Make the ask!

I was at the dentist’s office on Wednesday for a checkup.  Some people are not fond of these necessary events, but I’m not bothered by them at all.  One can’t hate on dentists and hygienists; they’re just doing their jobs.  Even when we diligently care for our teeth and gums, there may come a time when procedures must be done that are necessary and possibly uncomfortable, but the pain we experience in the dentist’s chair is generally more manageable than the pain we might suffer were we to neglect such care.

It may seem strange, but I rather enjoy visiting my dentist’s office, mostly because of the people.  They are kind and friendly, and we usually engage in some sort of conversation.

As I was leaving on Wednesday, I mentioned to the receptionist that we are going to have a ‘chili competition’ pot luck lunch on Sunday.  As I said this, another patient who was waiting chimed in to say that she had been invited to a chili pot luck, too.

Turns out, it was the same event!

The patient told me who invited her; it was one of our elders, with whom she had a relationship.

I was pleased to see that invitations were being given!  Sometimes, a second invitation – which I offered – might just be enough to encourage the person to attend!

Never underestimate the value of the invitation.  Whether it’s to worship, a lunch, a small group, or some other event in church life, we can make the ask.  The person might say no, but she or he might say yes, too, and you’ll never know if you don’t make the ask.

It might take multiple invitations before the person says yes.  You don’t want to badger your friends and loved ones with invitations, but you don’t want to ignore them, either.

A friend of mine was regularly invited to church by a coworker.  At that time, my friend was not a Christian and had no interest in going to church.  But later, when, by God’s grace, he did become a believer, guess whose church he went to?  

Yep.  He went with the coworker who invited him so many times.

Persistence without belligerence has a far greater chance of bearing fruit than keeping the invitation to yourself.  Make the ask.

Wayne Gretzky famously said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”  And the reality is that God’s people aren’t taking many shots.  Make the ask.  It could make an eternal difference in someone’s life.

“Come and see what our God has done,
    what awesome miracles he performs for people!” (Psalm 66.5, NLT)

Praying over your eggs

I was chatting with a friend yesterday who visited the southern United States while on a recent vacation.  One of the things on which she remarked was how she and her husband observed a young man purchasing a meal – a plate of eggs – and when he sat down with it, he bowed his head and prayed.

“That’s not something I see here,” she said, remarking about Canada, her homeland.  “I wish we saw more of that here.”

Pausing to ponder this idea, I suggested to her, “If you want to see more of that here, why not begin by praying over your own eggs?”

By that I wasn’t intimating that table graces might spark revival in our country.  But maybe it’s a place to start!

Michael Green was an Anglican pastor who had a great heart for evangelism.  He was known to say that too often, Christians are like people going through customs in the airport:  nothing to declare.

And yet we have much to declare, don’t we?

One of the challenges faced by followers of Jesus in our time is that our friends and neighbours look at us and see very little difference between us and them.  In one sense, that’s not bad – we don’t want to be seen as freaks, which would take away any opportunity for witness – but it’s also kind of sad, because followers of Jesus have something that our non-Christian friends and neighbours lack:  the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Paul, a onetime Jewish Pharisee whom Jesus supernaturally brought to himself, was commissioned to bring the good news of salvation to the non-Jewish population of the known world at the time.  One of his passions was to remind God’s people that they are ambassadors for Jesus wherever they go, 24/7.

And he likened the saving grace we have received in Christ to a precious treasure, contained in jars of clay, fragile vessels.  Sometimes, to reach that treasure, the fragile jars must be broken.

By that I mean that when we pray over our eggs, when we bear witness to God’s love in Jesus, we are taking a risk.  It’s said that one never speaks about religion or politics in polite conversation, and the big problem with this is that we have lost the ability to have polite conversations about matters of religion and politics, each of which is an important part of being a citizen of this world.  

One way our witness can be strengthened is through having such conversations, with grace and truth, possibly opening doors to encourage others to love and serve Jesus.

And maybe – just maybe – it will all start by praying over your eggs.

“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves” (2 Corinthians 4.7, NLT).

Don’t give up

The western pull-out from Afghanistan has been heart-wrenching to watch on television.  As I mentioned last week, the resurgence of the Taliban has placed many people at risk, especially women and Christians.  For the Americans, the way this is playing out is very reminiscent of their time in Vietnam.

Canadian forces are saying that they wish they could have stayed.  But the Big Fish in the Pond has decided that the multinational effort is over.  It’s like they have given up, in some ways, though I’m certain this is an oversimplification.

Have you ever put effort into something – say, a friendship – and found it an uphill battle?  It’s common for us to give up when we’re not making any progress.

This is especially true when we are seeking to encourage someone to embrace faith in Christ.

We might find ourselves getting blocked every time we try to “go there” in terms of spiritual conversation.  But let me encourage you not to give up.

To use another battle image, consider the speech given by Prime Minister Churchill to the British Parliament in 1940, in the midst of the ugliness of World War 2.  It is one of the most inspiring speeches ever given!  Quite near the end, Churchill tells his fellow parliamentarians, and the world:  “…we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender…”.

When you’re sharing your faith, like on the battle fields, it’s a matter of life and death. Don’t give up.  Never surrender.  Even when you get pushback, be loving and respectful, but continue to witness to the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ at work in your life.  

For your friend, eternity is in the balance.

“But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, ‘I believed in God, so I spoke.’  We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you.  All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.  For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (2 Corinthians 4.13-18, NLT).

Medical Tests, Vaccines and Jesus

Today, we have a guest post from my wife, Diana, who had an experience last week worth sharing.

Desiring to follow the health directives of my doctor, I attended a medical lab for a couple of tests.  This was not prompted by any concern, but was part of my “tune up”, as my physician referred to his requisitions.

As a part of the pre-test screening, the technician asked me a number of questions, including when my first COVID-19 vaccine had been administered.  When I told her, we both commented on the shortened waiting period between shots, and what that would mean for travel plans.

As she continued the preparations for the imaging, I told her that we have talked about taking a road trip to Arizona when time allows, and the border is re-opened.  She wistfully told me that she longs to go to Sedona, wanting to experience the spiritual healing people report there.  I said that I didn’t know about those things, but that one of my favourite sights is the first glimpse of the mountains as one heads out of Calgary toward the Rockies along the Trans-Canada highway.

My explanation of what that view does for me is “a complete centering of my being.”  Her reply to this (remember, all of this is happening while I was in, well, not the most comfortable of positions) was that she feels exactly that way when she goes into a church.  She was quiet for a moment, and then said, “I was raised Hindu, but that is similar to how I feel when I am in a church.”  I said that when I am able to soak in such a glorious part of God’s creation, it is a reminder of just how great He is, but just how important I am to Him. 

And then, after another moment of quiet, she said, “I’m sorry, you are the only the second person I’ve ever told that to.  The other was my husband.”

That trusting statement, after such a brief encounter, was a sacred one for me.  I responded to her with a smile and said, “Thank you for sharing, but let me tell you that my husband is a pastor, and I am a long-time friend of Jesus.  I think what you experience is Him wanting to spend time with you.”  

She sighed and smiled, and said, “Imagine!”  It was at that point we were finished, and I headed to the next part of my time at the lab.  Telling Jeff, the sacredness of that moment fully hit me.  There I was, in a fairly vulnerable setting, apparently being safe enough for this lab technician to admit something that in some parts of the world would see her severely punished!  To top it off, God opened the door for me to sow the seed of Jesus wanting a personal relationship with her.  The conversation was as natural as one about the weather, but I think maybe, just maybe, God spoke to her – He certainly reminded me of his presence and desire to be in relationship with all of us.

Pray that God will position you for a conversation like that, and watch what happens!

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God.  The skies display his craftsmanship” (Psalm 19.1, NLT).

The Needy Church

In this worship broadcast, we hear a message from Romans 15.23-33 that helps us understand the local church does not exist within its own bubble. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper near the end of the service, so feel free to have your bread and juice handy to join in. You can watch the whole broadcast below, or just the message below that.

But Some Shut It

We had some audio issues with our live-stream this morning, so when I learned this, I went back to the church to re-record today’s message, which I think needs to be heard (and I address this at the beginning). It’s based on Romans 10.16-21, and it looks at why some people say ‘no’ to Jesus when we seek to share our faith with them. (Apologies that the whole service broadcast is not available today.)

Have a Heart!

In today’s service, we hear a message called “Have a Heart!” from Matthew 5.13-16, in which we learn about how important it is for followers of Jesus to have a heart for evangelism. The message begins at 21:19.

One Intentional Day

We had some technical glitches with the recording of this morning’s service, but the message is so important, I wanted to find a way to make it work anyway, so you can try watching it from here.  I’d be interested to know from you if you found it worked.  Make sure the sound is turned on.  You *shouldn’t* need a Facebook account to watch this, but I’d be curious to know if you can.  Apologies for the challenge.  The Scripture focus is from James 4.1-17, and the video I show early in the message can be viewed here.

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Ambassadors

Included in this service is a message on the importance of sharing our faith, “Ambassadors”, from 2 Corinthians 5.11-21. The message starts at 22:50. Apologies for the in-and-out sounds; this will be diagnosed and fixed.

Bring A Friend!

Every year, on or about the fourth Sunday of September, St. Paul’s Church, Nobleton celebrates “Bring A Friend” Day. While any Sunday is a good Sunday to bring a friend to church, we make a special effort on that weekend: invitations are issued, lunch is shared, guests are ‘expected’.

It’s become challenging for many people to issue the invitation, to make the ask. As I’ll say on Sunday, we’ve been taught for a few generations now not to talk about politics or faith in polite company, and the result, especially in our polarized society, is that we are no longer able to dialogue in a civil manner about the Lord Jesus.

The key is to build relationships.

When we are engaged in healthy relationships with our neighbours, our friends, our family members, and when faith is an integral part of our lives, those with whom we share those relationships will naturally want to know why faith is part of who we are.

And that opens the door to inviting them to join you for worship.

I’ve occasionally shared a vlog done by Penn Jillette some years ago about how, despite his avowed atheism, he admired a man who gave him a Bible after a show.  His point was this:  If we believe we know the way to eternal life, how much do we have to hate someone else to be unwilling to share it?

It’s a good question.  And a haunting one, if we’re honest.

Whatever congregation you’re part of as you read this, I hope you’re not waiting for an excuse to invite someone to worship with you.  If you’re looking to understand why this is important, I will be talking about our role as ambassadors this Sunday.  I’m inviting you!

“So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us.  We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’” (2 Corinthians 5.20, NLT).

The spiritual value of walking

I am grateful that I have the opportunity, quite often, that I can walk to work.  It’s a privilege not everybody receives.  I don’t have to fight traffic, losing hours from family time just trying to get to and from work.  Being able to walk to work enriches my life, both for the physical activity and for the enhancement of family life.

But it has another side benefit, too, that I experienced recently.

I was walking to work, taking my usual route, and a young neighbour, to whom I would wave when I’d see him, called me over to where he was sitting outside his front door.

Perceiving that I worked “at that church over there”, he proceeded to start a most interesting conversation about the life of faith.  We chatted for perhaps 10 minutes about similarities and differences between denominations, and he seemed genuinely intrigued with my subtle presentation of the good news of Jesus.

I invited him to our “Bring A Friend” Sunday at St. Paul’s Church, Nobleton on September 22, and he gladly accepted; I will pray for him, and hope that he comes!  (If you’re in the area and don’t  have a church family to call your own, please come as my guest – that Sunday, or any Sunday at 10:00 a.m.!)

Even if you don’t have the opportunity to walk to work, you do have the opportunity to take walks through your neighbourhood.  Consider whether the Lord is inviting you to do so – for exercise, yes, but also for sowing seeds of new relationships with important conversations that can lead to spiritual discussions…and possibly spiritual transformation.

“We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord” (Romans 15.2, NLT).

Lessons from the Raptors’ parade

In case you’ve been otherwise occupied recently, I can tell you that the Toronto Raptors won the championship of the National Basketball Association last week, and that the city hosted a little party to celebrate the victory in downtown Toronto on Monday.

Oh, by the way: that little party had about two million people in attendance!

In some ways, the news about the victory parade from the Canadian National Exhibition grounds to Nathan Phillips Square (Toronto city hall) was a bigger story than the Raptors’ win itself.  Everybody expected a crowd, but nobody expected the size of crowd that appeared.

Sadly, there was some violence that marred the happy occasion, but thankfully, it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

I think there are a couple of lessons in this for the people of God.

One is that we should always be prepared.  In the wake of the parade and its many onlookers, the City of Toronto sought to learn from its mistakes and be ready for such a gathering if it ever were to happen again.

A maxim to which I’ve long subscribed is that the church will always receive as many guests as it is ready to receive.  So, for example, if a congregation is hosting a ‘big day’, such as Christmas, Easter, or an event to which the community is invited, it needs to be sure that it has sufficient priority parking spaces set aside for guests. It needs to have people prepared to be hospitable and welcoming to those who may be stepping inside the church building in fear and trepidation.  It needs to be prepared with the words that are used so that no ‘insider language’ is used, and people who may be unfamiliar with the church and its worship can fully understand what’s going on.

Another lesson for God’s people is to be aware that, as Jesus said, “The fields are already ripe for harvest” (John 4.35, NLT).  Many congregations struggle these days, but the aerial views of that parade last Monday were a reminder for churches everywhere – not just in Toronto – that there are still many people who have yet to be reached with the good news of God’s saving love in Jesus Christ.

That’s not to say that all the people attending that parade were not followers of Jesus; I know for a fact that some of them are!  But when we despair that the church is going to die for lack of attendance, we do well to be reminded that there are many people in our communities, large and small, who do not follow Jesus.  Our task from Jesus is to reach out to them in grace and humility with the truth of his love and mercy.

It’s God’s job to grow the church, but he yearns for willing partners in accomplishing that task.

So, congratulations to the Toronto Raptors!  And may the church of Jesus be ready to receive the many people who have holes in their souls and need the good news that only he can offer…through us.

How and why

In a recent message, I cited a conversation that the great 19^th century American evangelist, D.L. Moody, had with one of his critics.  His critic said to him, “I don’t like the way you share the gospel.”  So he inquired of his critic how she shared the gospel, and upon learning that she did not share her faith with anyone, Moody retorted, “I like the way I share the gospel better than the way you don’t share the gospel.”

It is our responsibility – indeed, our high calling – to share our faith in Jesus with other people.  How can you do that?  You can tell them what having a relationship with the Lord means to your life:

• how it gives you strength when you are weak
• how it gives you hope for the future
• how it assures you of freedom from slavery to sin
• how it promises you eternal life in the holy presence of God when you die
• how it builds your character to be a better human being by God’s grace

And you need to say not only how, but why. In short, talk about John 3.16.

Live in such a way that people see the difference in you, and want to know more.  Then, be prepared to tell them more.

It has been widely believed that Francis Assisi said, “Preach the gospel at all times.  If necessary, use words.”  There is no evidence that he actually said this, and frankly, I think he’d disavow it. If we are not prepared to use our words, how will our righteous living be understood?

If you don’t think you’d be very good at sharing the gospel ‘off the cuff’, then write it out.  Hold it before God as you do.  And share it with a Christian friend who can help you reflect on what you’ve written, and thereby help you learn what you’ve written, so you will be able to share it more freely in the future.

“But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” (Romans 10.14, NLT).

 

Unbelievable!

When Jesus concluded his public ministry to the Jewish people (John 12.37-50), John remarked at how few people actually believed in Jesus, despite his presence, his words and his miracles.  This was to be expected, though, given the prophecy John noted at the beginning of the gospel (1.11) and that he quotes from Isaiah.  “Unbelievable” is what some people thought Jesus’ ministry was; but others knew better.  How can we share our faith story with others?  Learn that by watching below.  (The message itself starts at 30:53.)

Lessons from St. Patrick

Other than drinking green beer and going to parades, what’s the big deal about St. Patrick’s Day?  Traditionally, it’s a day for the Irish, and the Irish-for-a-day, to have a party.  But what did Patrick stand for?  What can followers of Jesus learn from him about their walk with the Lord?  Watch this video to find out.  Scriptures are Matthew 28.16-20 and Matthew 5.43-48.

In the message, I show a video that you can watch here.

Gentle influence

One of the delights of being on a pilgrimage that includes some people you don’t know is that you have the opportunity to get to know them while travelling. So one day, when someone I didn’t know was sitting across the aisle on the bus from me, I said, “Tell me a story.”

Among the things this young woman told me was how she got involved in the congregation in which she participates. Much to my delight, it was through the gentle influence of a mutual friend.

This friend would care for her children, and would invite the kids to sing Bible songs and learn Bible stories while in her care. And as time went on, and it seemed appropriate, she would make soft invitations – to church events, to fill Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes, to come to Christmas services, then Easter services, and then, well, she got involved whole-hog!

A whole family came to know Jesus because of the kind words and simple invitations of a Christian who cared.

Think of the gentle influence you may have…and think of the people over whom you might have it!

“…if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way” (1 Peter 3.15b-16a, NLT).

Return on investment

Because we get most of our bills sent electronically, and not many people share handwritten correspondence anymore, except on special occasions, we find that we don’t need to retrieve our mail from the post office more than once or twice a week.

Lately, though, our mailbox has been fuller than usual.  My wife is getting a lot of unsolicited mail – asking for money, of course – from unusual sources.

Yesterday, there was  a letter for her from an organization, and when she got home, she looked at it and said, “Someone is selling their mailing list.”

This happens to everybody who has a fixed address, though perhaps less often than usual, because direct mail campaigns seem to be less effective than they once were.

It got me thinking, though.  Because of privacy laws, fewer and fewer organizations are free to sell their mailing lists, but when they do, other groups will buy them because they hope, and maybe even expect, that they will recoup their investment through new donors. In other words, the cost involved in gaining more names will be exceeded by the results they will get from sending a campaign to those names.

When we share our faith, there is no money exchanged – I don’t think, anyway! – but there is a ‘return on investment’ side to it.  For many of us, talking about our relationship with God has a cost: uncomfortabliity.  Many of us find ourselves outside our comfort zones when we talk about Jesus with others. That’s why we don’t do it.

But consider the return on that investment: if we share our faith with others, and even one person says ‘yes’ to Jesus, what is gained from that act far exceeds the uncomfortability we may have had in sharing.

Think about that the next time you have the opportunity to open a door of faith for another person.  What you’re feeling is nothing when compared with the changed eternity for that person who may come to the Lord as a result.

“So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5.20, NLT).

Word of Mouth

If we don’t tell people about Jesus, how will they know?  That’s the thrust of this message, in which we look at why we don’t share our faith, and why we should.  You can watch or listen below to this message, based on John 4.39-42.  (The video shown near the beginning of the message can be viewed separately here.)

 

If you don’t tell them, how will they know?

If you walked by someone’s home and saw flames shooting up through the roof, what would be the first thing you’d do? You’d call 911, and pound on the door until you made sure that people inside knew about the fire and could get out safely.

If you’re a follower of Jesus and you meet someone who is not, what’s your normal reaction? Most people’s response would be to be polite and say nothing.

Theologian Michael Green said, many years ago, that too often, Christians are like people going through customs at the airport: nothing to declare.

You and I have something to declare – something of eternal importance.

If you’re a follower of Jesus who believes the Bible is true, then every person you know who is not a follower of Jesus is the equivalent of a house on fire. We have a responsibility to find creative ways to encourage them to follow Jesus, because eternity rests in the balance. We’ve got the best news in the world to share.

If you don’t tell them, how will they know?

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son” (John 3.16-18, NLT).

Encountering the Word

One of the things we learn from Jesus in his encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well is that he was good at finding ways to introduce spiritual conversations.  In this message, based on John 4.10-15, we learn that if we want to help people put Jesus first, we need to know their thirst.  Watch or listen below:

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