Tough Stuff Tuesday: With All Your Heart

The book of Acts is filled with conversion stories. One such story that I'm sure you're familiar with is the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. In the story (true account, not fable), the eunuch is in a chariot reading from the book of Isaiah, except he doesn't understand what he's reading. He asks Philip if the prophet was talking about himself or about someone else. From that point, Philip starts "preaching Jesus" to the eunuch.

What makes this account so 'famous' is that it is in this setting that eunuch offers what we often call the 'good confession'. He tells Philip, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 8:37b). However, I think in all the years that we've studied this verse, we've overlooked a key phrase. Prior to this great moment, after hearing the gospel proclaimed, the eunuch says to Philip, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" and Philip answers him and says, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." (Acts 8:36-37a)

Recently, when re-reading this account, those four words stuck out to me in a way they never have before. You see, Philip doesn't simply say, in response to being asked if the eunuch can be baptized, "if you believe you may." Instead he says, if you believe with all your heart, you may.

So what does believing with all of your heart look like? Today, I submit to you that it looks like this:

Believing with all your heart means keeping Jesus' commandments. In John 14:15 Jesus says, "If you love me keep My commandments". He goes on to say in verse 21, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves me."

We know that baptism is the act that puts us into the church (Acts 2:47). Baptism is the point that we come in contact with the blood of Jesus and are thus saved by it (Rom. 6). But, baptism isn't an end-all event. From that point, it is imperative that the now-child of God live faithfully, for it is only then that he/she will receive the crown of life (Rev. 2:10). Living faithfully means abiding by the commandments that our Savior (the one whose blood cleanses us) has established.

It is not enough to say, "I want to be saved, can I be baptized?" Instead, when deciding that we want to put on Christ in baptism, we are deciding to dedicate our lives to faithful, obedient service. Had the eunuch half-heartedly believed that Jesus was the Christ, and only wanted to be baptized as a one-time sign that he believed, I fully believe that Philip would have done some more teaching. Why? Because there is so much more to being a Christian, a disciple of the Lord, than the initial act of baptism. It is a commitment to faithfully serving the one you have chosen as Lord of your life.

James said in James 2:18-20, "But someone will say, 'you have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?"

It is not enough to simply believe in Jesus. Instead, we must believe with all our heart, which will produce a change in our lives. It will demand obedience to not some, but all of the commands that our Lord has given to us--even (and especially) the ones that are hard for us to adhere to.

Being a true disciple, a saved member of the Lord's body, is all about whole-hearted service. The eunuch couldn't have a half-hearted belief and be saved, and we cannot either. To the church at Laodicea, Jesus said, "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." (Rev. 3:15-16). Philip knew that Jesus didn't want half-hearted, lukewarm disciples, and that is why he told the eunuch he could become a Christian if, and only if, he was prepared for whole-hearted service to the Son of God.

So why is this a Tough Stuff Tuesday post? Because mediocre Christianity is on the rise! Part-time, half-hearted Christianity is a growing epidemic, and yet we know there is no such thing as a part-time Christian. James said that you are either a friend of God or you are an enemy (James 4:4). Think about yourself today. Have you been following Jesus with your whole heart? Because that's what it takes. If not, decide to give your entire self over to Jesus, either through baptism (if you are not a Christian) or by rededicating your entire life to One whose body you were baptized into.

Please Read: A Story about Giving

On Saturday, the East Hill congregation had a food giveaway. While Saturday was technically the big day, this has been something that has been in the works for a while.

Our elders had the idea (which was an amazing one), and even looked at the stats as far as benevolent requests were concerned and found that this time of year people really seem to need some help. So, they decided that we would put together 500 (yes, that many) food boxes and give them away. Inside these boxes we had rice, beans, cereal, peanut butter, jelly, tuna, corn meal, sugar, peaches, tomato soup, spaghetti, mac and cheese, ham, cheese, eggs, hot dogs, milk, potatoes, and other things I know I am forgetting. By the time things were said and done, these boxes probably weighed 50+ lbs.

We had multiple nights of assembly--from the 500 boxes to the placement of all the supplies inside. We had members from EH submitting names and offering to take these food boxes to families in need. We had people handing out flyers and putting out signs. We had so many people praying for the effort, and really, that's what made the day so successful.

I could go on and on and on with stories from this past Saturday. Truly those of us who were working got more out of the day than those who were fed. But that isn't why I'm posting this. I'm not posting this for any accolades or praise. I'm not posting this so you'll think East Hill did some fantastic job. While our elders did have the amazing foresight to take on such a project, it wasn't about any of us at all. And that's why I want to write this post.

Last night, as Robert and I were walking back from his office toward the auditorium prior to services, we were met by a gentleman who didn't know where to go. He asked us where we normally met, because he'd never been to East Hill before. We told him he could follow us, and we introduced ourselves. We'd never seen this man before, and for our purposes today, I'll call him Mr. M. Well Mr. M went on to explain to us why exactly he was there, and that's the story I want you to hear.

Here's what he said:

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On Friday morning, as he was working outside at his home, his bulldozer rolled over. Many of you have probably known of such accidents occurring. This man said that he should have been seriously injured, and yet he came away without a scratch. A couple of hours later, while still pretty shaken up about the morning he'd had, an unfamiliar truck rolled in to his driveway. As he recalled to me last evening, "I figured it was just a bill collector because I've been contacted by a few of those. I was just going to send him on his way because I didn't have anything to give him." But much to his surprise, it wasn't a bill collector at all.

A man from East Hill had been given this man's address to deliver a food box to, though given a different name. Mr. M told the man from East Hill that the person he was looking for had been killed in a car accident years earlier, but that he'd worked for him. So, instead of leaving the residence, the man from East Hill offered the food box to Mr. M.

"I tried to turn the box away," Mr. M told me. "I've always been a giver, you know. I didn't want to take something that someone else probably needed more." He would later tell me that he did need it, though, and that he hadn't had milk in about 4 weeks. He also said that to him, that box of food was worth "five million dollars!" and that'd we'd "put food on [his] table for probably two or three months...I'm really good at stretching my food out."

We told him over and over again that we were so glad that he'd taken the food box, and that we were so glad he'd decided to join us for worship. He said that before the man left his house, he'd invited him to come to worship with us, and "I just felt like I needed to come up here and say thank you to all of you. Can you please announce to everybody tonight that I'm just so thankful for all the things you've done, and that y'all just put food on my table."

As we were walking to the auditorium, I invited this man to sit by me, since he didn't know anyone there--not even the name of the man who'd given him the box (though we would figure it out later on). I am so glad that I did, because I got to hear so many East Hill members come up and speak to him. When he said thank you to one lady she said, "Well we just wanted to do what Christians are supposed to do, because we love God."

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The reason that this is the story I'm wanting to pass along is this:

Taking the time to do things for people really matters. Taking the time to meet people's physical needs really matters. Jesus would often heal a person's physical infirmities before healing their spiritual infirmities, and I believe it's because He knew that they would be much more attentive and responsive. I witnessed tonight, firsthand, what a genuine love and concern for people can do -- the way it can touch a heart.

Sometimes it takes getting out of your comfort zone to make a difference. I know that I have been guilty so many times in the past of not actively seeking out ways to help other people. But if you could have seen the look on this man's face as he proudly shook every person's hand that came up to speak to him, you would want to go out and search for people to help. May we ever be looking for opportunities to serve the poor and the needy and the desolate, because their souls are worth the whole world---and they will never know we are interested in their eternal welfare if we are not first caring for their physical welfare.

Whether or not this story affects you, I needed to write it. I need it to be here so that I can look back--maybe months from now, maybe years from now--and remember Mr. M. I need to remember to search out those who are desperate. I need to speak to and invite those who may not look like "good soil". I need to love every single person that I meet enough to tell them about the gospel of Christ -- to invite them to sit by me, to shake their hand, and to listen to their story.

What Are We Doing?

"Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful." 1 Cor. 4:1-2

As stewards of God, it is required that we be found faithful. That isn't a suggestion for our lives, it is imperative. We must remain faithful in order to receive eternal life (Revelation 2:10b). What does it mean to be faithful, though? If it is so crucial to our salvation, we need to know exactly what it means.

Jesus gave us a pretty clear picture in Matthew 24:45-46:

"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing."

A "faithful and wise" servant is one that the master finds doing work when he comes. In the same way, faithful Christians will be those that the Lord finds working when He comes. And so, the title of this post comes to light: what are we doing?

Unless we are working when the Lord comes (or we face death), we will not be found faithful. Since no one knows the hour that Jesus will return (Matt. 24:36), we must be constantly working so that whenever that time does come--we are found faithful. So let's examine some practical things we can be doing so that we can be found faithful:

• Evangelize: Jesus told us to spread the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). If we heed Jesus' own words, surely we will be found faithful when He comes. If we are engaging frequently in personal Bible studies, mission campaigns, and conversations where we are telling someone else about our Savior, we are surely pleasing our God and our Savior. 

• Help the Needy: Jesus told a story about the judgment in Matthew 25. He said that the judgment will be characterized by the things we did or did not do for others (v 31-46). If we are spending our time feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and ministering to those in prison, we are doing those things to our Lord. 

• Give: Paul admonished the brethren in Corinth to abound in the grace of giving (2 Cor. 8:1-7). Be the type of person who is characterized by the way they give. Not simply giving when you have abundance, but give when it isn't easy. That is what Paul says is commendable. Give to those who are in need, yes, but also give to the church to further to cause of Christ. 

• Teach: Paul encouraged the older men and women to teach the younger ones (Titus 2:1-6). If you are an older individual, make time to teach. The Lord needs those who are willing to share His message and to encourage those who may be weaker or less knowledgeable. 

• Make Peace. Being a peacemaker isn't easy, and it isn't an idle work. Romans 14:19 tells us to pursue the things which make for peace. Those things must be sought-after! Peace doesn't just happen, especially when wrongs have been committed. Things do not simply blow over. Egos do not simply deflate. Instead, the Lord has instructed His people to be the ones who pursue that peace, and thus make the world and better and brighter place. 

Perhaps if we can busy ourselves with these works (and countless others), we can all be found faithful when the Lord comes back to receive His own.