What do others think of you? In this case it does matter. I’m writing a story, a true story, maybe it’ll make that book you keep asking me to write:) This story validates many things such as the power of perseverance, prayer and hard work; but above everything else it proves Jesus correct when he said “by this shall all men know that you are my disciples, that you love one another” – John 13:34-35. Peter underscored this saying, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins”. – 1 Peter 4:8 This is not that story, but I will share it with you later after if they say it’s OK to share about them, the story is amazing and they are amazing!! I hope you get to hear it. I keep telling all of you who want to be effective in evangelism, leading someone to know Christ, to love one another, to love God and to love others. Feed people, hug people, take photos with them the way you would with any other part of your family, invite them to sit with you at church, invite them into your homes, visit them in the hospital, send them a card. Bible study & bible knowledge are very important, worshiping God is important, obedience is super important; but He never said of any of these things “this is how all men will know you are my disciples. He only said that about one thing; LOVE. Would people around you say you love others? Would the people you go to church with say this about you? Would people who are not your closest friends know enough about you to say this about you? Would your friends on Facebook say this about you? What about those who see you on FB but don’t really know you? Or would they say “she posts really pretty photographs” or “he is always dining at really cool restaurants”? Some spiritual folks I knew used to argue what fruit Jesus talked about in John 15:8, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples”. As always you should read the whole text because ‘a text out of context is a pretext’, but bear with me moment. Paul delineates the fruits of the spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” - Gal 5:22-23. An old man once told me we demonstrate the fruits of the spirit as we apply these things in our relationships with others, for example we take food to the sick or to neighbors just to be kind. He went on to ask, “what does fruit have inside it?”; the answer is ‘fruit contains seed’. In biblical terms the seed is the word of God, from the parable of the sower in Luke 8:11. Don said when you take food to someone you are living out the fruits of the spirit, but we often fail to include the word of God in this gift so the person receiving the food thinks we are just nice people; down south they might say “well bless your heart” (which may precede something derisive, so watch out:) If we really bear the fruits of the spirit when we take food to friends & neighbors we should include the word which is the seed of that fruit so they know it comes from God, not simply from a kind-hearted person; otherwise we get the credit and God who deserves it does not. As an illustration, when they thank you it’s appropriate to say, “well I made you some food because I knew you just moved in and Jesus tells us we should love our neighbors and be kind to them”. If they are Muslim that’s OK, they will get the point and enjoy the food. If they are atheists they may think you are just a bit backward and less erudite than they are, but the love of God will wear them down and cause them to be believers, love combined with the word of God. Practice. My friend Randy Scott was visiting his kids recently and came to church with them. Randy was an All-ACC linebacker at Clemson University and is a famous educator in Florida and around the nation. He barely knows me because I know his children and because I taught a seminar on rocket science & leadership a few years ago at the PK Yonge School in Gainesville Florida where he is principal. When I told him my name he remembered, he said ‘those kids still talk about you throwing five Frisbees from the stage through the back door of the auditorium (where Sherwin Mackintosh directed musicals). I was good with a Frisbee because I practiced. We need to practice at loving others. We need to practice loving people other than our best friends, people who are ‘not like us’, people who are whose skin color skin is different, people not the same age as us. Practice what you will say when you take food to your neighbor or to someone who needs it. Practice what you will say when you visit someone in the hospital. For some of us it will require that we actually begin to do these things for the first time, then the second & third times will be ‘practice’. Jesus said, “by this shall all me know that you are my disciples, that you love one another”. Do they know? Do all men know you love others, or do even some know that you love others? Until I write that story mentioned at the beginning, take this and put it into practice (Philippians 4:9, James 1:22, Hebrews 13:7). I love you – Jack
Posted on: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 19:21:11 +0000
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