Men Jesus can count on
OPINION —
Recently a pastor invited me to participate in a remarkable experience in his church on the outskirts of Opelika. Craig Lee is the pastor of the church which for decades was known as Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church. Having disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church, the church has a new name, the Oak Hill Church.
Pastor Craig explained how the name was chosen. Located on top of a little hill on Marvyn Parkway, the church is surrounded by huge oak trees. There is plenty of parking space and the grounds around the beautiful sanctuary and the attractive fellowship hall are immaculate. A lovely sight to behold!
Membership in the small church had been dwindling in recent years but no more. Attendance has tripled since a small group of dedicated men and women began working diligently to restore new life to the church with a new name.
Craig Lee had grown up in the church and now, at age 56, with years of experience as a lay speaker, he has become the pastor of the church which nurtured his faith as a child. It was obvious he is excited about being chosen to serve as the first pastor of Oak Hill Church.
On a Saturday in May, the men of the church served lunch for the women. After the meal the women attended a worship service designed to inspire them to become women God could depend on to build up the church. That day was so successful the church moved forward with the plan to have a similar day in June for men.
This time, on June 8, the women served a fine barbecue lunch for the men, after which they moved to the sanctuary for worship on the theme, “Men of God.” That’s where I came in, and I felt guided to preach on the subject, “Men Jesus Can Count On.” The reward for my son Steve, my driver for the day, was a delicious Buc-ee’s brisket sandwich for supper.
My text was John 14:23 — Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” With these words Jesus explained the greatest opportunity God has given the human race: to obey the teaching of Jesus and rejoice that He will make his home in our hearts. There is no other divine offer equal to that. I built my sermon around these four qualifications for a man to become a man Jesus can count on:
- He has decided that nothing matters more than being sold out to Jesus. Having seen the glory of God in the face of Christ, he believes that Jesus is everything and there is only one way to live and that is the way of Jesus. To be sold out to Jesus is to have made a complete surrender your life to him. Surrender involves so much more than “going to church,” or becoming a “church member.” It means letting Jesus “have His way with me” or it means nothing.
- He has decided to let Jesus rule his life. He knows that Jesus will have only one role in his heart; he will be Lord of all, or he will not be Lord at all. He is not available to be your “buddy” or your “co-pilot”! Millions of church members “admire” the historical Jesus; they praise him as a Great Example and a Great Teacher, but they have never yielded to his Lordship or chosen to obey his teaching. Jesus made it clear: if you love him, you will obey his teaching.
- He has decided to serve Jesus but understands that he is a “common clay pot.” Saint Paul reminded the Corinthians that “we who have this spiritual treasure (knowing Jesus as Lord) are like common clay pots, in order to show that the supreme power belongs to God, not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Jesus explained this by saying he is the vine and we are the branches, so “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). We do not have the power to save anyone, but when we get serious about obeying Jesus by serving as his witnesses, he releases his power within us. Then, and then only, can we say with Saint Paul: “I can do all things through the Christ who lives within me.” A common clay pot can be used mightily by almighty God!
- He recognizes his need for fellowship with others whose best friend is Jesus. Truth is, men need to share and pray with other men to whom they can be accountable for faithfully keeping the disciplines that help them grow in grace. We need the loving fellowship with men who are like brothers, men who affirm us when we fall and help us get up and keep on trusting Jesus. Over the years my life has been gloriously enriched by meeting to pray with other men who were surrendered to Jesus.
I closed with this invitation to the men: I know most of you have already opened your heart to Jesus and surrendered to him, so I just want to invite you to open the door a little wider, and update your surrender by making it even more complete. Around the altar, praying with the men of God at Oak Hill Church, I updated my own surrender to Jesus and thanked him for allowing me to share in this awesome experience with men who want to live as men Jesus can count on.
Steve and I drove home believing that Craig Lee and the servants of Jesus at Oak Hill Church have a bright future ahead.
