Result #4: If We Are Not Careful, Our Sense of Time Can Be Assumed.

35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. (John 4:35-36)

The disciples had lost their sense of urgency. They did not understand that time to act was upon them. Jesus, as He most often did, used His creation to drive home His point. He drew the disciple’s attention to a nearby field which was ready to be harvested. To be “white for harvest” meant that the fields were beyond ready. In fact, there was a danger of the harvest being lost if action were not taken. To allow it to remain in the field would run the risk of losing it all. There is a spiritual lesson here for the church.

The time to act is now. In our day, we are staring into the faces of a harvest of souls. There are many today who are ready to hear. There are many today who are searching. There are many today who are waiting for someone to explain how they can find real lasting peace. There are many today who are searching for a sense of hope. We say we will share our faith “someday”. We say we will speak of Christ to our lost family member or friend “when it is more convenient.” We say, “I’ve not been gifted to share my faith.” We say, “there is plenty of time. We are wrong to assume that we have a day beyond this one. We are wrong to assume we have plenty of time. We are wrong if we are not living our lives in a sense of urgency. Satan’s greatest strategy is not to convince people that heaven and hell do not exist. His greatest strategy is to convince people there is no hurry. If we are not careful about missions, we will assume we have all the time in the world. The lost do not have the luxury of our false assumptions.

Result #3: If We Are Not Careful, Our Sense of Purpose Can Become Skewed.

31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” 33 Therefore the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. (John 4:31-34)

The disciples believed that Jesus’ trip through Samaria was a diversion not needed. Their priorities were out of order as they thought only of their personal inconvenience. His disciples believed His stop along the way was just a break to rest and nothing more. He took this opportunity to teach them about His mission. A mission that was theirs by extension. Jesus had said that the Son of Man has come to “save that which was lost.” Jesus reminded His disciples that He was accomplishing the will of His Father and finishing the work.

Jesus came to the earth for one reason. Did He teach? He did, but it was not His main mission. Did He heal? He did, but it was not His main mission. Did He come to challenge the religiously comfortable? He did, but it was not His main mission. Did He come to inspire the hopeless? He did, but it was not His main mission. Jesus came to this earth to die. He came to give His life a sacrifice and ransom to bring men and women, boys and girls, back into relationship with His Father. The church today has one mission and purpose: the proclamation of the gospel. Missions is the way of doing this by extending the kingdom through hands-on and tangible means. Missions cannot simply be something that we do; rather it must be who we are.

If we are not careful, our purpose can become skewed. If we don’t know and hold to our purpose, the church simply becomes an entertainment center. If we don’t know and hold to our purpose, the church simply becomes a social club. If we don’t know and hold to our purpose, the church simply becomes a shrine to past success. If we don’t know and hold to our purpose, the church simply becomes a building in the town that is no different than any other. Let’s be careful about missions.

Result #2: If We Are Not Careful, Our Sense of People Can Become Limited.

27 And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?” 28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 29 “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” (John 4:27-29)

39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days (John 4:39-40)

When the disciples returned, they were surprised to find Jesus talking to a woman. Why? The phrase “that He talked with a woman” is a loaded one. This should be seen in the context of the Jewish norms of that day. It was not judged decent or proper for a man to enter a lengthy conversation with a woman, especially in a public place. A religious man was to especially guard against this practice. Beyond all of this, Jesus was talking to a Samaritan woman. The Jews had no familiar conversation with Samaritans, men or women. For Jesus to ask a favor of this woman certainly must have had the disciples confused. In this very narrow snapshot, we can see an incredible barrier to missions. The barrier: An unwillingness to engage all people with the gospel; born from the belief that some are worthy and some are not.

The disciples had a hard time understanding that Jesus had come to be the Savior of all people. Jesus did not come to be the Savior of the Jews only. Jesus did not come to be the Savior of men only. Jesus did not come to be the Savior of the rich only. Jesus did not come to be the Savior of the religious only. Jesus did not come to be the Savior of the good person only. In defense of His ministry, under Pharisaical scrutiny, Jesus affirmed His mission by saying, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” If we are not careful, our sense of who the gospel is for can become limited. It is easy to engage people who look, act, eat, recreate, shop, and believe as we do. The challenge is to go to those who don’t share our value system. The challenge is to go to the one who mocks the name of God because they don’t know any better. The challenge is to go to those who were just like we were before Jesus saved us. Remember that person? As the story ends, the Samaritan woman believes on Jesus and shares what He had done for her with everyone she knew. This is the essence of evangelism: one hungry man telling another hungry man where he found bread. Let’s be careful that we don’t put an unfair and unnecessary limit on those who have the chance to hear. The bottom line is this: no one is worthy of God’s salvation. It is a work of grace. Share it.

Result #1: If We Are Not Careful, Our Sense of Location Can Become Habitual.

3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. 4 But He needed to go through Samaria. 5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” (John 4:3-7)

John records something interesting here. In v.4, he made the statement that Jesus “needed” to go through Samaria. Some translations say that He “had to go” through Samaria. Why did He need to go to here? Remembering how the Jews viewed the Samaritans (with indignation and hatred), this would have been an unorthodox travel route. Perhaps His need was a practical one. Maybe it was simply the straightest line between two places. Perhaps His need to go through Samaria was a spiritual one. Maybe there was a despised woman living in a despised land whose despised conduct had been nothing to write home about. Perhaps she was His single reason for choosing this route. A divine appointment if you will.

As your read the remainder of the chapter, you will see that His disciples viewed this detour as an inconvenience. They were on their way home and probably had their minds set on the destination. The disciples had lost their sense of place location. They had grown comfortable with people who were just like them and could not believe that Jesus would venture outside the “safe zone” of Israel. This problem belongs to the Church today. We have become slaves to certain locations. We navigate between safe zones. Tragically, we have been guilty of putting certain locations, and as a result people, off limits. Jesus was teaching the disciples that no location was off limits. He was teaching them that no people group or nationality were off limits. If we are not careful about missions, our sense of location can become habitual. Same places every day. Same faces every day. Same conversations every day. Same results. The Church must stretch. The Church must expand. The Church must go to the places what are overlooked. The location for missions is a both/and proposition, not either/or. Let’s not allow our habitual routines to cause us to miss those whom the world has written off and pushed to the fringe of society.

There will be a special series of Missional Monday all week here at The Road Less Traveled.

We must be careful about missions. We must be careful to teach the value and importance of missions to our children through education and activity.  We must be careful to keep the work of our missionaries before the congregation. We must be careful to support our missionaries with our prayers and finances so that they may be able to stay on the fields to which they have been called. We must be careful to provide consistent opportunities for our congregation to be personally involved in missions work in our community.

What would happen if we were not so careful? What would happen if we did not  take missions and the work of our missionaries seriously? What if we chose to view the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 as merely a suggestion or option to be considered? What if we chose to disregard the words of Christ when He said all that we do for the “least of these” was done unto Him? What would happen if we chose to place all our energy, time, resources, and prayer into ministries inside the walls of the church what are primarily focused on those who already know Jesus personally? What if we viewed the last few earthly words of Jesus Christ, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth”, as an earthly consideration rather than a divine imperative. What if we did not embrace the challenge of pushing back the darkness of lostness?

This week, I am going to share what could happen if we are not careful about missions. Using Jesus’ conversation with His disciples in John 4, we are better able to understand why the church today must be careful about its approach to missions. Interestingly, it was Oswald J. Smith who said, “any church that is not seriously involved in helping fulfill the Great Commission has forfeited its biblical right to exist.”

This article originally appeared on March 20, 2012.

What is in a name? A great deal I would argue. Parents spend a great deal of time selecting just the right name for their newborn. Auto makers assign names to their brands to ensure they are interesting and appealing. As a society, we assign names to buildings, roads, bridges, ball fields, and wings of hospitals to communicate and celebrate the accomplishments, successes, and heroism of those who have made meaningful contributions in life. Names are important. Names matter.

I pastor a Southern Baptist church. This means our church has made a choice to affiliate and cooperate with the Southern Baptist Convention. Although we are first an Evangelical Christian church, our choice to affiliate with the Southern Baptist Convention is found in the values, commitment to cooperation, and theological stance that the SBC is known for. In September of 2011, Dr. Bryant Wright, president of the Southern Baptist Convention appointed a presidential task force to study the prospect of changing the name of the Southern Baptist Convention – a name which has been in place for 166 years. A final report, along with any recommendations would be made to messengers at the 2012 SBC Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Dr. Wright offered two reasons for appointing this research committee.

“First, the convention’s name is so regional. With our focus on church planting, it is challenging in many parts of the country to lead churches to want to be part of a convention with such a regional name. Second, a name change could position us to maximize our effectiveness in reaching North America for Jesus Christ in the 21st century.”

Much speculation, discussion, and debate surrounded this upcoming announcement. Feelings were strong on both sides. In February of 2012, the task made its interim report to the SBC Executive Committee. A February 21st Baptist Press article says in part,

“The task force appointed to study a possible name change of the Southern Baptist Convention is recommending the convention maintain its legal name but adopt an informal, non-legal name for those who want to use it: “Great Commission Baptists. The recommendation would mean that the legal name of the convention would remain “Southern Baptist Convention” and could be used by any church which wishes to use it. But other SBC churches could call themselves “Great Commission Baptists” if they wish. Draper said the new term would be a “descriptor.” Dr. Jimmy Draper, Chairman of the presidential task force said, ‘We believe that the equity that we have in the name Southern Baptist Convention is valuable.’ ‘It is a strong name that identifies who we are in theology, morality and ethics, compassion, ministry and mission in the world. It is a name that is recognized globally in these areas. We also recognize the need that some may have to use a name that is not associated with a national region as indicated by the word ‘Southern.’ We want to do everything we can to encourage those who do feel a name change would be beneficial without recommending a legal name change for the convention. We believe we have found a way to do that.’  The goal from the beginning, Draper said, ‘was to consider the removal of any barrier to the effective proclamation of the Gospel and reaching people for Christ.’”

This issue of name change has come before the convention in previous years. Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention heard similar motions on the possibility of a name change in 1965, 1974, 1983, 1989, 1990, 1998, and 2004. Each time messengers decided to not change the name of the Southern Baptist Convention. I want to share my thoughts here on this issue. I am not in favor of changing the name of the Southern Baptist Convention. I believe it has served us well all these years and that it will continue to identify us as champions of biblical conservatism in the decades to come. At present, the Southern Baptist Convention has something that is very valuable: brand recognition. When you hear the name “Southern Baptist Convention”, you know what you are getting. The same is true when you hear the names Harley Davidson, Apple, Coke, and Starbucks.  I want to share with you the three reasons why I believe the name “Southern Baptist Convention” is one worth retaining.

1. The Southern Baptist Convention has led the way in caring for the physical needs of those affected by natural disaster. When it comes to ministering to those who have been affected by tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and tsunamis, no one does it like Southern Baptists. Often the first on the scene with feeding units, showers, and chaplains, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, and Baptist Global Response (the disaster relief arm of the International Mission Board) are on site to meet the physical needs of people with the desire to meet the spiritual needs. Relief and compassion are synonymous with Southern Baptists. This kind of “equity” if you will, can’t afford to be lost through a name change.
2. The Southern Baptist Convention has led the way in the defense of biblical truth and religious liberty.Whether everyone agrees with the stance Southern Baptists takes on doctrinal matters, they know where we stand and that we will remain consistent. In the late 70’s and early 80’s, Southern Baptists took a stand against the liberalism that was infiltrating our seminaries. Southern Baptists took a stand for the inerrancy of sufficiency of the Scriptures. We are still reaping the benefits today. We owe a tremendous debt to Southern Baptist statesmen such as W.A. Criswell, Jerry Vines, Adrian Rogers, Paige Patterson, Al Mohler, Ed Young, Tom Elliff, George Truett, R.G. Lee, and many others. Southern Baptists have been a consistent voice “crying in the wilderness” of mainstream media against the laws and practices that seek to curtail the freedoms to practice our religion. We owe a debt as well to the Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission. I am fearful that a name change would call into question the integrity of all that has been accomplished in our 166 years.
3. The Southern Baptist Convention has led the way in pushing back the darkness through intentional missions efforts. Synonymous with Southern Baptists is a well-trained, well-prepared, and well-equipped missionary corps. Some of our North American missionaries have expressed concern that the name “Southern Baptist” is a hindrance to the church-planting efforts in certain parts of North America. That concern is the genesis for the Dr. Wright’s decision to once again study a name change. Although there may be some merit to this concern, I believe the integrity and track-record of the Southern Baptist Convention will serve us well in future church-planting movements.

What is in a name? A great deal. We have in the Southern Baptist Convention a name that has served us well, is trusted, and respected. Although the committee studying the name change does not recommend a formal change, they do offer an alternative. Dr. Draper writes, “other SBC churches could call themselves ‘Great Commission Baptists’ if they wish. This new term would be, in Dr. Draper’s words a ‘descriptor’. From where I stand, this ‘descriptor’ will be more confusing. I understand the desire to draw attention to our efforts in fulfilling the Great Commission. Considering the past Great Commission Resurgence Task Force recommendations, this has become more of a focus than ever before. It is possible for Independent Baptists to be committed to the Great Commission. It is possible for American Baptists to be committed to the Great Commission. For one, I will stick with the Southern Baptist Convention. It is that name that identifies us as a people of doctrine, a people of conviction, and a people of missions. I agree wholeheartedly agree with the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee Report of 1999 and their rationale for not changing the name of the Convention. They wrote,

“The name Southern Baptist Convention” and term “SBC” have become brand names meaning more than just the sum of their parts. The Southern Baptist Convention no longer denotes a region as much as it does a position. It has come to mean missionary zeal, staunch Bible defense, moral rectitude, adherence to faith, and dependence upon the Lord.”

This article originally appeared on April 29, 2013.

To be perfectly honest, the past twelve months have amounted to the most difficult year of my life. Almost a year ago today, as I stepped into the pulpit and suffered what later was diagnosed as a complicated migraine with stroke-like symptoms as I began my sermon. As I attempted to read the scripture, like I had done countless times before, I was unable to do anything.   The words were forming in my mind, but I could not say anything and everything was a blur.  Immediately I knew something wasn’t right. The next fifteen minutes were excruciating. It seemed like an eternity. I tried to speak, but  could only manage a few words through the tears. Looking back, it was as if I had no idea what I was doing up there. My congregation knew things were not right. I could see it on their faces. I looked at my wife Terri who was sitting about three rows back to my right. I always know where she is sitting. She was crying. While I struggled with my words, I was trying to decide to step down or keep going. I decided to keep going. At the end of the service, I left the sanctuary to a room on the back hallway. I was met there by my wife and a few others. I remember feeling scared, nervous, and to be honest, a bit embarrassed. What followed over the next week was even more worrisome.

After seeing the doctor, having many tests run, and spending a night in the hospital, I was not sure how things were going to be going forward. I tried to read and study the next week, but was unable to remember anything I had read. I enjoy reading and writing so this was hard to handle. It was during this week that I began to ask some very difficult questions. I remember asking my wife, “What happens if I never get back to the point I was before?” I asked, “What if this is the end of my ministry as a pastor?” I remember asking “Should I just resign so the church could find someone else?” Thankfully, as the second week rolled around, I could remember more and more of what I had read. One of the significant changes I experienced from this “event” was that my vision was altered. As a result, eyeglasses are now necessary. A year later, things are good. Every so often, I have a moment where I feel my mind “skip”, much like a CD in a player.  Apart from that, no lingering effects. I am thankful that Lord allowed me to continue.

Roughly two months after this, my dad was diagnosed with inoperable stage four lung cancer. He  fwas living about four hours away from us and we made many trips back and forth to Tifton, GA to visit, talk with doctors, and just spend time with him. Dad decided to not undergo treatment for his cancer. The next few months brought many changes, for him and for us. My father died on Christmas Day 2012 at the age of 65. When he took his last breath, I was in the room alone with him. I am thankful for those last moments. My dad came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ very late in life. I remember the day he called me to let me know of his decision. He was so excited and I could not have been happier. There is a peace this certainty brings. I had the privilege of preaching my dad’s funeral. I miss my dad every day. We did not talk every day, but I thought of him every day. Deep down I believe that I have not really grieved the loss of my dad yet. I’m not sure why that is.

Through these two events, along with the weight of pastoral ministry, I have learned some great lessons over the past year. Allow me to share what I have learned.

1. I have felt the weight of the truth of Romans 8:28. Paul wrote, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.I have always believed this verse. It is a verse with a promise to those who belong to God through His Son Jesus Christ. These two events are certainly not good. They are not circumstances anyone would want to deal with. However, God certainly can, and has, brought good because of these events. I have learned to not take for granted the small things in life (reading, writing, studying. etc.) I believe I am now better able to minister to families who lose loved ones. I understand the pain, hurt, highs and lows, and sorrow of losing someone very close to me. God is bringing good out of what is certainly not good.
2. I have seen the true meaning of “help-mate” in my wife.In the book of Genesis, God gave Adam a companion, a help-mate, one to literally complete him. Over this past year, Terri has truly been by completion. She has held my hand, cried with me, guarded my time, and loved me through the not-so- easy times. I do not know if I could have made it through this past year’s events without her. She is a true God-send.
3. The love of a congregation for its pastor runs deep. Over this past year, the people that I have the honor of pastoring have went out of their way to show their concern, support, love, and sympathy for me and my family. They have encouraged me to take as much time as I needed to to deal with these issues. They have prayed for me through it all. I truly love these people.

Looking back, the old adage is true, “God is good, all the time and all the time, God is good.”

Literally. Terri and I are leaving today for Okinawa, Japan to meet our granddaughter Kalliahpe and visit with our son Jordan and daughter-in-law Skyllar. Many have asked if I will be writing while I am away. There will be some new content published along with other articles from the archives. Sayonara for now.

Aristotle once said, “the desire for friendship comes quickly; friendship does not”. Within each one is the desire to share life with others. There is a desire for intimacy. There is a desire to have people in our lives with whom we connect on a deeper level. There is a desire to be part of a community that share the same beliefs, values, and interests. Building healthy and meaningful friendships requires work. They do not just “happen”. It is real work. When I speak of work, I am not saying that making friends and building lasting friendships is a job. I am saying that it requires giving up time in our already busy lives to the pursuit of friendship.

I believe we structure ourselves out of the opportunity to build authentic and lasting friendships. We learn to make friends at an early age. Remember as a child the times of simply  “hanging out” together. Kids would spend the night at each other’s homes where they would get to know the family and vice versa. Tree houses, sandlot football, bicycle riding, fishing, and camping were not just ways to pass the time, but were avenues to strengthening and deepening friendships. We don’t see too much of this anymore.

Social media has taken the world by storm. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat, and other social media sites are growing in popularity among all ages. The very essence of platforms such as these sites is that of friendship and connection. They offer an avenue of keeping up with established friendships and for the establishment of new ones. These sites allow for the constant and immediate answer to the question, “where are you and what are you doing?” Having “friends” on Facebook and “followers” on Twitter assist in connection. The only question that has to be answered is this one: Are these social networking sites capable of reproducing authentic and genuine friendships in the lives of people? I would have to say no.

Aristotle also said, “close friends share salt together”. I believe there is a great deal of truth in his statement. Close friends share meals together. They sit across from each other and share time, struggles, victories, tears, family, hurts, and laughs.  I am not saying that social networking sites are bad. I am not saying that they do not have a purpose. I blog, use Facebook and Twitter too. To answer the question asked in my title, “Is social networking eroding the fabric of genuine authentic friendships?” my answer is yes. Social networking sites promote social connectivity. This is not the same as intimate friendships. I see this erosion, or the slow wearing away, of authentic friendships taking place when the preference becomes a computer screen instead of a face-to-face interaction. This erosion can be seen when we would rather engage in online chatting instead of in-person communication. Although we hail the progress of technology today, and there have been some good advancements, I believe that making it possible to communicate and never have to sit down face-to-face separates us as people. Instead of saying, “Let’s get together for lunch and talk”, we say “I’ll email you.” Instead of picking up the phone and phone and talking to someone, we text them. If we are not careful, we will forget how to relate to people all together.

Again, let me say that I am not against social networking, or technology for that matter. I just believe strongly in the value of personal communication and we should make every effort to maintain personal contact with one another.