Numbers Obsession: The Math, Not the Book

“Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me… When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?”…And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” (John 6:43-45, 60, 65-67).

It’s confession time. So let me preface this account by saying that administration is not my spiritual gift. Neither is the gift of mercy, but that’s an entirely different story.

I was a Sunday School teacher at a rather traditional Southern Baptist church. Once they figured out I wasn’t an official member of the church they were flabbergasted but showed me grace due to a long and consistent record of financial contributions. So I transferred my “membership” and was allowed to continue facilitating a class of single, “20-something” misfits. And I fit right in although I was 20 years their senior. It was a unique group that grew rapidly, though rarely had more than 15 attendees. They sometimes showed up still wearing the wrist stampings that allowed them to get into the clubs they were frequenting the night before. No worries, we were there to talk about Jesus.

There was one young lady, in her early 30’s and not part of the party crowd, who was always faithful. LeeAnn served as a pillar for the group and the class secretary. For those who are unfamiliar, she kept the attendance roll and other records the church used to report to the convention. That was all well and good until she went on vacation and I was left with the administrative chores. That is when I exaggerated a bit in documenting the attendance and other statistics. Knowing how much Southern Baptists love their numbers, my report read something like this:

Attendance – 6,429.3

Professions of Faith – 8,477.8

Baptisms – 9,469.27

Rededications – .436

Giving – $12,965,328.97 (Warren Buffet, I noted, was a visitor).

Shockingly, I received a call from the Pastor of Administration early on Monday. After admitting my miscalculations, I told him the good news about my embellishments: “We have suddenly jumped to #1 in the convention in several categories, most importantly baptisms. Praise God!” After he chided me I asked if we could pray together and petition God give him a sense of humor. He not-so-graciously declined. But I had accomplished one thing – church leadership made sure someone other than me did the records when LeeAnn was out. I was off the hook!

I hope, unlike the Pastor of Administration, you get my point. Yes, we see God use numbers throughout His Word. There is an Old Testament book with that very title and we see the approximate counting of the converts at Pentecost (Acts 2) and soon afterwards. But, really, why are we so obsessed with numbers when it comes to ministry? I, by the way, can tell you exactly the number of hits this blog has on a daily basis so, convicted, I recently took the “counter” off of my blog’s home page (my total hits had just crossed over 7,103,540,789,000…oh, never mind).

Is this some sort of self-justification? Is it pride? Is it shallowness? Or is it just the natural outcome of bad theology? Maybe it’s all of these but, whatever its source, it concerns me.

Our tendency to use numbers to determine our “success” or “failure” as followers of Christ and ministry leaders seems a bit incongruous to me. Especially if we look at the earthly ministry of Jesus – who someone has called the first and greatest mini-church pastor.  At the end the number of His followers had fallen precipitously and he was left alone and forsaken by most of those who claimed that they would be there until the last. Was His ministry a failure? I don’t think so. After all, I don’t believe He was thinking as much about quantity as He was quality. I don’t think he was keeping some legalistic count of all the numbers. At the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus had shifted His focus from the masses who pursued Him for food, healings, and miracles to a very small number of people. Most of the last year of His ministry was dedicated to these few – discipling and preparing them for the ministry ahead.

So maybe Jesus was telling us that our service, and the way God measures it, is more about being biblically faithful than being numerically successful. Maybe He was saying that investing ourselves in a few is often better than trying to accommodate throngs. Given our trend toward mega-churches and a “bigger is better” mentality, this is worth considering.

By the way, excluding the title, this post has 852.27 words.

CbC’s 2011 Blog in Review: 6 Continents and 24 Countries!

Welcome to 2012! 

Our God is an amazing God! What started out a couple of years ago as “journaling posted on the internet,” the Captivated by Christ Blog has been blessed beyond measure. Incredibly, the Lord has directed readers from 6 continents and over 20 countries to this site during 2011. We will only fully know how God has moved in this ministry when we reach Heaven and enter into His presence.

Thanks to all who have shared with me in this simple ministry, one which seeks to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.  I pray that He uses this small gift to spread His kingdom and exalt Himself. May the beauty of Jesus and His Gospel be trumpeted to all peoples. And, if He is willing, may He use this work to do so in an even greater way in the new year.

Happy New Year and  grace to you!

The information below is furnished by the fine folks at WordPress – here are the numbers:

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

 

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 12,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Pat Robertson, Alzheimer’s, Loving Others, and Loving Jesus

You probably have heard the hubbub about Pat Robertson’s outlandish advice to a spouse whose wife has Alzheimer’s. In case you haven’t, here’s CNN’s account of the controversy: 

Squaring Pat Robertson’s Alzheimer’s remarks with the Bible – CNN Belief Blog – CNN.com Blogs

We all know of Pat Robertson’s notorious proclivity to hoof-in-mouth’s disease. CNN’s report is just another example of his too often thoughtless comments made without biblical rationale. But, according to this article, he refused to recant these absurd and cruel comments. Might pride be a factor? Or just ignorance?  Maybe he has early stages dementia. You be the judge. Instead of railing against this view that is so asinine most atheists would call it inhumane, I’d like to take this opportunity to discuss how Christians should minister to those affected by this horrible disease. For what it’s worth, my views clash with the televangelist’s. Here they are:

• We must try to see all people (even those with Alzheimer’s) as God would see them. They are His creation, worthy of dignity and love, and have emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. Most critically, Alzheimer’s patients and their families need the hope that can only come from the Gospel of Jesus.
• Never forget the Golden Rule: “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12). If you were to have this terrible disease, how would you prefer to be treated? Would you want to be abandoned, forgotten, neglected, and unloved? Truth be told, it could eventually be you that suffers from dementia and its sister cognitive diseases – ABC News reports that there are  5.4 million Alzheimer’s patients in the US today and this number is expected to grow dramatically as the Baby Boomers age.
• Realize that everyone is your neighbor and Christ command us to love and care for them. The Parable of the Good Samaritan should be etched in our hearts (see Luke 10:25-37). When asked who our neighbor is, Jesus shared this story. Christ’s message should compel us to serve the hurting and needy. His final words of this passage punctuate His teaching with, “go, and do likewise.”
• Remember that the patient never suffers alone (unless folks take Pat Robertson’s advice). Families hurt along with their loved ones inflicted with this demoralizing malady. They need our love, prayers, and support along with the primary victims of Alzheimer’s. These family members could use our Christ-centered love and encouragement.
• Do practical things to help ease the burden, pressures, and pain that are usually associated with such suffering. This article gives some very useful tips on what we can do to help both the patient and their relatives beyond just prayer and encouraging words – ABC’s of Alzheimer’s Ministry.
• And, maybe most importantly, be motivated by the truth that loving and ministering to an Alzheimer’s patient and their loved ones is tantamount to loving and ministering to Jesus Himself. For the full impact of this truth, only the complete passage will do:

“And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:33-46).

My wife, Rebekah, who works in a nursing home, has forever had a heart of compassion for those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s. In many ways she considers this her calling, her ministry. She has many stories of those, and their families, who suffer with these diseases. One seems most appropriate here:

“One of our residents is in late stages Alzheimer’s and barely knows she is in the world. But, like her, well into his 80’s and feeble himself, her husband comes every day. He arrives early, kisses her gently. and sits with her all day. He talks to her, reads to her, and when she becomes distraught or agitated he hugs her with a long, loving, comforting embrace. At the end of the day he kisses her again, toddles to his car, and returns home. But he is always there, every day for hours. It’s one of the most Christ-like things I have ever witnessed.”

And don’t we agree? I’m confident Jesus does! Then let’s “go and do likewise.”

A Personal Encounter with the Sermon on the Mount – Chapter 10 (Salt and Light)

*Section 2 – Kingdom Conduct

Ten- Salt and Light

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16).

Ever meet a useless Christian? Not a person lacking any value. All have that. I’m talking about the kind of professing Christ-follower who doesn’t positively influence the world around him. I’m reminded of a friend’s coworker, Jim, who one might describe as “anything but salty and bright.” Though a faithful church attendee and an admitted follower of Jesus, Jim comes across as a typically glum, negative, irritable, and sometimes even surly guy. Sadly, unbelievers who come in contact with him might never see the power of the gospel in his life because of this disposition.

After years of observing my fellow Christ-followers and knowing well my own habits and tendencies, I smile every time I get to Matthew 5:13. Here Jesus moves from explaining the character qualities kingdom-livers should exemplify to reminding them of the powerful influence they potentially wield. Jesus says
that believers must positively touch a world that often finds our pursuit of righteousness ridiculous and even offensive. Even when surrounded by a culture
that despises us, we are to respond with “the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). For many Christians, however, the idea of positively affecting our world sounds
either impossible or not worth the effort. How, some wonder, could a rather docile follower of Christ, one whose life reflects poverty of spirit, meekness, and a  love for peace manage to leave any lasting mark?

Jesus taught that the power of His kingdom within us creates—even demands—that we take every opportunity to influence our world for His glory. This obligation, in fact, encompasses much of life’s purpose. In choosing to ignore it, we disobey and miss out on tremendous blessing. In thinking ourselves too ineffective or too busy to try it, we ignore the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives (see Romans 8:13-16). And when we choose to live as part of our culture without exerting Christ-empowered influence, we trivialize the eternal destinies of those in our circles.

Christ used two metaphors to describe the nature of and power behind a believer’s influence. He chose to first compare us to salt. This preservative was used extensively in New Testament times for nutrition, for flavor, and for its ability to hinder the natural decay process of both food and the dead. Salt’s domestic uses point to a vital spiritual truth. Our immoral, decadent, condemned, and lost culture writhes in the process of rapid decay. Although we often hear that humanity’s evolving, the moral and ethical challenges we face suggest that mankind is more likely de-evolving than growing more perfect. (Consider, for example, the emphasis on technology and entertainment and politics. Why is so little energy given to overcoming some of the deepest issues humanity faces: war, poverty, and hunger?)

In the winds of immorality and rage against God’s standards, the world spins out of control. Total annihilation will come (see 2 Peter 3:10-12). Only true servants of Christ serve as a restraint against absolute chaos and anarchy, and the day will come when the planet will lose our influence and God’s compassionate protection (see 2 Thessalonians 2). In the meantime, the moral fiber and stand for kingdom truth that disciples of Jesus should extend can
bring compassion, help, and hope to people desperate for peace. The gospel message, when shared boldly in the midst of evil, serves to offset the tide of
deterioration that proves eternally devastating. By opposing rebelliousness towards God and demonstrating a life of Christ’s truth, Jesus’ disciples preserve and flavor our culture with a dash of hope.

Jesus called God’s followers the “light of the world.” Light, with all of its practical uses, symbolizes right and good. It contrasts with the Bible’s description of the lost, people who live “in darkness” (Luke 12:46). In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus hints that our light shines through good works, actions, and outreaches intended to point people to God. As we shine as lights, we stand for God’s truth and in opposition to the world’s dim philosophies and blind spiritual ignorance. As we courageously proclaim God’s Word and demonstrate its transforming power, we labor in the trenches of our dark and lost society. Little flames of hope in a cave of despair.

As servants of Christ boldly proclaim and live God’s truth, people see Jesus—the true light of the world (John 8:12). John the Baptist was the first to do this as he took the truth of God to a people in darkness, pointing them to the divine light of Christ (see John 5:35-36). As a result of his ministry, the hearts of many were poised to accept Jesus. I think this helps us understand Christ’s reference that lamps belong on stands. When believers courageously and publicly allow their lives to shine for the honor of God, they help guide other people to Jesus. As more men and women come to know Him, their lights ignite too. As we combine our influence for Christ’s glory, a bigger, lighted city on a hill glows brightly against the world’s darkness.

Apply It.

Sometimes salt irritates and light exposes unpleasant truths. At times the world won’t appreciate that Christ-followers are salt and light. What can you do—in spite of resistance—to stand for the Truth and live worthy of your calling? List practical ways you can busily shine so that they may “praise [our] Father in heaven.” The Holy Spirit and the supernatural leadership of our King will strengthen you

*This is an excerpt from Captivated by the King and His Kingdom: A Personal Encounter with the Sermon on the Mount published by Crossbooks in 2010. The links for this book are:

Amazon in book form – http://www.amazon.com/Captivated-King-His-Kingdom-Encounter/dp/1615073418/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1302820767&sr=8-1    

Amazon Kindle – http://www.amazon.com/Captivated-King-His-Kingdom-ebook/dp/B004KAA9UC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1302820767&sr=8-2

Barnes and Noble in book form – http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Captivated-by-the-King-and-His-Kingdom/Linden-C-Wolfe/e/9781615073412/?itm=3&USRI=captivated+by+the+king

Other eReader formats – http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/33572

If you follow along with this category (albeit backwards) by the same name as the book, eventually, Lord willing, we will have walked through the Sermon on the Mount verse by verse in a devotional commentary approach. I pray that this series impacts you as much as it did me as I studied this passage and wrote this book. Grace to you!

Mayhem and Ministry in a Nursing Home

**** This is an excerpt from Captivated Anew: Restored to Pursue Him published in 2009. It was originally entitled “Ricky and the Rascals”.

The most interesting congregation I ever led lived in a nursing home. Every Tuesday night that I was not traveling on business, I ventured to their building to share Jesus. Part of my ministry involved retrieving them from their small rooms and wheeling them to the recreation room where our Bible study was held. Though I sincerely wanted to build them up with time in God’s Word, I often found myself having to focus more on crowd control than spiritual edification.

One evening, for instance, a near melee broke out as two octogenarians struggled over the same walker. Apparently the “thief” desired the Cadillac-of-walkers model possessed by another woman. For the thief, the 1960s bicycle bell it sported proved too much temptation; ringing it would warn other residents of the owner’s slow approach. As the tussle ensued the women struggled back and forth like two three-year-olds battling over a toy. Both possessed a death grip on their claim. And when Mary, the owner, released her hands from the walker; the perpetrator flew backwards and crashed into the wall without ever releasing her prize. Chaos broke out before order was restored.

On another occasion, Martha, who interrupted every meeting with the same question -“Will I go to hell because I can’t stop saying god d***?” – became particularly unruly. Her sacrilegious and inopportune profanity paralyzed me. She even asked the question in the midst of Scripture reading. I never found a good retort for her outbursts even though I knew the question was inevitable. I often found myself wondering, What in the world am I doing here?

Another challenge to my nursing home ministry was named Ricky. He was our most faithful attendee, providing Bibles for those who met in the tiny space where we convened. All Ricky’s Bibles were the same translation: The Old King James. (Ricky claimed it was the same version used by the Old Testament prophets. All others were “perversions.”) Many evenings, Ricky managed to derail the progress of our meetings with his incessant questions about eschatology. He delivered them in what I like to call machine-gun interrogation style. After several run-ins with his questioning, I found myself fighting the temptation to leave Ricky out of our meetings all together.

Deserting our group was the easy thing for me to do. Unfortunately, “deserted” defined the situation of many who lived in that home. They had nowhere to go: their families had abandoned them. I rarely saw a family visitor as I rambled down the halls and peered into the rooms of that facility. Instead, I found the sad faces of many whose families found them disposable. The busyness and self-centeredness of many of their families and friends had left many of the nursing home’s residents almost completely without family ties, interest, or love. As much as they craved attention, they rarely saw genuine caring and compassion.

Today the room where I used to share Christ is locked. It now serves as the occupational therapy room; Bible study there has ceased. I have not, however, forgotten the importance of my elderly friends. There are more people like Mary, Martha, and Ricky in our institutions than we care to imagine. They may be rascals, but they have souls. Despite their contrary and difficult personalities, they need dignity, love, and—most importantly— Jesus.

In Matthew 25:40, Jesus explained that “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” And in Luke 10:30-37, the parable of the Good Samaritan, Christ encouraged His followers to show mercy to the hurting and the downtrodden. Our nursing homes are full of people who desperately need to hear about the love and hope that can be found in Christ. Their spiritual condition matters.

I want to encourage us as Christ’s followers to stroll the halls of our nursing homes and see the despair and despondency of lonely people forsaken by those they called family. In the name of Jesus, it’s the least we could do for least of these. In stopping in to say hello or to pass out small gifts and smiles, we can know that our efforts are unto Him. So many sit in a closet-like room silently pleading for someone to knock on the door and say a simple, “Hey, how are you?”  That someone could be you.