But Once it’s All Over it’s All Over

A retired Christian man came out with me on the streets of my local suburb as we went door-to-door sharing the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He had been a Christian for many years, his wife and family being the same.  One of his children was also in ministry elsewhere.  One day I knocked on a door of a home and a lady answered it.  I introduced us both, giving our purpose for calling.   Immediately she recognized my colleague and said, “Hello John (not his real name), I never knew you were a Christian.”  John was rather embarrassed.  It turned out that they had worked together for some years.  She asked a few questions about Christianity and was surprised when certain distinctions between Jesus’ ways and man’s religious ways were shared.

Another Christian man loved to talk about end times.  Rarely would a week go by when after the service he would come over and ask something like, “Did you see what’s happening in Israel this week, brother? It won’t be long now before Jesus comes to take us out, hallelujah.  The rapture will happen any day now!”  He always followed up with Scriptures to support his statements and lots of, “hallelujah Jesus, bless the Lord.”  This was during the period of the first Gulf War.  After not seeing the man for a long time, one day I met him away from the church environment, in a gathering with unbelievers.  And just like today, things were, “still happening in Israel, brother” but the man was silent on it all.

In another church, during after-service “fellowship” with both men and women, it was easy for them to talk about hobbies, football, food, work, gardens and houses etc. It was also easy for them to talk about the sermons and teachings we’d been receiving, but it appeared to be the hardest thing in all the world to simply talk about Jesus.  Yes, Jesus was always acknowledged, but He was never Central in our dealings. Jesus simply failed to get the glory for any changes that were taking place in our lives.  Doctrines got the glory, religious men got the glory, the group got the glory…..but not Jesus.  And, that was inside the church, forget about outside … it never happened.

After weeks of medical diagnosis, a non-believing man received news that his illness was terminal.  He phoned me and wanted to talk about it.  I invited a minister to come with me to meet this man, believing that with two Christians in his midst God would minister to him in ways that I had experienced Him do with others in the past.  One never knows what God may do in these situations.  He may strongly prompt us to lay on hands and pray for one to receive divine physical healing.  At the very least He will have us pray for spiritual healing (salvation).  The minister had nothing to offer that dying man except an opinion.  Months later, not long before he died, I was blessed by God to lead him to the Lord Jesus.

In the three years I knew Tom “at church,” he made it his business before the service to always come over and shake my hand, give a big smile, followed by, “Good to see you.”  Tom had been around churches for some years also, but apart from his regular greeting, one would never know it.  He could never talk about Jesus or the work of God in his life during “fellowship” after the service.  But, he could talk about a certain make and models of an old 1950’s/60’s motor car because he owned one.  One day Tom got very sick and at one point it was touch-and-go as to whether he would survive his illness.  He did survive but when I visited him at home one afternoon we spoke about many things, but not about Jesus … at least Tom didn’t.

I met a young Christian couple at a barbecue.  Sitting around the table with a half-dozen other people, the wife began talking about some challenges they were facing.  Given the humanistic responses being shared as solutions to the challenges that came from others, I could only assume that they were not Christian people.  Knowing that she and her husband were Christians however, plus the fact that I too had faced similar challenges in the past, I mentioned to her that this was, “an opportunity to trust the Lord and wait for His solution, which will most surely come.”  One would not have known the lady was a Christian, given the response.  She appeared to be embarrassed.

A fellow Christian loves the work of C H Spurgeon and Billy Graham.  They are seen by this one as, “Great men of God … it must have been wonderful to hear them preach.”  In the Christian environment it is the easiest thing in all the world for this person to speak of great love for God and the Lord Jesus plus the Bible.  One day the environment we were in was more secular than Christian as we gathered for lunch. A discussion came up about the validity and relevance of God, the Lord and the Bible and one man in particular out-rightly rejected them all.  I asked him some questions as to how had he had arrived at such a conclusion.  Silence only, from my fellow Christian.

A mature Christian person never talks of personal love for Jesus but I believe that love is there.  We were together at a barbecue, with a long-time-Christ-rejecter that I know.  She’s been anti-Christ for years.  We were talking about the world’s current violence and tragedies, and she cynically asked why God allowed this to go on.  I said, “That’s a dishonest question for you to ask because you’ve always rejected the Biblical answer.  It is more honest for you to ask, ‘why do I allow it to happen.'”  She made a few more of the usual statements that are common with Christ-rejecters and then said, “Anyhow, I’m not going to talk about religion.”  I responded by saying, “But you just did.”  No response coming at any time from the mature Christian.

I have always marvelled at the vigour that’s expressed by many Christians as they sing the old hymn, Stand Up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross; …..the trumpet call obey; …..stand in His strength alone; …..the strife will not be long…”  Heads held very high, chests pushed out with great gusto expressed from vocal cords.  But once it’s all over, it’s all over!  Why is that?  An opinion only.  There is a need for God’s men in pulpits to place far less emphasis on the importance of their 4-point, PowerPoint sermons.  Why?  Because all too often these men simply fill minds with knowledge and minister to the emotions of God’s pew-sitting, passive-listening people, while their hearts remain unchanged.

God’s way is to inform the mind, touch the emotions and command the will.  Only the Holy Spirit is capable of achieving all three and He doesn’t need a 4-point PowerPoint deal to accomplish it.  What God does need is a man who will prostrate himself before Him and cry out, “Lord, in the name of Jesus, I want Your way or no way.” If a man keeps that up for any reasonable period during his personal devotions, then sooner than later, he will begin to notice his own will being changed.  When that becomes the case, that man is soon going to experience himself becoming spiritually empowered and authoritative like never before.  The 4-point PowerPoint deal may still take a place but it will be just that – a place not the place.

The church leader who regularly demonstrates that he is Spirit-empowered and authoritative is going to cause some others in his church to say to themselves, “I want some of that.”  He will do this without working up any kind of spiritual sweat, but rather his words and actions will be confirmed by the Lord, just as Mark 16:20 tells us.  He will edify, exhort and encourage his people to place themselves before God in the same manner as he does, and he will create opportunities for them to discover the spiritual gift/s God has for them.  Even though he is a leader of people, he will have rejected the lie he held on to for too many years…..that of believing himself to be “first among equals.”

In becoming a catalyst for change in others in his church, this man will not allow any focus to be placed upon himself, but only upon Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith Hebrews 12:2.  He will see this as most necessary for all because part of the deal from now on (when God opens up a mouth to speak on His behalf), will be that of the need to endure one’s own cross, as well as to despise and ignore any shame that most certainly will come.  Particularly can this be expected to come through the words, behavior and actions of fellow Christians, but also by others closest to them.  Suffering for Christ is part of the deal from now on too.  No suffering for Christ, no reigning with Christ 2 Timothy 2:12.

It is not that Christians cannot or will not speak up for Jesus, but they need more than mere words of encouragement to go and share the gospel.  They need role models out in front of them leading the way.  They need leaders who will get out with them and demonstrate the power of God right where the rubber meets the road.  Christians need to witness their leaders under the anointing of the Holy Spirit calling down heaven and crushing hell right before their very eyes.  They need to witness for themselves the power of God delivering people from their addictions, perversions and superstitions.  A Christian lady once asked me, “What’s missing from Christianity?”  That’s what’s missing. 

Once a Christian experiences such power being demonstrated right before their eyes and is then given encouragement and the opportunity to go do the same, they won’t have any problems opening their mouths for Jesus.  It is not Christian people who are guilty for this lack so much, it is their leaders, for the most part.  Too many have allowed their love of titles, positions, traditions, doctrines, denominations, the building fund, the church program, working bees and whatever else to get in the way.  If one lines that stuff up with New Testament Christianity it will show up as totally fraudulent.  No wonder it shuts mouths to the real thing.  One doesn’t need God for any of that.

So what do you do when you have a desire to be used of God in the manner described above, but you have a leader or leaders who show no signs of ever going down that path?  Your church has dried up, spiritually.  It has nothing to offer God; it has nothing to offer you.  Time to leave.  The quicker you come to terms with that reality, the quicker you grant God the opportunity to place you on the pathway to standing up and speaking up for Jesus. “And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:4-5.