Author Archives: rob.haynes

Discipleship Is Not A Do-It-Yourself Project by Rob Haynes

Discipleship Is Not A Do-It-Yourself Project by Rob Haynes

Maybe you are like me and enjoy trying Do-It-Yourself (DIY) projects. I enjoy the challenge of tackling carpentry, mechanical, or other such projects. The proliferation of DIY information online, particularly on YouTube, makes it even easier to gain confidence to try new tasks. However, not everything, including Christian Discipleship, is a DIY Project. 

The Limits of DIY Faith

There is a saying I grew up with that goes something like this, “I know just enough about [that particular subject] to be dangerous.” That means I have enough knowledge of that particular thing to get started in it, but not enough to do it well, completely, or safely. We see this, to a degree, in the account of the Rich Young Ruler (see Luke 18, for example). A young man, someone of some prominence in the community, comes to Jesus and asks, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” 

What he was saying was: “What’s the minimum I need to do to get to Heaven?” The two have a dialogue about the teaching of Scriptures. The young man says that he knows the Scriptures. Jesus doesn’t argue with this. Where it falls apart is where Jesus tells the man to follow his teachings—all of them. And at this, the young man goes away sad.

Ouch. But, let’s be honest—haven’t many of us asked the same question?

The Rich Young Ruler was looking for a DIY project of faith. Give me what I need to know, and I’ll take care of it myself. I have some knowledge of the life of faith, but don’t ask me to do the stuff I don’t want to do. The Bible’s teaching is that it is not enough to just say, “Oh, yeah. That’s a good idea. Everyone else should do that.” Jesus expects each of us to be transformed by the Truth, and to live it out.

Mere recognition is not the same as trust. Sincere belief does not always equal surrender.

The Role of Community in Discipleship

John Wesley cautioned against this sort of misunderstanding. In his 1748 “An Account of the People Called Methodists”, Wesley cautioned those who keep the Bible on the shelf—even if we affirm every teaching in it—if we do not allow it to transform us. Having all the right answers, like the Rich Young Ruler, Wesley said, was a “Slender part of religion.” He went on to say that we need to have the right attitude and actions towards, and about God, as well.

That means that we need to DO what the Bible says. We call that discipleship. At its best, discipleship is not a DIY project. Elsewhere on this platform, we have discussed Wesley’s emphasis on Class Meetings and Band Meetings as a mechanism for Christians to come together to work out their salvation as they grow in holiness of heart and life. Those articles talk about much of the “how,” but I would like to emphasize some of the “why” here. 

When I teach about Class Meetings, I sometimes hear people tell me that it will never work for them. They, and the people in their communities, are too private. They would never share their Christian journey with others. Part of that, I think, has to do with a misunderstanding about the idea of a “personal relationship with Jesus.” The terminology of a “personal relationship” was a response to some parts of the church where people let the institutional Church do the thinking for them. Yes, we need a personal—everyone of us involved—relationship with Jesus. But that doesn’t mean that it is private. With gratitude to the late Eugene Peterson, let me see if I can illustrate.

People love polls. We see them on the news all the time. Let’s imagine that we heard a report from a trusted pollster who made a definitive statement about a new Netflix series. People would nod and say “Yes, I will watch that series because of what that pollster said.” But what if we learned that the pollster had only consulted one person, and that the person had only seen 10 minutes of the first episode of the series. We would rightly be suspicious of the recommendation.

But this is exactly the kind of evidence that too many Christians would accept as the FINAL truth about many, much more important matters like faith, forgiveness, God’s will in the world, eternal salvation, or the latest issue where culture and faith intersect. And the only person they have consulted is themselves. And the only experience they used to make this evaluation is the most recent 10 minutes.

Listening to a Living Word

These are complicated issues. How do we do what the Bible says, in our world today? To answer that, we need to look at the Bible and its role today. The Bible begins with “God Spoke…” The Bible is an account of how God spoke to and through people throughout history. We see that God speaks to the prophets, to shepherds, to the disciples, and others. The Bible is the record of that. However, the last writings we have are almost 2,000 years old. Is God still speaking? Since God spoke in the beginning, and throughout the record of his work, why would we think he quit there? You see, the Bible is not just a book that was once spoken, it is a book that is now speaking. It is best heard in community.

God gives us one another—other brothers and sisters in the community of faith—and the history of experiences by our biblical ancestors. The lessons of Abraham, Moses, David, Esther, Peter, Paul, and the others are still available to us. However, one who refuses to learn those lessons, in the community of other Christian disciples, is like refusing to remember to move your thumb from the top of the nail when you swing that hammer. Refusing to move it again means you will get hurt again. That is when DIY projects get dangerous.

Discipleship involves listening to the Bible that still speaks, and to do so in the community of others who are doing the same. This moves faith beyond a simple acknowledgement that we should do the right thing by living as followers of Christ. Doing less than that can be dangerous for you, and for others.

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Today In The Valley Of The Dry Bones by Rob Haynes

Today In The Valley Of The Dry Bones by Rob Haynes

I talk to many people today who seem anxious. There is a great deal of anxiety due to global conflicts, national elections, or a myriad of issues that continue to fester around the world. The attack on Christians and Christianity from people of power and influence seems to be on the rise. The answers to these problems are complex and will take years to answer. 

A World Contrary to God’s Command

We should not be surprised that the world is full of teaching and practices contrary to God’s commands and principles. Jesus said as much to his followers on several occasions. Having grown up around farms and farming, I can hear the wise old men looking at me and saying, “You shouldn’t be surprised when you look at the cow pasture and see cattle.” A careful reading of Scripture tells us that the world around us will often be hostile to Jesus’ teaching. However, for the follower of Jesus Christ, we need not lose hope. Rather, God’s Word is full of examples when He calls His followers to speak words of life-changing truth and hope.

Ezekiel and the Valley of Dry Bones

One such example is in Ezekiel’s journey to the valley of the dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14—take a minute to read that now). The Israelites are living in captivity and a long way from the Promised Land. God calls his prophet Ezekiel to a valley full of dried up bones. God asks Ezekiel if he thinks that there is hope for the death and desolation around him. The prophet’s answer to this challenge is, though his faith is small, God—in whom his faith lies—is great. These bones can live, Ezekiel says, if You will make it so.

The Power of Prophesying Life

Though God could have made those bones alive again without help, He tells Ezekiel to “prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.” (v.5) I am always fascinated and humbled that God asks His followers to be a part of His work in bringing healing and restoration on Earth. Though God does not need our help, he gives us the joy and privilege of being part of His work. Sometimes we misunderstand the term “prophecy” and think it only means foretelling. It also means forthtelling: speaking the truth in love. Here Ezekiel speaks forth the promises of God and reassures them that He will resurrect them from the grave of their crippling anxieties, of their shattered hopes and dreams. God’s Word is the source of life and vitality they are seeking. 

When Ezekiel spoke to the bones, miraculous things happened! The bones were gathered together; they grew flesh and resumed the form of living things. Yet, there was work to be done. Though they had the form of humanity again, there was no life in them yet. God told Ezekiel to prophesy—to speak the truth again—to them so that there would be breath and life in them. Then, what was once a valley full of dry bones, now contained an abundance of life—“the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.” (v.10)

A Message of Hope for Today

While this message was originally given to Israel to remind them that God would gather them together and give them new life, the message applies to Christ’s followers today. Many in the world today are unknowingly lying lifeless in the valley. Many of Jesus’ followers are looking for the mountain tops from which they call yell down into these valleys, far from the effects of being in that valley inanimate bones and decay. Maybe it is time for each of us to listen carefully for God’s commands anew. He may be calling us into a valley of bones–not to become one of them, but to speak truth and life in the middle of a broad road that leads to death and destruction. Our job is to go where God calls, to speak the word of the Lord, and to let him bring new life in the darkest and driest places.

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Of Sheep and Shepherds by Rob Haynes

Of Sheep and Shepherds by Rob Haynes

I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.

John 10:14-16

Have you noticed the animals that groups of people use to symbolize themselves? You have probably seen a nation choose to use a lion, a bear, an eagle or something similar as a symbol for the spirit of a nation and its people. They do this sometimes to inspire their own people or to take a certain posture before others. Or maybe you have seen a sports team choose a panther, a jaguar, a shark, or some other fear-inducing animal to inspire their own team and to “intimidate” their opponents.

It is interesting to me that Jesus uses a much different kind of animal as an example when referring to his followers. Time and again, when Jesus talks about people, and any who would follow Him, he compares them to sheep. That’s not a tough animal. In many ways, sheep are not all that bright. A sheep can’t find safe pasture, good water, or a place to rest without help. Without someone to guide them, they are lost and cannot go on. These are one of the animals least likely to survive on their own.

Sheep are defenseless against enemies. They don’t have claws or sharp teeth. They can’t run very fast. They are scared at the smallest noise and a single barking dog can move entire herds. They are susceptible to the smallest, inconsequential “threat” sending them running in fright.

And this is the comparison to us. Time and again.

Jesus’ answer to their needs is not what one might expect. While we may want physical security or financial assurance, He frequently does not offer those first. Rather, what Jesus offers here is something quite simple: His voice. The sheep, He tells us, need to know the Shepherd’s voice in order to find the things they want and need. When the sheep heed his voice, they will find what they are truly searching for.

How to Hear God’s Voice

People frequently tell me that they want to hear from God, that they want to know when He is speaking to them. It seems like anyone would want to hear that. Yet, how do we know God’s voice? There are three rules that apply to anyone who would want to hear someone’s voice that can apply to hearing God’s voice.

Know the Person Who is Talking

You must know the person who is talking. Not long ago my wife and I were enjoying some time in a nearby park. There were many children there enjoying the day with their families. Parents were chatting with friends and family while the children were on the playground. Before long, a child called out for someone to help her. Her mother and father knew right away that they were the ones being called. They knew their child’s voice from all the others. This works both ways: the child also knows the parent’s voice apart from all the others. When the parent calls to the child, she knows who is speaking. This is so because they spend time in a loving relationship with one another. Knowing one another’s voice is easy when this happens. If we want to hear from God, we must spend time in the means of Grace (prayer, study, worship, service, etc.) to know who He is. When we do so it will be easy to know his voice.

Turn Off The Noise

When I was young, we were preparing for a musical concert at our school. While we were in the middle of our choral rehearsal at one end of the auditorium, the technician arrived to tune the piano at the other end of the venue. I could see him straining to hear the various tones to properly tune the instrument to the tuning forks. After working against the noise of our group, he finally turned to the director and asked her to stop the rehearsal. It was impossible for him to do his job when there was so much to distract him. The same applies when we want to hear God’s voice. We may be straining to listen, but are we willing to turn off the noises to hear it better? Are we turning down social media, television, distracting music, movies, etc.? While any one of these things may be good, in and of themselves, there comes a time when we need to turn them down, or off, to hear from God.

When He Speaks, Pay Attention!

In a mountainous region of the United States, a man set off alone for a hike. He told his family that he would return around 4pm that afternoon. When he did not arrive by 8pm, his family called the local search and rescue squad. They looked for him until the early hours of the morning, but to no avail. All the while, they called his mobile phone, which he always took with him when he hiked. Imagine everyone’s relief when the hiker appeared the next morning back at the trailhead, safe and sound. He had spent the night on the mountainside alone and disoriented. When they asked about his phone and the repeated calls they had made to it, he told them that he ignored the calls “because he didn’t recognize the number” calling in.

Is God calling you and you are ignoring His calls? 

The Call of the Sheep

While going along with the mascot of our favorite team, or our home nation, is fun for the moment, we do not gain lasting power or prestige for ourselves by assuming such a posture. Rather, the call of one who would follow Jesus is as a sheep. Then we will be able to hear the shepherd. Jesus knows that we need a shepherd who will give us the guidance we need.

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When God Calls Us To The Wilderness Road by Rob Haynes

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When God Calls Us To The Wilderness Road by Rob Haynes

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There is a familiar story line I sometimes see in movies or books that goes something like this. Someone is facing a crisis and wants to overcome the current situation. The hero of the story goes to a wise master for guidance. The master gives the new student a series of tasks to do to train for the work ahead. However, the tasks seem to make no sense at all, they seem to be unrelated to the ultimate goal the student wishes to accomplish. Yet, through the patient teaching of the master, the student learns that the tasks were, in fact, preparing the student all along. 

Maybe you feel that way about your encounters with God at times. There are occasions when God calls us to do things that just don’t seem to make sense. The account of Philip and the official from Ethiopia is but one example of such a call. I encourage you to take a minute to read about their encounter in Acts 8:26-40, but I’ll give you a quick recap. Philip is called to leave Samaria and Jerusalem to go down an out-of-the-way Wilderness Road. There he encounters an Ethiopian official, a eunuch. Philip shares the Good News of Jesus and the Ethiopian is baptized in his new faith in Christ. It sounds simple, yet it is a remarkable story. The truth of which has all sorts of meaning for anyone who wants to be used by God to share faith in Jesus.

To get a better appreciation of the radical call on Philip’s ministry that led to the encounter with the man from Ethiopia we need to go to the earlier part of the chapter. Acts 8 opens with the record of the young church being persecuted by Saul, before his conversion and renaming to Paul. The apostles’ response is enthusiastic and fervent preaching of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Philip is one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. John’s Gospel tells us that he was close to Jesus. We know he was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter. He is among those preaching in chapter 8.

Philip is called to preach in Samaria. It would be hard to overstate the deep divide between Jews and Samaritans at this time. The ethnic divide is so deep, in fact, that Jews are told to not even take any dirt from the Samaritan towns on the soles of their shoes. No, they are told to shake that dust off and leave it at the edge of town rather than take it with them. 

Yet, the response to the Message of Jesus is strong. Signs, wonders, and healings are taking place. So much so that verse 8 tells us that the whole city was filled with joy. Miracles are happening. Lives are being changed. Numbers are growing. By all earthly measures, Philip’s ministry is exactly where it should be. Which leads us to an important lesson: Don’t fall into the trap of measuring your life with God in earthly metrics. It is tempting to measure our lives with God by things like our financial “net worth” (I loathe that term), our parents’ status in the community, our children’s success, membership in the right groups, or some other such thing. However, what God asks from us is faithfulness. He will produce every other success we need.

In the middle of all these wonderful things going on, God calls Philip back to Jerusalem. Maybe even that is seen as a bonus—you know, sort of like getting a promotion to the big city to take a big assignment. However, verse 26 tells us that God has something else in mind. An angel appears to him and tells Philip to leave his successful ministry. He is to go south (where very few people live). He’s to take the wilderness road to Gaza (which few people use). In addition, he’s to go in the middle of the day, according to the Greek (when few people travel). Everything points to a “reduced assignment”, we might say. Philip’s response is to go when and where he’s told.

There he encounters the Ethiopian official, headed back home after worshiping at the Temple. The fact that he’s riding in a chariot tells us that he’s particularly wealthy and powerful. Verse 29 shows us that Philip is listening to the Holy Spirit, and he’s told to go run alongside the chariot to talk with him. Which leads us to a second lesson: When God calls you to do something, it may not fit your sensibilities. See if you can capture the absurdity of the moment: Here’s Philip, a poor itinerant preacher. A fisherman by trade, now out in the deserted wilderness. He runs alongside the chariot to strike up a conversation as he overhears the official reading from Isaiah. Picture that for a second. 

We know that the official has questions. Lots of them. God leads Philip to answer them to the point where this one person is converted and baptized in a pool of water that they encounter along the way. Immediately after this, Philip is taken away, some 20 miles north. (We don’t know exactly how, but wouldn’t you love to see that instant replay?!) Third lesson: When God calls you, He’s already wherever you’re going. Look at what’s happened here: Philip is called to leave a ministry where the enemies of Israel are being converted in droves. Miracles are happening. Instead, he’s called to go in the middle of nowhere to talk to one person. Why did he ask Philip to talk to this one, nameless-to-us, person? Well, we will only find that answer on the other side of this life. However, there are a few things we can say. Christianity is not first a western thing, nor European thing. We know that it spreads to northern Africa. During the first five centuries of the church, this region of the world produced some of the greatest Christian thinkers of all time who still influence us today. They include Tertullian, Athanasius, St. Augustine, Aurelius, Clement of Alexandria, Cyprian, and Origen. These are directly influential (though centuries later) on Western thinkers like John Calvin, Martin Luther, John Wesley, and others.

According to the accounts of Acts, the Ethiopian official is the first convert outside of Jewish lineage. While we can’t be sure, it is reasonable to think that this person would have had some piece in spreading the Message of Jesus to the parts where it grew so strongly, and has influenced us so.

This is a reminder that even when things don’t make sense, pay attention to what God is doing. Philip’s call from God was clearly within his gifts. Yet, he was called to a time, a place, and a person that was clearly beyond what “normal” expectations might be. The result was far beyond what any of us could have imagined. That result began with one person faithfully following the Master’s instruction, even when they didn’t seem to make sense. Even when things aren’t the way we think they could and should be, remember that God wastes no person, no place, no thing. May we be faithful and obedient upon whatever wilderness road falls beneath our feet.

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From The Margins by Rob Haynes

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From The Margins by Rob Haynes

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Occasionally, a friend or family member will send me a piece they’ve found in the media about the “decline” of the Church. These articles, videos, podcasts, books, etc. talk about the increase in the notion of the irrelevance of the church in the lives of many in the United States and/or Europe. Usually, this is accompanied by some degree of anxiety from the one who shared it. We should, no doubt, pay attention to the trends in which people seem to be turning their backs on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Numbers shown in such statistics are not merely benign figures. They represent real people whose lives matter to God.

The changing demographics in many parts of the world will cause, and are causing, some significant challenges for churches. This comes not only in the financial realm (fewer participants means less money in the offerings, presumably), but also in terms of ministries offered, lives impacted, and resources available. Things are changing and will continue to change. This changing landscape provides us with the opportunity, and responsibility, to rethink and restructure our approaches to evangelism. 

We need to admit that we are not the first generation to face challenges in our efforts to bear witness in the public arena to the great things that Jesus has done and to do so in a way that is faithful to the gospel. This is not the first time that the church has lost the privileged voice. Today’s Christians are living on the margins, just as many have done in the past. Yet, the Church continues in her mission throughout time and through the world. This gives us hope that we are not responsible for inventing something new to solve the problem. Rather, we look to the witness of the Scriptures and the saints who have gone before. We do, after all, stand on the shoulders of giants of the faith today. Standing on such a witness, let’s looks at some at some opportunities and responsibilities that the shifts in our culture might bring for evangelism:

  • We cannot assume that the “public good” will assist us in making disciples of Jesus Christ. In the past, we could rely on the general culture to be conversant in the principles of the Christians message and, by and large, embrace them. At least this was the way the prevailing winds were blowing.
  • With this in mind, it’s important to point out that the answer is not a full-frontal attack in the culture wars. That has been tried and found wanting. Rather, it’s going to need to begin with humility and repentance. It’s okay to admit past mistakes. It’s okay to admit that you may have questions too. These make the message even more welcoming.
  • That doesn’t mean compromising the Message or seeking to do some sort of acrobatics to make it more “relevant.” The gospel is always relevant. Open the message of Jesus to others in a way that shows love and compassion. God will fill in the gaps. 
  • The world is increasingly complex and changing at an even faster pace each day, it seems. 

This means that, as those living on the margins, we need to learn from those who are shaping the culture. Learn how to speak the language. Learn what questions the culture is asking. The gospel has the answers to those questions. But you will never know how to answer them if you don’t know what the questions are in the first place.

  • At the same time, don’t get sucked into selling a bill of goods to the culture who only wants to measure usefulness in terms of individual gain, national prosperity, or economic advantage. The gospel does not fit into those frameworks. Rather, Jesus challenged all of those “advantages” and declared them all to be worth nothing compared to what He was offering.
  • It means that we need to take time to get to know our neighbors. I mean, really get to know them. They are not just another “soul to be saved.” Rather, they are people who have hopes, dreams, wants, and longings. The gospel is the only thing that will fulfill those in a meaningful way. Others will be open to hearing the gospel when they know that you actually care about them for who they are, not just an accomplishment in your evangelistic mission.
  • We must increase our practical ministries. We can learn well from the early Celtic Christian movement who embraced serving their pagan neighbors while sharing the Good News with them. They were hometown missionaries before we even had the term.
  • We must be open to the Holy Spirit leading. We need to admit that there is no single method of evangelism that works everywhere for everyone. Don’t be too quick to criticize others for how God has called them to serve. 
  • Evangelism must expect the ongoing discipleship of those who accept Jesus’ offer of Life and Life abundantly. Be prepared to take the long journey with others who express a desire to grow in their faith.

And above all else: what’s more important than HOW we evangelize is the character of the Christians who share their faith. Holiness matters. People not only need to hear that God is alive, but they need to see His followers live in such a way that they demonstrate the love of our Living God. This is a good place to recall John Wesley’s words about the Methodist movement in the West, its expanse in his lifetime:

“I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out.” (Thoughts on Methodism)

 We need not fear for the future of the Church. The Kingdom will Come and God’s Will shall be done. If we fail to fulfill our role, God will raise up another. However, remembering that Palm Sunday admonition, I don’t want a rock to take my place in crying out – or in showing and sharing the love of Jesus as He commanded us to do. If we must do that from the margins, so be it.

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Thoughts on Friends, Politics, Church, and a Faithful Witness by Rob Haynes

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Thoughts on Friends, Politics, Church, and a Faithful Witness by Rob Haynes

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God May Be Asking For a Witness, Not an Attorney by Rob Haynes

“As a lawyer for God, putting up His case, I was a failure. As a witness for God, telling what He had done for me, I was a success. As in a flash, I saw my calling: I was to be a witness! It was bitter medicine, bitterly and publicly administered, but I took the medicine and found it cured me of illusions. I would not be God’s able lawyer, but I would be a witness to grace.”

E Stanley Jones

 

I was recently in a coffee shop enjoying the morning and catching up on some reading. At a nearby table were some folks whom I know from the broader Christian community in my town. My acquaintances discussed strategies for convincing a hypothetical non-believer to become a Christian. I was struck by their tone in particular. Their conversation was framed as one in which one might win a great legal battle. They talked about how to get the other person to capitulate in an argument of wit and strategy.

The quote above comes to mind when I think about this incident in the coffee shop. E. Stanley Jones was a missionary to India. He arrived there in 1907 and had a rough start to his ministry there. His attempts to argue for God led to a real crisis of faith and ministry early on. After a careful reconsideration of his approach (and his vocational service), Jones became a significant influence on millions of people, including many world leaders.

He dedicated his life and ministry to conversations of faith with people in one-on-one settings, small groups, and large seminars. He held to six principles of faith-sharing:

  1. Frankness. Jones made sure that his hearers knew that the reason for their gathering was a faith-sharing opportunity.
  2. Humility. He never attached another’s religion in his messages. “If there is an attack in [the message], it must be a positive presentation of Christ. He himself must be the attack.”
  3. Openness. He never shied away from difficult questions, but rather welcomed careful examination and reflection.
  4. Deference. He made sure the others in his conversations felt valued and appreciated.
  5. Christ-Centered. He never shied away from the necessity of faith in Jesus.
  6. Experiential. Jones felt that “Christ must be interpreted in terms of the Christian experience rather than mere argument.”

In our present day and age, it seems like there are many who want to argue. However, maybe God is asking you to be his witness, not his attorney. Jesus told his disciples that they were to be just that: Witnesses. What if your approach to sharing Jesus took on these six principles?

To finish the opening quote from Brother Stanley (as he preferred to be called), he said,

“And I have been a witness – a witness before princes and peasants, before Brahmans and outcastes, before the mighty and the miserable, of what Christ has done for an unworthy recipient. I have found that this is what people want to hear – testimony of what has happened and is happening to you.”

Jones proved to be an effective witness for Christ in the pluralistic society in India of the 20th Century. The pluralistic societies of our day can be reached in much the same way. Everywhere we turn there is someone willing to argue. Yet, this principle remains: people truly want to hear a testimony of what has happened and is happening to you. Giving them that testimony steeped in Brother Stanley’s principles can prove just as effective today.

Where might God be calling you to not be his attorney, but rather his witness?

Have They Heard of Your Faith? by Rob Haynes

Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you … Ephesians 1:15-16a

 

At World Methodist Evangelism, we are committed to helping people show and share the love of Jesus. While that may be easy to say, it is much harder for many people to do. I know several folks who will gladly tell you all about a great movie they saw, a book they read, or a song they heard. However, those same people—though they may be devoted followers of Jesus—may be hesitant to share their strong faith and their love for God’s people. Yet, telling of the wonderful things we’ve learned in Jesus is way more important than the latest movie, book, or song. For many, it can be simply overwhelming to know where to start. I get it. However, that does not mean it is impossible to learn how to begin.

The church in Ephesus learned how to share their faith in Jesus, and it was closely tied to the demonstration of their love for the people in their community. It was so strong, in fact, that Paul heard about it though he was many miles away. Paul had planted this church and was staying in regular contact with them. Well, as best as he could in that day and age. From our contemporary perspective, we may look back at the churches in the Bible as full of Super-Christians. While there were certainly many faithful people, they had their challenges and difficulties. Ephesus was a cosmopolitan community, full of various pagan religions. The book of the Acts of the Apostles tells us that they were so committed to these pagan deities (and against Jesus) that they rioted at the idea that Paul would suggest they abandoned those deities for the One True God. (see Acts 19)

It was probably not easy to be a Christian in ancient Ephesus at the time of Paul’s letter. The church at Ephesus did not respond with despair and hand wringing. Nor did they huddle up and hide, looking into one another. They practiced a faith in Jesus. Just like in Ephesus, many in the culture today are proclaiming that they will follow the gods of their own design and choosing, rather than the One True God.

The Ephesian church demonstrated a faith in Jesus that was so infectious, it overflowed in their love of the people. Faith moves beyond mere belief. The integrity of our faith is evident in the living out of our beliefs. This is best done when we take seriously the fact that Jesus, the Messiah, calls us to live a transformed life that reflects the Bible’s teachings more and more every day.

Faith in Jesus is the humility to see the world as it is and the audacity to believe that God is working, even now, to bring the kingdom inaugurated in Jesus of Nazareth. To do so means that we move confidently in the assurance that God wants to transform us into windows of the Kingdom for others. Which leads us to the second thing Paul mentions: Love for the Saints.

The people of the church in Ephesus were at odds with many of their neighbors. But look at what made the difference: Their love for one another. A love that has that same bold audacity that Christ wants to—and will make—a change in other people. Do the people outside the church—those who would not consider themselves part of the church or a follower of Jesus—know that the church loves them? Or that God loves them?

Who has heard of your faith in Jesus? Or the Love for the People? Who is giving thanks for it? Living in the same fear, operating out of the same panic mindset that we see in the world, does not represent the Body of Christ well. Who wants to give thanks for that? That’s everywhere in the culture today. Rather, the Scriptures point us to something greater: the Mission of the Kingdom of God. That’s a big task, and likely the reason that many feel overwhelmed when sharing their faith. Maybe the solution is in how we view the problem.

In 1939, George Dantzig was a graduate student in California. He was studying statistics with Professor Jerzy Neyman. At the beginning of one class session, Dr. Neyman wrote two examples of unsolvable problems on the blackboard. George happened to arrive late to class that day and mistakenly thought the unsolvable problems were their homework assignment. He wrote them in his notebook and went to work. Eventually George solved both problems. Later, an ecstatic Dr. Neyrnan knocked on George’s door to share the news. A bewildered George apologized, thinking the assignment was overdue. That’s when Dr. Neyman informed George that he had solved two of statistics’ unsolvable problems. “The problems seemed to be a little harder than usual,” George later recalled. George Dantzig went on to earn his PhD in statistics and develop systems that continue to shape our world today in the areas of transportation, energy, and business. But the origin of his impact on the world can be traced back to those two problems and his attitude towards them: In his own words, “If someone had told me they were two famous unsolved problems, I probably wouldn’t have even tried to solve them.”

The beauty of sharing our faith is that it is not an unsolvable problem. Rather, Christ has already provided the solution. In His divine wisdom, he has asked us to be a part of the Mission. He is asking us to come to the problem with available hands, willing hearts, and faith in Him. Let Christ do the rest. Then others will hear of your faith and your love for the saints.

An Empty Chair and Evangelism by Rob Haynes

Let me tell you the story of a young man whom we will call “Victor.” This story catches up with Victor in his early twenties. He had a difficult childhood, and both of his parents had passed by the time he was twenty years old. He had fallen into several destructive habits in his late teens, habits that he continued to practice with gusto. 

Some friends invited him to church, and he decided to go along a few times. On one particular occasion, he became aware of his need for Jesus and responded to an altar call at the end of the service. The lay leader who prayed with him up front was nice and offered “to help him in anyway,” but Victor never saw him again. At his own initiative, Victor later reached out to the youth pastor at the church for direction.

 Victor explained to the youth pastor what had happened in that church service. He told him of a sense that God was calling him to work with teenagers, but he knew he needed to grow in his own faith first. Victor said he needed to put these destructive habits away, but he had no idea where to begin. Could the youth pastor help him? 

The youth pastor said he understood. He gave Victor a thick book to read and told him, when he finished it, to come back and they would talk about it. Victor was still confused. He wanted someone to show him how to live out this new calling that he sensed and wasn’t sure how a book was going to help. He felt intimidated by the book and was too embarrassed to tell the youth pastor about it. He still felt certain of his need for God but was more confused about how to go about it than before.

 This true story illustrates an all too common tale in the church today. However, our spiritual ancestor, Mr. John Wesley, was keenly aware of the need to work to prevent this scenario. 

He cautioned the Methodist preachers that to make people aware of their need for God, but not give them the means to work out that awareness, was a travesty. This is a key reason he developed the Class Meeting. As I have written in this space before, a re-engagement with the Wesleyan pattern of the Class Meeting is key for the future of the Wesleyan/Methodist movement. These weekly small group meetings have produced great fruit for spiritual growth for centuries. While it is easy to think about such groups as a way to disciple those who are already deeply committed to Jesus, they can be excellent tools for evangelism as well.

 By some accounts, around half of all the people who came to follow Jesus in the Methodist Revival of the 1700s in England did so in a Class Meeting. There are some advantages to a Class Meeting for evangelism:

  1. Imagine a scenario where Victor had made his need for Jesus known in a church with Class Meetings. The pastor or lay leader could have put him into a group of believers who could answer his questions about faith, spiritual practices, and the need for Jesus.
  2. People who may be skeptical about faith can see a small group of Jesus followers embodying lives that want more of the Risen Christ in their hearts every day. This sort of living is infectious.
  3. The power of community is paramount, especially these days. Many who become followers of Jesus will lose friends, family connections, and face ridicule and scorn. They need a community which will accept them and their questions as they grow in the Love of Jesus.

These are, of course, just a starting point. The reality is that lines between evangelism and discipleship are often blurry. Many people are discipled in the journey of evangelism, and evangelism takes place during the discipleship process. While the Class Meeting is an important tool for spiritual growth for those who have already made a decision to follow Jesus, it can also be an excellent way to welcome those who are exploring what it means to make a decision to say “yes” to God’s offer of hope and salvation.

One way that members of Class Meetings can remember this intertwined reality of discipleship evangelism is by intentionally leaving an empty chair in the room where they meet each week. An open seat can serve as a prompt to pray for and invite others to join them on the journey of Christian faith.

Though he struggled for a while longer, Victor eventually found a community of faith at a different church. He was baptized and now serves as a pastor. However, these stories don’t always turn out with such a positive ending. Only when the local Christian community answers the call can the narrative turn. Will you look for people like him to show and share the love of Jesus? Will you make room for the people whom God will bring to you? What are the ways, both literally and figuratively, in which you can leave an open seat for conversations about faith?

Not If, But When by Rob Haynes

I live in an area that is susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical weather. Frequently, when my neighbors and I talk about these big storms, you will hear the phrase, “Not if but when the storm comes…” Throughout the year we prepare our homes, our churches, and our businesses to face the wrath of the storms that will eventually come our way. Like millions of other people who live in such areas, we make these plans year after year. Some may say that we should just move away, but aren’t all of us exposed to natural disasters of other types in some way?

In many ways, the Christian life is like this. Even though we may follow Jesus closely, and do exactly what we are told to do, we will still find ourselves in the midst of the storm sometimes. In those storms, Jesus calls us to even deeper expressions of faith. In Matthew 14, we see the record of when Jesus called Peter to step out of the boat and walk on the water of the Sea of Galilee in the middle of a storm. While the miracle of walking on water is significant, if we take a look at some of the other points in the account, we can see ways that we can follow Christ in the midst of the storms that come our way.

It’s important to embrace the fact that even when we follow Jesus closely, we are not immune from difficulties and trials. Matthew’s gospel tells us that the disciples were caught in a raging storm even though they were doing exactly what they had been instructed to do. In verse 22, we see that Jesus commanded them to cross the Sea of Galilee. These travelers in the boat were not wayward followers. Rather, they were faithful to follow Jesus’ command. Yet, they were still caught in a storm and had been working for hours, straining against the winds and the waves. They were struggling and most likely exhausted. I wonder if they were questioning how they got into such a difficult situation. Did Jesus know what they were getting into? Did he put them in this storm on purpose? 

When the disciples saw Jesus in the storm, they couldn’t quite figure out who he was or what he was doing. Jesus doesn’t condemn them for that. Rather, he tells them to take heart and to not be afraid. He says, “It is I.” Well, at least in many English translations that is what he says. In the Greek text, Jesus says, “I AM.”  By using these words, he echoes the Old Testament record of God’s appearance to Moses. When Moses asks for God’s Name, he simply answers, “I AM.” Jesus is telling the disciples  ‘I am God; you are not alone.’ He doesn’t give them reasons for why they shouldn’t be afraid by saying things like, “I can calm this storm.” Or “I can walk on water.” Rather he tells them that the LORD, the Great I AM is right here. Jesus is saying, “I AM everything you are looking for and everything you need.”

Then comes the apex of the story for many: Peter’s reply is “IF it is you…” In the minds of many people at this time, there was no doubt that God could give someone the ability to walk on water. The question was: Did God give Jesus that ability? Is this God before me? Peter’s request seems to be more like, “If it is you, pick me over everyone else to come out there.” Peter has a habit of wanting to be picked first over the rest. 

Place yourself in the picture for just a moment. Where are you? Are you, like Peter, wanting to get to do the special things? Sometimes, you just have to get out of the boat. Are you sitting in the back of the boat, wishing you had said something? Are you hiding and hoping Jesus doesn’t call you to get out of the boat? Notice once again, that Peter is doing exactly what he is supposed to be doing, but the storm is still blowing. Even the boldest acts of obedience do not guarantee the absence of trials and tribulations.

When Peter was walking on the waves to Jesus, he made the mistake of taking his eyes off of the one who had just assured them that I AM. When he focused on the storm he was filled with doubt. This is easy to do in the storms of life. We may doubt that God has called us, that God is with us, that God is looking out for you, or that God knows what he is doing. So, you try to help God out. This passage reminds us that even in the midst of the storm, even in the midst of our doubts, God still has our hand we call out to him. No need to help him out.

However, if we only focus on the storm, we will lose sight of Jesus. When storms come your way, do you fret and dwell upon them? Or do you look for other ways that God may be working in the situation? Rather than focus on the rain and the wind blowing all around, the call of the Christ is to focus on the presence of God.

I find it fascinating that it is only when Jesus is in the boat does the storm calm down. Then everyone in the boat worshiped him. This isn’t just praise, but full-fledged worship. They confess, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”

Those who first proclaimed the Good News of the Risen Christ in Jerusalem, Judea, and through the earth were witness to the storm and to the One who was with them in the storm. What are the storms you are going through? What are the storms you have been through? How can God use those storms, and His presence with you in the midst of them to make a difference in someone else’s life?

Sometimes, showing and sharing the love of Jesus with someone is walking through difficult situations with them. Sometimes it is inviting others to worship Jesus with you in the middle of life’s storms. Or it may be bearing witness to the faithfulness of God’s presence in any storm. Even in the Christian life it is not a matter of if, but of when. May the great I AM find us looking to him in any storm.