"Though He Died, He Still Speaks"

This quote, taken from Hebrews 11:4, is on my heart this morning.

That's because last night, while lying in bed, before turning the light out, I was reading James Boice’s commentary on Matthew 11, in preparation for my upcoming sermon. Dr. Boice’s insights reflected a robust theology, a pastor’s heart, an evangelistic spirit, and a sensitivity to the human condition.

For a moment my thoughts drifted back to 1999. I was in my first year of ministry at First Baptist Church, and that fall I had attended a Bible conference at another local church less than thirty minutes away. James Boice was the keynote speaker, so I had the privilege of hearing (and meeting) him in person. This was quite an honor for me, for I’ve had a great deal of respect for Dr. Boice over the years. He became the pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia in 1968, the year I was born. Moreover, Dr. Boice decided at the age of twelve to become a minister of the gospel. This is exactly how old I was when I sensed God’s call to full-time gospel ministry.

Just months after I had the joy of meeting Dr. Boice and hearing him expound the Word of God, he was diagnosed as having an aggressive form of liver cancer. He found this out on Good Friday, just two hours before he was scheduled to preach. Dr. Boice mounted the pulpit of Tenth Presbyterian Church for the last time on Sunday, May 7, 2000. He announced to his stunned congregation that he was rapidly dying of cancer. He said to them,

Should you pray for a miracle? Well, you’re free to do that, of course. My general impression is that the God who is able to perform miracles--and he certainly can--is also able to keep you from getting the problem in the first place. . . . Above all, I would say pray for the glory of God. If you think of God glorifying himself in history and you say, “Where in all of history has God most glorified himself?” the answer is that he did it at the cross of Jesus Christ, and it wasn’t by delivering Jesus from the cross, though he could have. . . . And yet that’s where God is most glorified.”

On June 15, 2000, at the age of sixty-one, James Montgomery Boice died peacefully in his sleep, just eight weeks after his diagnosis. Exactly two weeks earlier, my own mother had peacefully entered into the Lord’s presence.

How do you think you would react if you were given news of your impending death? Would your heart and mind go immediately to the glory of God as revealed through the cross of Jesus Christ? The apostle Paul lived with the cross always in view. He boasted only in the cross (Gal. 6:14) and made his life count for Christ.

Right now I am forty-two. I may not live to be forty-three. Perhaps I’ll enter the Lord’s presence when I’m fifty-two, as was my mom, or maybe I’ll go to heaven when I’m sixty-one, like Dr. Boice. Whatever the case, one thing is for sure: “Only one life will soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.”

I often think of Moses' prayer, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Ps. 90:12). What my wife and I want--and what we want for our children and church family--is to make every moment count for Christ. Our desire is, as Jim Elliot put it, is to live to the hilt every situation we believe to be the will of God. We must repent daily over self-interest, squandered time, vain pursuits, trivial interests and activities. We are put here for a purpose, and we fulfill our life’s mission by our faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us.

Limping Along

Some time ago, our pet beagle Buster injured his right hind leg. Ever since then, he's been walking with a limp. Because he's not using the one leg at all, its muscles are shriveling up. Though the other hind leg has gotten more muscular, the limp is throwing his whole body off kelter. So this is not a good thing.

I thought of this the other night while talking to one of our faithful nursery workers here at church. She loves the children and has a real heart for that area of ministry. But she shared a prayer request that more church members would serve on the rotation. She then commented, "Doesn't this have to do with that statistic about 20 percent of the people doing 80 percent of the work?" The problem, she noted, is that even the most dedicated servants get tired and discouraged over time when there's no one to help them.

That's when I thought of Buster. It's not good for him not to be using that leg for so long. It signals that there's a problem that needs to be checked out. Perhaps he needs surgery. At the very least he needs therapy. Even though his limp on the one side has made his other hind leg stronger, even that will eventually feel the wear and tear of carrying the burden of his body weight. God designed dogs to walk on all fours, not three out of four. Over time, this limp will affect his other joints as well. Why? Because everything is off balance, due to compensating for his lame leg.

If we're not careful, something similar can happen to the body of Christ. The Bible says that God has given each member of Christ's body certain spiritual gifts so that the body can function properly and grow to maturity as each member does its part (see 1 Cor. 12; Eph. 4:15-16). Of course the negative implication is that if each member does not do its part, then the whole body suffers. Everyone else is trying to pick up the slack, doing things they weren't intended to. As a result, the other members get worn out, the ministry becomes dysfunctional, and the whole body suffers.

At our church, we strive for an "every-member ministry." That's the way God designed the body to run -- not limp. As I consider our many members and ministries, I'm thankful that most people are plugged in. Yet I can see a few areas here and there that are lacking (or should I say limping), and needlessly so. If we all exercise our spiritual muscles, putting them to good use in the service of our Lord, the body of Christ will not be lacking ... or limping!

So, how are you using your gifts to build up the body of Christ?

We Will Hold On

On Sunday mornings our congregation is working through the Gospel of Matthew. Right now we're in the midst of chapter ten, where Jesus sends out the Twelve to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel." He warns them of the persecution that's going to come their way for preaching the gospel of the kingdom. The good news for believers is that when persecution comes, we don't need to panic. All we have to do is follow God's plan.

In one sense that's rather simple, isn't it. But it's by no means easy. In fact, it's impossible apart from God's power. That's why it's so important to hold on to His love. Paul Baloche has a song by that title, which will be introduced to our congregation this coming Lord's Day. But in the meantime, I thought it would be good for our church body--and anyone else who visits this blog site--to understand the central message of the song. We live in a culture which will hate us for the gospel's sake. When persecution comes, will you hold on to His love? I hope you will, for His love is better than life (Ps. 63:3).