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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
Juna, 1938
His Ministry
By ALVA J. McCLA IN Akron, Ohio Silhouettes by Ransom D. Marvin
worship the same God. In Einstein’s mathe matical world, we are told, parallel lines finally meet; but not even Einstein can ever make these meet—the W ord of God and the mere opinions of fallen men. It is not, as some have suggested, the problem of getting the conservatives to overtake the self-styled “ liberals” of the modern religious world. Those of us who hold the old-fash ioned faith of the Bible never expect to catch up with modernism. W e are not traveling in the same direction. And time will only increase the distance between us. IV. Jesus Christ Came into the World with a Profound and Unshakable Conviction that God Had Sent Him to Accomplish a Specific Task. Christ’s first recorded words were: “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” His words on the cross were: “ It is finished.” During the years which intervened between these two utterances, many attempts were made to turn Him aside from the purpose of His life, that work which He was sent to do. Satan of fered Him the kingdoms of the world with all of their glory. Herodians tried to en tangle Him in the political problems of His nation. Others sought to draw Him into attempts to solve the social questions of the day. The people would have taken Him by force to make Him King. But through it all, His purpose remained un shaken. God had sent Him to die. And without wavering, He set His face “ stead- fastiy” toward Jerusalem, the city of His death. Even so, the Christian minister must go forth with an unshakable conviction that God has called him to accomplish a definite task. Let him, like the Son o f God, set his face “ steadfastly” toward that place. Let him refuse to be turned aside by any cir cumstance, any difficulty, any ambition, or any other thing. Let him not be satisfied until, like the Lord whom he serves, he can look up into the face of God and say: “ Father, . . . I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” \Continued on Page 273]
say, and what I should speak” (John 12:49, R.V .). Men have spoken of Christ as the great “ independent thinker of the ages.” But they are wrong. He was the most de pendent thinker the world has ever heard. How can this strange attitude of depend ence be explained? There is but one an swer: In part, His purpose in coming was to be the perfect Servant, the flawless Ex ample to all ministers who would come after Him. Therefore, He spoke only the words which were given Him of the Father. God is not calling men today to originate the message which they preach. The mes sage of God has been given in His revealed Word. The preacher is not called to invent a “ New Theology,” but to preach “ The Old, Old Story.” If he finds within him self a genius for originality, let him expend it in new and startling ways of preaching that which is written in the Book. But let him beware of changing the Message, for that Message is eternally settled in the heavens. The preacher who adheres closely to the written Word of God need never fear that he will become a purveyor of dull or tire some platitudes. In this Word he is drink ing from the very fountainhead of original ity. No one ever accused our Lord of lack ing originality; men were astonished at His teaching. They declared that no man ever spake as He spake. At times, they sought to stone Him for His words. But they never accused Him o f being dull, nor did they sleep under _His preaching. Yet He says: “I spake not from myself.” Repeated ly in the great crises of His life, He rested upon Old Testament Scripture for His wis dom, His strength, and His rock of defense. We can do no better than to follow Him. It is just here that the Protestant world has split from end to end. Has God re vealed Himself to men? And is this Reve lation written in Scripture? Or must the race slowly evolve the knowledge of God out of its own heart and consciousness ? Between these two viewpoints there can be no compromise. Tw o different worlds have clashed; and the two factions do not even
sacrifices you must make in order to become ministers of the cross. I am not unfamiliar with them. Sacrifices there have been, and must be. But I find that in the presence of this Saviour of mine, all of my sacrifices become as nothing, yes, less than nothing. When I hear Him Say, “The foxes have holes, and the birds o f the air have nests; but the Son o f man hath not where to lay his head,” I find that I am unable to speak of my losses and my sacrifices. They tell us that today many splendid young men and women are hesitating to yield their lives to Christian service because of the great personal sacrifice involved. I answer seriously, "Let them hesitate.” For the ministry of Christian service is a call ing which begins and ends in sacrifice. It thrives and finds its highest glory in the midst o f sacrifice. It declines and grows feeble when there is no need for sacrifice. Do not misunderstand. Certainly, the “ laborer is worthy of his hire.” And I would be the first to censure a people who would permit their ministers and mission aries to suffer privation while they them selves lived in luxury and ease. But I de clare to you, nevertheless, that it will be a sorry day when we shall have so adjusted matters that men can enter the ministry of the gospel at no cost to themselves. I I I . Jesus Christ Was Sent info the World, Not to be the Originator of His Own Mes sage, but to Speak Only Those Words Which W ere Given Him by the Father. This is one of the startling things about Jesus Christ. If any preacher was ever qualified to originate his own message, sure ly it was Christ. He was the Second Per son of the Triune God. In Him were hid all the treasures of infinite wisdom and knowledge. Yet He chose to enter the world as an empty vessel, utterly dependent upon the Father at all times for His message. He was the most original preacher that ever lived, yet He was not the Originator of the things He taught. W e have His own word for this: “For I spake not from my self, but the Father that sent me, he hath given me a commandment, what I should
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