Mowing Our Own Yard
Why is it that we can drive along and see so many lawns that need mowing but our own lawn is on the back burner? We're strolling through the shopping center and a sweaty worker whizzes past us to find some parts to finish a job and we say: "Whew! That guy sure needs a bath!" Of course, we don't know how many people have said that about us. It's just that the other fellow's bad stuff is always worse than mine.
Jesus brought this issue up: Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye (Matthew 7:5).
As a pastor, I administered the Lord's Supper many times. After a few years I was impressed by what I read in 1Corinthians 11:25-32. After studying that passage carefully, from then on I always read it in its entirety every time we took the Lord's Supper. The heart of the passage is:
For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. (1Corinthians 11:31-32) Every time we partake of the Lord's supper, we should examine ourselves and see if there is any unfinished business between us and the Lord.
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation (condemnation) to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. (1Corinthians 11:28-30)
Self-judgment is always honored by the Lord. The lack of self-judgment can result in His judgment, including sickness and even death. Ω
A Servant of the Lord—Barbara Carr
If you haven't watched the film "Sheffey," I highly recommend it to you. He always introduced himself as "I'm just a servant of the Lord." Another man introduced himself as a servant:
"James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting." (James 1:1)
James was the half -brother of Jesus. However, he did not make that announcement at the beginning of his book. He humbly called himself "a servant of the Lord." What is a servant of the Lord? Such a servant is foremost one who bears certain personality traits.
"And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient," Titus 2:24)
As believers, we are to be gentle servants to all men. To the troubled and wounded consciences we are to tell them the precious promises of our Lord. To the backslider we work toward restoring them in a spirit of meekness. To those who do not know the truth we show a willingness to teach them the truth with a manner of kindness. Robert Sheffey is reported to have embodied those very characteristics.
Sheffey was born in Abingdon, Virginia on July 4, 1820. His mother died when he was two and he was reared by an Aunt. He attended Emory and Henry College in 1839-40. Sheffey was eighteen years old when he was saved at a revival meeting in Abingdon. His Aunt insisted that he continue in her more dignified and staid Presbyterian Church, but he became a Methodist itinerant preacher.
The film and books about Sheffey tell us that he followed the teachings of the Bible. He showed his love for God and people in his daily life. The following are some of the stories written about Sheffey:
"On a number of occasions he gave away woolen socks to those who were in need. Sometimes he gave away a new knitted pair and sometimes he took the socks off his own feet. Once on a cold day riding the trail, he met a stranger with no coat and gave away his own. He even once gave away his horse to replace an animal that had died pulling a heavily loaded covered wagon. After being beaten by some young toughs after a meeting, Sheffey tried hard not to testify against them in court, and when they were convicted, with tears he pleaded with the judge to allow them to go unpunished because he had forgiven them."
Sheffey married Elizabeth Zwecker in 1843. She died in 1854. After her death, he became completely committed to his ministry and stories began to grow about his "peculiarities." He attempted to get a license from the Methodist denomination to preach, but because of his oddities he did not succeed. Two of his oddities were: He prayed for long periods of time and went into the mountains of West Virginia and preached to the poor, uneducated people, the whiskey runners and wife abusers. He rode his circuit of Methodist churches that covered fourteen counties in Virginia and West Virginia.
Sheffey married Eliza Stafford in 1864. Her parents didn't approve of the marriage, because of Sheffey's circuit riding. Eliza loved and understood Sheffey's commitment to serving the Lord. Their marriage was a success and they had one son, Edward Fleming Sheffey (1865-1933).
Sheffey was renowned for his concern about the welfare of animals. Once when he saw a turtle on its back he dismounted and turned the turtle over and sent him on his way.
When Sheffey's aunt that reared him died, she left him a whole sheep skin. In a note she told him to ride on it and pray on it. He was faithful in doing this. He was well known for his power in prayer. In camp meetings he was known to go outside a distance and pray while someone else preached instead of sitting on the platform in a place of honor. He could stir the people by just walking through the crowd and rousing the people to repentance and genuine conversions.
Many stories about Sheffey related to his power in prayer. His prayers were for souls to be saved, for rain during drought, etc. But Sheffey hated the whiskey making and his most remembered prayers were directed against stills and the people who ran them. (They were not moonshiners; at the time; unlicensed distilling was legal.) One minister recalled that there had been three distilleries on a creek near where he and Sheffey had been preaching. Sheffey prayed earnestly for their destruction.
The proprietor of the first still, in robust health, died suddenly. At the second (where the owner threatened to whip them), Sheffey prayed that an Oak tree would fall on the still house. Although there were no Oak trees nearby, a "great storm came and actually landed a tree on the still." Fire destroyed the third one three days after Sheffey had spent a night in prayer against it. Men left the area rather than become the object of Sheffey's prayers.
Eliza died in 1896. Sheffey continued his ministry as long as he was physically able. His son asked him to come and live with him in Lynchburg but Sheffey didn't like cities. He chose to live with Aurelium Vest, a farmer, coffin builder and county undertaker, near Whitegate. He died at the age of 82 (1902). He is buried in Wesley Chapel Cemetery (off Sheffey Memorial Road) in Trigg, Va. On his monument are the words, "The poor were sorry when he died."
From all that I have learned about Sheffey, he was truly "a servant of the Lord." At the end of the film, he talked about how we as Christians begin as "servants of the Lord," but we give up little bits for little bits of the world gradually until there is nothing left of the "servant of the Lord." I hope Sheffey's story will inspire us to be humble servants of the Lord and not aspire to be things of this world. Ω
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