"Standing Ovation"

In the middle of the 20th century, a woman by the name of Shin'ichi Suzuki developed a philosophy geared to achieve high ability and beautiful character in children who want to play an instrument. Within the guidelines of a nurturing environment, the Suzuki method takes a child through small steps that allow for individual growth on their instrument of choice through immersion, encouragement, and an unforced timetable. Most often the Suzuki method is used with children who want to play the piano or violin. Now a world-famous approach, this method has helped thousands of children attain an advanced level of musical achievement.

For children who play the violin, the first two steps of the Suzuki method are ingenious. The first step is to learn the proper stance. Standing correctly is the basis for success for every violinist. I am reminded how the great basketball coach, John Wooden, routinely took his UCLA men's team through their first practice teaching them nothing more than how to wear their socks correctly and how to tie their shoes.

The second step in the Suzuki system for violin players, is to teach them how to bow. How many times have we gone to concerts and not known exactly when to applaud? When there is a pause, is the music over? Was a mistake made? Unless you are familiar with the music, you really don't know. So children in the Suzuki system are taught to stop and bow. The automatic response from the audience is always applause. This gives positive reinforcement to the performer and an opportunity for supporters to express their gratitude.

It occurs to me, that in the Lord's church we need these two principles. We first need to teach people how to stand in the gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4). If we stand correctly then everything else can also be done correctly and we will be pleasing to our heavenly Father. Second, we need to appreciate each other more. We should not have to wait for people to bow before we praise them. We need to exhort one another all of the time (Heb. 10:25). How important it is for every Christian to participate in edification! No Christian can ever be encouraged "too much" in matters that deal with the development of their faith.

I am interested in teaching my children to stand correctly. I am interested in applauding their efforts. I believe most parents are interested in these things. If we will apply these interests to the life of every child of God, our music will be more beautiful, our offering more sweet, and our lives more blessed.

"Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification." ~ Romans 15:2

Chained to the Pulpit?

"...for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ" ~ 2 Cor. 10:14

In defending his ministry, Paul makes a point that every preacher should take to heart. He and his companions had traveled a long way to bring the gospel to people. They endured hardships, persecutions, and experienced diffculties that Christians today cannot even imagine. Read Paul's list of things he had suffered in order to help people come to Jesus (2 Cor. 11:23-28).

My question for you preachers out there is simple: When was the last time you took any risks to teach the Bible to anybody? I am sorry to have to say some of this, but many preachers need to hear it. I did not grow up in a culture of "pulpit ministers." I was raised in a area of our country where we were lucky to have one true church in a town of 50,000. Pulpit preaching alone just didn't cut it. The only way people came to Jesus Christ was when Jesus Christ came to them. Many preachers and Christians alike need to repent immediately and start beating the pavement.

Would you be ashamed if you had to honestly answer concerning how many Bible studies you have tried to set up in the last five years? If you are wondering why your ministry is suffering - check and see when you last changed your schedule or cancelled a hobby to study the Bible with someone. And shame on churches and their leaders for turning preachers into elders and deacons - who have to spend so much time shepherding and serving tables that they cannot focus on evagelism. Read Acts 6 and see if the apostles would ever allow people to be lost in order to make the church members happy.

We have oft ridiculed and chastised the denominational world for chaining the Bible to the pulpit. Certainly these accusations are warranted and documented. But at the same time, we need to look in the mirror. Many of us have also chained it. When the gospel rarely leaves our church buildings we need to rethink our plea. Or maybe we should consider whether or not we still have a plea.

I love the church. I love the leaders and I love every member. But I love the lost just as much. So I am going to continue to speak up on this issue. I will not allow my ministry to be limited to a pulpit. No preacher should ever live from Sunday to Sunday. May God help us to get down from the pulpit, and to get out of our offices, and take the gospel to a lost and dying world!

"For which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained." ~ 2 Tim. 2:9

Trouble in the "Audit"-orium

Have you ever audited a class? Have you ever audited a relationship with God? Seriously - there are too many people who are just filling a pew. Consider the danger you may be in spiritually if you are doing nothing more than sitting in the "audit-orium."

1. When auditing, you are not required to take any tests.

People who are not going to be tested are less likely to study. The reason many church members don't know the Bible anymore is because they are not being tested on its contents. If you share your faith, you will be tested. If you are tested, you will have to study and prepare. Tests are healthy and make for a stronger faith in Christ.

2. When auditing, you are not going to receive credit for taking the course.

You do get to listen, and you can learn some things, but at the end of the semester you are going to be in the same place as far as your degree in concerned. People who only sit in the auditorium and do nothing else are not making good progress. They may not even have any spiritual goals they have determined to meet, and so they end up wasting away.

3. When auditing, you are not accountable for your attendance.

The reason why assemblies fluctuate so much in attendance is because there are many people who are not invested deeply enough in their relationship with God. There has always been an attitude out there with some people that missing the assembly is no big deal. I am glad I do not understand that mentality. When we don't come to class, how can we expect to pass? It makes sense to link the level of our dedication with the probability of our being pleasing to the Lord.

4. When auditing, you don't receive a grade.

Maybe this is the main reason why people audit their religion. They may be afraid they are a C- Christian or worse. We need to remember that God is going to pay each and every faithful person the same wage. Yet some folks would rather not be graded at all. They would rather not hear how they are doing. The ultimate problem of course, is the fact that God IS going to judge our souls and either count us as His child, or as one who belongs to Satan.

Every time we come together as a church, we will gather in the auditorium as a family to worship God. What a wonderful opportunity! It is a place of love, fellowship, family, grace, peace, joy, and many other spiritual blessings. Let's not let the auditorium become the "audit"-orium. May God help us to be Christians who are fully dedicated to the Lord and His church!

"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." ~ James 4:7

My Papa is Also My Hero

On February 27, 2011, my grandfather will preach his last regular Sunday morning lesson as an every Sunday gospel preacher. This post is dedicated to his 63 years of preaching and evangelism...I could write novels, but this will have to do today.

Those of us who are currently preaching or who plan to preach in our family can easily say that it is because of Papa Bill. I first remember going to Ramona, CA as a kid to see Grandma Barbara and Papa Bill. I remember their Christmas tree. I remember “storm the fort” in their yard. I remember playing football or basketball at their house. I remember 100 more other things (at least) about Ramona. I remember VBS there and helping my Papa lead the singing. That was the first time I ever remember doing anything in front of other people as far as church service goes.

I was so blessed to have my Papa as my preacher in Turlock. From age 12-20 he was the one I was able to learn from. I remember helping him with Bible drill. I remember how much I looked forward to his Bible class when he was teaching. I remember learning more in his Bible class than any other. I remember sound, loving lessons. I remember singing at weddings and funerals and learning how to conduct them by watching Papa. I remember his warm, comforting presence when people needed him.

I also remember church picnics, three-legged and sack races, softball games and tug-a-rope. Papa knows how to have fun with God’s people. I know his chuckle. I can see him putting his hand to his forehead because he missed a shot just barely. I can see him slapping his knee and laughing whenever he won. I think that everybody who had Papa as their preacher knew they were lucky. They knew what kind of man he was and still is. Preachers come and go, but Bible men who walk like Jesus are rare, even in the church.

If there is one thing above all in preaching I have learned from Papa, it is a love for souls. He has a passion for saving people – a love for the gospel that could seldom be matched by anyone. I have always understood what has driven him to work so hard for the kingdom – the Bible is too great a message not to share. I have always had the idea that what makes him wake up in the morning is the possibility of a new Bible study, or a new contact with someone who needed God and the church.

Some of my favorite moments include fishing trips, eating licorice in the car on long drives, singing with Papa and Grandma while cleaning the kitchen at the restaurant or while in the car, playing cards or dominos, ping-pong, watching sports with him on TV, going to games, golfing, and so much more. I remember once when he was in his 60’s he was conducting a Bible study at one home where there were two teenage boys. They were outside playing basketball as he was walking in. He took the ball at the 3-point line and made his first 18 shots in a row. Then he went inside and conducted the study. Papa is a good athlete!

How do you say in a few short words thank you for the man who is your hero? I could talk for hours about very vivid memories and the things I appreciate about him. There is nobody I know who I want to be like more than Bill Watts.

Today, my Papa still helps me even though we live across the U.S. from each other. As a preacher, there are a few things I want to make sure I do the way he has always done them. 1) I want to be humble. My Papa is the humblest preacher I have ever known. 2) I want to be loving and also sound. Papa has always told the truth in God’s word in a way people can know he loved them. 3) I want to be a soul-winner. I have always understood that the main thing Papa was trying to do was get people into heaven. All of the other things that come with preaching are just there so you can do the main work. 4) I want to be kind when mistreated. I have watched my Papa be so good to people who were determined to be his enemies. All I saw in his response was quiet compassion. 5) I want to live every day, like Jesus. Beyond everything else I see in my Papa Bill – I see Jesus. He is the most Christ-like man I have ever known.

There are going to be so many people in heaven because of Bill Watts. If you ask me, that is what defines a successful life. Every time I ever reach anybody, his hand is in it. He would only say that it was the work of God, and of course, as always he would be correct. So this man, who is not a “big name in the brotherhood” – is in my opinion, the greatest preacher I have ever known. He has lived the great commission. He has done so without ever neglecting his family. He has given us a living reflection of Jesus Christ. He has given me a walking, talking hero to emulate.

Papa, I hope you know just how much you have done, and how much you continue to do – for the world, for the church, for the family, and for me. Thank you for loving me the way every child dreams their grandfather would. Thank you for being my hero, just by being Papa Bill.

I love you more than words or deeds will ever tell.

Jeremy

"He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked." ~ 1 John 2:6

What Makes it all Worth While

I received a card this week from a friend. I have received many cards over the years, and have appreciated every one. There have been thank you cards from funerals, visits, baptisms, and sermons. There have been birthday and anniversary cards, holiday wishes and more. At one time I counted over 2,000 get well cards I had received through my battle with cancer. I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH CARDS! But I have never received a more meaningful card then the one I received this week.

Sometimes your life in preaching does not work out just like you had planned (welcome to life in general). We recently moved from our wonderful congregation in Lawrenceburg to another wonderful congregation in Cookeville. Anytime you leave one work to go to another - the hardest thing to leave behind is people! I am talking about relationships and dear friendships. The people you leave behind have become the most important people in your life.

Preachers have some special blessings that most elders will never experience. Because elders in the church do not shepherd enough as a whole, the blessings that come to shepherds are usually deferred to preachers. People that you have sat with in hospitals, or studied the Bible with into the late hours of the night...people you visited when they welcomed a new baby into their family - will appreciate you and love you in a special way. You baptized them. You conducted their family funerals. You married their children.

While there are times that elders have frustrated preachers because they were primarily "business meeting" elders, every preacher would also admit that they are thankful that people love them as their preacher in a special way for the shepherding they do.

The man who sent me the card is in his 80's. When I first came to town, this man had been worshiping in this congregation for 50+ years, but he had never obeyed the gospel. When his Christian wife contracted lung cancer, I began to spend a good bit of time with them. At the end of one visit, after we had prayed for her, I asked this man if there was anything I could do for him...He said, "Well, you can take me down to the church building and baptize me!" We could not get there fast enough! God had worked on his heart for many years. Preachers had come and gone and they had worked on his heart with the gospel message. His wife, through her silent but humble obedience to God's will, had worked on his heart by example.

I will never forget that day. I got to call his two Christian sons down to the building, so they could see their father, nearly 80, be baptized into Christ. They had to get over the shock first! But they were so thankful to God.

When the baptism was over we gathered to pray. His wife asked to be restored as well. I remember as he sat down on the front pew, he let out a loud sigh and his shoulders dropped about 2 inches. He said, "I should have done that a long time ago."

Within a year's time, his wife passed away from lung cancer. For the next 7 years I enjoyed being his preacher. He was always there. He was always happy. He was always singing!!! A simple and soft spoken man, he never communicated much. But I knew that we loved each other. And that was enough.

I left that congregation a few months ago. But he found my new address, and I received his card in the mail. Inside, the card had these words, written by the manufacturer:

"I always thank God for you..." ~ 1 Cor. 1:4. "I just got to thinking how blessed I am to have a friend like you. All the thoughtful, loving things you do mean more than words can say."

He did not write anything in the card himself. He just signed his name at the bottom. He didn't have to write anything. I understand exactly why he sent it.

You see, it does not matter how many times people ridicule you for what you preach. It does not matter how many times people question your activities or your motives. It does not matter how many false accusations may come. It does not matter that people sometimes misread you, misrepresent you, or misuse you.

All that matters, is that there will be people in heaven one day because you loved them enough to help them get there. The costs cannot be compared with what can be gained.

I have a special friend in Lawrenceburg, TN. We have touched each others' lives. God's providence brought us together. This is what makes life worth living. This is what makes everything I experience in ministry worth while.

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." ~ 1 John 4:11

"How Do I Get In?"

Everybody wants to know the answer to this question. Jesus was once asked, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17). He responded, “…if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matt. 19:17). Christ also said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt. 7:13-14).

Robert Frost once wrote about two roads which diverged in a yellow wood. He knew he had to make a choice to take only one. He concluded:

I shall be telling this with a sigh,
Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference.

The direction the Son of God gave mankind also deals with a road less traveled. It is a road of compassion, forgiveness, righteousness, selflessness, obedience, sacrifice, and truth. It is a road of kindness, gentleness, patience, temperance, fruitfulness, faithfulness and hope.

The narrow road is the road the world refuses to take. It is not as appealing to the flesh as is the broad way. There are fewer companions who will walk with you. It is a longer journey. It is filled with obstacles. It is at times dark and lonely. But notice that Jesus still says, “Enter” by this road (Matt. 7:13).

Believe it or not, the greatest consolation to the decision one makes to take the road less traveled is not discovered at the end. Frost points out in his poem that it was not the final destination, but the experience found in the journey that changed his life. Jesus, as He lived on this earth, took the narrow road. When we choose to walk in the steps of Christ, not only do we purify ourselves through His sufferings, we become more like Him with every step we take.

So maybe the greatest question is not, “How do I get in?” Perhaps the better question – “Which way am I going?”

“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and not be able” – (Luke 13:24).

Holding Back

When the church was just beginning, the sin of Ananias and Sapphira served as the ultimate object lesson about the need for faithfulness. Acts 5:1-11 tells all about their great lie. Peter said to Ananias, “You have not lied to men but to God” (Acts 5:4). To Sapphira he replied, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the spirit of the Lord?” (Acts 5:9).

Actually, they had lied to men as well as God. They had deceived the church into thinking they had done all they could. Peter was simply pointing out that nothing is worse than dishonesty to the Creator. To think that one could somehow fool God is ridiculous. To believe that person could justify partial obedience is not in harmony with God’s commandment. To “seem religious” is an abomination in the eyes of He who weighs the hearts of men (Proverbs 21:2).

Though Ananias and Sapphira committed a great sin before the Lord and His people, perhaps their greatest mistake was in what they did not do. They “held back” (Acts 10:2-3), while making it look like they were giving all. God knows about everything we have. Is there even one physical or spiritual possession, talent, or blessing that exists that He did not bestow (James 1:17)? Therefore, when the Master wants to visit concerning our progress, we should realize no hole is deep enough to bury our talent from His eyes (Matthew 25:25-27). There is no excuse at work or play, asleep or awake that will make holding back from God acceptable. God wants all or none, hot or cold, because in-between makes Him sick (Revelation 3:15-16).

The biggest barrier to church growth is the church itself. God has given every provision to the church. He has given His word, His Son, and His everlasting promise. He has equipped the saints for the work of ministry and edification (Ephesians 4:12). He has given abundantly that the church may reach “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13).

Holding back is for the Christian the most dangerous of sins. It attempts to disavow the promise one makes when obeying the gospel. It hurts the church because the world is observing the church’s level of dedication. It hurts individuals because they are deceived into thinking partial service is obedience. It weakens faith. It breeds apathy. It gives Satan a place to stay. It is sin punishable by death (James 4:17; Romans 6:23; Acts 5:5, 10).

When Ananias and Sapphira died, “great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things” (Acts 5:11). This fear led to the purification of the church, and to the glory of God. People stopped holding back, at least for a little while.

If God punished today the way He did then, who would be alive? Who would be dead? Who would respectively respond in obedience? Who would dare continue to “test the Spirit of the Lord” (Acts 5:9)?

“By myself I have sword, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, ‘in blessing I will bless you...’” (Genesis 22:16-17).