Overlooked Scripture No. 4 “Second-hand faith.”

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“And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, ‘He told me all that I ever did.’ So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them, and He stayed there two days.  And many more believed because of His own word. Then, they said to the woman, ‘Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world’” (John 4:39-42).

Paul Harvey used to call this “the rest of the story.”

We preachers dearly love the Lord’s encounter with the woman at the well, from the first half of John 4.  It’s insights and teachings, its power and pathos, make it one for the ages.  But the story does not end the way we generally conclude it, with her rushing back into the town to tell her friends about the Man she had met. There is more.

As the townspeople flowed out to meet the Lord, they begged Him to stay, which He did. Then, two days later, when He departed, Jesus left behind a lot of new believers.  That’s when some of them gave us the memorable statement which I’m calling “overlooked scripture.”

Now we believe…not just because of your testimony that He told you everything you ever did…but because we have met Him for ourselves, and we know that He is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.

That’s strong stuff.

Second hand faith can be a good thing.

At first, the speaker said to the woman, we had a second hand faith.  We believed because of what you said.

There is not a thing in the world wrong with second-hand faith in Jesus.  In fact, it’s an essential step toward getting the real thing.  Someone tells you of Jesus and you see the change that has come about in their lives, and you believe in Him because of them.

However, you do not know Him yet.

You know about Him.

Now, if you proceed no further, you have a remote faith in Jesus but you do not know Him personally. This is not saving faith.  This is a hearsay faith, a second-hand religion.

To believe in Jesus because Mama did or because Grandma believed is not good enough.

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Overlooked Scriptures No. 3 “Jesus baptized no one.”

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“The Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples)….” (John 4:1-2)

Baptism has bumfuzzled God’s people from the first.

Where did the practice originate?  Answer: Evidently from the Old Testament practice of drenching a newly ordained priest (Leviticus 8:6). Later, some say, the “pouring” was given to proselytes coming into the Jewish faith from the world.  So, when John the Baptist arrived and began calling people to wade into the Jordan for a dip (which is the literal meaning of “baptize”), while people thought he was strange, no one seems to have questioned the practice.  Oddly, he was baptizing Jews, and neither Gentiles nor proselytes.

When our Lord was baptized, it signaled His coming out, His going public, His announcing to the world His identity.  That moment, in my thinking, was the first time Satan knew beyond a doubt who the Messiah was. He knew the Lord was there somewhere, for he could read Scripture. But ever since Joseph had skipped out of Bethlehem in the middle of the night with Mary and the Baby, headed to Egypt, Satan had no idea where they were.

Satan did not know who the Messiah was until Jesus was baptized.

Growing up in Nazareth, Jesus did no miracles.  He did nothing to single Himself out, which would cause the enemy to identify Him.

But Satan was on the alert.  He heard John preaching and thus knew to be expecting the Christ.

And then one day, Jesus of Nazareth walked into the water to John.  At that moment, the heavens opened and a voice from the sky shook the landscape.

Satan now knew.

Soon, when Jesus began preaching, His disciples baptized those wishing to go public in their faith.

Yet, He Himself baptized no one.

That’s what Scripture says in John 4:1-2.

What are we to make of that?

Let’s analyze this a bit.

In the first chapter of I Corinthians, Paul sends greetings to various members of that congregation which he had birthed.  He was not happy to learn that they had broken into divisions in his absence, with some following Peter and some Apollos and some following Paul.  Another group refused to be divisive, they said, and pulled off into a separate clique which was “of Christ.”  Then, Paul says, “I thank God I baptized none of you” (I Corinthians 1:14).  He thinks a moment, and adds, “Except for this one….and that one…and maybe another.”  But other than those, no one.

And then Paul left us with this memorable statement: For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel (I Corinthians 1:17).

I wonder if we have given that sentence the importance it deserves.

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Overlooked Scripture No. 2 “Why Jesus is the authority on Heaven”

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“No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is the Son of Man who is in heaven” (John 3:13).

Jesus knows about Heaven.

He should. He’s a native.

When He speaks of Heavenly things, everyone else on the field should retire and every mouth be closed.  No one else carries the credentials Jesus does regarding the divine.

I wonder if people have ever considered the width and breadth and depth of this statement (the text above), given by our Lord to Nicodemus.

John MacArthur said, This verse contradicts other religious systems’ claims to special revelation from God. Jesus insisted that no one has ascended to heaven in such a way as to return and talk about heavenly things (cf.2 Cor. 12:1-4). Only He had His permanent abode in heaven prior to His incarnation and therefore, only He has the true knowledge regarding heavenly wisdom (cf. Proverbs 30:4).

Question:  Didn’t other biblical characters go to heaven? Didn’t Enoch? And Elijah? And on the Mount of Transfiguration, when Jesus met with Moses and Elijah, weren’t they from Heaven?  Aren’t the “dead in Christ” at home with the Lord?

Our answer:  Heaven seems to be a huge place.  (smile, please)  So, perhaps in saying no one had been there except the One who came from there, referring to Himself, Jesus meant no one had yet entered the Holy of Holies itself. The throne-room of the Godhead.  Only He.

Humans have known for centuries that the universe is huge.  But only in the last, say, 100 years have we learned just how big it is.

Mind-blowing big.

We do not have to use our imagination to think of Heaven as incredibly large.  We can see that by walking outside on a dark night and glancing upward.

Scripture speaks of heaven in at least three ways: the sky above us, the physical universe around us, and the remote and holy dwelling-place of the Lord and the host of heaven.

Even so, we would err, I imagine, in devoting too much time to reflecting on the various heavens or what portion of heaven Jesus meant. These are unknowable.  The point He was making to Nicodemus that day should take our attention:

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Overlooked Scriptures Number One: “Does Jesus believe in me?”

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“Now, when Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man” (John 2:23-25).

They believed in Jesus, but He did not believe in them.

Think on that for a moment.

Is it possible that for a person to believe in Jesus and still not be saved?

Doesn’t Scripture make belief in Him the essence of salvation?

Look at the incident above, from John 2.  I’m thinking there is nothing else like it in the Word.  The Greek words are one and the same there.  They believed in Jesus but He did not believe in them.

Immediately after that encounter, we have the Lord’s encounter with Nicodemus.  That’s where we have John 3:16 promising that “whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  Earlier, in John 1:12 we read “…to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”

And yet, the passage in John 2 makes it clear that some who “believed” in Jesus were not born again.  The reason given is a fascinating one:  Jesus did not believe in them.

Please do not rush past this.  Let’s consider it.

Have you ever wondered whether Jesus believes in you?

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10 signs you are wanted in that church

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When I wrote about “how churches show you are not welcome,” among the comments it generated was one asking me to do the reverse: ‘Tell us how churches show you are welcome.” Great idea.

So, I posed that question to my FB friends, and the comments began flying in.

Oddly enough, however, all the comments on how a church shows it wants you boil down to the same thing.

They give you a warm, personal welcome.

Nothing else is more important than this in communicating to first-timers that they are welcome in this place and wanted to return.

But, it’s how a church communicates that welcome which tells the story. Not all agree, of course. Some who overdo the friendliness will smother newcomers, while others trying to respect their privacy will leave the impression they are unwanted. It’s impossible to get it right every time with every visitor.

That said, we will posit our list here and encourage pastors and other leaders to prayerfully select what works best for them. Keep in mind, unless we do these things in the power of the Spirit and for the glory of the Lord, none of this will work.

1. They make everything clear in print, in sermon, and in announcements. (I Corinthians 14:8)

Without overlooking the regulars or boring to death those who come all the time, church leaders will make certain that theological language is explained, that meeting places are clearly spelled out, and that people being identified are adequately named. There will be no coded messages in print or from the pulpit. All are welcome in this place and no theological degrees or official endorsement from the “in” group will be required before visitors are made to feel at home.

2. The signage is clear and just right.

In the last church I pastored, the worship center is oddly shaped. Doors open into the building from every side. However, only half of them are “correct;” the others open into obscure hallways. Only after a visitor called our attention to this–“I don’t know which is the main entrance”–did we letter “entrance” over several doors. One or two members chafed at the way it messed up the decor, but guests appreciated the help.

The church has several parking lots and a small drive-through which enables motorists to drop off guests under a covered portico. Once, we sent a team to Dauphin Way Baptist Church in Mobile, a church that had been recommended as having “gotten their signage right.” They came back, made appropriate recommendations, and we made the needed signs.

Longtime church members do not need signs. First-timers are grateful for them.

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10 signs that you are not welcome in that church

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“You shall love (the stranger) as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 19:34).

Now, in all fairness, most churches are eager to receive newcomers and want them to feel at home and even consider joining. And the worship bulletins reflect that.  They carry announcements of receptions to meet the pastors, the occasional luncheon for newcomers to learn about the church and get their questions answered, and free materials in the foyer.

No church willingly turns its nose up at newcomers, at least none that I know of. But that is the effect of some of the things we do.  Here is my list of ten ways churches signal newcomers they are not wanted.


1. You arrive to find the front door locked.

One church where I was to preach has a lovely front facade which borders on the sidewalk. The front doors are impressive and stately. So, after parking to the side of the building, I did what I always do: walked to the front and entered as a visitor would.

Except I didn’t go in.

The doors were locked. All of them.

After walking back around the side and entering from the parking lot, I approached an usher and asked about the locked door. “No one comes in from that entrance,” he said. “The parking lot is to the side.”

I said, “What about walk-ups? People from the neighborhood who come across the street.”

He said, “No one does that.”

He’s right. They stay away because the church has told them they’re not welcome.

One church I visited had plate glass doors where the interior of the lobby was clearly visible from the front steps. A table had been shoved against the doors to prevent anyone from entering that way. I did not ask why; I knew. The parking lot was in the rear. Regulars parked back there and entered through those doors.

That church, in a constant struggle for survival, is its own worst enemy. They might as well erect a sign in front of the church that reads, “First-timers unwelcome.”

2. They open the entrance late.

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Going to extremes: There’s danger in that

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One of the best ways to gauge your mental health is by what you do with the teachings of Scripture.

A few instances….

–Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow” (Matthew 6:34). Bad mental health takes that to mean that long range plans, insurance programs, and concerns about the future of one’s loved ones is sinful. Good mental health keeps it in the perspective of the entire Bible’s teachings on the subject.

–Jesus said, “By their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:20). Bad mental health takes this as a license to inspect the lives and productivity of anyone claiming to follow Christ. Good mental health sees it in context, that one’s works will generally speaking tell the tale on who we really are.

–Jesus said, “As you have believed, so let it be done for you” (Matthew 8:13). Bad mental health interprets this (and similar scriptures) as carte blanche promises that we get what we believe God for, and if we are not getting, it’s because we are not believing strongly enough. Good mental health knows that there is far more to this issue than some isolated scriptures or instances of the Lord’s healing.

I call your attention to three texts in First Corinthians. 

All three verses lend themselves to misinterpretations and extreme over-reactions by people with either limited biblical understanding or poor mental health. Or both.

–Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. (I Corinthians 8:13)

The person with either limited knowledge of God’s word or an untethered mind will read that if anyone criticizes us for anything, no matter how good or necessary it is, we should stop it. “After all, doesn’t the Bible say…(and he quotes this verse)?”

The believer of better Bible understanding and balanced mental health knows that people are always going to find fault with something you do. If the grand central truth in our lives were that whatever someone stumbles over has to go, then we would soon be existing as hermits in a cave somewhere.

Or we would be the worst neurotics on the planet.

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What a teenager does on his best day

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That year Junior Roman’s cotton was the best ever seen in that part of North Alabama. His twenty acres looked like a December snowfall in Wyoming. Had the bolls suddenly turned loose and dropped the cotton to the ground, it would have been knee deep. When a half bale to the acre was the rule for most farms, people drove for miles to gawk at Junior’s crop.

I had been looking for just such an opportunity. My pride as a farm boy was at stake, and here was the chance to redeem it.

It all stemmed from our high school classes in vocational agriculture. When we were not discussing the sex life of Herefords and Durocs and vicariously of sixteen-year-old males, we turned the class into a primitive macho testing ground where every one sought a territory over which he was the champion.

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Home: first to suffer, first to be blessed when done right

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(This is a reprint from nearly 25 years ago, in the early days of this website.  I’ve added some to the end.)

“Paul, can you come to the lobby? There are two teenage girls down here who need someone to talk with.”

Dr. Paul Jones led the Christian Life Commission for Mississippi Baptists, based in the Baptist Building in Jackson. When the receptionist paged him, he had no way of knowing he was about to have one of those experiences that confirm all over again the nearness and reality of a great and gracious God.

“Jane here is pregnant,” one of the girls said. “Help her.”

Paul said, “I’m not going to help her get an abortion if that’s what you had in mind. But we can definitely help her.”

The leader was belligerent and said, “Let’s get out of here. I told you we wouldn’t find any sympathy here.”

And they stormed out.

The next day, the pregnant girl, Jane, returned. “You said you could help me,” she told Paul. “How?”

Paul said, “Tell me your story.”

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Secret to success? Let failure energize you!

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Let’s talk about failure. Whom shall we bring in as our expert teacher? The candidates are so many…

–Heisman trophy winners who bombed in the NFL?

–Coaches who went to the big time only to be fired two years later after failing to put the team back in the championship?

–Pastors who were run off from the church of their dreams?

–CEOs of mega-companies who did not make it big?

Most of us have failed to one degree or another. And, to our surprise, that’s not all bad. There are certain benefits to failing. Sometimes.

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