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Jump Start # 2834

Posted on April 29, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2834

2 Timothy 4:5 “But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

The other day I heard of a young preacher who decided that he no longer wanted to preach. There seems to be a growing number of young preachers who are quitting. That ought to cause us to give some thought to what is taking place. There may be some who feel that this is a good move. Just let the various men in the congregation take turns at preaching is a noble idea. That puts more men back into God’s book studying and it develops good communication skills. But there is also a down side to this. The novelty quickly wears off. Then it becomes a real burden finding someone who will fill the pulpit. What’s worse, is when someone doesn’t want to preach but feels that he has to, few will benefit from that. There is a level of depth that most times will not be reached by having different men speak each week. Depth takes time, study, tools, experience. Most just can’t devote that level of commitment. So, simple, first principles lessons and Bible classes are taught over and over.

A growing church comes from a growing pulpit. Here are a few of my thoughts about young preachers quitting.

First, expectations may not have been realistic. A lot of the work of preaching is alone time with books, thoughts and paper and pen. Study is just that, study. The praise at the door on Sunday after a sermon is not what preaching is about. Presenting the word of God is about changing lives and building hope. It’s getting people to see the will of God. It’s moving people out of their comfort zone. It’s developing and maturing faith. It’s encouragement, teaching, and strengthening hearts. It’s dealing with tough issues and controversial topics in a fair and Biblical manner.

Second, our passage reminds us of several things that come with preaching. Hardships must be endured. There is a work that must be done. And, it may be those hardships that some do not like. It may be that some cannot endure them, or, as is often the case, the preacher’s wife cannot endure seeing her husband having to face hardships. Everyone can be a critic. People will let you know if they think you are not dressed right, your hair is not right, if you misspelled a word in the bulletin, if you misused a word, if you misquoted a passage, if you got your facts mixed up. For a young man, that can be too much. He can get the feeling that he can’t do anything right. And brethren who have heard decades of preaching will try to tell the young preacher where he’s missing it. Rather than being helpful, some can be cruel and unkind. Rather than sitting down and helping, some give a parting shot as they walk out the door and that parting shot is rude, uncalled for and mean spirited. Just because a guy gives one Wednesday evening invitation a year, he feels that he is qualified to tell the young preacher all about preaching.

There are hardships. They must be endured. The thinner the skin and the more sensitive the spirit, the less likely one has the patience to put up with hardships.

Third, preaching is work. That’s what the passage says. Don’t listen to those silly comments about only working one day a week. You’ll work nearly every day. Long hours. Lots of things to do. Even on days off and on vacations, the mind is running. Sunday always comes and there is always a class to be taught, a sermon to write, someone to encourage, some question to answer. Always. I’ve been doing this for more than forty years and it never slows down nor does it stop. Preachers quickly realize that this is not a job that I can leave at the church building and come home. Preaching becomes a way of life. It follows you everywhere. Now, those that are absorbed into this, will do well. Those that love helping others will excel. Those that want to see the Lord’s kingdom explode in size, will find more and more ways to push themselves. But for others, just getting a sermon on Sunday will be the extent of what they do.

Like in other fields of work, those that push themselves, go beyond what is expected, will thrive. The athlete that continues to practice after the official practice is over, only betters himself. The professor who continues to research and do studies, not because he has to, but because he wants to, will do well. And, so it is for the preacher. Those that are continually looking at how to better communicate, how to better themselves by deeper studies, better ways to connect with people, will do well.

It concerns me that many young men are not interested in preaching. There may be many, many reasons. But it might help if we created an atmosphere which was inviting to young men. Young men see how the current preacher is treated, talked about and endures. That may be a start. It just may be that the reason young men are stepping away from preaching is not on them, but on us. That sure is something to think about.

As our culture is quickly turning secular and godless, we need more and more voices crying in the wilderness the message of the Lord. Be an encourager! Be a supporter! Be a backbone to your congregation!

Roger

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Jump Start # 2833

Posted on April 29, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2833

Acts 10:38 “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil for God was with Him.”

Have you seen the series, “Chosen”? It’s an independent set of films about Jesus. And, I must admit I am most often not a fan of religious movies. I don’t like the inaccuracies, the liberties taken, the way the actors act and the settings. Just don’t like them much. I sat down to watch the “Chosen,” thinking this will be another one that I don’t like. But, amazing to me, I really enjoyed the series. The characters grow on you quickly. The settings seem real. The actor playing Jesus does a great job. There are a few things here and there that could have been more accurate, but overall, it sure beats most that I have seen in a long, long time.

One of things I truly like about the series “Chosen,” is a side of Jesus that we don’t consider much. We can make Jesus rather empty of emotions and feelings. The human side of Jesus really comes out in those shows. Jesus is laughing. Jesus is smiling. Jesus is kind and humble. And, especially, when He heals people, the show portrays Jesus smiling. He is glad to make lives better.

Our verse today, taken from Peter’s conversation with Cornelius, reveals a common thought that people knew about Jesus. He went about doing good. Even a Roman soldier like Cornelius would have known that. Word about the good that Jesus was doing spread far and wide. When the Lord entered small villages, the crowds were already gathered, waiting for Him. So many people. So many needs. Jesus would have to find ways to get away, but He always came back.

Our Gospels do not tell us that Jesus smiled when He healed people, but it’s not a stretch to believe that. He knew what He was doing. Someone who had never had sight in their life, was now given sight. He saw what the sky looked like. He saw what others looked like. How excited that person would be. How that must have made Jesus smile. Or, someone who has been unable to walk for a long time, now gets up, and leaps away, rejoicing. How that must have made Jesus smile. Or, the tears of sorrow, turned into the sunshine of happiness as a family member is brought back to life. How Jesus must have smiled.

Luke 15 tells us that the angels in Heaven rejoice when a sinner repents. Some how the angels in Heaven were aware of what happened. It seems that all of Heaven must have been smiling.

Here are a few of my thoughts about the smiling Jesus:

First, when a young, tender heart, lovingly prays to the Lord and thanks the Lord for the food he is about to eat. That sweet little heart names every person at the table. He thanks the Lord for butterflies, rainbows and sunshine. He thanks the Lord for chocolate milk and peanut butter and grapes. We adults smile, hearing such sweet expressions. Surely the Lord smiles.

Second, when two stubborn people who have hurt each other, finally extend grace and hug each other in love, the Lord must smile. Words were said. Feelings were hurt. Bad attitudes arose. They avoided each other. They ignored each other. They gossiped about each other. The tension ran thick. Months and months of this continued on, until one day, they decided to end the feud. Families rejoiced. The church rejoiced. Surely, the Lord smiles. This is what ought to happen.

Third, a preacher stands before a crowded audience on Sunday morning. He pours his heart out as he pleads with people to come to know the Lord. All week this preacher has thought and thought about what’s the best way to reach these people. He has prayed to the Lord. And, weary as the preacher is at the end of the day, the Lord must surely smile because His Gospel had been poured out into the listening hearts of so many.

Fourth, a couple takes a young college student out for dinner after services. The college student doesn’t have much money and the couple not only buys the dinner, but slides a couple of gift cards across the table for the student. It’s not much but it sure makes the day for the college kid. Other times, this couple has filled the gas tank for others. They have taken meals to many people through the years. This is just a simple couple doing what everyone ought to do. The joy, the help and the love that this couple extends to so many has encouraged and helped that congregation. If Heaven notices a cup of cold water given, then surely the Lord smiles at such times. This is the way things ought to be done.

Finally, when the Lord calls home one of His faithful ones, He must surely smile. I think about what my sweet dad must have seen when he first opened his eyes on the other side. I want to think that he not only smiled, but that the Lord was smiling at him. I like the think the Lord said, “Welcome home.”

Our Lord is good. And from good hearts comes goodness. You’ll find good deeds right next to a good heart. That’s just the way the Lord is. And, that just needs to be the way that we are. And, the Lord smiles!

Roger

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Jump Start # 2832a

Posted on April 28, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2832

Mark 5:23 “and entreated Him earnestly, saying, ‘My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on here, that she may get well and live.”

W. J. Ross died in 1910. He is buried in Kentucky. A pretty common story except for his tombstone. Buried in the Rock Spring Cemetery, Ross’ stone reads, “Saved by Jesus, but murdered by the church.” The story behind this is that when Ross died, his father wanted to hold the funeral at the Baptist church they attended. The church was holding a revival at that time and refused to have the funeral held there. Ross’ father was so upset with the church that he put on his son’s stone that infamous inscription, “murdered by the church.”

But, I expect this isn’t the only time someone was murdered by the church. In fact, religious history of Europe during the reformation reveals many that were killed by the church. Being labeled a heretic was a sure sign of instant trouble and often death.

Even in modern times, there have been many murdered by the church. It wasn’t physical death, but it was the death of their faith and their conviction and commitment. I expect most that leave the church disgusted and angry, do so not because of the way the Lord treated them, but by the abuse and neglect from each other.

There are some serious lessons for us here:

First, the way we treat each other has deep implications that can spread through generations. This works both ways, positive and negatively. Have you noticed how many times fellowship and relational principles are found in the letters to the churches in the N.T.? Getting along and getting along well is important. Attitudes, grace, and forgiveness can help smooth the bumps in life and the times we irritate one another. Take cheap shots verbally at each other is nothing more than drive by shooting that leaves our emotions wounded and our faith shaken. You may say something and think nothing about it ever again, the person you said it to may remember those words for next four decades.

Second, some people look for a green light for wrong behavior. They get upset when a group of believers side with the Lord rather than them. We don’t get to do whatever we feel like. We don’t get to pick and choose what commands we will follow. That is not the spirit nor the attitude of a disciple of Jesus. It’s easy to blame the church when it’s us who are to blame. One can say that the church killed them, but the truth is, they killed themselves by the choices that they made. Guilty people and those that support them often get upset with a church when discipline is practiced. All the church is doing is what God told them to. We tend to point our fingers at the wrong group. It’s the guilty that we ought to be upset with. Why won’t you walk in the steps of the Lord? That’s the question to be asked.

Third, I assume the leaders at that Baptist church in 1910 thought preaching in a revival was much more important than stopping things for a funeral. I can just hear someone saying, “Let the dead bury the dead.” There are times when one can think that his needs are greater than your needs. I expect Jarius felt that way. His daughter was dying. As Mark 5 tells the story, it’s a 911 situation. Hurry, for she’s about to die. As Jesus heads that way, the woman with the issue of blood touches Jesus from behind. She’s cured. But that’s not enough. Jesus has to talk with her. A conversation goes on, all the while, life is slipping out of a little girl. How easily Jesus could have told the woman with the issue of blood to wait there and He’d be back in an hour. She had her disease for more than a decade. Waiting one more hour wouldn’t matter. How easily Jesus could have healed the dying girl without even being there. But none of those things took place. This unnamed woman was just as important as the needs of a synagogue official. His name is given to us. His status is given to us. But that doesn’t make him more important than this woman. Sometimes we think everyone ought to stop what they are doing and tend to my needs. I come first. Burying someone or preaching, I’d pick preaching.

Fourth, all the people that were involved in the story of Ross are now dead. Yet, his stone still tells of the anger his family felt. And, that’s what often happens to us. Years after a church split, no one remembers why and the people involved pass away, yet no bridges are built to reconcile and no attempts are made to iron out differences. We can leave scars upon our family and our congregations that will last for a lot longer than we do. Letting things go and a whole lot of grace and forgiveness will do us all well. In our times, no one would know the story of Ross and being “murdered by the church,” had his tombstone not said what it did. Maybe there are some things that you have etched upon the stone of your heart that you need to remove. Someone hurt you. Someone was unkind to you. Someone wasn’t very “Christian” towards you. You can carve that in stone so it will always be there, or you can let it go. Our hurts can be very much like Ross’ tombstone. We keep returning to the grave of those pains and sorrows and we never heal. It’s time to remove the stone and stop visiting that grave. You’ll feel better and you’ll find that forgiveness is a key that unlocks a door. Once you unlock it, you discover that you were the prisoner all along.

Murdered by the church—that sure is a statement that sticks with a person. Let’s do all we can so that people will say that they were helped by the church. Or, they were encouraged by the church. Or, they were made better by the church. Or, they came to know the Lord through the church. Killing folks is not the business of the church.

Roger

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Jump Start # 2831

Posted on April 27, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2831

Revelation 4:1 “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in Heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.’”

I love this verse. It’s one of my favorites. It says so much. It’s encouraging, hopeful and powerful. We must not be afraid of Revelation. Some folks never read Revelation. Certainly there are some tough spots, but so does Romans, Ezekiel and Zachariah. Sprinkled all through Revelation is assurance, hope and encouragement for suffering saints.

Here are a few things from our verse today:

First, I always use upper case or capital “H” when writing Heaven. Most Bibles, most articles, and most people don’t. Heaven is a real place. If I was writing about Chicago, I would capitalize the “C.” Heaven is God’s home. It’s special. It carries the qualities of God. Heaven is where I want to be. There may be a grammatical reason not to do that, but I’m more interested in heart, faith and God. In my writings, Heaven gets that big “H”.

Second, God wants us to know what’s up there. That’s the idea behind the open door and the invitation to come up here and see things. God is not secretive. God is not trying to hide things from us. There’s no need for guessing or speculation. He wants you to know. Knowing will give you confidence, power and freedom. Knowing will drive away doubts and error. Knowing defeats lies every time.

It is shocking that there were periods in religious history when some tried to keep the Bible out of the hands of the common people. Some of the early English translators suffered cruel punishment for trying to put the Bible in the language of the people. They were trying to open doors that others had closed.

Third, this passage reminds us that the book of Revelation is a “picture” book. Come up here and I will show you, is what the message said. He didn’t not say, come up here and read. Nor was it said, come up here and you will be told. I will show you. Visual works well with our senses. Sometimes it’s hard to put in words what our eyes see, such as sunsets, mountains, early morning dew on the grass. But the Holy Spirit helps with expressions that we understand such as gold, pearls, gates and bowls.

Fourth, the future belongs to the Lord. He knows tomorrow. He is already there. I will show you what must take place, is stated with a certainty. It’s not, here’s what might happen. Nor, I hope this happens. It will take place. How was that so certain? Because God was going to make it happen.

What John would be shown was not personal things, such as how many grandchildren he would have, or which job he ought to take. That’s how moderns believe God operates. There is very little “walking by faith” necessary if God were to tell us every detail in our lives.  And, when things do not work out, I guess they’d just blame God. John was shown what would happen to the saints that were suffering. John would be shown the triumphant Christ and the defeat of Satan. What was revealed was the will and the promises of God. It was a vision involving the spiritual.

A door standing open. There was a time when the door to the ark was standing open, but then it closed. There was a time when the door was open during the parable of the wedding feast. Then the door was closed and the five foolish virgins who arrived too late were not allowed in. God’s invitation for grace and mercy is open to all. But a day will come, when that will close. The only picture some will have of God is that of judgment. They will have missed out on the greatest gift ever offered to them.

A door is open in Heaven. A door that is open for you. That sure is a wonderful thought.

Roger

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Jump Start # 2830

Posted on April 26, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2830

Luke 8:7 “Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out.”

Springtime is a very busy season for me. Here at the Shouse house we have lots and lots of flowers, rose bushes, shrubs, and trees. The spring is always exciting because everything opens up after the long winter. Little sprouts pop up out of the ground. Trees bud. For someone who has allergies, it’s a nightmare. For me, it’s lots of cutting out dead branches, transplanting, and yes, pulling weeds. I believe the dictionary of weeds could be written at our place. Wild onions. Dandelions. Some that spread out like spider webs. Weeds, weeds, weeds. I have found out some interesting things about weeds. They grow in every type of weather we have. If it’s hot and dry, the weeds grow. If it’s wet and cool, the weeds grow. They survive through a frost. And, if you don’t stay on top of it, one dandelion becomes thirty within a day or two.

Our verse today, taken from the parable of the sower, tells us that the thorns grew up and choked out the good seed that the farmer was planting. The seed started to grow. Things were on the up. But the thorns came. The thorns grew faster than the farmer’s seed. There wasn’t enough space, sunlight and moisture for both the thorn and the good seed to survive side by side. In time, the thorn grew and the good seed died out. The good seed didn’t make it. The crop was a failure. It didn’t accomplish what the farmer was hoping. There would be no harvest of the good seed.

Jesus is not giving us principles of farming. That’s not the point. The soil that Jesus was talking about is our hearts. The word of God, which is the seed, comes into our heart. We start to see what God is saying. We start to make changes. Things are on the upside. Things are looking good. But, it doesn’t take long, and that thorn or weed springs up. It’s demanding. It wants our time. It wants our money. It wants our attention. Before long, that good seed is pushed to the back. And, what happens, all too often, is that the person just doesn’t stay with Christ. The thorns and weeds have filled his heart with materialism, immorality, and a thirst for the here and now. There just isn’t time for Jesus.

Now, two main thoughts ought to come to our minds:

First, where do the thorns and weeds come from? Where do weeds in my garden come from? They just seem to be there. I certainly do not go to the store and buy dandelion seed. Seeds are scattered by the wind and birds. And, where do the weeds in my heart come from? Our past. The things that influences us. People that we hang around with. We like TV, but it’s worldly. It’s more likely to take your thoughts and heart away from the Lord than making you more spiritual. We live in a world of thorns and weeds. They are everywhere. And, if we are not careful, our hearts become full of them. In the context of our passage, riches, pleasures and worries are described as the thorns. Those weeds have deep roots. They are hard to pull. Just consider how often we think about riches, pleasures and worries. They fill our days and they rob us of our sleep. We talk about those things. We dream about them. It seems that these are the only things we notice in life. Riches, pleasures and worries.

Second, how do we keep weeds from taking over? For me and my garden, it’s nearly an every day task. Pull. Spray. Dig. Over and over and over. When folks come over they admire our beautiful place. They talk about it over and over. I see work. Lots of work. But at the end of the day, I can look over the place and be satisfied that it has been worth all the time I put into it. Now, to keep up with this, I have to make sacrifices of other things. There is only so many hours in a day and those weeds keep growing.

It’s no different for our hearts. One has to be diligent. One has to stay with it. Not just on Sundays, but everyday. Those weeds grow. They are always growing. Pull. Dig. Spray. That’s the key. You take care of the good plants and you get rid of the worthless weeds. Spiritually, you are reading God’s word. Spiritually, you are worshipping God daily and with the church often. Spiritually, you are careful and watchful. Spiritually, you fight riches, pleasures and worries that will take over and ruin what you have established.

And, others will notice. They will notice that you rise above all their other friends. They will notice your kindness and your willingness to help out. They will notice your character, your forgiveness and your attitude. While they are sprouting weeds, you are shinning with a godly character. It’s work. It’s a lot of work. It’s daily work. But you look back and see how you have grown, changed and you like the way you are turning out. Perfect, you are not. But you are a long, long way from what you used to be.

There are days that when I get home, I do not feel like  walking about the place, pulling, digging and spraying. But I know if I don’t what the place will look like. The same is true spiritually. There are days when you just don’t feel like doing what you need to. But, you know what you will look like if you don’t.

Love the springtime…

Roger