Time to Disband the Church?

It is, if the information presented by James Cameron and Simcha Jacobovici in The Lost Tomb of Jesus is true! This docudrama, presented by the Discovery Channel on Sunday night, March 4, purported to show overwhelming statistical evidence that Jesus, his mother, his siblings, and--shades of the DaVinci Code!--his wife, Mary Magdalene were all buried in Jerusalem. If you watched it, as I did, you were certainly amused by the train of details offered as evidence. It's amazing how facts that argue against the case are turned into facts that help prove it. "True, no one by that name is recorded in the family records of the Bible, but--get this--there is a great, great, great grandfather and a great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather by that name in the family records, so that proves that a person by this name was really all in the family and the fact that he is not mentioned anywhere is inconsequential!" Well, you get the idea.

I am glad that so many archaeologists and other experts who are not even believers have thoroughly called into questions not only the methods but also the conclusions. That means I don't have to waste time debunking another annual (or more often) "Jesus is a fake--or at least the church turned him into one" campaign! I hope you have checked some of them out if you were in any way intrigued by the program.

Actually, what bothers me is more subtle. Have you noticed that some people--so-called believers--tried to downplay the damage that would be done to the faith even if Jesus' bones were found? Some said such things as, "We should expect to find his bones somewhere" or "Some see the resurrection as spiritual, not physical, so this kind of discovery would not affect us at all."

Let's make this clear and make no mistake about it: if Jesus did not physically rise from the dead, as the Bible clearly claims, then our faith in dead. It always amazes me to discover that some people who preach and teach "Christianity" actually believe the story is untrue--or at least, to them it doesn't matter if it is true. All that matters to them is that the story has the power to inspire and to make people feel better psychologically. They may not believe there is really a heaven for people to go to, for instance, but they think the idea of heaven is a nice, sentimental story that may comfort those who are dying, and it is psychologically reassuring to people who have recently lost a family member or a close friend to death. They also may think to help other people believe in Jesus will make them nicer people and inspire them to do better things in life. How noble they are!

But I would not want to be counted among that number. I want to know the truth, even if it not pleasant. I don't want to believe a lie, even if it makes for a more pleasant psychology. And I especially would not give my life to the propagation of a lie. Can you imagine devoting your life to telling people about how the Easter Bunny can change their lives? That's what pastors like me would be doing if Jesus were not still alive. Sorry, I think I could find better (and more honest) things to do. (I might even actually use my degree from Georgia Tech!)

The apostle Paul, among others, would agree with me. (Or, obviously it would be more accurate to say that I agree with him.) Here's what he wrote about the reality of the resurrection and the implications if Jesus was not actually raised bodily and later ascended into heaven (and therefore we could find his bones in a tomb):

1 Corinthians 15.12-32 (NIV)

But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.... If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."

Without the resurrection of Jesus, Paul says compellingly, there is no faith, and we are are wasting our time. But the resurrection is real. Over 500 eyewitnesses saw him. And how else can you account for the changed lives of the disciples, who hid behind closed doors from fear right after the crucifixion but boldly stood up to the same folks who killed Jesus after the resurrection? How do you account for their willingness to die for their faith--when they knew for sure whether Jesus appeared to them or not? (Would they die for what they knew to be a lie? Or were they willing to die because they knew they would be raised from the dead, too?)

Paul was certain. That's why later in 1 Corinthians 15 he writes:

"When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (verses 54-58)

Yes, let us stand firm. Our labor is not in vain. Jesus was really raised from the dead, and he really is alive today. Oh, and we can keep the church together--for now!

Mrs. Irene's World Famous Pecan Pies

We buried Mrs. Irene Orr in Sugar Hill, Georgia, yesterday, almost four years after the death of her husband, Mr. Joe Orr. Joe and Irene were simple people. They were probably not well known outside of the Buford/Sugar Hill area. But that's okay. They touched deeply those who were blessed enough to know them. I was one of them.

The most wonderful thing I can say about Joe and Irene is that, despite their relative anonymity in the world, they surpassed most everyone in the world by truly living up to the purpose for which they were created. Jesus told us that we all share a two-fold overall purpose in life: to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Joe and Irene Orr both accomplished these in a magnificent manner.

And that's not all. They accomplished more on top of that. One of those accomplishments, which both of them participated in, was Mrs. Irene's World Famous Pecan Pies. I had the honor of giving the pies that moniker, and I don't think it is an exaggeration in the least! I wish I could capture for those of you who didn't know them the essence of their lives, but, again, they were simple people. It wouldn't sound very exciting to hear their lives described in a world that is fixated on who gets to bury Anna Nicole Smith and on so-called "reality" shows that are anything but!

But perhaps you can get a small sense of their lives through the words I shared at Mrs. Irene's funeral. Here it is:

Funeral Service for
Mrs. Irene Orr

Died, Sunday, February 25, 2007
Service, Wednesday, February 28, 2007

I remember the first time I met Irene Orr. I had come home to Georgia for Christmas holidays right after graduating from seminary in 1984, and Mickey Mayfield asked me to come preach for the new mission church that was being started by Sugar Hill Baptist. I met Tubby Cronic at the Anitox office, where the mission was meeting. He was showing me around, and he pointed to Mrs. Irene as she entered the room and said, “That’s Irene Orr. She’s the finest Christian woman you’ll ever meet.” I have met a lot of fine Christian women over the course of my life, and I have found that Tubby Cronic was often given to wild exaggeration, but I have yet to be dissuaded from the truth of his statement. Irene Orr certainly was and is the finest Christian woman I have ever met.

I hope that she would approve of me being here today—that is, with a beard. I grew my first beard while I was her pastor. I grew it so that I could play the part of Jesus and recite the Sermon on the Mount. She still didn’t like it. She said, “I don’t like my pastor to have a beard.” Mrs. Irene was always so supportive of anything we did that it surprised me that she would find something like a beard to complain to me about. Struggling to reason with her, I finally blurted out, “But Mrs. Irene, your own son has a beard.” She didn’t miss a beat. “He’s not my pastor.” I am just wondering if she has already asked Jesus when he’s going to get rid of that beard.

In the last chapter of Job, it says, “Job saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years.”

Mrs. Irene Orr saw her children and their children—and some of their children. And she died, old and full of years at the age of 91. Not only was she old and full of years; the years she lived were incredibly full years.

I know that there are many ways of expressing her full life. I know that whatever I say will seem empty compared to the reality. I mean, how do you sum up a full 91 years in a matter of moments? But I will try.

Mrs. Irene’s life was full of food.

I’m sorry. I can’t think of Mrs. Irene without thinking of food. In my mind’s eye, I can still see the gardens she and Joe worked there in the yard. I remember how she and Joe offered to share the garden with our family. I can see Joe and Irene and Cindy and our little ones going from row to row, planting corn and other crops, watching them grow, weeding, picking and preparing. I remember the many wonderful meals that she shared with us. I hope that you will forgive me for remember most of all the desserts.

There was always a cake or two—including a pound cake, which is my personal favorite. She made the most wonderful fried apple pies. She got to the place where she would only make them once a year. But when she did, I would get a dozen—because I was her pastor. Above them all were Mrs. Irene’s World Famous Pecan Pies. I can’t tell you how many of those I have eaten. She gave me one just about every time I came over. And I came over a lot. When we would have a dessert auction to raise money for youth trips at church, she would send us a dozen. That’s when the bidding would really get serious. The bidding sometimes reached $50 for one of her pecan pies.

In the early days of starting Bogan Road church, before we had a building, we would meet together at Joe and Irene’s on Tuesday nights for outreach. Irene and Joe would keep the children while the adults would visit people, talking to them about Jesus and inviting them to church. When we returned to Irene and Joe’s, there would be all kinds of snacks, from cheese and crackers to cakes and pies with sweet tea. And we would sit around for a while just talking and laughing and praying and having a great time. Baptists learned a long time ago that good food sets the table for good fellowship. And Irene Orr made it into an art. Life with her was full of food.

More importantly, Irene’s life was full of family. There are many of us that Irene treated so special that she made us feel like family, but, oh, how she loved all of you. Children and grandchildren, I hope you know—and I’m sure you do—just how proud Joe and Irene were of you in life. Every time I visited—and I have already told you that was a lot—there was news of Gordon or Stanley or Glenda or David or an in-law or a grandchild and one of you was going to be visiting soon or had sent something or was doing this at work or that at school. Her love for all you was evident in her countenance and her tone of voice.

You all have your memories of Mrs. Irene. One of you told me yesterday that your mother was the strength of the family and that she taught you to be strong in life. All of you have wonderful memories. I just want to encourage you to treasure them and ponder them and learn from her life. Write some of the stories down and pass them on to the next generations. Her life was too full for the memory of her to stop with you. Remember the story of her and Joe’s courtship? How they met but were interrupted by war? How they married within a week after Joe returning home from England? How they created a loving home environment? How they were hardworking folks? All the crafts and baby items that Mrs. Irene created? How they worked together on quilts in the last season of life? How she fought hard in these last couple of years after the stroke? How many memories you must have!

Family, if there is any one special thing that I would say to you, I would remind you that the number one hope and dream of Irene was that each one of you would have a personal, vital, growing relationship with the Lord, because she had discovered that to be the most important thing of all in life, and she didn’t want anyone—but particularly anyone in the family—to miss it. She would say it this way—she didn’t want the circle to be broken. She wanted everyone to discover the joy of life with Jesus.

And that’s the last thing I want to mention about Irene’s full life. It was full of food, yes. More importantly, it was full of family. But most importantly, it was full of faith.

I saw that illustrated through her commitment to Jesus and his church. Several middle age and older couples came over from Sugar Hill to help us start Bogan Road. Most intended to and did return after we got on our feet. But Joe and Irene felt called to stay. They loved Sugar Hill and everyone there. But they sensed a call to be missionaries with us, and they took that very seriously. Now, I was 28 when Bogan Road was started, and most everyone else was below 45, so Joe and Irene became surrogate parents and grandparents for the rest of us. I mean, my children grew up calling her “Grandma Irene.” And when my firstborn was married this past summer, Irene was there in her wheelchair to bless her. Thank you, Glenda, for bringing her. But it wasn’t just us that felt so loved and blessed by Joe and Irene. It was everyone else, as well.

I also saw her faith illustrated through prayer. She and Joe both believed in the power of prayer. And we saw their prayers in action. Hannah, our oldest child, was struggling with asthma when she only four or five. One day out of the blue, Mr. Joe and Mrs. Irene just showed up at our house and told us they wanted to pray for Hannah. Hannah stood on the coffee table as we gathered around and prayed. The reason this stands out so is because, while all prayers are not answered in such a dramatic fashion, Hannah has never had a significant respiratory problem since that day.

We also saw her belief in prayer during the sickness of the last couple of years. One day a year and a half ago everyone was called to Gwinnett Medical to say goodbye. It looked like it was time for hospice to be brought in. Mrs. Irene asked for prayer, even asking that a church with a television ministry be called to join in the effort. The next day, there was no talk of hospice, only of rehab.

This coming Sunday I am preaching on Philippians 1.21, where Paul said, “To me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Many of us don’t fully understand that. Mrs. Irene did, particularly in these last months. She often wondered why God would not allow her to go ahead and die and go to heaven. But she would always know that there was someone to encourage, someone to love. Like Paul, life here was fruitful labor. But death is gain! Mrs. Irene is in heaven right now!

Some think that the idea of life beyond the grave is silly sentimental foolishness—just wishful thinking. But it is true. Jesus said, “Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus is a lover of truth. He said, “If it were not so, I would have told you.

His resurrection from the dead that we will shortly be celebrating is proof of life over death. But Mrs. Irene’s life is also proof of the truth of God. How can you argue with a life that was so full—lived that way absolutely because of the love of God in her heart?

I want to give Mrs. Irene herself the last word about her life and her faith. Listen to her own testimony:

When I was twelve years old, we went to a revival meeting at Mount Tabor Church. I realized after the preacher preached that I needed to give my heart to the Lord. I wasn’t saved right then but asked the Lord to come into my heart later at home when I was almost thirteen.

My sister was sixteen years old and took sick with a headache which ended up that that she had diphtheria. She was buried on my fourteenth birthday.

Alice Neal was saved at a prayer meeting at a house. Back then, they had revival services morning and evening and prayer meetings in the afternoon. Alice Neal was saved and baptized about one month before she died with diphtheria.

This is my testimony that if any of my family doesn’t know the Lord and have not asked Jesus into their life that they won’t put that off because life is so short. Alice Neal passing away at age sixteen is an example of that. I hope and pray that my Family Circle won’t be broken.

I’m looking forward to seeing Joe again and being with him forever. Whether you all know it or not, your Grandma prays for every member of this family.

Gordon and Martha, Stanley and Norma, Glenda and Mac, David and Catherine, grandchildren, other family members: You know how true this is—how she prayed for you. She wanted nothing more than she wanted all of you to walk with Jesus. She wouldn’t just want you to say you believe in Jesus. She wants you to love Jesus. She wants you to live Jesus. That’s what Mrs. Irene did. And that’s why she truly lived a full life. You can live a full life, too, by placing your trust in Jesus and by walking with him day by day.

Irene saw her children and her children’s children. And she died, old and full of years. And those of us who share her faith in Jesus will see her again!

Let’s pray.