Two church leaders met on the street one day. One asked the other, “Have you heard about Harry? He embezzled his company out of nearly half a million dollars.”
The other man replied, “That’s terrible! I never did trust Harry.”
“Not only that,” the first man continued, “he left town and took Charlie’s wife with him.”
“That’s awful!” came the reply. “Harry has always been a scoundrel.”
The first man said, “There’s more. Harry stole a car to make his getaway.”
“That’s outrageous! I always did think that Harry had a bad streak in him.”
“It gets even worse. Witnesses say that Harry was quite drunk when he drove out of town.”
“Harry’s no good. That’s for sure. But now that he’s gone, who are we going to get to teach his Sunday school class this week?’
“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”—2 Timothy 2:2.
“Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.”—James 3:1.
Several years ago a tornado ripped through a small mid-western town. The local newspaper reported on the event, stating that the storm that blew away the Methodist church did no real damage to the town!
That’s a scary proposition that gives every Christian a reason to stop and wonder about the effectiveness of their congregation. If your church would suddenly cease to exist, would your community even miss it?
Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We must always strive to be relevant and effective, impacting the lives of the people around us in a positive way so that the kingdom of God will grow.
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?…You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden…let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”—Matthew 5:13-16.
The Bible uses several illustrations to point out the importance of bringing people to Jesus.
In Luke 15:3-7, Jesus tells a parable about a lost sheep. The shepherd leaves the rest of the flock in order to find the one that is lost. When he finds it, he calls his friends and neighbors to come and rejoice with him because the lost sheep has been found. Jesus says that there is rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents.
In Luke 5:1-11, Jesus performs a miracle in which the disciples are able, in one cast of the net, to catch enough fish to cause two boats to begin to sink. He then commissions them to “fish for people”.
In John 4:34-38, Jesus tells his disciples that the fields are “ripe for harvest”. Just as the crops become ready to be brought into the barn, people are ready to be brought into the kingdom of God.
All of these examples—finding lost sheep, fishing for people and harvesting a crop—require deliberate action on the part of those who would participate in evangelism. Those who want to be a part of bringing people to Jesus must make the decision to actively engage in the process.
One of my favorite sources of wisdom is the resident philosopher at the Maysville Ledger Independent, Ponto the Office Dog. In one of his most recent musings, Ponto had this to say about leadership—“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.”
It stands to reason that you can’t lead people in the right direction if you don’t know which way to go yourself. Many have been led astray by people who simply didn’t know where they were going.
Secondly, you have to go that way yourself if you really want to lead people. It’s often not good enough to simply point people in the right direction. They probably won’t take your advice if they don’t see you going that way yourself.
Finally, a leader has to show the way. People want to understand why you are going in that certain direction rather than any of the other directions you might have taken. A necessary part of leadership is to explain the journey to your followers as they go with you along the way.
Of course, Jesus is the ultimate leader. He says, “…I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6).
As I write this, the 2020 Olympic Games—held in 2021 because of the pandemic—are winding down. Soon all the athletes will be home and either contemplating retirement or thinking ahead to their next big competition.
The Bible often describes the Christian life as being like a race. We can learn some things from the sports world that will help us do a better job of living for Jesus.
First of all, participating in competitive racing requires some training. This involves watching what you eat and exercising vigorously. At the beginning of this year I set a goal of losing 10 pounds. As of this morning I have 14 pounds to go!
1 Timothy 4:12 says, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” Exercise does us some good. Let’s take care of our bodies, since, as followers of Jesus, our bodies are a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. Take a walk. Ride a bike. Lift some weights. Just get moving! It will do you some good.
But this verse emphasizes training for godliness even more than physical training. Every time we say a prayer, read Scripture, worship God, do a good deed or witness to someone about Jesus we exercise our spiritual muscles. Every time we exercise spiritually we get stronger and become better equipped to run our race for Jesus.
Hebrews12:1-3 describes our race: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
Many great heroes of the faith—like those listed in Hebrews 11—have gone before us and shown us how to live for God, trusting in him no matter what happens in life. They taught us by their example that we should never give up.
In order to run for Jesus, of course we have to throw off any sin that could entangle us. Don’t be tripped up by trying to live according to worldly values rather than the holy life that God calls us to live. As a matter of fact, it is not only sin that impedes us. We are to throw off “everything that hinders”. It is possible to be distracted by things that are not necessarily sinful, such as our career, our family, our hobbies, pleasures and other pursuits. Don’t let anything keep you from running your best race for Jesus.
This Hebrews text also calls for us to fix our eyes on Jesus. A passing glance is not good enough. Fix your gaze on our perfect example—Jesus. He showed us how to live. And he endured far more suffering than any of us ever will. Consider what Jesus went through so that you will not lose heart.
Finally, let’s look at 1 Corinthians 9:24-27—“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
Only a few Olympic runners receive medals, but everyone who finishes the race for Jesus receives the prize of eternal life! So don’t falter! Don’t give up! The Bible offers no rewards for those who used to follow Jesus, but then gave up. But for those who persevere, God promises an eternal home in heaven!
A couple of preachers got together for a cup of coffee one day. During the course of the conversation one minister asked the other, “How many people do you have in your church?”
“About 100”, was the reply.
“How many of them are active?”
“All 100.”
“Really? I find it hard to believe that you have 100 members and all of them are active!”
“It’s true. 50 of them are actively supporting me and the other 50 are actively working against me!”
Sadly, this humorous story holds some truth for many congregations. It’s a shame that Christians can’t be more in harmony with one another. Jesus prayed that his followers would be united so that the world would know that God had sent Jesus to save the world (John 17). Much of our evangelistic success will depend on our ability to get along with one another.
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”—Ephesians 4:3.
Some people complain about growing older, but if you think about it there are some benefits of aging. For one thing, you are not as likely to be kidnapped. And if you do happen to find yourself in a hostage situation you are likely to be the first one released.
Another positive thing about being older is that people are more patient with you. No one expects you to run. Anywhere. Ever.
Oh, here’s a good one. No one views you as a hypochondriac no matter how much you complain about your many ailments. They think that at your age this is normal.
By the time you get to be a senior citizen, there are no more lessons to be learned the hard way. You’ve already done all that!
What else? Oh, you can eat supper at 4:00pm if you want.
And the things you buy won’t ever wear out. They will last you for the rest of your life!
So, there are some benefits of aging. But for those of you who do not yet consider yourself to be old, here is some good advice—“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come…” (Ecclesiastes 12:1).
I feel that I am learning some things as I grow older. For example, I know that I need to take better care of myself. My goal is to lose 10 pounds this year. I only have 14 to go.
I have also learned that women who carry a little extra weight tend to live longer than the men who mention it.
I have learned not to bore kids with stories of how hard I had it when I was their age. They don’t really care that I had to walk 9 feet through a shag carpet to change the TV channel.
I have learned to be satisfied with who I am. I may not be that funny or athletic or good-looking or smart or talented…I forgot where I was going with this.
I have learned that in order to learn something new I must forget five things in order to make room in my brain.
Seriously, let’s keep learning!
“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”—2 Timothy 3:14-16.
One of the biggest sports news stories in some time is that Simone Biles withdrew from the gymnastic team competition in the Tokyo Olympics. This decision came just as the USA team was to compete for the gold medal. This development shocked the sports world. Many, if not most, consider Biles to be the greatest of all time in her sport. She has been able to perform feats in competition that have never been done before. Her strength and agility are absolutely amazing.
However, Simone suddenly lost her confidence. She became unable to determine the position of her body as she flipped and twisted through the air. This sometimes happens to gymnasts. They call it “the twisties”. It is similar to a golfer getting “the yips” and suddenly becoming unable to make a putt. The twisties can be dangerous for a gymnast. It must be an awful feeling to not be sure if you are going to land on your feet or on your head!
Biles did the right thing by pulling out of the competition. She realizes that there is more to life than gymnastics, and that she had to protect herself. Her teammates were shocked at first, but steadied themselves with a determination that made us proud. Simone cheered from the sidelines as her teammates valiantly competed, finally settling for the silver medal instead of the gold that had been expected of them.
This story reminds us that athletics is not just about physical health, but mental health as well. Before her decision to withdraw, Biles had said, “I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times.”
Pressure is something that all elite athletes must deal with, and sometimes it affects their mental well-being. World-class tennis player Naomi Osaka has received support for recently admitting that she has some concerns about her mental health. Former Olympic champion swimmer Michael Phelps now advocates the importance of tending to the mind after his past experiences of dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts.
Some critics say that these athletes need to toughen up and work their way through these feelings, but most people are more sympathetic and understand that even the strongest people sometimes suffer from the pressures of life.
Paul the apostle, who is considered by many people to be the greatest Christian of all time, certainly felt the pressure at times, and he was not too proud to let it show. In 2 Corinthians 1:8 he writes, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.” In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul lists some of his many troubles: opposition from his enemies, physical torture, death threats, and shipwrecks to name a few. Then he says in v.28, “Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.”
So if you sometimes feel a heavy burden from the pressures of life, just know that you are in good company. World-class athletes and Jesus’ apostles have also felt the pressure.
Here are a couple of suggestions for what to do when you are feeling overwhelmed. First, it might be that you need to step back and take a break. Jesus says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39). You can’t do your best job of loving your neighbor if you haven’t first loved yourself enough to address any issues you might be having with your mental well-being. Take some time for self-healing and then get back in the game.
Secondly, trust God to get you through any crisis that has you feeling the pressure. 2 Corinthians 1:9-10 says, “Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us.”
Feeling the pressure? Then take care of yourself and trust God. He has not promised to exempt us from troubles, just to see us through them. In John 16:33 Jesus says, “…In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
