cipline over its members (I Corin thians 5); recognized leaders are expected to rule as well as shep herd the flock (Hebrews 13). It is the home base for sending out missionaries, and the object of missionary work is the establishing of local churches (Acts 13-14). In view of these Scriptural truths the importance of the local church can scarcely be overestimated. I be seech you graduates, do not ne glect Cod's church in your own personal relationship to it and sup port of it and in connection with any other aspect of Christian work into which you may be led. A third mirage might be pic tured in a statement something like this: If we could only do some thing about middle-class American Christians, our problems would disappear! Middle-class Christians do have their faults — some are carnal, many are complacent, most are worldly, and worst of all, they live in suburbia. I am not a sociol ogist nor do I offer a way to re- struct society for the better. I do know that in Christianity, class is neither that which commends nor condemns in the sight of Cod. Faithfulness to the Lord in one's occupation, in one's social class, with one's possessions is what He requires. I know, too, that the Bible expects all to work and all to give and not to be impressed with wealth either in one's self or in the church. Selfishness is a matter of the heart, not of what one has or has not. You can be selfish with little or much, and it is wrong in either case. These days middle-class Ameri can Christians are taking quite a beating. They seem to be respon sible for the failure of the church,
the failure of missions, the riots in our cities and anything else that needs a scapegoat. I noticed with interest that an internationally- known liberal theologian said that middle class people, "are fed up with the general disposition of the church to scold them rather than to minister to them . . . they are getting tired of serving as golden goose and whipping boy at one and the same time." I do not con done sins or carnality in any class — lower, middle, or upper; but I would like to point out a fallacy in our thinking about the middle class. Many of you have heard enough missionaries speak to know that anyone who labors in a coun try where there are only a few very rich and masses of very poor, longs for the day when the emerging middle class will become a real force in the society and economy, so that there might be a stable self- supporting and growing national church. Yet, here at home, we are acting as if the middle class should be done away with in the interest of furthering Christianity. I want to say a word in defense of these people. It is the middle class who in large measure support the Lord's work and the Lord's workers. Most missionaries, most churches, most Christian organizations are sup ported by the many regular, though small gifts, that come from middle- class American believers. Thank God for the middle class who get up and go to work day after day, who regularly support the services of the local church and who faith fully give of their income to His work and who, not so incidentally, financed part of your education here. The fourth mirage of which I
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