Brother John
I want to tell you a little bit about brother John. This brother is such an encouragement to me and I hope he can be an encouragement to you. Here is a picture of him and I:
Brother John is 74 years old. His health is extremely frail. He is mostly deaf and hears only through hearing aids when the device is turned on and the volume is all the way up. He is also beginning to go blind in both eyes and his vision is only getting worse. When he talks, he seemingly trembles -but not from fear; rather, from old age and frailness. He is a gentle man and walks in humility towards the Word of God, always open to learning more and hearing others teach. This is especially striking seeing that at his age, most men do not generally tend to express such open humility to learning and being corrected at times.
Brother John got converted when he was 70 years old -just 4 years ago! But now, he has dedicated himself to Christ as a preacher of the Gospel. Yet, he has no church to preach in, nor is he very learned when it comes to doctrine and theology. He openly confesses that he doesn't know much. In fact, he shared with me that his one regret is that he didn't come to Christ sooner so as to have an entire life to offer to the Lord in service. But even though he may not be able to systematically put forth and expound upon the depths of Bible doctrine, one thing he knows -he was blind and now he sees! He may not be able to go toe to toe with America's modern theologian-pastor in a debate about the rapture. He may not be able to tell you whether he's a Sublapsarian or a Supralapsarian. He probably could not even tell you what are the original languages the Old and New Testaments were written in. But he knows what is most important: that he was a sinner, that Jesus Christ the Son of God died for him and rose again, and that he is granted the privilege of telling the world the Good News that what Jesus did for him, He can do for anyone who believes.
John dedicates himself now to going out to the streets of Guadalajara and the towns around the city every week to preach the Gospel in the open air to anyone who will listen. His methods are simple. He just stands up with a bull horn, preaches, and hands out tracts to all passers-by. It's all quite foolish according to worldly standards. But there's something about it that's just so glorious!
The picture above of him and I was taken in a small town about 2 hours outside of Guadalajara. Brother John frequently hops on buses and travels to small towns outside the city in order to open air preach in the town squares where people are gathered. He has been to many towns around the city. Normally, he goes alone. But a week ago from this Monday, Aaron and I decided to accompany him on his journey. The brother was encouraged that we went with him, but I think I was encouraged even more. When we got to the town square, after taking the above picture, John preached first, and then I preached as he handed out Gospel tracts to all who were seated around. Nothing extraordinary happened though. Some people listened to the Gospel being proclaimed. We had some conversations. And then, after several hours, we got back on the bus to go back to Guadalajara. However, though no great miracle occurred, it was a day of great blessing to my soul.
I just think that sometimes I get discouraged, weary, or even just lazy and don't feel like preaching the Gospel. Yet, when I consider brother John who, being 74 years old, mostly deaf and partially blind, and in such a frail condition, going out alone to towns and villages hours away just to preach the Gospel, and sometimes even carrying with him heavy boxes full of clothes to give out to the poor as he goes, I think that sometimes my own lack of zeal for Jesus Christ is sometimes shameful. Examples like his should cause many of us to bow down our heads before God and cry out for forgiveness on behalf of our lack of fervent, heartfelt devotion and zeal for making His Gospel known.
Brother John will never become the next great John Macarthur or Paul Washer. His name will never become famous. But that's OK with him, because he performs before the Audience of One, and his goal is to lay a crown at the feet of Christ that he managed to win during the feeble years of his last days of his pilgrimage on earth. Some of the Lord's choicest instruments are often hidden like precious pearls shelled in on all sides and laying deep beyond the eyes of recognition underneath the depths of the ocean of this world. Known only to a few, and to God, and the multitudes of holy angels who eagerly long to look into such things as accompany salvation, these unappreciated men will one day be appreciated among the ranks of the courts of the heavenly hosts as the King of kings Himself endows them with eternal honors -honors bestowed not because of their great worth, but because of His great glory and grace.
John was very happy that someone had finally accompanied him on one of his short missionary journeys. Yet Aaron and I were happy to have met such an elderly man whose zeal puts many to shame, and that after having only a few years of knowing Christ. Do we really have any good excuses not to preach the Gospel? After spending time with brother John, I think not!
When we returned to Guadalajara and brother John stood up to get off the bus, he fell hard and thumped his shoulder and head on the floor. Three of us managed to lift him back up and ascertain if he was OK. He seemed to be out of it. The day following, Aaron called his house and his daughter said that he was in pain and not doing well. But to our surprise, the very next day he showed up early to the location of our prayer meeting and was waiting for us, eager to pray and call upon the Lord for the salvation of sinners in Guadalajara.
I thank God for brother John. He may not have anything to teach me about Historic or Systematic theology, advanced hermeneutical methods of interpreting prophetic symbolism and biblical apocalyptic writings, or even know the name of John Newton or lyrics to "Amazing Grace". But I think that brother John has taught me some things that sitting for decades under the most brilliant theologians in America never could. There is something wonderful about pure and simple devotion to Christ. Such love cannot be taught. It can only be experienced. To see the work of God in the soul of a man who has never had contact or been influenced by such things, but only by God and the blessed influences of His Holy Spirit, giving a man such a burden to go out and seek to glorify Christ by preaching the Gospel in the frailty of old age and in the midst of receiving absolutely no recognition whatsoever for doing it, makes me think that many times I have missed the most important things.
2 Cor 4:7 - But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
Matthew Henry's commentary: Why they should not preach themselves: because they were but earthen vessels, things of little or no worth or value. Here seems to be an allusion to the lamps which Gideon's soldiers carried in earthen pitchers, Jdg. 7:16. The treasure of gospel light and grace is put into earthen vessels. The ministers of the gospel are weak and frail creatures, and subject to like passions and infirmities as other men; they are mortal, and soon broken in pieces. And God has so ordered it that the weaker the vessels are the stronger his power may appear to be, that the treasure itself should be valued the more. Note, There is an excellency of power in the gospel of Christ, to enlighten the mind, to convince the conscience, to convert the soul, and to rejoice the heart; but all this power is from God the author, and not from men, who are but instruments, so that God in all things must be glorified.Amen! ~Josef Urban
To see a picture of brother John:
http://missionsevangelismtheology.blogspot.com/2011/02/brother-john.html