I've grown prosperous here. It's comfortable..."

"Get up and Go!"

"Go where, God? Do you have some place in mind?"

"I will show you...  Go"

     The writer of Hebrews makes the comment regarding the above conversation, "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going" (Heb. 11:8).

    

      What was it that enabled Abraham to do such a thing? Was it courage? I don't think so. In fact, on several occasions Abraham was so afraid of what might happen to him that he coaxed his wife into lying in order to save himself. Was it personal initiative? No. There is nothing in the entire episode of his life to suggest that this was something that he initiated, He was not fulfilling a long-held desire or launching out on a personal endeavor for success. He was not trying to get ahead, move up the corporate ladder or increase his salary.

     This move was God's idea. Not his. There was no profit motive. No desire to improve his surroundings. No thought that his family would be better off or that life would be easier. It's hard to imagine the grass being greener on the other side of the fence when you don't have a clue where the fence is much less what's on the other side of it.

     But Abram left. He did not know where he was going. He did not know what was ahead of him. He did not know if he would ever see members of his own family again. He did not know . . .

     He only knew one thing.

     He knew WHO he was going with.

     Abraham's security was not found in a place. It was not found in being surrounded by the comforts of familiar surroundings and people. He significance was not tied up in his job. His calling was one of faith. He believed in God. He followed God. He obeyed God. It did not matter where that faith took him or what it called him to do. He believed and he lived according to that belief.

"What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness" (Rom. 4:3).

     The late and esteemed preacher, N.B. Hardeman used to warn his preacher students about, "sitting down in a tub of butter." That was his way of reminding them that a life of faith is not without sacrifice. Abraham had his sight set on something much bigger than his current circumstances. "For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God: (Heb. 11:10). He was ready and willing to move onward to greater service and ministry in the Kingdom of God.

     And the result . . .

     "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect" (Heb. 11:39-40).

     That's The Way I See It.

 
    

THE POWER OF PREACHING

I've just completed reading a short book by Willie Cato entitled, His Hands and Heart - The Wit and Wisdom of Marshall Keeble. I've had the book on my shelves for years. It was part of the collection that came from my uncle Larimore Austin of Nashville, Tennessee, following his death. Even though I've had the book for quite some time I have to confess that I've just now gotten around to reading it.

Marshall Keeble was a well known evangelist among churches of Christ during the first half of the 20th century. He was born as the son of former slaves in 1878 and passed away in 1968. He was still preaching and going strong at the time of his passing.  During the years of segregation between the races Brother Keeble preached to everyone regardless of their skin color. He baptized thousands.

One thing that impresses me about Keeble was his belief in the power of preaching the Gospel of Jesus. He was not interested in all of the "fluff" that characterizes many churches today. He often said, "just let me stretch out a tent somewhere and start preaching. God will do the rest."  Though Keeble did not complete a "formal" education he was certainly knowledgable of the Bible and believed strongly in Christian education. For a number of years he served as the President of the Nashville Christian Institute, a school which trained preachers.

On one occasion as he preached a white man jumped up from the crowd and struck Keeble in the face with a pair of "brass knuckles." Keeble fell to the ground but quickly got right back up and resumed preaching. On several occasions those who opposed his preaching were later baptized by him. He was determined to never allow resentment or bitterness to build up in his heart.

Cato tells of one interesting incident that broke the heart of the aging Keeble. Asked to preach at a large municiple auditorium Keeble had looked forward to the opportunity for months. Just before he was to speak word came to him that the organizers of the event did not want him to extend an invitation. "What?" Keeble shouted. Despite his protests the organizers were undeterred and Keeble respected their wishes. His message was noticably subdued and afterward according to Cato brother Keeble prayed openly for God's forgiveness at not going ahead and doing what he knew to be right.

I recently heard of a church where the preacher was told, "we don't want you to preach over ten minutes." The rest of the time was to be devoted to "praise and worship." Believe me when I say that I am all for "praise and worship." However, to subdue the preaching of the Gospel is to shut off the very "power of God unto salvation" (Rom. 1:16).

I'm glad I had some extra time this week to read this long neglected volume from my shelves. I wish more of our young preachers in training would be exposed to the courage, faith and fortitude of men like Marshall Keeble.

That's The Way I See It!

THE HEARTBEAT OF MINISTRY

Religious researcher George Barna  has compiled more infomation on America’s spiritual values and the growth of churches in our country over the past thirty years than anyone else I know of.  Here are some interesting comments from  Barna with regard to  the growth of a church.

“Many churches do not have a clear sense of God’s vision for ministry. Until that vision is clarified, articulated and owned by the congregation as their very heart-beat—as the thing they want to be most obedient to, as something they want to exude tremendous passion for—the church is really going to struggle. If there’s no such vision or mission, you become just a caretaker church. You merely put in your time. And we really don’t need that type of church.”

I think Barna's comments are applicable to many congregations today. Every church needs to regularly ask itself some identifying  questions, "What is our mission?"  "What is the reason for our existence?" "What do we have a passion for?"  "What is the heartbeat of our congergation?"

Many congregations have never articulated this. It's true that a lot of us have our own ideas of what the church should be about but somehow we've never come together to arrive at that common heart-beat that must define us.  

I don’t think we have to launch some extravagant or complex strategic planning session to arrive at the answer to these questions. Nor do I think its necessary to devise or develop some catchy phrase or slogan. The answer is found right before us in scripture. Listen as Jesus describes the works of his disciples in Matthew 25:31-45.

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' 37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' 41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' 44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'"

When you boil it all down our mission, given by God Himself, comes down to one simple concept - "Honoring God through Blessing Others.” The old saying in indeed true. “People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

That's The Way I See It