Hello Everyone!
I was reading another of those excellent biographical sermons that John Piper preached at a pastor??Ǩ?Ѣs seminar. This week, I chose John G. Paton, mostly because I didn??Ǩ?Ѣt know much about him.
If ever there was a time for discouragement, self-pity and uncertainty, this is the week that ??Ǩ?might have been.??Ǩ How can I escape the providence of God in directing me to read about this man at this time? I can??Ǩ?Ѣt relay to you all that Paton endured in order to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a people that didn??Ǩ?Ѣt even know they had a need for salvation. His suffering, sacrifice and loss was great. His God was greater!
Quoting Piper (who at times is quoting from John G. Paton: Missionary to the New Hebredes, An Autobiogrpahy Edited by His Brother):
??Ǩ?Year after year, ??Ǩdisappointments and successes were strangely intermingled??Ǩ?Ѣ (p. 247) in his life. There was no long period of time, it seems, where life was very easy. And we would distort the man if we said there were no low moments. ??ǨI felt so disappointed, so miserable,??Ǩ?Ѣ he wrote about one period of his travels, ??Ǩthat I wished I had been in my grave with my dear departed and my brethren on the Islands who had fallen around me??Ǩ?Ѣ (p. 232). It was not always easy after the words, ??ǨThe Lord has taken away,??Ǩ?Ѣ to add the words, ??ǨBlessed be the name of the Lord.??Ǩ?Ѣ But the way out was clear, and he used it again and again.??Ǩ
In the midst of reading the book of Job, those words from the first chapter resounded clearly, and along with Paton??Ǩ?Ѣs resolve to glorify God in all things??Ǩ?these helped keep me looking toward the Christ each time I was tempted, or as a response of my flesh, turned my gaze away from Him, to listen to the howl of the wind or to look at the monstrous waves instead.
What is it that was potentially so discouraging? For the first time, in at least 25 years, the church had to adjust its budget by almost 40%. While not involved in the decision making process last time, I remember thinking then that I hoped I would never have to be involved in such a heart-wrenching action. Over the years, for the most part, like Job, we have been able to exclaim, ??Ǩ?the Lord gave??Ǩ??Ǩand gave, and gave!
Now is our time to also declare ??Ǩ?and the Lord hath taken away.??Ǩ We could evaluate this on a human level and conclude that this adjustment is merely the result of the right combination of deaths, those who have moved, and others who have left the church. But, God??Ǩ?Ѣs perspective is always better, and it is to Him that we look for all our provision. At this time, whatever His purpose might be, He has chosen to not sustain (or increase) what we have become accustomed to in carrying out the work of this ministry.
Having freely received from the Lord, we have sought to follow His example and instruction to freely give by making the great commandment and the great commission core values. We aimed to love one another, primarily through the Word, to the entire ??Ǩ?family,??Ǩ past and present. No one knows the special blessings and unique needs in and around Bell Gardens better than the family that has lived, met Christ, served, and matured in their faith here. We desired to proclaim Christ ??Ǩ?to Bell Gardens and Beyond,??Ǩ as we assisted others in their calling, and lived and spoke the Word ourselves with those around us, to understand and believe the Gospel.
Whether we have attained a measure of success will not be fully known until time is no more. Until then, we must always measure ??Ǩ?what we are by what we could be, and what we have done by what we could have done.??Ǩ The truth is??Ǩ?Christ has done ??Ǩ?exceeding abundantly above all that we [could] ask or think,??Ǩ giving some the impression that we are (or were) successful. In reality, more times than we care to admit, we have failed miserably because we trusted in our own strength or ability, bringing shame to ourselves and worse, reproach to the name of Christ. How marvelous that God doesn??Ǩ?Ѣt leave us in our miserable, helpless condition!
??Ǩ?Freely give??Ǩloving one another and proclaiming Jesus Christ??Ǩ will continue to be our pattern??Ǩ?maybe in another format, with different timing, or on a new level, yet certainly as God leads. That ??Ǩ?the Lord hath taken away,??Ǩ gives us a new, continuing opportunity, in the company of Job, John G. Paton, and the surrounding cloud of witnesses to respond, as He enables us, humbly, obediently, and with undeterred trust in His wisdom, proclaiming, ??Ǩ?blessed be the name of the Lord.??Ǩ
No related posts.