What Discipleship Looks Like, And How It Leads to Evangelism

So today we got some hard news.  A dear long-time saint of the church has been in a rehabilitation facility for too long.  This morning, her daughter had a stroke.  We don't know much about prognosis, but we will pray nonetheless.
I went to visit the church member in the rehab facility.  I was told a fellow who is helping to lead a visitation ministry had been sitting with her.  When I arrived, I saw two other women there, comforting her.  They left, and after a little while a couple from the church came in, to be there and bring the comfort of Christian fellowship.
My eyes welled up with tears as I prayed.  I was telling someone recently that I have never been more humbled in my life than to be the pastor at Morehead United Methodist Church.  Humbled from the standpoint that it is so gloriously clear that none of what goes on here is due to me.  I just get to be the pastor of a group of people who love each other so much that they will go down the road, some to be with the mother, others in the hospital in Lexington with the daughter.
Johnny (our 14 year old son) went with me.  I told him, "You just saw the Church.  That's what we are inviting people to, a real life with real people who love each other, and organize going to the nursing home so the mother doesn't have to be alone."  They do it not because they have to, but because the Spirit of Jesus is alive in them, and they have great love for Him and His people.
Normally, it seems that evangelism is an invitation to discipleship.  But sometimes, seeing discipleship is an evangelical invitation to the Gospel life.
But please do not just depend on good works, or setting a good example.  Invite people to the saved life!  More important than not being alone in a time of difficulty in this life, more important than being rescued from trouble in this life, is to not be alone at the Judgment, and to know that God has your whole life in His hands.  He has secured your temporary life and your eternal life, if you have faith in Him!  (1 Tim 1:12)
May our church keep loving Jesus and each other!

Orange Crush

Remember in the last post, where I relayed that Bob Gould said these days, battling a deadly cancer and seeking to be filled with the Holy Spirit, are some of the best days of his life because he and his wife, Wanda, are closer than they have ever been?

Well, I have to tell you a story that just happened, something that if you think it's sweet and nice, you've seriously missed the point.

I was visiting the folks in the hospital.  A fellow named Charlie Conn is in the past few days.  He suffers from Parkinson's Disease, as a result of being exposed to Agent Orange in Viet Nam.  We got to talking about how a war that should have been left behind is still with him in more ways than one.  We shared some wry moments about how there always seems to be one more nasty thing added to an over-full plate.  We read Psalm 34 and prayed.

I was thinking about suffering, and how some folks are hit hard, and some of them find ways to testify by their patience, endurance, prayer, and praise of God.  I shared with them what Bob had said about the difficult time of trial being such a wonderful time of growing closer to his wife, Wanda.

I do not believe I can adequately describe how Charlie and Nancy looked at each other in that moment.  It was at once a recognition of truth and the deep love that they have for each other that they would not otherwise.  They understood exactly what Bob said, understood the strange, counter-intuitive, impossible truth: in dark and desperate days; if you go down with the ship; if you fight to the death for lost causes; if you walk straight into Hell, you know the presence of the Covenant-keeping God of Israel who went to the Cross.

As we think about this, let us resolve to share the life-saving, death-destroying, peace-giving love of Christ! Let us not withhold such a gift from people!  Think how they will need it! Can we overcome our hesitancy?  Our resistance?  Almost every excuse I know of concerning evangelism is about us, our discomfort.  And yet it simply is the truth that if we do not tell people about Jesus, when what He offers is life-saving, then we are cold, heartless, and ruthless.