I attended a School of Preaching in the late seventies and frankly that time was the best two years of my life. I was absorbing Bible at an unbelievable rate, surrounded by great teachers and my fellow students who were as excited about studying the Bible as I was. Unlike most of my fellow students, I did not attend the school to be either a Preacher or a Teacher, but rather I just wanted seek what God wanted me to do for him.
After graduation, I preached at a number of congregations for the next several years and stopped doing this when my wife almost died. She needed my help getting through her recovery and afterward she did not want anything to do with the ministry or even the church. So much for preaching. Time to regroup.
Needless to say, I was distraught and prayed for guidance for a long time. Years went by and I began working on a new Bible Study method which I called the Composite Bible and then I began blogging in 2008 and have continued this work, making 26,000+ combined posts for my two blogs. If you add in Google+ (which has now been discontinued), my hits reached over 1 million a couple of years back. In addition to the blogs, there are internet sites for The Composite Bible and recently, for The Composite Reports.
OK, why did I say this? Because I had no idea in 1979 that I would be doing the work of a blogger, because personal computers were not even readily available until the mid-80’s. I just had to wait for God to open a door of service for me and in the meantime, be as faithful as I could.
A few of my classmates from the school of Preaching (Northeast School of Biblical Studies) do not even attend church and more are not even active in the church. So, when I saw this picture today, I asked myself: Why do Christians (especially preachers) quit? The items in the picture may or may not be the primary reason Christians (Preachers) quit, but I think there is another more fundamental reason. After much reflection, I found these verses…
Matthew 14 ( World English Bible )
23 After he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain by himself to pray. When evening had come, he was there alone.
24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, distressed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
25 In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.
26 When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It’s a ghost!” and they cried out for fear.
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying “Cheer up! It is I! Don’t be afraid.”
28 Peter answered him and said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the waters.”
29 He said, “Come!” Peter stepped down from the boat, and walked on the waters to come to Jesus.
30 But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
32 When they got up into the boat, the wind ceased.
33 Those who were in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, “You are truly the Son of God!”
Hebrews 12 ( WEB )
1 Therefore let us also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
When we become Christians, we have a new master – Jesus. We begin with Jesus helping us and as we continue with Jesus he still helps us, no matter what happens.
Peter looked to Jesus and when he stopped relying upon (looking to Jesus) him- he began to sink. He needed Jesus to stay “afloat”. We do too. We are to look to Jesus and have faith that ultimately his will for our lives will be done.
What does all this mean? If we keep “looking to Jesus”, we will not quit. Oh, the outcome of our lives may not be what we expected it to be, but it will be God’s will.
Everyone’s spiritual story will be slightly different, but isn’t that what the church is all about; remember that business about us all being parts of a collective spiritual body? Believe it, for its true.
One last thought…
NEVER, EVER, GIVE UP ON JESUS, BECAUSE HE DIDN’T GIVE UP ON YOU.