Jump Start # 3657

Acts 13:36 “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers, and underwent decay.”

His name was Lee, and he was my friend. He was one of three shepherds that invited me to come and work with the people of God in New Albany more than sixteen years ago.  He was a businessman. He was a gifted leader. He was a friend of God. Multiple times, he opened up his home for gatherings. Always learning, he brought a fresh perspective to the eldership. He led a group of men in a mentoring program that he paid for out of his own pocket. The family sold the business that he and his brothers operated for decades. And because of that, he had the two elements that most people long for in life—time and money.

Oh, the things we’d like to do, if we only had the time. Life can be so busy. Places we’d like to go, books we’d like to read, things we’d like to do, but there are too many other things requiring our time. Some, have the time, but they do not have the resources. Tight budgets limits what they can do. To have both the time and the money, wouldn’t that be nice!

Lee had them both. Retired, he now had the time. Selling the family business, he now had the resources. Instead of spending his days in a boat fishing or on a golf course, or even jet setting around the world, he decided to go back to school. He earned an MBA. Not just any MBA, but an MBA in entrepreneurship. When I heard that I wondered a loud to him, “Why? You are already an entrepreneur.” But, he had plans. He had a dream and a goal.

He went to a small college in Florida and started teaching business classes. He spent his time touching hearts and shaping young minds to enter the complex business world with godliness and righteousness. His days were spent teaching demanding college classes, writing lesson plans, grading papers, studying, research, sitting in meetings and listening to the complaints and excuses of young people. Most would run from that. His example touched more lives than his actual teaching. He didn’t need to teach. He didn’t need the money. He had spent a lifetime working. Most would say, it’s time to slow down, catch your breath and do what you want to do. He was doing just that, what he wanted to do.

I’ve come to believe that it’s in the DNA of that family. His parents impacted so many lives through their years of godly living. One of his brothers, who also retired with him, took up preaching. Not an life of leisure nor the dream that many retirees would want.

A few days ago, the Lord called Lee home. It was quick, unexpected and shocking to all that knew him. His family and friends gathered to remember a life well lived. A school paused to honor a dedicated servant. A church saw the steps of a good man.

It was said that his heart went bad, but we know better. His heart, in many ways, was so much better than ours. Medically, there was a problem. But, spiritually, there was such an amazing example. How many of us reach retirement age,  and decide to spend the rest of our time playing and doing what we feel like doing? With time, talent, opportunity and often, resources, how much of a gift senior saints could be to a home congregation. But the problem is, they are rarely home. They on the road, sightseeing and having fun.

Our verse today reminds us that David served the purpose of God in his generation. Maybe we don’t have the energy we once did. Maybe we can’t do all that we once did. However, when I think about my friend, Lee, and the choices he made, it sure makes one wonder if we have just laid down the sword and given the kingdom to others. There are a lot of congregations that could sure use the wisdom of older Christians. There are a lot of places that need godly shepherds. Can’t do it, some say. Gotta run to the beach. Then, gotta visit a few parks. Then gotta see the grandkids. Then gotta watch some TV.

Most would say, why? However, my Lee saw it as a grand opportunity to teach young hearts the Biblical way of navigating in today’s business environment. Paul told the Philippians, “Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near” (4:5). Those that got in the vicinity of Lee were made better because of his gentle spirit.

I am so thankful that I worked with him and beside him for so many years. I loved his ideas that he brought to the table. I loved his tender heart and compassionate way of helping people. I was strengthened to see him stand with the Lord.

Finding ways to help others. That’s what this is all about. Help guide young preachers. Help those newly married couples. Help those young parents. Help in leading God’s people. The rest that God promises follows a labor that we have been committed to. I wonder if some need no rest, because they have so rarely labored in the kingdom. Oh, they’ve been busy, just busy doing what they felt like and what they wanted to do.

Selfless, serving, committed—that’s the way Jesus was. That’s the way I’ll always remember Lee as.

Our lives intersected, and I was made the better.

Thank you, Lord.

Roger

Jump Start # 3540

Acts 13:36 “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay.”

It was hard to find. Down a gravel road and up a path that led to the top of a hill. There in the clearing, among trees,  was a very old cemetery. And, tucked in the very back of that cemetery was the grave that I was looking for. His name was Obadiah and he was a preacher of the N.T. way, a long time ago. Nearly forgotten completely by this generation, there are just a few traces of reports that he submitted to a few publications a long time ago. But, oh the good that he did.

He came to Indiana when there were more bears and Indians than settlers. But as a young man he caught that restoration spirit that was beginning to fill the prairie landscape. The Bible and only the Bible would be his rule of faith. Worship that modeled what was found by those first churches in the book of Acts, was the course and the direction that he followed.

Obadiah and others began preaching in tiny log cabins in Indiana. Quickly, enough pioneers became believers that congregations were formed. The first congregation established in Owen County was called Bethel or more commonly, Dutch Bethel, because of the community of Dunkards who spoke a form of broken German that people referred to as Pennsylvania Dutch. Within a dozen years the Bethel congregation numbered over 200 and soon another congregation was formed, called Bethsaida. Obadiah became the preacher at that new congregation.

Today, there no longer is a congregation at Bethel. An empty church building sits across from a cemetery. Bethsaida is the name of a road. There are no remains of that church building today. But down that dusty gravel road sits a cemetery back in the woods where lies many of those first believers who made up those pioneer congregations. There has always been a special tug on my heart for sweet Owen County, Indiana. It is here that my ancestors settled and many were some of those first believers who met in the log cabins in the wilderness in the mid-1820’s.

And, one of those steady and consistent voices in those early years was Obadiah Winters. His name is found on some early marriage records. He submitted a few updates and reports concerning the wellbeing of the congregations in those communities. And, that’s about it. I find no articles that he ever wrote. In books written about the restoration movement, his name is ignored. Even books specifically about Indiana restoration, one would not find his name. He has been forgotten by history.

Our passage reminds us that David served the purpose of God in his generation. Every generation has a few names that are carried on by their achievements and history. But most are forgotten. And, that is true Biblically. Beyond the apostles, we know a handful of names that are listed throughout the text, but think about those 3,000 in Acts two or the 5,000 in Acts four. Who were they? Forgotten by history, but known to Heaven.

And, from this there are some lessons for us:

First, those who strive to make a name for themselves usually make a mess of things. Just think about your direct descendants. You may be able to know the names of several generations back in your family, but for most of us, that’s about it. A name. A name and some dates. Born. Married. Died.

Even the superstars are soon forgotten. Such is the nature of life. The road to glory and being famous and known comes with a price most shouldn’t pay. One looses their humility, dignity and focus by trying to be something that they are not. The early Christians were simple, common people. Those early Indiana disciples were cut from that same mold. We live. We work. We try to make a difference in these times.

Second, God never forgets those who belong to Him. A cup of cold water given in the name of the Lord is remembered by the Lord. Our toil. Our labor. Our efforts. None of these are in vain. Those who live for shout outs, recognition and praise, miss the focus of what our work in the kingdom is about. It’s not us. We are merely tools that belong to the Lord. We are shovels, and rakes and hammers and saws and it is the Lord who works through us. What is accomplished isn’t about us, it is to the honor of the Lord. God will grant rest and peace to those who have labored in His kingdom.

Third, as I stood in that tiny, nearly forgotten cemetery, looking at the grave of Obadiah, I said a silent prayer. I hoped that I could do the good that he has done. And, when my time comes to leave this place, I may be lost in a forgotten cemetery. If there be coming generations, no one may know of the work that I have done. But the Lord will. And, that’s what truly matters.

A moment in time. A drop in eternity. Battles for the truth. Passionate preaching. Love for lost souls. Although our times are so different, ole’ Obadiah and I have a lot in common. And, I do hope that I can spend some time with him in the eternal.

An old grave in a forgotten tiny cemetery. A voice that once preached. A heart that made a difference. Obadiah Winters (1804-1876) – one of my unknown heroes.

Roger

Jump Start # 2548

Acts 13:36 “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay.”

We are adding on to the church building where I attend. Rooms are being changed and things are being moved. There are growing pains that comes with getting larger. Need more room is a great problem to have, but it is a problem. One of the rooms that is being eliminated is what I’ve called my archive room. It’s packed. It’s filled with my restoration history collection. There are literally hundreds of old journals, books and papers that I have collected through the years. So, all of this had to be moved to another room. It’s been a pain—literally, mentally and emotionally. For a while my office floor was covered with old religious magazines. Hundreds of them filled the floor. There was just a small path for me to walk through.

I looked up one day from studying and just stared at the mess on my floor. All those old religious magazines. Many were written by spiritual giants in their days. So many articles, teaching the truth of God’s word and sharing the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. Looking at that made me think about a few things:

First, I expect none of those writers ever dreamed that those articles would still be floating around seventy-five to a hundred years after they were written. As our verse tells us, we serve our generation. Many of those were written before the depression and before World War II. My, how the world has changed since those days. Laptops, tablets have replaced the old manual typewriter that those first articles were written on. Email, texting and Facebook can send things faster and cheaper than printing and mailing ever could.

It makes one think about what we do. Will something we do still be floating around in a hundred years if the Lord allows this ole’ world to continue on? I wonder if someone in a hundred years from now will stumble across one of these Jump Starts? It’s hard to think and imagine such things. It’s hard to know how people will communicate and share things in the future.

Second, aside from a few collectors, university libraries, and history nuts, like myself, most of those old magazines have been tossed, burned and thrown away. Very few know about these things. Several of the papers have become digitalized and the need for the actual physical paper is no longer necessary. But what is so astounding is that those articles still teach. The folks that wrote those articles have been on the other side for a long time, but their words are still true. That’s the unique aspect of the Gospel and truth. Time doesn’t change it. God’s word doesn’t become outdated. Many of those old articles could be reprinted today and they would help us in our walk with the Lord. Technology changes. Times change. But our need for Jesus never does and the saving message of God never does. The nature and structure of God’s church doesn’t change. Our very core issues, the preciousness of life, our walk with the Lord, our need to put distance between us and the world, holiness, the value of worship, the reliability of God’s word—those core principles remain true today. Storms have come and gone. Wars have come and gone. Presidents have come and gone. Yet, even today, the people of God turn to that Holy Book for comfort, hope, answers and truth. The value of life is determined by our Creator, not by Hollywood, a bank account or a politician.

Third, the battles we fight are today. We cannot fight yesterday’s battles. We are unable to know and fight the battles of tomorrow. We can discuss the merits of the Civil War, but we weren’t there. Our thinking is shaped by our times. Some are always wanting to know what’s the next big issue facing the church. No one really knows. We live in the present. We must serve this generation. We must look at where we are and what we have and do the best we can for the Lord. How can we get people into the Bible? How do we address the concerns of today? How do we strengthen families today? That’s where our preaching needs to be. That’s where our focus must be. This generation. Now. God has put us here in this time for a reason. We must use every tool and every advantage for the kingdom of God.

Fourth, the good that we do must be measured by Heaven and not others. Someday, if the Lord allows, you and I will be a part of history. We will be voices of the past. Future generations will look at us and make judgments. Our concern is not there, but what God thinks about what we do. “Well done,” are the words that the Master told the five talent man. Well done. That’s what we must be about. We must do the work of the Lord well. Using all that we have about us today, we must do what we can. Some seem to remain in the past. The methods that they use are old and outdate and not very effective. Some do not want to embrace the tools we have today. A guy can build a house today using a hand saw. It will take him a long time and he’ll be worn out by the time he gets finished. Or, he can use power equipment that are not only faster, but more accurate and more efficient. The same goes with how a congregation reaches others. Hand saw or power saw? There was a time when there was only one choice. It’s not that way today. Which is being a better servant and steward? Websites. Facebook. Twitter. Videos. Podcasts. Emails. That’s the norm of today. We must find ways to use those tools to the best.

I thought long and hard about whether or not to keep all of these old things. I did purge some. It’s hard for me. I suppose my children will have a big bonfire someday. It will be their choice.

Roger

Jump Start # 1931

Acts 13:36 “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his father, and underwent decay.”

Recently, I have been reading the history of Washington County, Indiana. It’s a book that was first written in the 1880’s. My interest is in early church history, especially those connected to the restoration movement. That county isn’t far from where I live and I’ve done a bit of preaching there and know a lot of people from there. I find the stories about the early days of hunting bears and dealings with Indians to be most fascinating. Last night, I read about a pioneer that shot a bear out of a tree. The bear then put both paws on the man’s shoulders and started shaking him. The man was saved by his dogs who irritated the bear so much that it left. Fascinating.

I thought about that pioneer and his world and how different it was from my world. Surviving was most important for that early settler. Surviving weather, Indians and wild animals. He never thought about retirement savings, as I do. The thought of assisted living insurance never crossed his mind. It does mine. Clearing some trees so he could plant some corn was important to that pioneer. He worked hard. Life was hard. Accidents, disease, and attacks from wild animals and Indians kept many from living very long. One story I read took place at a wedding. The groom wasn’t there. Word came that he had been bitten by a rattlesnake and died. The wedding party got up and went to his funeral. Unbelievable.

While our worlds are so different, some things remain the same. Some things have never changed.

Worry remains the same. I don’t think about Indians. The last time I thought about any Indian was when I went to a ballgame this summer in Cleveland. Those early pioneers worried about weather, surviving and getting through the winter. Our worries are about our kids getting through college, having enough to retire on and driving in traffic. Worry is the same. Whether we are worrying about bears or bear markets, worry can steal our faith, blind us to the blessings of God and rob us of both health and sleep. Worry is the same.

God remains the same. I read in that book about an epidemic of cholera. Many died. I can only imagine the prayers of those parents in a log cabin as they looked over their sick child. Helpless. Hopeless. The end of dreams. And yet, here we are, all these years later. Instead of a log cabin, we are in a hospital room. Instead of cholera, it’s cancer. And there God remains hearing our prayers. Hope in troubled times is always found in God. When no one can do any more, God can. There sure has been many wars since those early pioneer days of young Indiana. There has been civil wars and world wars. Parents have sent their sons to far off places to defend our freedoms. Many never returned. There has been hurricanes and fires and tornados and floods. There has been trips to the cemeteries and broken hearts. Yet God remains on the throne. Our houses are larger and more comfortable than those early log cabins. We can do more today and faster than those early pioneers. Yet, we still need God. We have not out grown God. We have not conquered sin. We have not found any other way to Heaven, but through Jesus. We still fuss and fight with each other. We struggle to forgive. We suffer when we have not developed a heart like Jesus. What that early pioneer needed is the same thing that I need, and that is Jesus.

Our work remains the same. We are to walk by faith. We are to trust in the Lord. We are to build congregations. We are to preach and teach. For those early pioneers, sitting on log pews, they were amazed with the stories of the Savior who healed lepers and made the blind to see. They learned about forgiveness and grace. They saw what God expected in worship. And, today, with our Bibles on our phones and tablets, we continue to read and learn about that wonderful Savior. The words of salvation remain the same. It brought forgiveness and hope in that wooded Indiana wilderness as it does in our modern cities today. Generations pass, but the same Gospel needs to be taught.

We are the same. That pioneer that fought the bear was probably much stronger and tougher than I am. I probably couldn’t put up with the things he ate. He wouldn’t like what I eat. But, we are the same on the inside. We must make choices that will either lead us to Heaven or away from God. We are both sinners who need Jesus. We both need to be leaders in our homes. We both will be judged by God someday.

Our verse today sums all of this up. It’s about King David. He served the purpose of God in his own generation. That’s the good that we do. Our work is now. Our work is among this generation. As primitive as the bear hunter seems to us, we will appear like that to future generations. Those future generations will still have worry. They will still have God. They will still have the same work to do that we’ve done. They may do it faster and better, but preaching and teaching will remain.

But what happens when a generation doesn’t serve the purpose of God? A generation grows without knowing the Lord. Wrong choices are made. Life gets messy. Lives are lost eternally. All it takes is for one generation to stop and future generations are hindered and affected. The book of Judges shows this. After Joshua died, another generation rose that didn’t not know the Lord. Their choices led them away from God. Each generation must do it’s work. This means we need to pour hours into training, teaching and developing those behind us. We will pass the baton on to them. It is essential that they understand and that they know. So, fellow preacher, we must continue to preach the basics. A new people needs to know. We need to spend time showing how things should be done. We need to take the time to answer their questions. Serving our generation is what we must be busy doing.

We don’t need monuments to honor us. Our treasures are stored up in Heaven.

David served. He served the purpose of God. He served the purpose of God in his own generation. Powerful thoughts for us. This is what we must be busy doing. It was true in the wilderness of early Indiana as is it today for us.

Roger

Jump Start # 1495

Acts 13:36 “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay.”

  Last evening I went to a performance of the Nutcracker. It was really good. The program said that this was first preformed in 1895. That was amazing to me. I wonder if the composer ever thought that 120 years later in another part of the world, his work would still be preformed? I have a few books on my shelves that are 150 years old. Again, I wonder if the writers ever thought that what they wrote would still be around that long. In art galleries across the world there are some very old paintings. There are a few hymns in our song books that are 150 year olds. But these are all rare exceptions. Most of the things and most of the people from generations past are gone and forgotten. I can trace part of my family back to the 1600’s, but it’s just names. I know nothing about those people.

All of this can be unsettling to some. They want to create a lasting name or a legacy that carries on. Few if any will. Our work is now. Our work is to this generation. Most sermons that are preached, most articles that are written, will be gone when we are. That can trouble us. We might say, “why then put so much work and energy into it?” The answer is found in our verse.

Acts 13 is a chapter devoted to the resurrection of Jesus. Paul refers to that often in this chapter. The mention of David, is connected to the resurrection of Jesus. David served his generation. David doesn’t serve this generation. The work of David is over. There is nothing that David did that can help us. His example can be studied, but his policies as king, his days as a warrior, the buildings that he built, do nothing for us today. David finished his work. And in a very graphic manner, our passage tells us that he died, was buried and underwent decay. He rotted away, we might say. He returned to the dust as God designed. That is in contrast to Jesus, who also died, and who was also buried, but unlike David, He arose. And Jesus’ work continues. It didn’t stop in the first century.

And unlike David, Jesus serves all generations. Some of my family were among the early and first Christians in Indiana. They were helped by the Lord. That has been consistent through all these generations. As I hold my little grandbabies, Jesus will serve them and help them. Jesus, alone, is the one that transcends all generations. Jesus is the help for all generations. There were times when brethren gathered together to pray for their young men who were off in a war far away. Those wars have ended and God is still being prayed to. There were times we prayed after national tragedies. Those times pass, and God is still there to help us.

Our passage brings us to two common realities—one about us and one about God.

First, we are limited in what we can do. What we do is limited to this generation. What we do will have little impact in future generations. Our time and our work is among the people now. We don’t preach sermons with the idea that “this sermon will be preached over and over for hundreds of years.” That simply won’t happen. We don’t write articles with that intention. Someday, these Jump Starts will stop. The good that they do is for today. I do not think 50 years from now anyone will ever mention them. That doesn’t bother me. Outside a few in my family, I don’t think anyone will be mentioning me in 50 years. That’s true with most of us. Our work is now. Our work is to this people.

Second, God is eternal. He is not limited. Since those early days when Jesus was walking those Galilean roads teaching people, His work and His message has been changing lives. It will continue to do so until He returns. God is not limited by time, space nor geography. Folks in far away lands know about Jesus. It is the resurrected Jesus that makes a difference.

So we do our work. We do it to the best that we can. We work hard. We work well. We try to change lives for Jesus. It is not us, but the Lord that will be remembered. It is not us, but the Lord that can change eternity.

David did his work in his generation. David died. The same ought to be said of us. We must be doing the will of God now.

Roger