Altar Call –
Opelika-Auburn News
Walter Albritton
September 1, 2019
He keeps calling me to come out
If you have been to church a few
times, you have probably heard the story of Jesus calling Lazarus to come out
of the tomb in which he had been buried. In his Gospel, John says, “The dead
man came out, his hands and
feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.” Jesus
then says to the amazed bystanders, “Take off the grave clothes and let him
go.”
In some ways that is the story of my
life. Ever since I surrendered my life to Jesus as a young man, I have heard
him calling me to come out of a mess I was in or a mess I had made. I don’t
mean that I heard an audible voice, which is what Lazarus heard. I mean a voice
that resonated in my soul so strongly that I knew it was Jesus speaking
directly to me.
No, I was not dead physically. It
was a spiritual deadness. And each time I knew that if I did not “come out”
when he called, my life would be over. For example, my ministry at one fine
church ended in failure after two years. I blew it as a pastor and the bishop
moved me to another church. I moved but I was engulfed in self-pity which is a
paralyzing pit of misery, rather like a tomb. I constantly talked about how I
had been wronged to anyone who would listen. Then one day I heard the
unmistakable voice of Jesus saying, “Walter, come out!” I came out and like
Lazarus I was blessed to have dear friends remove my grave clothes and help me
leave my self-pity in the tomb.
On another occasion I found myself
in the tomb of depression. I had retired from pastoral ministry, involuntarily
because I had reached the mandatory retirement age of 70. Soon after I opted
for the surgical replacement of both my worn-out knees. Home from the hospital,
bleeding and pain in one knee continued to dog me. Day after day I was
miserable, trying to “raise my knee higher than my heart” on the advice of the
good doctor. When I overheard my family talking about how depressed I was, I
knew they were right. I was indeed depressed. I was a wretched soul, absorbed
with the thought that my life was over.
Then one day I heard that voice
again, that loud, voice deep in my soul calling my name. “Walter, come out!” I
came out but I had to crawl out because I could not walk. Somehow, the loving
voice that commanded my attention kept calling until I managed to obey and
escape that awful pit of depression. That same voice guided me to accept a new
job as associate pastor of Saint James United Methodist Church in Montgomery. I
had no idea that the Lord would grant me 15 years to serve him in that
wonderful relationship. God is indeed full of surprises!
Lazarus is not the only person Jesus
called out of adverse circumstances. In his Gospel Mark shares the striking
story of Jesus encountering in a synagogue “a man with a shriveled hand.” I can
visualize that man standing in the back, trying to hide his useless hand. But
Jesus saw him. How startled he must have been when suddenly Jesus looked at him
and said with authority, “Stand up in front of everyone. Come up here!”
It is interesting that Jesus did not ask the man if he would be
willing to come forward nor did he offer him some reward for doing so. There
was no small talk, just a bold command to come forward and stand in front of everyone.
That is how Jesus has often
approached me. I knew from the sound of his voice that it was time to fish or
cut bait. Obey Jesus or stay in the cave into which I had retreated.
Fortunately, the man with the shriveled hand obeyed Jesus. And his hand was
restored when he obeyed Jesus’ second command to stretch out his hand.
I have been where that man was. I had a problem I could not
fix. I saw no solution. But just as I was about to throw up my hands and give
up, Jesus came to me. And he called me to come out of a pit of anger, a pit of
resentment, a pit of timidity, a pit of indifference, a pit of discouragement,
a pit of shame – you name it and I have been in it. But Jesus loved me too much
to leave me there. Again and again, I have heard his voice calling to me,
“Walter, come out of that pit! You don’t belong there! You don’t have to stay
there! Come out! Come out!”
That is the wonderful thing I have discovered about Jesus.
When you surrender to him, and join his team, he will never leave you. You may
walk away from him but he will not walk away from you. You may give up your
faith because bad things happen and your prayers were not answered like you
wanted them answered. But Jesus will not leave you alone. He loves you too much
to do that. You cannot get in a pit so deep that you cannot hear his voice
calling your name, and saying “Come out and stand here next to me so I can
restore your soul and give you the grace to get back in the game!”
I have found it helpful to affirm the truth with my voice. His
voice has power, the power to convince me that he will help me get out any
wretched pit or mess I have made. There is divine power in the words, “Come
out!” and “Stand up and move!” My voice can have power too. So every time he
has called me out of a pit, I find it strengthens my faith to say out loud, to
myself: “I can get out! I can get out! I can get out! I will get out! I will
move! I will do what the Lord says do!”
If you find yourself in a miserable pit today, or next
week, or next year, stop feeling sorry for yourself and listen for his voice.
There are many voices trying to get your attention so listen carefully until
you discern the clear, loving voice of Jesus. And when he calls you to come
out, stand up and move out! Obey him! Do what he says do!
And when you get out, don’t expect him to spend any time
commiserating with you about how wretched the pit was. He has no interest in
your past. Once he restores you, and renews your zeal to serve him, he will
give you a new assignment. You will continue to have problems, and perhaps land
in another pit one day, but in the meantime you will know the joy of being used
for a mighty purpose by which your little life will be dignified! + + +