Author Archives: Royce

Nov 11 2009

Not so obvious lessons from John 17


This wonderful portion of Scripture is a prayer Jesus prayed just after explaining once again about his leaving the disciples, his authority over the world, the coming Holy Spirit, and just before his death on a cross.

There are many wonderful truths here that are often overlooked. I want to share my understanding of  a few of them.

There is only one method, one plan for world evangelism.

As Jesus was praying he said

“they have believed that you sent me. 9I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.” (John 17:8b-9)

God so loved the “world“. Christ died for the sins of the “world“. And yet, in one of his last prayers on earth Jesus plainly stated

“I am not praying for the world..”

Without question he loves the people of the world so why would he not pray for them, and even say it in such a public way that today it remains a record of the sacred Text?

This is why,

“I am praying for them (those who had believed), “those you have given me, for they are yours.”

God has but one plan to reach the whole world with the good news. It is the church. It is those who have believed who will spread the message to every tribe and tongue. In Matthew 28 when Jesus gave the great commission he said

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples…” (Matthew 28:18b-19a)

Here we can ask “What is the therefore there for?” Christians can go into a hostile world, right in the midst of Satan’s stronghold, and make disciples because Jesus has “all authority in heaven and on earth“. And he has passed on that authority through the agency of the Holy Spirit in and upon the believer’s life.

Just before his ascension into heaven Jesus told his followers

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8)

When the Holy Spirit anointing comes there is a transfer of power and authority to the one who has believed and waited on the Lord. God has no other plan, it is up to you and me and our brothers and sisters of every age who have put our trust in Jesus. But not really. I am not that dependable and neither are you, but God is faithful! Jesus said “I will build my church…” and the devil and hell can’t stop Him.

Nothing will thwart God’s plan to reach the world with the gospel. Those who have not yet heard are in good hands. God uses an inspired and all-powerful message (the gospel) given by the mouths of imperfect saints who are empowered by the Holy Spirit and out of the listeners those whom God has chosen will believe.

Jesus prayed for those who belonged to God, to Him. He did not pray for the world. Their salvation is complete because of His perfect obedience and sacrifice. They can have life because He ever lives. They only need to know it.

I suggest we get in on God’s plan and chunk our own upon the heap of human failure. The focus is never on a plan or a program. It is always about an empowered people. So, may I suggest then that we too pray for the church, for our brothers and sisters, at least more than we do for the lost. God’s way is always best.

Royce

Nov 10 2009

The Invitation


It is a tradition in traditional churches of Christ, and perhaps others, to announce the number of the “invitation song” before the preacher begins his sermon. It is a practice as ingrained as the Lords’s Supper. What is almost as certain is that no one will accept the “invitation“.

How is it in your church. Do you have an invitation each service? What is it like? Is it necessary? These are odd questions huh?

Why have an invitation just for the sake of having an invitation just because that is the way we do it?  The preacher can preach on any subject, and with no personal application, and then tack on a statement like “If you are not a Christian or if you have just gotten off course this is your time to respond”. I want to ask “Respond to what?”

Sunday morning worship is not a good time for evangelism. Unless the good seed has been sown at some other time of the week there is not likely going to be a great harvest of new converts on Sunday. It seems to me the invitation is an opportunity to respond to the Bible lesson just completed. At a minimum it is primarily that. My experience is that many sermons have no challenge to life change. A twenty-minute devotional is not bad but does not require an invitation in my view.

Unless the preacher actually preaches the gospel (good news about Jesus and what he has accomplished for sinners) it is very odd indeed to ask people to respond to an offer that has not been presented. Lost people do not learn the good news by osmosis, they have to hear it or read it to know it. Don’t claim to be a “gospel preacher” unless you frequently preach the gospel!

Invitation as family time. Many of us at White’s Ferry Road church refer to our congregation as our “forever family“. And, indeed they are. When the invitation is given at WFR it is unlike most other churches I have ever experienced. People come forward to openly confess sin and ask forgiveness, they come to ask for prayer about some health issue (and often to be anointed and prayed for be the elders), they come to solicit prayer for marriage troubles, job loss, wayward children, etc. And, of course, some to come to make their decision to follow Jesus public and we baptize them and welcome them into our forever family with a loud applause and cheers.

What is interesting about the invitation time at WFR is that no one ever comes alone. Usually they are accompanied by close friends who got to know that person in a small group or a shared ministry experience. Or if it is someone new to our church those sitting on the pew beside them will go forward with them when they respond. This family time is a cherished event, often taking 20 or 30 minutes and no one seems to mind. It is safe place where people know in advance they will be loved and not judged, forgiven and not expelled. It is a wonderful illustration of a church with no pretenses of sinless perfection, but rather is real, authentic followers of Jesus, loving each other and together moving toward Christ likeness.

What is it like at your church? Is it something you look forward to? Or is it something you dread? One thing is sure. If the leadership of your church is not transparent about their own lives the invitation will likely be just a formal part of the service each week with few ever responding. Good leaders lead by example and not one leader in any church is perfectly righteous. It is good for everyone to just admit it and stop pretending it isn’t true.

Now for the invitation….your comments are welcome and encouraged.

Royce

Nov 5 2009

Tulsa Workshop 2010


2009 was my first Workshop but I decided then it would not be my last. I met so many wonderful people, including fellow bloggers, and made friendships that are priceless.

Come experience the fellowship, worship, and preaching/teaching, and meet other church of Christ folks from across the fruited plain. Lord willing I’ll be there.

(Should I have a Grace Digest booth where I can sell autographed copies of my latest book? I could feature “Doughnuts with Dobbs” and have a John Dobbs meet and greet. (I think it would only be fitting to call the doughnuts “Dobbers”)  And, I could offer to laminate “Change Agent” cards for free!)

I hope you can come. I’d love to meet you.

Royce

 

Nov 2 2009

The Lord’s Supper, Brokeness for Brokeness


People around the world today participated in The Lord’s Supper. A bit of bread of some sort was eaten and a small portion of wine or grape juice was drunk as together followers of Jesus Christ remembered Him.

This morning I shared the bread and cup with perhaps 750 or more saints. I was reminded as the others were served that one commonality we share locally and around the world is brokenness. Then at the invitation the announcement of a girl who had been baptized, a man joining our fellowship who works with our prison ministry, a couple placing membership who are transparent about their marriage difficulties and solicit our prayers, a well-loved lady with concerns about a health issue was prayed for, and finally a ministry leader tearfully confessed his failure to be what he knows God wants him to be.

Each of us comes to the Lord’s table bringing our brokenness. Unique we are yet each of us brings broken lives. We share a history of sinful passions, hard to restrain egos, and psyches embedded with the popular culture that is against God. We everyone either are or have been broken, badly off kilter compared to God’s ideal.

Thus we come and hear the Lord’s voice saying “This is my body” and “This is the New Covenant in my blood” and we know his broken body and shed blood was for us. Because He was broken we are invited to come as we are with our brokenness surely to be helped and healed. Because of “His stripes” our broken lives are made new.

In view of what God has accomplished for us in the perfect living and dying and living again of Jesus we bow to His majesty and choose to be broken again. Now we gladly choose brokenness so that Christ might be all in all in us and for us and through us for others.

God’s mighty power is best displayed in the life of the meek, the poor in spirit, the broken. It seems that God does His best work when He has nothing to work with. Read your Bible. Don’t you know that men who accomplished great things for God were all alike marked with brokenness?

Brokenness for brokenness? Yes, I bring mine and His makes mine OK.