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To know Christ in my own life in ever increasing depth and to

make disciples AND DEVELOP LABORERS at all times under

any conditions in every place I go.

     The statement above is the personal objective of the Kansas Navigator ministry teams.  It emphasizes the need for a deep knowledge of the Lord and a commitment to his work.  His desire for us is not only that we make disciples but that laborers are developed as well.  At the end of the Lord’s ministry here on earth there were no doubt countless believers who had placed their trust in Him.  I Corinthians 15:6 states that He additionally appeared to more than 500 disciples on one occasion.  These were those who had the mark of discipleship as characterized by their love for one another (John 13:34-35), who had denied self, taken up the cross and followed Him (Luke 9:23), and who had continued in His word (John 8:31).  But there was another category of people referred to in the Gospels as laborers (Luke 10:1-17).  The Lord appointed these 72 individuals and sent them to tell others that the Kingdom of God was near.  They were to be personally involved with others in their journey of faith leading to discipleship.

Disciples do not gradually evolve into laborers.  It requires intentionality on the part of those helping others in this process as well as intentionality on the part of those who desire to be laborers.  As the Lord calls us to work with others to a point where they are actively involved in the harvest, the most important thing to remember is prayer.  Prayer is vital to the accomplishment of the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives.  Prayer is needed that their eyes would be opened to see the needs of others, that their hearts would be opened with compassion, and that their mouths would be opened to speak the Lord’s words to others.  Prayer is necessary in order that they would be faithful in interceding for others in prayer, faithful to initiate relationships, faithful to invite others to look at the scriptures, and faithful to invest their lives with those who come to faith in Christ.

If we desire that others become laborers, we must be laborers ourselves.  They learn from observing our lives.  They will model what we are.  Our interaction with others will determine their interaction with those who follow.  Learning to be a laborer is caught more than it is taught.  We must model the pattern that we want them to follow.

For a person to be a laborer for Christ, it must be a priority in their lives.  They cannot  accomplish this work on the backstroke.  It is not done with the leftovers of their lives.  If one tries to fit this in their day after everything else is accomplished, it will not happen.    If other lives are to be impacted for Christ, they must give Him the best of their day to accomplish this.  By making this a priority in their lives they are “seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness.” (Matthew 6:33)  They will then discover that everything else they need will be given to them as well.

In addition to prayer for them, being a pattern to them, and helping them establish this as a priority in their lives, we need to provide opportunities for them to connect with others with whom they will be able to minister.  Encouraging them to simply develop relationships with neighbors and co-workers will allow opportunities for ministry to develop.  Asking them for their assistance in teaching, training, and some leadership responsibilities will produce other relationships that the Lord may use in their lives to promote their ministry to others.  Jim Morris used to say that “everybody can help somebody.”  The Lord is far more desirous of using their lives to impact others than the individuals are desirous of being used by Him.  As we persist in prayer the Lord will, in His time, bring the people whom He desires to these individuals.

The task of helping others become laborers is a long process for some.  It may take months, even years before their lives are being used to impact the lives of others.  If we are to see the 4 generations of disciples as Paul describes to Timothy in II Timothy 2:2, this will require perseverance on our part.  This is the perseverance referred to in Luke 8:15.  “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”

It is very seldom that a person will continue to labor faithfully for the Kingdom on their own.  We need partnerships with others who are likewise committed to being laborers for the Lord.  In Luke 10, the Lord sent them out in groups of two.  The Apostle Paul had small teams throughout the Roman Empire who worked together in communities, encouraging one another to be faithful to do that which the Lord had called them to do.  We are called to partner with others as we labor for the Lord in His harvest field.

As we labor for others in His Kingdom we have the confidence that we are called into fellowship with Christ (I Corinthians 1:9).  G. Campbell Morgan explains this word fellowship (Koinonia) as meaning that we have all things in common with our Lord.  He uses the two words “resources” and “responsibilities” to describe the impact of this in our lives.  In fellowship with Christ, then, all His resources are made available to me to meet my responsibilities.  Likewise all my resources are to be made available to Him to meet His responsibilities.  It is in this fellowship that we may have the confidence that His laborers are being developed through our lives.

In Christ,
Richard Spann

My Objective is to know Christ in my own life in ever increasing

depth and to MAKE DISCIPLES, and develop laborers at all

times, under any conditions, in every place I go.

 

The above statement has been a part of the Kansas Navigators team for many years and is based on Philippians 3:10, John 15:8 and Matthew 28:18-20.  It serves as a reminder and a standard to which our daily lives are committed.  To know Christ deeply is foundational to all else that is included in this objective.  It is only His life manifested through us that enables us to make disciples.

Not long ago I met with a young man who was attempting to make a difference in the lives of other Christian friends.  His approach was to tell them what they ought to be doing differently and then chiding them for their failure to do so.  As he asked for suggestions, I was reminded of an acronym I heard years before, which is a descriptive model of how our lives are enabled to successfully interact with others.  Each letter describes an interaction that the Lord had with Peter and serves as a model for us as well.  These are as follows:

Prayer-Luke 22:31, Example-Matthew 14:28-31, Teaching-Matthew 17:24-27,

Encouragement-Matthew 16:17-19, Rebuke-Matthew 16:23.

Prayer is foundational to all we do as followers of Christ.  Lorne Sanny was fond of saying  “Don’t pray for the ministry, prayer is the ministry.”  We need to pray with them and for them.  I have found the prayers of Paul in Ephesians 1, Philippians 1, and Colossians 1 to be helpful.  Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is that they would know Him better, know the hope of His calling, and know His power to accomplish His work in and through their lives. (Ephesians 1:17-19)  His prayer for the Philippians was that their love would grow in knowledge and depth of insight and that they would be able to discern what is best. (Philippians 1:9-10)  He prayed for the Colossians that they would know His will and live a life worthy of the Lord. (Colossians 1:9-10)  I am also helped in my praying for others by the Lord’s prayer, that the Name of the Lord would be hallowed in their lives, His kingdom would be made evident in their lives, and that His will would be done in their lives.  The prayers of our Lord in John 17 are also of significant benefit in praying for others.  In addition, prayer that they would have a heart for the Lord, a heart for His word and heart for people is foundational to their growth as a disciple.

In regard to being an example, a member of G. Campbell Morgan’s church once told him:  “Don’t tell us we should follow Jesus, show us the Jesus we should follow.”  Paul stated “Follow me, as I follow Christ.”  In Philippians 4:9, we read “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you.”  In addressing Timothy, Paul writes “You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings-what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured.” (II Timothy 3:10-11)  The Lord Himself, when calling His disciples to Him in Mark 3:14 declared that they “might be with him.”  We need to live close enough to others so that they see our purpose, faith, patience, love, and endurance.  The closer the contact, the greater the impact.

Teaching is not merely the dissemination of Biblical information.  It involves training in how to handle the difficult times of life and remain faithful to God’s calling.  They need to be taught how to study the Bible for themselves, how to grow in relationship with the Lord and with their fellow man.  In Titus chapter two, Paul tells Titus to teach them to manifest self-control, reverence, kindness, integrity, and trustworthiness.  We are not to simply tell, we are to teach.

Hebrews 3:13 states “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”  The importance of encouragement is signified by the word “daily.”  In my recollection, only three other things in scripture are mentioned that we should do daily.  One of these is reading the scriptures, (Deut. 17:19); the others are prayer for our daily bread, and to take up the cross daily.  As we look at our own lives, the lives of others, and the world around us it is easy to be discouraged.  To encourage means to come alongside someone and restore hope by our words and presence.  The Apostle Paul referred to this as imparting a spiritual gift in Romans 1:11-12.  “I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong-that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.”

In Matthew 16:23, the Lord rebuked Peter because his mind was focused on things of men, rather than the things of God.  Rebuke seems like a strong word, but it is necessary when there is significant departure from God’s will and blindness as to its significance and consequences.  A softer word, which is always needed in our relationship with others is accountability.  It is in our accountability to others for our time in the word, time in prayer and in our ministry to others that habits are formed which manifest themselves in the character and conduct which make the invisible Christ visible in our lives.

Prayer, example, teaching, encouragement and rebuke were all used by the Lord as Peter became a disciple and laborer for Christ.  Peter states the effect of this in II Peter 1:3-4.  “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”  As the Lord lives His life through us, He desires to use these same five factors in our ministry to others, so that they, like Peter, may participate in His divine nature.

In Christ,
Richard Spann

Be merciful to those who doubt,

snatch others from the fire and

save them; to others show mercy,

mixed with fear-hating even the

clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

Jude 22-23

In the first nineteen verses of his short book, Jude describes a horrible scenario in which godless men are described as clouds without rain, grumblers, faultfinders, following their own ungodly desires, taking the way of Cain, rushing for profit into Balaam’s error, and following mere natural instincts, to share only a few of his comments concerning them.  After such a description, one might expect Jude to pass judgment upon them and leave them to their own destiny.  Or, to such men as these, their coming to Christ would seem a daunting task, enough to discourage even the most ardent apostle.  Yet, Jude concludes his chapter with the phrases “Be merciful,” “Snatch others from the fire,” and “Show mercy.”  What is it about mercy that enables it to restore hope for those in such a lost condition?   In James 2:13 we see that “mercy triumphs over judgment.”  If we rightly understand the mercy extended to us by God, we will be merciful to others instead of judging them.  We also see that the ministry that we have been given is through God’s mercy.  II Corinthians 4:1 states “Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.”  It is through His mercy that He enables us to persevere for others and not lose heart.  It is through His mercy that He removes their barriers and doubts to faith.  It is through His mercy that He establishes them in His Kingdom and provides ministry opportunities for them as well.

“Be merciful to those that doubt.”  Tom (not his real name) came to my office seeking help for a medical problem.  His illness was not severe, but one that would require periodic evaluations and monitoring of treatment.  As the weeks went by, I discovered that he was a successful businessman in the auto industry and we developed a friendship.  On one occasion we explored the basic truths of Christianity, but he was not interested.  This topic would come up on most visits and we would discuss it further.  He continued to have doubts about the truth of the gospel and was hesitant to go further in our discussion.  Some months later, I was called to the hospital where he had been admitted with a stroke.  He was unable to move his right side and was unable to speak.  As improvement slowly occurred over the next several days, I sensed that whenever I entered the room he would try to speak.  Gradually as the days progressed he was able to articulate that the moment the stroke happened, he realized the truth of what we had discussed in the months preceding the stroke, and during that brief amount of time, unexpressed to anyone other than the Lord, he had committed his life to Christ.  In His mercy, God had broken through his doubts and drawn him to Himself.

“Snatch others from the fire and save them.”  Much of my medical practice over the years has been with those who are critically ill.  Many are approaching death at the same time that I am being consulted for their care.  One such patient was a lady in her late 60’s who had been in the hospital in Intensive Care for several days.  She had been in a coma during this time and was not expected to live much longer.  Some distressing respiratory complications had developed which were disturbing to the staff and the patient’s family, so I was consulted for her care.  Although she had been in a coma since admission, to my surprise she was alert and responsive the morning I saw her in consultation.  Although I was able to provide relief for her respiratory symptoms, her basic illness was one from which she would not recover.  As I marveled at how miraculous it was that she was alert, it occurred to me that the only plausible reason for this was that she could have one last chance to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Thankfully, she was responsive to the Gospel and placed her trust in Christ that day.  On my hospital rounds the next day, the staff informed me that she had slipped back into a coma late in the evening and had passed away during the night.  In His mercy, the Lord had provided opportunity for her to be snatched from the fire.

“To others show mercy, mixed with fear-hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.”  Jim (not his real name) had grown up in a family characterized by a great deal of legalism.  He rebelled against his parents, the church, and society in general.  He became an alcoholic and while driving under the influence of alcohol, committed vehicular manslaughter.  After spending eight years in prison, he returned to the streets, living in alleys and dumpsters.  When we met, he was free from alcohol, attending AA meetings, but smoking incessantly, and remaining bitter at the church.  He was openly antagonistic to even the mention of the name of Jesus.  I was frankly concerned and fearful about demonic possession at our first encounter.  We met weekly for many months, sitting in the smoking section of a large restaurant for breakfast.  He did not believe that the scriptures were God’s word, nor did he think they had any relevance to his life.  We read them together anyway!  Gradually his demeanor softened and the veil of doubt, hate and rebellion was lifted from his heart.  He became an ardent follower of Jesus Christ although somewhat crusty around the edges.  He began to openly confess Christ and share his testimony at AA meetings.  When he was told by others that “You can’t do that here,” his reply was “The Hell I can’t!”  God’s mercy had reached this man, even though he had spent many years under the control of corrupted flesh.

We live in a world where were it not for the mercy of God we would all be eternally lost and condemned.  It is through His mercy that we are reconciled to Him and through Him have been given the ministry of reconciliation.  All around us are those who doubt, those who need to be snatched from the fire, and those whose lives have been hardened by corrupted flesh.  This ministry of reconciliation requires patience, perseverance and prayer, yet through God’s mercy we know that we “do not lose heart.”

 

In Christ,

Richard Spann

We are all links in the process of others coming

to faith in Christ.  Our job is not to be

the missing link.

Jack Griffin

 

Jack Griffin came to Christ during the 1959 Billy Graham Crusade in Sydney, Australia.  Two years later Jack began receiving help from a Navigator-trained businessman.  Jack and his wife May then began the Navigator work in Australia.  On a trip to Wichita in the late 1970’s, he told the following story.

“After starting the Navigator work in Australia I would travel around the country, seeking to build others up in their faith and encourage them in their walk with Christ.  The questions I often asked were ‘When did your faith begin?’, and ‘When did you first start thinking seriously about Christ?‘  In nearly every city to which I traveled, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne etc., I would encounter a few men who told me that when they were in the military service in World War II they met a man on a certain street in Sydney who would come up to them and say the following ‘Pardon me, but do you know for certain where you would spend eternity if you were to die tonight? That’s all.  I just wanted you to think about that question.‘ The man would then leave them and go on down the street.  These service men said it caused them to begin to think seriously about spiritual issues and they later came to faith.

I began to tell this story as I traveled later in Europe and America.  Each time I did so, one or two men would say that they, also, had the same experience in Sydney which the Lord had used to bring them to faith.  It was always the same location, the same words and what sounded like the same person.  After hearing the identical story across the world for several years, I decided to try to find this man.  After some difficulty I found him, living on the outskirts of Sydney and asked him if he was the man that asked service men these questions during World War II.  He said that he was, and I then asked him.  ‘Did you ever hear if anyone you asked these questions came to Christ?‘  He said ‘No, I never did hear if anyone came to faith.‘“

Jack at this point related that he then told him of his experiences with those who had come to faith as a result of the questions posed to them.  He then made this statement at the conference in Wichita.  “We are all links in the process of others coming to Christ.  Our job is not to be the missing link.”

The process by which people become Christians was described by a missiologist by the name of James Engel in his book “What’s gone wrong with the harvest.” (Zondervan 1975)  He proposed a series of eight steps which begin with no knowledge of the gospel progressing to repentance and faith in Christ. The intermediate steps included aspects such as awareness of the Gospel, a grasp of the implications of the Gospel and a positive attitude toward the Gospel.  In addition to these steps which deal with the person’s interaction with the Gospel, there are other obstacles to faith which need to be overcome as well.  Prayer, the formation of relationships, identifying with people in their struggles, serving them and providing unconditional love are foundational to the removal of these obstacles to faith.  The proclamation of the Gospel through our lives is to be partnered with the demonstration of the Gospel in our lives.

In the scriptures we find multiple opportunities for involvement in the development of faith in the lives of others.  I Corinthians 12:4-6 states  “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.”  Paul describes the varying contributions of ministry in I Corinthians 3:6-9 as follows “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.  So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.  The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.  For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.”  The Lord Himself described a certain division of labor in John 4:37-38.  “Thus the saying ‘one sows and another reaps‘ is true.  I sent you to reap what you have not worked for.  Other have done the hard work and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

With the gifting of the Holy Spirit, and the many opportunities to interact with others in their transition to faith, why are there missing links in the church of Christ?  Why are so many not involved with others in their transition to faith?  One reason is that some may be simply unaware of their spiritual responsibility for those around them.  Some time ago, I sat through a sermon which was on target in regard to the need for the congregation to be involved in evangelism.  The spiritual need of others was carefully outlined and well presented.  All that was done for us by Christ was likewise fully explained.  The challenge to the congregation was compelling.  Will the people, thus challenged, start relationships with the intent of sharing the gospel with others?  Hardly.  They are now aware of their responsibility but they are still unprepared.

A number of years ago, my wife and I began spending personal time with a few couples with the intent of preparing them for a life of evangelism.  We would meet for a few months, looking together at Living Proof (Jim Petersen), and Your Home a Light house (Bob Jacks).  We discussed the importance of differing gifts, such as prayer, building relationships, serving others, as well as hosting a Bible study.  Our group began praying together for a number of our friends and would then invite them to an eight week study of the Gospel of John with the purpose of knowing more about God and how He can be meaningful in our lives.  As we prayed and planned together we would share our experience with similar studies in the past with other couples and individuals.  Because of the personal investment of time as we walked through the process of evangelism they were prepared to invite their friends into their homes and look at the scriptures together.  Many of those who were so trained are still in the process of sharing Christ regularly with others.  Paul states the following in Philippians 4:9.  “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you.”  Most people need to have a model that will walk with them in the process of evangelism.  This is the best way to assure that those we work with are not “missing links.”

 

In Christ, Richard Spann

As you sent me into the world,

I have sent them into the world.

John 17:18

The seventeenth chapter of John comprises what is termed the High priestly prayer of Jesus.  In this chapter He prayed as a co-equal with God the Father.  Our prayers are as a pauper, asking for His grace.  The prayers of Christ to the Father were always on a different level than ours.  On this basis of oneness with God, our Lord asked for our protection, our joy, our being set apart by His word, our complete unity, and the sharing of His glory.  Among these requests there is included His desire that we should be sent, even as He was sent.  To be sent as He was sent opens many avenues of thought.  I would like to consider two aspects of being sent as He was sent, that, if appropriated and applied to our lives, would result in the continued glorification of our Lord.

The first of these is to realize that the same power that enabled Christ to live His life is made available to us.  Each word He spoke, every activity He undertook, and every miracle performed were done by the power of the Holy Spirit manifesting the Father through His life.  The Lord Jesus did not speak on His own.  “So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” (John 12:50)  He did not act on His own.  “Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing His work.” (John 14:10)  At one point, our Lord stated the following.  “Jesus gave them this answer: ‘I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself’” (John 5:19)  The same Holy Spirit that manifested the life of the Father in the Son has been given to us to manifest the life of the Son in and through our lives.  We  have the same relationship with the Son through the Spirit that the Son had with the Father.  This is why our Lord says to us in John 15:5, “apart from me you can do nothing.”  And in John 16:14, He states “He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.”  These are the truths that enabled Paul to write in Galatians 2:20.  “I  have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”

In his book “The Spirit of God,” G.Campbell Morgan writes the following comments on this relationship. (pages 200-201)   “This is the distinctive service of all believers in this age.  They are to reveal in transformed and transfigured lives the glory and beauty of the teaching and character of Jesus Christ.  This ideal of service flings men back at once into the place of conscious dependence upon the Holy Spirit, for none can witness of Christ save in actual co-operation with Him.  Two simple sentences will be helpful in order to understand the law of that co-operation;- The Holy Spirit witnesses of Jesus only.  Only the Holy Spirit witnesses of Jesus.  It is very important to remember the first of these.  The Spirit has nothing to say of Himself.  His whole mission and message has to do with Christ.  When He obtains full possession of any individual, it is not His own Person and personality He makes real, but that of Jesus.  The second point is of equal importance.  Everything that is known of the Saviour is known as the result of the illumination of the Holy Spirit.  This new sense of the Master captivates the will and transforms the entire being into likeness to Himself.  This development of character is also increased capacity for the reception of revelation.  To that increased capacity the Spirit is able to make still more glorious revelation, which yet further increases capacity, and prepares the way for still more glorious revelation.  Thus, in a proportionately increasing ratio, life under the control of the Spirit is manifesting the glory of the Master, and thus witnessing for Him.”

Not only are we sent with the same power that directed the life of Christ, we are sent with the same purpose.  This purpose is stated by Christ in John 6:38.  “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me.”  At many of our Navigator conferences over the years, the one workshop described as “How to Know God’s Will” always has the greatest attendance.  Sometimes we may feel that God is playing hide and seek with His will.  Years ago I heard someone say a remark which has been helpful to me.  “If you want to know God’s will for the purpose of obeying it, it will be impossible to escape His will.”  Recently I was introduced by a friend to the remarks of George Muller in regard to the matter of knowing God’s will.  They are taken from “Answers to Prayer from George Muller’s Narratives,” and are entitled as follows:

 

How to ascertain the Will of God

 

1)  I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter.  Nine-tenths of the trouble with people is just here.  Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord’s Will, whatever it may be.  When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is.

2)  Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression.  If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.

3)  I seek the Will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God.  The Spirit and the Word must be combined.  If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also.  If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.

4)  Next I take into account providential circumstances.  These often plainly indicate God’s Will in connection with His Word and Spirit.

5)  I ask God in prayer to reveal His Will to me aright.

6)  Thus, through prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly.  In trivial matters, and in transactions involving most important issues, I have found this method always effective.

We are sent as our Lord was sent.  We share the same power (Holy Spirit), to accomplish the same purpose (The Will of God).  It is a life lived by faith, dependent upon the Spirit to manifest the life of Christ through us in such a way that the will of the Father is accomplished through our lives.   In this manner we come to realize in our lives the fulfillment of the statement of Christ in John 17.  “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.”

In Christ,

Richard Spann

Whatever you do, work at it with all your

heart, as working for the Lord, not for

men, since you know that you will receive

an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.

It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Colossians 3:23-24

 

Not long ago, I heard about the story of a family who had attended a church for a number of years.  They had been faithful in ministry, sharing the gospel with others and bringing them into the church.  They had committed long hours of labor for the Lord in various areas, having a significant impact on the lives of a number of individuals.  Some of those involved in the leadership of the church, however, started to notice some of the people they had brought and began to congratulate themselves upon the outreach of the church that was bringing these people into the congregation.  They were ignorant of the time, effort and prayers that had been invested in the lives of these people by this couple.  Discouraged by this lack of recognition of their ministry, this became one of the factors that led to their changing churches.  Unfortunately, this is not an isolated story.  Work for the Lord is not often seen or recognized by the local church.  The Lord tells us, however, that our work is not primarily for the church.  It is for Him.  Only this understanding will enable us to continue to labor for the Lord in many of our churches.

Some time ago there was a yearly meeting of a large Christian organization in the U.S.  At the end of the several day session, the national leader recognized and publicly thanked those who had participated in their ministry.  A large contingent of attendees were from a neighboring state.  Some of those from that state had been laboring for thirty years or more with that organization.  The national leadership, however, neither recognized or thanked them for their contribution.  It served as a reminder to them that their ministry was not primarily to that organization, but rather to the Lord.

A few years ago, I met a young man who was interested in memorizing scripture.  He did quite well in the course and was interested in meeting to discuss discipleship.  Over the next several years, he was used by the Lord to start several Bible study groups and help others in their journey of discipleship as well.  I continued to meet with him and encourage him periodically.  At one point he became discouraged about those he was discipling and remarked to me that, furthermore, he was not seeing any benefit in our meetings either.  Although I was sorry to hear about his reaction it reminded me that our goal is to please the Lord, not primarily to please others.  I Thessalonians 2:4 states “On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.  We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.”  And in verse 6 it relates the following.   “We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.”

The scriptures relate to us in multiple places that the Lord is the One we serve, and the One who is responsible for our reward.  In John 12:26 we read “My Father will honor the one who serves me.”  II Corinthians 5:10 states the following.  “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”  We see this also in the parable of the Talents.  “His master replied,”Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things.  I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master’s happiness.’”  (Matthew 25:23)

It seems as if the Lord does not consistently let His servants receive praise and thanks from others in this lifetime.  It may in part be due to the fact that God does not want us to become proud or dependent upon the praise of others for participating in His work.  Instead, it is His desire that by faith we wait for His commendation when we see Him.

A story was told years ago of a missionary who had faithfully served for many years in a foreign country.  As the time came for him to return home, he boarded the ship for the transatlantic journey.  As the ship neared the New York harbor, he could see a band playing on the wharf.  Various people were present and as the ship docked, one of the passengers was greeted warmly by the crowd and the band played a tribute to the individual.  When the missionary inquired as to the identity of the person, he discovered that it was the mayor of the city, who had been on a three week trip overseas.  The missionary found no one to greet him on his arrival, called a taxi and was taken to a nearby hotel.  When he arrived at the hotel, he began to compare his arrival reception with that of the major and voiced a complaint to God, “Why didn’t I receive a greeting from anyone when I came home?”  He then was aware of a gentle whisper which said, “Because you are not home yet.”

In all our service in the Lord to which we are called, we need to remember that we are not home yet.  Our labor in the church, with organizations and with other people may never be recognized or remembered.  But that’s ok.  They were not the ones we were called to serve anyway.  It is the Lord Christ we are serving and it is from Him that we receive an inheritance.

In Christ,

Richard Spann

One Thing

 

In his message on the importance of being singleminded, Leroy Eims mentioned that there are three ways to waste your life.  The first of these, he relates, is to give way to a lazy, slothful nature.  Although not common in success driven cultures, we still see this in some people.  This may be driven by a desire for pleasure, or merely the result of procrastination.  This attitude is reflected by aiming for the minimum standards, or as an employer remarked about an employees’ evaluation, “He consistently sets low standards for himself and then fails to meet them.”  Proverbs 20:4 describes the result of laziness as follows.  “A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing.”

A more common cause of wasting your life, Leroy states, is to have the wrong goal for your life.  Many there are who climb the ladder of success only to find out at the end of their lives that it was leaning on the wrong building.  Businesses are built, corporations are formed, and these individuals are highly acclaimed in our newspapers.  As you look more closely, you can see personal lives crumble, families dissolve and at the end of life there are nothing but regrets.  The Lord describes the life of those with the wrong goals in this passage.  “And he told them this parable:  ‘The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.  He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do?  I have no place to store my crops.  Then he said, This is what I’ll do.  I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  And I’ll say to myself, “you have plenty of good things laid up for many years.  Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”  But God said to him, ‘You fool!  This very night your life will be demanded from you.  Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’  This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”   (Luke 12 16-21)

The most common among the three reasons that Leroy gives is simply having too many goals for our lives.  We may have a sincere desire to know Christ better in our lives, but alongside this objective are those which motivate us to expend extra effort to be competitive in our business, to advance our reputation as a business person in the community, to be known for our charity work, or to excel in our hobbies and sports.  To this attitude of mind our Lord comes with the same question He asked Peter.  “Do you truly love me more than these?  (John 21:15)  He states in Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” and again in Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters.”  Even in our lives of service to the Lord we cannot let ministry for Him take the place that He alone should occupy in our lives.  Such was the error of the church at Ephesus to whom the Lord spoke these words.  “I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance.”…..”Yet I hold this against you:  You have forsaken your first love.  Remember the height from which you have fallen!  Repent and do the things you did at first.  If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”  (Revelation 2:2,4-5)

In the scriptures we are given a glimpse at three individuals whose lives were characterized by singlemindedness.  They sought but one thing in their lives.  Over the centuries, their lives have continued to be studied, and their examples form a basis for understanding the one thing that the Lord desires for our lives as well.  The first of these is David, described as a “man after God’s own heart.”  In Psalm 27:4 he writes “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.”  David’s one thing was to behold the beauty of the LORD.  The LORD Himself was the focus of his life.  As a result of making this the one thing in his life, the LORD was able to manifest Himself to and through David during his life.

The Apostle Paul describes the one thing in his life in Philippians 3:13-14.  “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do:  Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  Paul describes this prize more fully in Ephesians 4:13.  “Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ,” and again in Romans 8:29, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”  Paul’s one thing was conformity to the person of Jesus Christ.  Everything else in Paul’s life proceeded as a result of this one thing.

Perhaps the most compelling picture we see in scripture is the third person whose life exemplified the one thing.  This person is mentioned only three times in the Bible and in each instance we find her at the feet of Jesus.  The first occasion is described in Luke 10:42.  “But only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”  The one thing that Mary chose was to spend time at the feet of Jesus.  It was here, as a disciple, that she learned to follow Jesus.  In John 11:32 we also read, “When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’”  The one thing that she had chosen earlier, to spend time with the Lord, was characterized by devotion to Him and worship at His feet despite the death of her brother Lazarus.  The third time we see Mary is in John 12:3.  “Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus‘ feet and wiped his feet with her hair.  And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”  Mark 14:4 relates that some of those present asked  “Why this waste of perfume?”  To them it represented an extravagance.  Yet to the Lord this very display of seeming extravagance to others was noted by Him as worthy of being remembered wherever the gospel was preached (Mark 14:9)

Throughout the centuries, many lives have been lived whose time with the Lord may have been thought to be extravagant by others.  These include John Bunyan, John Brainerd, George Muller, A. W. Tozer, E. M. Bounds, and many others.  Their passion was to be singleminded in their devotion to Christ.  Their one thing may be characterized by Philippians 3:10.  “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.”  There will be a time in the future when we will all gather around the throne singing “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power for ever and ever!”  (Revelation 5:13)   This will be our one thing throughout eternity, but our Lord asks us “What about today?”  Are we able to say that He is the one thing that we seek after, that we press toward, or that we have chosen?  If so, then we can have confidence in His promise to us in II Corinthians 3:18, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

 

In Christ,

Richard Spann

Therefore, my beloved brethren,
be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding
in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know
that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

I Corinthians 15:58

It was about thirty years ago.  Over a period of several weeks, I had become aware of different individuals who were struggling in their walk with Christ.  Some of them had been in Bible study groups and had met in our home.  Others were those with whom I had met individually for a period of time.  There were others that we had met with for a period of time, encouraging them in discipleship, but they had since moved away and we had lost contact with them.  The more I thought about the above situations the more discouraged I became.  One morning I related to my wife as I went to work that perhaps the investment spiritually in the lives of others makes less difference than I thought it did.  A gloom seemed to settle upon me that morning as I parked my car and entered the hospital.  After taking only a few steps inside the hospital, I was met by a gastroenterologist who worked at the Wichita Clinic, a man whom I had not seen for several years.  The first words out of his mouth were “Remember the Bible study we did several years ago at the hospital? (Studies in Christian Living)  I just wanted you to know that I have been doing that series of studies with my children and it is having a profound influence on our family.”  I visited with him briefly and then moved into the lounge where I met a pediatrician from the Wichita Clinic who said “I thought you would like to know that I have been sharing the principles we looked at a few years ago with the elders at our church.  It is making a significant impact on their lives.”  He was, again, a man that I had not seen for several months.  This conversation lasted a few minutes and I walked down the hall to begin my daily visitation of the people in the hospital.  As I met my Resident in training that month for hospital rounds, he stated “I sat beside a friend of yours at dinner last night and he asked me to give you his card.”  As I looked at the card, it carried the name of a good friend and fellow laborer for Christ who was a surgeon in Chanute, Kansas.  On the card there was his name and the address of his office with no inscription other than a hand written notation in the corner which read “I Corinthians 15:58.”  On returning home that evening, my wife, Beverly, gave me a marvelous note of encouragement which she had written for me.  As I considered the events of the day it was evident that the Lord had spoken unmistakably to me these four times, convincing me beyond a shadow of a doubt that, truly, our labor is not in vain in the Lord.  Since that day, I have never doubted the truth of this verse.

I Corinthians 15:58 directs us to the work of the Lord with the use of three words; stedfast, unmoveable, and abounding.  The first of these words is stedfast.  This is defined as being firmly established, unchanging, fixed in direction and firm in purpose or resolution.  This word refers to a determination that arises from our inner being which results in an outward expression.

The second word, unmoveable, carries with it the connotation that we cannot let our stedfastness be altered by outside forces.  They must not be permitted to deter our resolution.  These outside forces may be obvious as stated in Mark 4:19.  “But the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word making it unfruitful.”  It may be more subtle, as we look at circumstances (as in my illustration above) and find discouragement in what we see.  It may also be that others in the Christian community, including churches, and Christian organizations do not recognize, support or encourage the work that the Lord has called us to do.  At times, we may be verbally discouraged by others.  I recall one man telling me years ago that “you are not accomplishing anything meeting with that person.”  Despite criticism, neglect, or lack of encouragement, we must remain unmoveable in our work for the Lord.

The last word that is used in this verse to describe our labor in the Lord is “abounding.”  This is defined as “to be in great plenty, quantity, or number.”  This word emphasizes not the minimum standard of a disciple of Christ but the the maximum.  It asks “What more may I do?  With whom else may I share the gospel or my life?  Who needs more help in their walk with Christ?”  It echoes the words of Isaiah in Isaiah 6.  “Here am I, send me.”  As G. Campbell Morgan describes Isaiah, he was characterized by “abandonment” (here am I), and “readiness” (send me).

Many efforts in the world to build companies, partnerships, and empires are in vain.  As you watch them over the years, empires crumble, partnerships are dissolved, and companies disappear.  They remind me of children playing in the sand by the seashore, building elaborate castles protected by, to their minds, a huge wall of sand.  All goes well for a while, until eventually a large wave breaks through and the sand castle is no more.  Their labor was in vain.

Leroy Eims was a marine in WWII and served in the South Pacific.  His unit traveled to number of islands during the war.  On one particular island he and a number of his friends were involved in a severe battle.  Some lost their lives and Leroy himself was wounded in the conflict.  The battle for that island stood out in his mind for years.  Some twenty years later he was in the home of a friend who was a student of WW II history in the South Pacific.  Leroy looked through his books until he found the one that described the battle for that island.  As he read the accounts, he began to vividly recall the sacrifice involved including his own wounds.  As he read the last paragraph concerning the history of that battle, a sudden chill came over him and he sat down to read these final words of the historian.  “The taking of this island was unnecessary to the war effort in the South Pacific.  It should have been bypassed.  The battle was in vain.”  Leroy related that as he read these words, he was immediately thankful for I Corinthians 15:58, that our battle in not in vain in the Lord.

Our battle, our conflict, our labor is not in vain in the Lord. Every prayer offered, every word spoken, every cup of water given, every minute of every day we spend in labor for the Lord can be offered to Him with the assurance that it is not in vain.  Since this is true, let us be stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.

In Christ,

Richard Spann

Peace is not the absence of problems.

 Peace is the presence of the Lord.

For most of us, peace seems to be fleeting and elusive.  It comes and goes depending on the circumstances in which we find ourselves.  The presence or absence of real or imagined trouble with our families, neighborhoods, work situations, and issues involving our government or even the world at large seem to determine our peace.  Anything that may potentially disturb our security or significance becomes a threat to our peace.  Our peace seems many times to be based entirely on the world around us.  This type of peace, however, is not what the God desires for our lives.  The peace that the world gives comes from walking by sight, not by faith.  II Corinthians 5:9 reminds us that “we walk by faith, not by sight.”

If there were any people on earth that needed to have the peace that comes from walking by faith it would be the Israelite nation.  Having been led by the Lord out of Egypt, they were wanderers in the desert, dependent daily upon miraculous provisions of food and water.  They were soon to rebel against the Lord and wander in the desert a total of forty more years.  It was at this point in their history that the Lord instructed Moses to tell Aaron to bless the Israelites and say to them.

“‘The LORD bless you and keep you;

 the LORD make his face shine upon you

 and be gracious to you;

 the LORD turn his face toward you

and give you peace.’

So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”  (Numbers 6:24-27)

They were instructed to put His name on the Israelites, that is, so that they would know that the Name of the LORD implies that He will become all that they need, which in this instance was peace.  They would desperately need to know that the LORD was their peace over the next forty years; forty years of suffering the consequences of disobedience, forty years of having enough faith to get out of Egypt but not enough faith to get into the promised land; forty years waiting for death to take all those older than 20 years of age who had refused to enter the land of Canaan.  They needed to know that peace was not found in their commitment to Him, but in His commitment to them.  It was not the result of looking at circumstances, but at the LORD, who was in charge of all their circumstances.  In all their hardship and travail, they were to remember that the LORD was still the author and provider of His peace.

It is in times of distress and difficulty that we supremely need to know that the LORD is peace.  It was during such a time in the life of Israel that we first see the name Jehovah-Shalom. (The LORD is Peace)  During the days of Midianite oppression the nation was finding caves and mountain clefts in which to dwell.  Food was scarce and what they had was often taken from them.  Gideon was found by the Angel of the LORD while threshing wheat in a winepress to avoid detection by the Midianites.  After the discussion with the Angel, “when Gideon realized it was the Angel of the LORD he exclaimed ‘Ah, Sovereign Lord!  I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!‘  But the LORD said to him.  ‘Peace! Do not be afraid.  You are not going to die.‘  So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it the LORD is peace.” (Judges 6:22-24)  It was the knowledge of the LORD as his peace that enabled him to tear down his fathers‘ altar to Baal, sacrifice a bull from his fathers‘ herd, and subsequently destroy the Midianites by the hand of God with only three hundred men.  His peace was found in the LORD, not in his circumstances.

On the night of His betrayal, our LORD spoke to His disciples regarding His peace.  He stated in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  Here the Lord is granting to His disciples that peace that He Himself possessed.  This is the peace that was not altered by His coming betrayal, beatings, and crucifixion.  The weight of our sin, foreign to His being, was soon to descend upon Him as the forces of darkness gathered around His cross.  When did His disciples experience that peace?  Not that night, for they all deserted Him and fled.  Not after His resurrection, for on two occasions they were huddled behind closed doors for fear of the Jews.  The peace that Jesus gives is connected with the preceding verse in the Gospel of John.  “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my Name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)  It was when the Holy Spirit descended upon them fifty days after the resurrection that they experienced the inward presence of their Lord, and His peace came with Him.  Their lives became a testimony of His peace that comes from walking by faith, not by sight.

We also have the opportunity to walk by faith in His peace.  This process is outlined for us in Philippians 4:6-9.  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you.”

First there is the prayer of faith that sees circumstances, that, if we were walking by sight, would rob us of our peace in Him.  Those circumstances are to be brought to the Lord with prayer, petition and thanksgiving.  Verse 7 tells us that the peace of God will then guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  His process of guarding our minds is described further in verse 8.  It is in directing our thoughts to those things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.  This is not just a mindset that attempts to avoid anxious thoughts; it replaces them with a mind set of faith that considers and meditates upon the One who loves us with infinite love, has perfect knowledge of our needs, and unlimited power to provide what is best for us.  The mindset of faith looks beyond circumstance to the One who holds all circumstances in His hand.  Similarly, our hearts are guarded by replacing activity born out of walking by sight, with the activity of faith which depends upon the Holy Spirit to put into practice in our lives whatever we have learned or received or heard from our Lord through others in our walk with Him.  Verse 9 then concludes with this declaration, “And the God of peace will be with you.”

The peace we have in Christ is not the absence of difficult circumstances which produce problems for us.  His peace is in our lives when we bring each situation to Him; as we contemplate Him as the One who is excellent and praiseworthy; and as we are directed by His Spirit into the actions of faith in His name, with the assurance that the “God of peace” will be with us.  These verses taken together address a peace that embraces and directs our emotions, (verses 6-7) our intellect, (verse 8) and our will (verse 9).  The peace that our Lord manifested was perfectly demonstrated in His emotion, His intellect and His will.  This is His peace that He longs for us to experience as well.

Two days after concluding the above notes on peace, I developed some symptoms which led to the removal of an aggressive malignancy which, although removed completely at the present time, shows every sign of continual recurrence.  The surgeon three times repeated the statement “poor prognosis” which completely removed all peace of the type which the world gives.  It seems like the Lord has invited us to walk to Him on the water as He did with Peter.  All the waves around us are crashing and we are wet with their foam.  Directly in front of us, however, is the Lord, beckoning us to come to Him step by step, drawing our gaze to Him by the loving care expressed in His countenance.  As we progress along this path, we know that our peace is in Him, and that He is surely as much in control of the cancer in the body as He is in control of the waves of the Sea of Galilee.

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.” (II Thessalonians 3:16)

In Christ,
Richard Spann

Tell them why; show them how;
get them started; keep them at it.

Keith Phillips

     The above statement was made by Keith Phillips in his book “The Making of a Disciple.”  It proclaims four fundamental principles to be considered in our instruction to others.  These principles are applicable to many aspects of discipleship, such as the Quiet time, Prayer, Bible study, and Scripture memory to name a few.  As I look back on my life over the years, I realize that I primarily majored in the third one of these which is to merely get them started.  The why, the how and keeping them at it were not emphasized to the same degree.

Telling them why is the first of these principles mentioned by Keith.  Sometimes this step is bypassed, assuming that others automatically know why these disciplines are important.  It is most important for them to know that all of these are, as Jerry Bridges describes, disciplines of grace.  By this he means that these disciplines are given to us by the Lord and are the chief means by which we are aware of and participate in His grace.  The Lord does not generally choose to work apart from these in our lives.  In telling them why, the life and example of our Lord is often the best place to start.  Helping them see why He had a quiet time (Mark 1:35), why He prayed (Luke 6:12-13), and seeing the importance of the word of God in His life (Luke 24:27) are foundational to the principle of “telling them why.”

Showing them how involves personal in depth interaction with individuals.  God doesn’t just send a message, He sends a man with the message. “There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.” (John 1:6)  There must be incarnation before proclamation.  We teach from our lives, not just from our lips.  The apostle Paul describes his transparency as he related the following to the Philippians in Philippians 4:9.  “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you.”  Showing them how involves letting it be seen in our lives.

Getting them started involves use of specific instructions and an agreement in regard to accountability.  Many of our discipleship materials have well delineated sections to study.  Accountability is perhaps the key ingredient to a good start to these studies.   A lack of commitment is contagious to other parts of the Christian life.  Accountability helps promote a solid start to the disciplines of grace.

We are all encouraged when someone starts well.  In Scripture, however, we read that the end of a matter is better than its beginning.  Multiple scriptures speak about the value of perseverance.  Paul addresses Timothy in II Timothy 2:2 to commit what he has heard from him to others in such a way that they would be able to teach others also.  This implies not only a good start, but a commitment to keep them at it.  There are a number of factors to be considered in the topic of keeping them at it.  Let me name just four.  These are exhortation, example, exposure and expression.  By exhortation is meant the encouragement and instruction that is necessary to continued growth in discipleship.  “For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.”   (I Thessalonians 2:11-12)  The most important of these four is the example set by our own lives.  “You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings-what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured.  Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.”  (II Timothy 3:10-11)  Those in whom we invest time need to see our example of consistency as a model for their lives.  Not only are they to see the example of our lives, we are to provide exposure to the lives of others who are modeling discipleship as well.  “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”  (Hebrews 10:25)  As they continue to grow in a life of faithfulness to the Lord, they need opportunities to give  expression about their journey to others.  “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”  (Mark 5:19)

Tell them why; show them how; get them started; and keep them at it.  This is our calling that the Lord has given to us.  It is His Grace that has enabled us to “keep at it” in our own lives, and His Grace will be given to us as He ministers through us to others so that they, in turn, may so impact the lives of others.

In Christ,
Richard Spann