“You know the household of Stephanas, that they were the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints….” (I Corinthians 16:15)

Thank God for encouragers and healers in the church, those men and women whose calling in life seems to be to find a niche and fill it, find a need and meet it, find a hurt and comfort it. As they enter a room, their focus is not on who is present, what is going on, or who’s in charge. Rather, they are drawn to anyone in pain,in need, or in trouble.

They are godsends. They are living proofs of the goodness of God. They are the ones who keep overworked pastors and their stressed-out spouses from giving up and walking away.

Here’s William Barclay on this passage: To Paul in Ephesus there had come Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, and they had brought him first-hand information which filled in the gaps in his knowledge of what was happening at Corinth. Paul’s commendation of Stephanas is very interesting. Stephanas deserved respect because he had put himself at the service of the Church.

Paul says three things about the ministry of Stephanas and his friends:

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“Now, if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without cause to be afraid; for he is doing the Lord’s work, as I also am. Let no one therefore despise him. But send him on his way in peace, so that he may come to me; for I expect him with the brethren.” (I Corinthians 16:10-ll)

Few people are more vulnerable in the ministry that a beginning and very young pastor.  He marches forth into the work of the Lord with all the essentials, he thinks–a love for Jesus, a great testimony of His salvation, a confidence in the Word (the part he knows), and convictions about the gospel.

What he does not know–and is about to learn–is that lurking just ahead in the various churches will be people of good intention and equally strong convictions who are poised to reject him because of what he does not have: age, experience, a polished style, and a treasury of wisdom on what to do in various situations. His voice sounds unsure. His mannerisms are not steady. He uses leftover expressions from his teen years that grate on the ears of the older generation.

This is going to require patience from everyone. The young preacher must be patient with the people who are slow to accept him. The congregation must be patient because their pastor has a world of growing to do. They can help each other. But to pull that off, each will have to give the Lord their frustrations and hopes. They will have to decide whether they believe in Jesus Christ or not.

Some will not measure up, sad to say.

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“….laying aside every weight….” (Hebrews 12:1)

“….this mortal must put on immortality…” (I Corinthians 15:53)

“For indeed in this house we groan….” (II Corinthians 5:1-2)

The inimitable J. Vernon McGee once had a conversation with an elderly man in which he kept stressing that the old gentleman needed to get ready for the end of his life. The fellow felt he had plenty of time and wanted to postpone such considerations for some distant future time.

McGee said, “My friend, the Lord keeps sending you messages that you don’t have that much longer.”

“What are you talking about?” the old man said.

Dr. McGee said, “The Lord has sent a shortness to your breath, a stoop to your shoulders, and grey into your hair–all to let you know you are not long for this world.”

And so with me. You, too?

Last Saturday, as I was preparing my travel bag for a quick drive to the Florida Panhandle for a full Sunday of ministry, at one point I said to my wife, “I think I have everything–my eyes, my ears, my teeth….”

She laughed.

I was dead serious.

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“God has made laughter for me.” (Genesis 21:6)

Some laughter will do us both good.

The best thing in The Advocate, the Baton Rouge daily which has supplanted the Times-Picayune as our newspaper of choice in recent months, is Smiley Anders’ column. Smiley loads his space with items of humor, curiosity, or insight. I didn’t subscribe to the paper for this column, but it’s a nice bonus.

One:  Smiley tells about a city in Germany that was being overrun by loose dogs. A factory owner called city hall one day to complain that those wild dogs were destroying his business. He said, “The mills are alive with the hounds of Munich.”

That’s what I mean. You can’t get good stuff like that just anywhere!

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“But I say to you who hear….” (Luke 6:27)

Every man in my family has worn hearing aids by the time he reached his mid-50s. I’m the only exception.

There is one big reason why, at the age of 72, I have never used hearing aids: “The problem is not with me.”

People don’t talk loud enough.

When I turn up the television so I can hear, my wife complains.

When I’m not looking at the person talking to me, he or she mumbles. I have to turn in their direction and ask them to repeat it.

I recall when our dad finally relented and bought hearing aids. He made jokes about the fellow who bought one without his family knowing and began to hear what they were saying around him for the first time in years. “He changed his will three times,” Pop said.

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First: It’s amazing what God can do with one finger.

Kathryn is on the ministerial staff of a large church in a nearby state. Recently, during a visit there, I spent a Sunday sketching members at an open house they were conducting. A few days later, she called to ask if I could do a drawing of her family as an unusual Christmas gift.

At my request, she sent along a number of photographs of the family–herself, her brother, and their parents. She also included shots of their house, Dad with his prized sports car, and the beloved family cat.

One picture in particular caught my attention.

The four of them are standing together laughing.  The brother has his arm around Kathryn. His fingers are barely visible on the far side of her arm.

Therein lies the problem.

There are six fingers showing.

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“They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42)

I thought I knew something vital about church fellowship.

I’ve just realized something huge I was overlooking.

For years, I have preached that “fellowship”–the “body life” of your congregation, the way your people love and interact with one another, work and play together–is what attracts people to your church, it’s what newcomers are looking for when they visit, and what they are hungering/thirsting for.

It is all that. As far as it goes.

The sermon outline–pastors might be interested to know–went like this:

After looking at the text above from Acts 2, I introduce the sermon with a story from Dr. Bob Anderson that ends with this line: “I’ve come for fellowship!” When the laughter subsides–it’s a great story–I tell the church, “You could print that line out—I’ve come for fellowship–and pin it on 95% of the first-timers who enter your church. They are looking for a church with great fellowship. By that, we mean where everyone loves the Lord, enjoys being with one another, and welcomes the newcomer into the family.

Then, on the basis of that truth (that visitors are looking for fellowship), the four points of the sermon are:

1) They don’t necessarily know it. In fact, when you ask what they are looking for in a church, the visitor will name a hundred things before this. But when they join a church, it will be the one with the best fellowship.

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