by Steve | Mar 11, 1969 | Archive - 1969
Archive: Book Reviews: Dealing with Race
Good News Book Forum
January 1969
Reviewed by James D . McCallie
White Reflections on Black Power by Charles E. Fager (Eerdman 1967-$1.65 paper back) and My Friend, The Enemy by William E. Pannel (Word Books, 1968-$3.95)
Written from two entirely different points of view, these books contain striking similarities in their analysis of white racism in America. Fager writes from a background which is admittedly “northern, urban, middle class, college educated, secular-oriented, New Left, and white.” Pannell writes as an African-American whose loyalties are thoroughly evangelical, having participated in the World Congress on Evangelism and similar enterprises. Both books are well-documented with quotations from a variety of resources. Both agree that vital inter-racial communication is stymied by the reactionary forces which center around black fear of white racism and the white’s fear of “black power.”
Fager’s conclusions are sympathetically slanted toward such black racists as Stokely Carmichael and Malcolm X, while the temperate warnings of Roy Wilkins and Whitney Young against “black power” excesses are too easily dismissed. His reflections could be written off as unworthy of serious evangelical consideration if it were not for some very valid insights into the racist character of much of the white community which has, in tum, provoked the phenomenon of black racism.
Writing autobiographically, Pannell does not spare the predominantly white evangelical Christian community from his list of criticisms of white power structures which tend to perpetuate “second class citizenship” for the African-American. His book is prefaced with such pithy statements as the following: “I personally know churches in all kinds of denominations whose flight to suburbia testifies eloquently to their rejection of me as a brother and neighbor.”
He reveals some of the bitter disillusionment which he shares with other members of his race when he writes concerning his white “Christian” brother: “He taught me to sing ‘Take the World, But Give Me Jesus.’ I took Jesus. He took the world and then voted right wing to insure his property rights.”
Obviously, for Pannell, Christian brotherhood cannot be divorced from such social issues as open housing, equal educational opportunities, and fair employment practices. He places initial responsibility for better racial understanding squarely where it belongs – at the doorstep of the white evangelical Christian community. The theme of the book is that real involvement needs to replace the pretense of right race relations – and that truth needs to be spoken before we dare speak further of love.
As an evangelical pastor of two racially different congregations I support Pannell’s impassioned plea for understanding through involvement. I have become involved because I believe that evangelicals cannot afford to abandon this field of concern to the liberals. It is high time for us to become self-critical in this matter of right race relations. Christians must refuse to uphold white power structures which perpetuate racial injustice. Christians must make positive ventures toward real Christian brotherhood.
I would recommend these two books as valuable resources for the current church-wide study of the “Crisis in America.”
James D . McCallie, pastor of Pleasant Grove and Wesley United Methodist Churches, Jeffersonville, Indiana, an inter-racial circuit.
by Steve | Jan 7, 1969 | Archive - 1969
Archive: The Evangelism of Jesus
PART II
By Robert E. Coleman, Professor of Evangelism, Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky
Reprinted from “The Master Plan of Evangelism” Fleming H. Revell Co.
© 1963, 1964 by Robert E. Coleman
The first installment stressed how Jesus took great care to mould His disciples, emphasizing depth training of a few.—Charles W. Keysor, Editor
Jesus devoted most of His remaining life on earth to these few disciples. He literally staked His whole ministry upon them. The world could be indifferent toward Him and still not defeat His strategy. It even caused Him no great concern when His followers on the fringes of things gave up their allegiance when confronted with the true meaning of the Kingdom (John 6:66). But He could not bear to have His close disciples miss His purpose. They had to understand the truth and be sanctified by it (John 17: 17), else all would be lost. Thus He prayed “not for the world,” but for the few God gave Him “out of the world” (John 17:6,9). Everything depended upon their faithfulness if the world would believe on Him “through their word” (John 17:20).
It would be wrong, however, to assume on the basis of what has here been emphasized that Jesus neglected the masses. Such was not the case. Jesus did all that any man could be asked to do and more to reach the multitudes. The first thing He did when He started His ministry was to identify Himself boldly with the great mass revival movement of His day through baptism at the hands of John (Mark 1 :9-11; Matt. 3:13-17; Luke 3:21,22), and He later went out of His way to praise this work of the great prophet (Matt. 11:7-15; Luke 7:24-28). He Himself continuously preached to the crowds that followed His miracle-working ministry. He taught them. He fed them when they were hungry. He healed their sick and cast out demons among them. He blessed their children. Sometimes the whole day would be spent ministering to their needs, even to the extent that He had “no leisure so much as to eat” (Mark 6:31). In every way possible Jesus manifested to the masses of humanity a genuine concern. These were the people that He came to save-He loved them, wept over them, and finally died to save them from their sin. No one could think that Jesus shirked mass evangelism.
In fact, the ability of Jesus to impress the multitudes created a serious problem in His ministry. He was so successful in expressing to them His compassion and power that they once wanted “to take Him by force, to make Him King” (John 6: 15). One report by the followers of John the Baptist said that “all men” were clamoring for His attention (John 3:26). Even the Pharisees admitted among themselves that the world had gone after Him (John 12: 19), and bitter as the admission must have been, the chief priests concurred in this opinion (John 11:47,48). However one looks at it, the Gospel record certainly does not indicate that Jesus lacked any popular following among the masses, despite their hesitating loyalty. And this condition lasted right on down to the end. Indeed, it was the fear of this friendly mass feeling for Jesus that prompted His accusers to capture Him in the absence of the people (Mark 12:12; Matt. 21:26; Luke 20:19).
Had Jesus given any encouragement to this popular sentiment among the masses, He easily could have had all the kingdoms of men at His feet. … But Jesus would not play to the galleries. Quite the contrary. Repeatedly He took special pains to allay the superficial popular support of the multitudes which had been occasioned by His extraordinary power (John 2:23-3:3; 6:26,27). Frequently He would even ask those who were the recipients of His healing to say nothing about it in order to prevent mass demonstrations by the easily aroused multitudes. Likewise, with the disciples following His transfiguration on the Mount “He charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen” until after His resurrection (Mark 9:9; Matt. 17:9). On other occasions when applauded by the crowd, Jesus would slip away with His disciples and go elsewhere to continue His ministry.
His practice in this respect sometimes rather annoyed His followers who did not understand His strategy. Even his own brothers and sisters, who yet did not believe on Him, urged Him to abandon this policy and make an open show of Himself to the world, but He refused to take their advice (John 7:2-9).
In view of this policy, it is not surprising to note that few people were actually converted during the ministry of Christ, that is, in any clear-cut way. Of course, many of the multitudes believed in Christ in the sense that His divine ministry was acceptable. But comparatively few seemed to have grasped the meaning of the Gospel. Perhaps His total number of devoted followers at the end of His earthly ministry numbered little more than the 500 brethren to whom Jesus appeared after the resurrection (I Corinthians 15:6). And only about 120 tarried in Jerusalem to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:15). Though this number is not small considering that His active ministry extended only over a period of three years, yet if at this point one were to measure the effectiveness of His evangelism by the number of His converts, Jesus doubtless would not be considered among the most productive mass evangelists of the Church.
Why? Why did Jesus deliberately concentrate His life upon comparatively so few people? Had He not come to save the world? With the glowing announcement of John the Baptist ringing in the ears of multitudes, the Master easily could have had an immediate following pf thousands if He wanted them. Why did He not then capitalize upon His opportunities to enlist a mighty army of believers to take the world by storm? Surely the Son of God could have adopted a more enticing program of mass recruitment. Is it not rather disappointing that One with all the powers of the universe at His command would live and die to save the world, yet in the end have only a few ragged disciples to show for His labors?
The answer to this question focuses at once the real purpose of His plan for evangelism. Jesus was not trying to impress the crowd, but to usher in a Kingdom. This meant that He needed men who could lead the multitudes. What good would it have been for His ultimate objective to arouse the masses to follow Him if these people had no subsequent supervision nor instruction in the Way? It had been demonstrated on numerous occasions that the crowd was an easy prey to false gods when left without proper care. The masses were like helpless sheep wandering aimlessly without a shepherd (Mark 6:34; Matt. 9:36; 14:14). They were willing to follow almost anyone that came along with some promise for their welfare, be it friend or foe. That was the tragedy of the hour—the noble aspirations of the people were easily excited by Jesus, but just as quickly thwarted by the deceitful religious authorities who controlled them. The spiritually blind leaders of Israel (John 8:44; 9:39-41; 12:40; Matt. 23:1-39), though comparatively few in number [probably less than 7,000 Pharisees and Sadducees] completely dominated the affairs of the people. For this reason, unless Jesus’ converts were given competent men of God to lead them on and protect them in the truth they would soon fall into confusion and despair, and the last state would be worse than the first. Thus, before the world could ever be permanently helped men would have to be raised up who could lead the multitudes in the things of God.
Jesus was a realist. He fully realized the fickleness of depraved human nature as well as the Satanic forces of this world amassed against humanity. And in this knowledge He based His evangelism on a plan that would meet the need. The multitudes of discordant and bewildered souls were potentially ready to follow Him, but Jesus individually could not possibly give them the personal care they needed. His only hope was to get men imbued with His life who would do it for Him. Hence, He concentrated Himself upon those who were to be the beginning of this leadership. Though He did what He could to help the multitudes, He had to devote Himself primarily to a few men, rather than the masses, in order that the masses could at last be saved. This was the genius of His strategy.
Yet, strangely enough, it is scarcely comprehended in practice today. Most of the evangelistic efforts of the Church begin with the multitudes under the assumption that the Church is qualified to conserve what good is done. The result is our spectacular emphasis upon numbers of converts, candidates for baptism, and more members for the Church, with little or no genuine concern manifested toward the establishment of these souls in the love and power of God, let alone the preservation and continuation of the work.
Surely if the pattern of Jesus at this point means anything at all it teaches that the first duty of a pastor as well as the first concern of an evangelist is to see to it that a foundation is laid in the beginning upon which can be built an effective and continuing evangelistic ministry to the multitudes. This will require more concentration of time and talents upon fewer men in the Church while not neglecting the passion for the world. It will mean raising up trained leadership “for the work of ministering” with the pastor (Ephesians 4:12). A few people so dedicated in time will shake the world for God. Victory is never won by the multitudes.
Some might object to this principle when practiced by the Christian worker on the ground that favoritism is shown toward a select group in the church. But be that as it may, it is still the way that Jesus concentrated His life, and it is necessary if any permanent leadership is to be trained. Where it is practiced out of a genuine love for the whole church, and due concern is manifested toward the needs of the people, objections can at least be reconciled to the mission being accomplished. However, the ultimate goal must be clear to the worker, and there can be no hint of selfish partiality displayed in his relationships to all. Everything that is done with the few is for the salvation of the multitudes.
This principle of selectivity and concentration is engraved in the universe and will bring results no matter who practices it, whether the Church believes it or not. It is surely not without significance that the communists, always alert to what works, adopted in a large measure this method of the Lord as their own. Using it to their own devious end they have multiplied from a handful of zealots seventy-five years ago to a vast conspiracy of followers that enslave nearly half the peoples of the world. They have proved in our day what Jesus demonstrated so clearly in His day that the multitudes can be won easily if they are just given leaders to follow. Is not the spread of this vicious communistic philosophy, in some measure, a judgment upon the Church, not only upon our flabby commitment to evangelism, but also upon the superficial way that we have tried to go about it?
It is time that the Church realistically face the situation. Our days of trifling are running out. The evangelistic program of the Church has bogged down on nearly every front. What is worse, the great missionary thrust of the Gospel into new frontiers has largely lost its power. In most lands the enfeebled Church is not even keeping up with the exploding population. All the while the Satanic forces of this world are becoming more relentless and brazen in their attack. It is ironic when one stops to think about it. In an age when facilities for rapid communication of the Gospel are available to the Church as never before, we are actually accomplishing less in winning the world for God then before the invention of the horseless carriage.
Yet in appraising the tragic condition of affairs today, we must not become frantic in trying to reverse the trend overnight. Perhaps that has been our problem. In our concern to stem the tide we have launched one crash program after another to reach the multitudes with the saving Word of God. But what we have failed to comprehend in our frustration is that the real problem is not with the masses-what they believe, how they are governed, whether they are fed a wholesome diet or not. All these things considered so vital are ultimately manipulated by others, and for this reason, before we can resolve the exploitation of the people we must get to those influential leaders whom the people follow.
This, of course, puts a priority on winning and training those already in responsible positions of leadership. But if we can’t begin at the top, then let us begin where we are and train a few of the lowly to become the great. And let us remember, too, that one does not have to have the prestige of the world in order to be greatly used in the Kingdom of God. Anyone who is willing to follow Christ can become a mighty influence upon the world providing, of course, this person has the proper training himself.
Here is where we must begin just like Jesus. It will be slow, tedious, painful and probably unnoticed by men at first, but the end result will be glorious, even if we don’t live to see it. Seen this way, though, it becomes a big decision in the ministry. One must decide where he wants his ministry to count—in the momentary applause of popular recognition or in the reproduction of Christ’s life in a few chosen men who will carry on his work after he has gone. Really it is a question of which generation we are living for.
by Steve | Jan 6, 1969 | Archive - 1969
Archive: The Question
By Lon Woodrum Evangelist, author and Contributing Editor of “Good News” Reprinted from Christian Economics Magazine
Our world may fall or survive according to how it answers an old question. Jesus put that question, not only to the argumentative Pharisees, but to all the ages that should come after Him: What think ye of Christ?
Responding to this question as God wills requires something of a death-march, a self-dying, a surrender of man’s most prized possession, his pride. It involves man’s recognition of God’s sovereignty, the acceptance of the “foolishness” of the Gospel.
This is not easy; for man is stubbornly wrong, not right; amazingly evil, not good. The bent away from God is ever more terrible than he thinks. He harbors more hell than he knows. He rejects truth in a measure greater than he imagines. He lies to himself with ingenuity. He deceives himself successfully. As an old maxim-maker said, “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
A tendency of the Church today is to explode into political or social action, with a lessening emphasis on the individual, redemptive aspects of the Gospel; that is, to act rather than to think spiritually.
We do not wholly discount social action. But both political and social action can be dangerous if we do not think deeply about the claims of Christ before we act. Intensity of action without Christian motivation is dangerous. Men acted in Germany under Hitler, and in Russia under Stalin. Young men are acting today on college campuses-men who refer to hard-core Communists as “fuddy-duddy revolutionaries”!
Only when we have given reverent thought to Christ and, like Simon Peter, have come to know Him as “the Son of the living God”; have taken His Word without question; have been given the dynamic of His Spirit, are we truly capable of genuine Christian social action.
Actually, it is not enough that we think about Christ. Men have been thinking about Him a long time. He has thrust Himself irresistibly into the world’s mind. The philosopher, historian, scientist, theologian cannot escape Him. But it is what we think of Him that matters. When He was on earth, men thought on Him. Some were ready to crucify Him; others were ready to die for Him.
The New Testament reports that some thought He was a bad man. The Romans saw Him as an enemy of the state; the pharisees saw Him as a foe of the Church. The religious chieftains were especially disturbed by His testimony that He and the Father were one. This made Him not only undesirable, but dangerous to them. So Jesus was to them a false prophet; even worse, a false messiah.
Others saw Jesus as a madman. Only a mentally disturbed man could make such outlandish claims as He made! Consider His remark: “Before Abraham was, I am!” Into what delusions of grandeur must a mind reach before it could announce a thing like that! Then there was that other ridiculous thing He said—”He that believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live!”
However, some saw Jesus as the God-man. This was what He claimed to be, of course. He put the challenge squarely before men, saying that if they couldn’t believe Him because of His words, they should believe Him because of His works. Indeed, His works were amazing. His was a power they had never witnessed in another; He bore authority that was both frightening and comforting. How could you disregard a Man who could call back the dead, or make a hurricane lie down like a pet dog?
Other things about him could not be brushed off: His holiness, His insight into man’s nature, His knowledge of God. Small wonder one of them finally cried out: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God!”
Today, with our wing-scream in the skies, our thunder in the earth and oceans, we are still forced to think about this Man from Nazareth. To some He is still evil; to others mad. To still others He is the God-man, the last, finest hope of earth.
If He is other than He claims to be, His critics are right: He is either bad or mad. But if He is all He claims to be, we are confronted with the most amazing fact in the world: God’s invasion of human history as a personal Redeemer; God, becoming Justifier of the unjust, Saviour of the ungodly.
Little wonder the philosophic Greeks called that insanity, for it sounds irrational to “the wisdom of this world.” It mocks all our legal systems, makes havoc or our human judgments. Yet this is precisely what the Gospel teaches.
Many things there are to think about in our moment of history; the threat of a global thermonuclear holocaust; nearly half a hundred wars and revolutions going on in the earth; protestations from dangerous young minds; racial conflict, the escalation of crime until some experts fear national anarchy in our land; apostasy of men from the old spiritual standards, and declension of morals. But if we will not think of Christ in the right way, soon it may not matter what we think about all these other things!
What think ye of Christ?
That is THE question.
by Steve | Jan 5, 1969 | Archive - 1969
Archive: It Took a Miracle
By George Anderson, Pastor, Mt. Oak United Methodist Church, Mitchellville, Maryland
I was a Church member and a pastor for several years before I became a regenerated Christian, a man of the second birth.
In those days before I found Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I was hard-put to explain the miracles in the New Testament. In discussions with young people, I would often be asked the question, “If God did such miracles as the Bible describes, then why doesn’t He do miracles now?”
I remember that I took great pains to explain that the Bible was written in a pre-scientific era by men who did not have the benefits of our advanced scientific knowledge. Therefore, many things that seemed miraculous to them in those far-off days could be logically or scientifically explained by us today. I also would explain to the young people that the Scriptures were written several years after the occurrences they were seeking to describe. And in the meantime, between the event and the reporting of the event, the story had been embellished—a perfectly human tendency.
Finally, I would explain that the Gospel writers were trying to present Jesus as a worthy individual of great importance whose teachings should be heeded. The disciples had to present Jesus as the chief miracle-worker of his age in order to build Him up in the eyes of primitive people who believed in miracles and miracle workers, and who would not have listened to Jesus if they had not felt that He had supernatural powers. Now, I reasoned, we live in a scientific age. We believe in Jesus’ greatness without any primitive reference to miracle working powers.
All this is what I used to say, before I became a regenerated man. Now I think the Lord has helped me to see that all this way of thinking which I have just been describing is essentially very dishonest. It is a nice way of covering up the naked truth which is that I didn’t believe in the miracles and felt that the Scriptural accounts of them were lies.
Of course I couldn’t come right out and say that. So I, like many other theological liberals, invented some nice-sounding ways of saying essentially the same thing while appearing to be very faithful and very intellectual. The truth is that the supernatural powers and results which Jesus displayed in the natural course of His reported day to day activities, and His dependence upon God to bring about ends which go beyond the natural expectations of unregenerated men, were as incredible to the people of the first century as they are to the people of the scientific 20th century. You simply can’t explain them. You either accept them or reject them as a matter of Christian faith.
As a regenerated man who has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord of my life, I find it very easy and natural to believe in His miracles. If Jesus is Lord, there is nothing impossible for Him.
Now, as a regenerated man, when I am asked the question, “Why doesn’t God perform miracles today?” I answer simply, “He does.” I have seen some of God’s miracles. He is healing the sick through faith. He is providing the means to expand many Christian ministries. He is answering the requests and providing for the needs of His people. He is moving among his people in fantastic and exciting ways more miraculous, even, than the supernatural happenings recorded in the Scriptures. The abundant life which is the goal of the regenerated people of God, takes as a matter of course the supernatural intervention of God to bring about ends which go beyond the natural expectations of unregenerated man.
by Steve | Jan 4, 1969 | Archive - 1969
Archive: The Laymen Finally Got My Attention
By Merle G. Weaver, Assistant Pastor, Oak Lawn United Methodist Church, Dallas, Texas
I’m one of those Methodist preachers who was introduced to Christ by three laymen: a Presbyterian, an Episcopalian, and a Methodist, at a luncheon.
After 20 years in the “active” ministry of the Church, I look back now and realize that’s all it was—20 years of activity. I thank God for the Church and I thank God for those three laymen.
In 1967, my life took a sharp turn for the worse. In my 46th year of existence, and after 20 years in the ministry, I realized that my life was a failure. It all was brought forcefully to my attention by my ministerial peers that “my” cleverness, “my” abilities, and all “my good works for God” were not getting the job done. I had reached the peak of my ministerial career. I had climbed to the top, salary-wise, and, I thought, in prestige. But my Board of Trustees, which included laymen and ministers of the conference, painfully brought me down from my “ivory tower” and good job in the church institutional field.
I felt I was a failure! I surrendered everything I had left of Merle Weaver to the resurrected and living Christ. But let me tell you how Christ entered my life.
In my crisis, I began searching the Good News for Modem Man (the paperback edition of the New Testament produced by the American Bible Society). I had a strange, new hunger for the Word of God.
One day, a man whom I did not know called me at the request of a mutual friend. He invited me to a Bible study group. I put him off for several weeks because I had no nights open. Then he told me about a group of businessmen that met each Thursday morning at 7:30. I was trapped; I had nothing going on in my life at that hour, so I consented to go.
Tuesday he called to say: “Let’s get acquainted ahead of time—come and have lunch with me.”
He “ganged up” on me with two other Christian friends, and we four went to a nice, plush private club for lunch.
George gave his witness first. Then John. By now, I wanted to tell what was happening to me—unload, so to speak, and remind them that “total commitment” would have to wait a bit, because, “I had to be practical.”
John then said: “Weaver, can’t you trust Christ for everything? I do, and this is where the joy comes.”
That afternoon, in my car, I was miserable. I was parked on a busy Dallas street, sitting there reading the Letter to the Hebrews, when I made my decision • for Christ, based on something I read in the Scriptures “Do you want the praise of men or the approval of God?”
I said: “I’ll take the approval of God—I know what men can and will do to me.”
I decided right there to throw my whole life on God’s promise and believe in the resurrected and living Saviour.
What a relief came! I knew for the first time that all my past sins were wiped out by my complete faith in this person of Jesus Christ. An assurance came into my heart for the first time in my life like nothing I had ever experienced. I wrote the word “Peace” in the margins of my Bible. From then on, everything I read spoke to me of a new and exciting idea that Christ was now actually living in me. Now He had a surrendered vessel through whom He could do His own work. For the first time, I recognized that I had become a part of the “Body of Christ.”
My whole family situation changed! My work and ministry took on excitement and real purpose. God has blessed me with power as I share the name and person of my Christ with everyone who will listen to this Good News for Modern Man.
Looking back, I can see how marvelously God worked to bring me into His Kingdom.
Someone—a Christian friend—saw my struggle and called for help on my behalf. God provided a man whom I did not know to set the stage for life’s greatest drama and miracle. About six months earlier, two businessmen in the downtown area got together to pray, as to how they could be used to witness to other businessmen. Little did they know how God was going to use them. Soon there were three. It was these three who got my attention.
They were honest! They talked straight to me, a preacher, about Christ. But, how?
First, they thought of me as a person—not a title. I stood in need of God’s grace in spite of the fact that I was on the staff of a local Methodist Church. I was not infallible. More especially, I did not have the last word on the doctrines of the Bible. This is where laymen and preachers become equal. In spite of my “theological training,” the Gospel of Grace is not automatically dispensed to those of “much learning.” In I Corinthians 1:21, it says: “For God in His wisdom made it impossible for men to know Him by means of their own wisdom. Instead, God decided to save those who believe … for what seems to be God’s foolishness is wiser than men’s wisdom, and what seems to be God’s weakness is stronger than men’s strength.”
The Grace of God is a gift. It must be received and accepted on the basis of faith plus nothing.
Second, these three laymen talked to me honestly. They were “pretty sure” I was not a “born again” believer, and started praying for me. God could reach me when they couldn’t. But God had also shown them how they could witness to me. As my friend later told me, “He needed to be God’s love letter to me.”
They came honestly to me with their witness, armed with choice Scripture sentences like these: “He that hath the Son hath life; he that hath not the Son hath not life.” “For by grace are we saved; it is the gift of God and that not of works lest any man should boast.”
At first, I was defensive to think that they would question my “religion.” This was a pretty good indication that their guess was not too far wrong; that I did, indeed, stand in need of God’s Grace. God did the “saving.” I received Christ later that same day. They didn’t need to push me into a corner or into an argument. Their witness and the Scripture had its effect.
God used three laymen to reach a preacher who, in all sincerity, thought he was a Christian and had been working “for” God for 20 years. And therein lies the difference. When I asked Christ to come into my life, I no longer thought I was a Christian, I knew I was “born spiritually” forever. I am no longer working “for” God—God finally has me as a vessel through whom He can do His own work.
The tables are turned. Laymen have become my “spiritual advisors,” my friends, and my prayer partners. I shall be forever grateful to them for introducing me to the Saviour. And, they taught me how to lead a person to Christ.
If there is a preacher or a layman who does not know how to lead another to Christ, let me share what these three laymen taught me. The only way a person becomes a Christian is to receive Christ. One receives Him only by asking Christ to come into his life. This fact is revealed in Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in.” That’s a fact! God does not lie! It happens every time! Whenever a person really asks Christ to come in, Christ comes as Holy Spirit who forgives, cleanses, and assures. The Spirit of God does the “birthing.”
If you, reader, have never experienced this spiritual birth, stop right now, and say aloud: “Lord Jesus, forgive my sins. I open the door of my life and receive you as my Saviour and Lord. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be. Thank you for coming into my life and hearing my prayer as you promised.”
You, Mr. Layman, “go, then, to all people everywhere and make them my disciples … I will be with you always …” (Matthew 28:19)
by Steve | Jan 3, 1969 | Archive - 1969
Archive: The Ministerial Faith Crisis Seen by a Local Pastor
By Howard E. Chattin, Pastor, United Methodist Church, Southport, Indiana
Once a dog food company held a sales meeting. The president was pacing the floor. “We came out with this new dog food and everybody agrees it’s the most nutritious on the market,” he declared. A chorus of agreement came from the salesmen. “We have the highest protein and the highest vitamin content.” Again, full agreement. “We have the most attractive packaging and the best sales organization in the business. But look at that sales chart—terrible! What’s wrong?”
Finally a little salesman on the back row got to his feet and said, “Sir, the dogs won’t eat it.”
The American people are not accepting the pap that passes for religion in many of our churches. Sales technique won’t do it. Packaging is not the answer. We’ve got to re-examine the product.
Let me quickly outline a few contrasting ideas, all of which are being presented vigorously by ministers in the confusion of theology today. Of course there are some differences of opinion with which all of us can healthfully live. But certain ideas are what I call the “Mutually Exclusives.” That is, if one is true, the other just cannot be.
(1). Underlying much of our problem today is the traditional doctrine of Judgment versus the widely held view of Universalism.
Jesus spoke often about rewards and punishments, about separating the sheep from the goats. By actual count, said more about Hell than He did about Heaven. Yet our age is so enamored of universalism and the term “acceptance” that a teacher of youth at our church camp, after assuring a young person that the reward of a good Christian life was Heaven, also added that the worst man of all was also destined for Heaven because of God’s love and acceptance. Either this is true or the Bible is true in saying some will be saved and others lost.
(2). There is a contrast between the advocates of supernaturalism and those who would reduce Christianity to a baptized naturalism or humanism.
By supernaturalism, I mean prayer, and Spirit, and resurrection. For me, prayer is not self-hypnosis nor auto-suggestion. It is contact with a Power outside myself. But I have been informed that one pastor felt his counselling cases had been terribly muddled by previous pastors who had said, “Let’s pray about it.” Either God is greater than the world He created, or the world is greater than God.
(3). I believe in a Living God, but there are many across the Church who would try to make palatable to us the notion that God is dead.
They say we need to understand the “God is Dead” theologian’s language. And I say that these men are well educated men who know how to handle the King’s English. They are saying exactly what they mean. The two ideas are mutually exclusive and a confrontation must come between those who believe God is alive and those who believe He is not.
(4). I say that the Church, with all its admitted imperfections, is of God and shall remain to the end of time. Yet others are seeking to abandon the Church as totally irrelevant.
I heard a Methodist leader on the platform of Christian Theological Seminary say, “At the time I was a pastor, I knew of no church in Indiana, including my own, in which the worship service had any meaning for me whatever.” Either the Church is important or it is not.
(5). It is the strong conviction of many of us that Christianity involves a basic decision about the integration of life around Christ; and that good works become a manifestation of that fact.
Some are convinced, however, that Christianity is social action only. They are no longer interested in conversion on a personal level. When a circle from the Woman’s Society of one of our city churches went to one of our Methodist social agencies to offer their help they were told by the minister-director, “I am not interested in souls. I am interested in bodies.” Either the whole person (body and soul) needs saving or not.
(6). Many of us believe that the Christian life involves discipline and an honest movement toward holiness of life.
Others are proclaiming a world embracing secularism. They want no truck with the “legalism” of the ten commandments, but prefer rather to teach our young people their version of “situation ethics.” Either God has absolute standards of truth and perfection or He does not, and every man is free to do as he pleases.
(7). Many of us still believe in the life eternal and fashion our theology and life against such an eternal backdrop.
For Paul said, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” (I Cor. 15:19). Yet I have been told by church leaders that “This life is the only one I know and the only one with which I am concerned.” Either life has an eternal dimension or it does not.
All these things come under the category of “Mutually Exclusives,” and must submit themselves to confrontation. The confrontation must come. For how long can the Church tolerate leadership that preaches that “God is Dead” and thumbs its nose at the Church? And I remind you, I have not reported to you theory or hear-say. I can add names to every idea presented.
Some have told me the course I advocate is disruptive of peace in the Church. And I only reply that surgery for the removal of malignancy is always a disruptive process. On the other hand, our present tranquility is the sleep of death. Our statistical reports reveal how far that process has already gone.
Some have feared that such a course is divisive. And I only answer, “We are already divided. I am not willing to go further undoing—and being undone—by the words of other church leaders.” At this point I can only pray for the strength and courage of that sturdy German Reformer Martin Luther. His words have become my own: “My conscience is captive to the Word of God. Here I stand; I can do no otherwise. God help me! Amen.”
