Jesus Wept

You probably know that John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible. It packs a punch!  John writes two words that echo across the years – from the Garden of Eden to the tomb of Lazarus, to the end of this age:  “Jesus wept.”

This powerful verse describes what Jesus Christ did during an emotionally charged event – a funeral.  What makes this so unusual?  After all, people often cry at funerals.  Yes, but on this occasion we see God crying at a funeral.  Many suggest He cried because His good friend Lazarus had died.  And that may be partly true; however, I believe He cried for reasons that go much deeper.

First of all, Jesus Christ did not simply cry – He wailed.  His eyes were more than moist.  An emotional dam broke deep within the Master, as tears cascaded down His face and a loud moan overrode the already high-pitched sounds of paid mourners. 

Surely, our Savior’s thoughts traveled back in time to the Garden of Eden.  He recalled the very moment when Adam and Eve disobeyed God   He watched as human perfection was overturned by sin, then, sickness and ultimately death. He saw the ugliness of sin played out on the stage of human history.  He stood alongside Lazarus’ two grief-stricken sisters outside the tomb, now four days occupied; and He wept! 

Perhaps He thought, “This was never meant to be.  This was never the Father’s plan.  It did not have to be this way.”  Then, with righteous anger, the Lord commanded the rock to be moved; and in a voice that blasted Satanic strongholds, said, “Lazarus, come forth!” 

Immediately, resurrection life flowed through a wrapped corpse long affected by rigor mortis and Lazarus walked out!  I personally believe that had Jesus Christ not specifically said “Lazarus,” multitudes that died in faith since Adam’s time would have risen as well! 

Several days later, Jesus would go to Jerusalem, endure six trials – three of them mock and illegal; be savagely beaten, hung on a cruel cross and die.  Three days later, the “Resurrection and life” would rise from the dead, defeating death and hell.  Death died that day!  What happened outside of Lazarus’ tomb was a precursor to the hope that’s ours who have placed our faith and trust in Jesus’ saving grace.

The risen Son of God still weeps at funerals, but now He weeps over those who reject His finished work on the cross and who forfeit resurrection power that makes possible eternal life with Christ.  Don’t reject the resurrected Christ!

"Now, in closing,"

Church culture comes replete with its own preacher jokes.  The other day an acquaintance of mine asked me, “Do you know what it usually means when a pastor says, ‘Now, in closing?’”

“Absolutely nothing,” he laughed! 

Billy Graham loved to tell this story about a long- winded preacher:  Two men were sitting on the front row in church when one took off his shoe to throw at the preacher.  However, his aim was way off and the shoe hit a man in the head sitting across the aisle.  After a few seconds the second man yelled, “Throw your other shoe, I can still hear him!”

My homiletics (art of preaching) professor in Bible School was famous for saying, “Stand up so they can see you, speak up so they can ear you, and sit down so they will love you.”  Long-winded preachers have been the butt of jokes forever, but the fact remains that “our ears can only hear what our seats can endure.” 

Years ago, my family and I went to hear a nationally acclaimed speaker, who was known for his wonderful insights into God’s Word.  He had a reputation for moving crowds.  However, we were all extremely exhausted when after four hours the man quit preaching.  Yes – four hours!  Perhaps the Apostle Paul was long-winded, too.  Do you remember a young man by the name of Eutychus, who fell to his death from a second floor window while Paul was preaching (Acts 20:9)?  It was good of Paul to raise him back to life, since he had been so long-winded!

Long is not necessarily better.  Gospel communicators are entrusted with earth’s greatest message.  But we don’t need to preach through the Bible in one sitting! 

Today’s audiences are more time conscious than ever before.  What we say must be communicated quickly and effectively.  We must pack the biggest punch we can in a reasonable amount of time, asking the Lord to drive our words, illustrations and thoughts like an arrow to the hearts of our listeners.

I have been challenged by the Lord to deliver one key thought in each message, using sub-points and illustrations to support that thought – then trusting the Lord to drive it home.  I might not always achieve my objective perfectly, but this I know, we who minister the Word of God to a very mind-cluttered culture need not add to their stress, but offer a word that methodically and with the Spirit’s anointing brings salvation, help and encouragement to fast-paced lifestyles.

I certainly don’t want to do what a guest speaker did in one of my churches.  He had already preached a fine message when I heard him say, “Now in closing I have 18 points I’d like to share…” I, of course, thought he was kidding, so I laughed out loud!  Forty-five minutes later he dismissed the service.  Believe me, I was no longer laughing.  I could not believe his lack of wisdom and audacity to trample my good graces and steal the congregation’s time.

Well prepared and prayed over messages in today’s church, I believe, will go a long way to more effectively reach a generation whose collective attention span has been proven to be reduced.  I know this may sound funny or even unspiritual coming from a preacher in my faith tradition, but 41 years of ministry have led me to this conclusion:  Pulpit ministry should downplay the messenger and elevate the message in a timely fashion – trusting the Lord for maximum results.  Preparation is key! 

Disconnect

The dictionary gives several definitions for the word “Disconnect” – all of them play into a heavy concern of mine as a pastor.  Let’s consider four of them:

“To sever or interrupt the connection of or between.”

“To detach.”

“To withdraw into one’s private world.”

“A lack of communication or agreement.”

So, what’s my concern?  To fully explain my thoughts, consider a passage in Acts 2, which describes the lifestyle of Christians in the Early Church:

”They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common.  They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.  And the Lord added to their numbers daily those who were being saved.”  (2:42-47).

These early followers of Christ lived in community, not a commune, but in close and constant proximity to one another.  They did life together!  Their connection to Jesus Christ and one another made their unbelieving neighbors and friends take note and because of their godly lifestyle and influence, others were finding new life in Christ on a daily basis. 

I do not wish to totally glorify this passage, because obviously they had problems (see Acts 6); however, the overriding theme of Acts 2:42-47 supports the idea that first-century Christians lived a life of “connection.”  They experienced strength in numbers and joy in fellowship.  In short, they “hung out together.” 

Back up a few verses to The Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).  These 120 disciples of Jesus had been together in an upper room in Jerusalem for ten days.  In all probability, they were together 16 hours each day – praying, singing, repenting, forgiving, eating and fellowshipping.  Minus their sleep, that means they were together a total of 160 hours.  It would take three years of Sunday morning services today to equal their time spent together.  Do we wonder why there’s such gross disconnect in churches today?

Now, 20 centuries later, believers in Christ for the most part live separated lives.  They attend church on Sundays and are likely not to see one another again until the following Sunday.  Such an arrangement cannot foster community and hinders the ability to experience perpetual, healthy relationships.  Work schedules, family activities and life in general seem to separate them from devoting themselves to one another.  Of course, there are exceptions, but not many. 

This trend has brought about a “disconnect” in the lives of most Christians.  Unless followers of Christ take the initiative to connect during the week, most live unto themselves, thus becoming separated from their source of spiritual growth and vitality.

Social media allows for a superficial type of connection, but falls short of the three vital elements of effective communication as described in the life of Jesus Christ in 1 John 1:1, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of life (Jesus).”

The early disciples understood the communication dynamics of “hearing, seeing and touching.”  And their lives were woven together in a healthy way, which caused them to flourish and to grow exponentially.  They impacted their ”world” because they lived in connection with one another.

Just going to church on Sunday does not allow time for such connection.  And yet, because of packed schedules and life necessities that keep Christians going in a myriad of directions, we continue to suffer from disconnection in today’s fast-paced world. 

The Barna Research Group recently announced that not only was there disconnect in the lives of most Christians, but they offered two staggering statistics to support their research:

1.  Regular church attendance is down.  Four out of 10 Christians in America are active churchgoers (or 38 percent).

2.  Most people who attend church go 1.2 times each month (Oh, my)!

I’m greatly concerned with these trends.  I’ve said it for years:  “As goes the church, so goes the culture.”  We need a revival of connection!  People often isolate themselves.  The disintegration of family unity and values draws many into a self-isolating cocoon, where work and Netflix keep them hidden away. 

I’m concerned, if not frightened.  Going to church one day, one service a week (if that) does not allow for lives to connect.  People can attend the same church for years and never truly know their fellow attendees.  This truth is alarming.  I understand that the cultures of Acts 2 versus today are miles apart, but I still say that no one flourishes spiritually when he lives as an island unto himself.    It breaks my heart when I hear people say,

“I don’t feel part of the church.”

“No one ever calls me or wonders how I’m doing.”

“If I quit attending, no one would ever miss or even notice.”

Guess what?  Such comments represent the cold, harsh realities of a disconnected society.  Again, I’m concerned!

I don’t have all the answers for this multifaceted issue, but let me offer the following attempts to help you find healthy community:

1.  Accept Jesus Christ as your Savior.

2.  Find a church home where Christ is honored and the Bible is preached.

3.  Attend weekly services regularly. Arrive early.  Hang around afterwards!

4.  Develop the gift of hospitality – open up your home for dinners, desserts; or if affordable, invite a family to eat out with you. 

5.  Get involved in small groups.

6.  Quit expecting perfection, and for the love of God, quit picking everything apart.

7.  Get rid of a potential consumer mentality, and pour yourself into the life and service of your church family.  It’s not about ME when it comes to serving Jesus Christ; it’s about OTHERS!

8.  Don’t compare large church with small church, worship with worship, or style with style.

9.  Make concerted efforts to hang out with God’s people during the weekdays. 

10. Quit feeling sorry for yourself and quit expecting others to push through your self-isolation.  You are responsible for your own “disconnection.”

11. Realize that on-going connection with fellow believers will have to remain a priority in your life.

12.  Disconnect with those things in your life that separate you from spiritual growth and development and connect with people who foster Christian community.  Remember, “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33).  Yes, you need to be salt and light in a dark world, but you cannot allow your convictions and need for connection to be determined by unbelievers. Do not be misled!

Christian friend, there are no easy answers to the problem of disconnection; however, staying home with the doors closed, curtains drawn, lights dimmed, TV blasting and pity parties in full swing is not the solution.  Spiritually speaking, self-isolation fosters a slow death.  Determine today to stay connected to the very life source that led you to salvation.

Family Fun

When it comes down to it, there’s nothing as wonderful as family, except of course, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Life is meaningful and rewarding because of family ties.  Our family of origin shapes our values, morals and important life principles during our childhood and then in our adult years, we draw on precious memories that transport us across the years – memories that last a lifetime. As I reflect upon my childhood, I remember the following incidences that still bring smiles and even laughter when recalled:

My dad’s name was Paul, so to avoid confusion everyone referred to my brother Paul Robert as Bob.  No one ever called him by his given name.  During roll call on his first day in kindergarten my brother did not respond when the teacher called his name.  That evening he matter-of-factly said to my mother, “Mom, guess what?  A boy in our class has the same name as dad and when the teacher called his name he did not answer her.  What a dumb boy!”

It’s miraculous really that mom survived our early years. I am the middle of seven kids, and I along with two brothers was born one year apart. We were the mischievous trio.  Jeff was three, I was four and Bob was five when we dumped oatmeal, sugar and flour in the middle of the kitchen floor and mixed them together.  To put it mildly, mom cried and dad…well!

Grandpa Chandler was lying in his lounge chair under the maple tree in his front yard, reading the newspaper and smoking.  After a while he flicked his still lit cigarette into the grass.  Curiosity got the best of my sisters, Brenda and Sharon, when they saw the smoldering butt.  Sharon asked, “Grandpa, can I take a puff of that cigarette”?  Grandpa, who was not really paying attention said, “Uh-huh.” 

Both girls took a deep drag.  Mom was inside the house when total bedlam broke out in the front yard.  Two girls ran into the house running, gagging, crying, choking and coughing.  As I recall, both turned a funny shade of green!

My brother Dan was demonstrating his bicycle riding techniques while Aunt Linda watched.  After reaching a high speed, he stood up on the pedals and yelled, “Hey Linda, look!”  In that split second the handle bar came off in his hands.  Dan of course lost control and wiped out on our gravel road.  Aunt Linda laughed so hard that she lost all bladder control!

Late night visits to the outhouse were common while visiting our grandparents’ farm.  Occasionally, we boys used the side yard especially when it was dark outside.  My brother Jeff and I strolled out into the light of a full moon one night to use the “facilities.”  An electric fence used to contain the livestock was close by.  Jeff said, “I dare you to…”  I took his dare and let me put it this way:  I quickly discovered that water is an excellent conductor for electricity.  I was knocked on the ground!

Ask most anyone who knows me.  I’m not mechanically inclined.  One late afternoon dad decided it was time to teach me how to drive the tractor.  I knew nothing about the “H” principle of driving a stick shift, so I grinded the gears something terrible.  By the time we reached our driveway, I was so shaken that I not only misused the clutch but I failed to steer properly.  I ran head-on into our newly constructed picnic table in the front yard.  When I finally stopped the tractor and got off, I beheld in terror, our table lying in a splintered heap!

What about your childhood?  What stories do you tell when family gets together?  What memories continue to bring smiles and even laughter? 

The next time you get together with your siblings or other family members, take a stroll down memory lane.  Recall your unique funny stories.  Laugh out loud!  Life is too short and passes by too quickly not to include these times of family fun.