ceived Christ Jesus the Lord,” that is, in the same way that we received Him, by transferring the confidence we had in ourselves, or in others, to Him, we must now continue. Our best efforts were not enough to save us, nor are they enough to carry us through day by day in service for Christ. At no time can any of us afford to lose our hold on total de pendence upon His fulness. The mo ment a servant of Christ begins to rely upon his own accomplishments, he can expect trouble (Gal. 3:3). Christ’s fulness for service is il lustrated effectively for us in His miracle of feeding the five thousand. To the best of my knowledge, this is the only one of our Lord’s miracles which is recorded in all four Gospel records (Matt. 14:15-21; Mark 6: 30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14). This at once suggests that there is something of importance that we should not overlook. After reading all four accounts, it seems that our Lord, weary from much work, sought solitude for rest, quiet and prayer. However, when He saw the multitude following after Him, instead of being disturbed by the interruption, he was moved with compassion. Matthew, Mark, and Luke make mention of the fact that the disciples requested Christ to send the crowds away. They too were weary, and no doubt limited in their material resources, and would there fore have welcomed a respite from their labor. But the great Provider, in whom all fulness dwells, would not allow the multitude to go away hungry. Out of His fulness He will provide sufficient food for the hungry crowd. But more than this, He will teach His servants that He is their sufficiency for the service of life. The disciples saw the obstacle in the pos sibility, and therefore talked only of their limited resources and how im possible it was to feed so many with so little. Jesus saw the possibility in spite of the obstacle, fed the mul titude, and then showed His faith
wise a growing tendency on the part of Christ’s servants toward discour agement and defeat. In the past five years I have been in touch with more than a score of missionaries and pastors who simply quit their Chris tian activity to return to secular work. One medical doctor returned from the mission field to set up a private practice at home because of “inadequate financial support,” as he himself stated it. A pastor resigned his church to teach school for more money. Another pastor left the min istry to work in an automobile fac tory because he could not take the pressure of the pastorate. Now God only is the Judge of His servants, and each of us must answer for him self at the Judgment Seat of Christ. However, I feel compelled to share with you a verse in the Colossian passage which we have been study ing: “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him” (Col. 2:6). Our continuing in serv ice for Christ is based upon the same prin ciple as our entrance into the family of God. “As ye have therefore re-
Dr. Samuel H. Sutherland(left), Biola president, meets with Rev. BernardTravaille,pastor the First Baptist Church of La Crescenta, at a recent gathering on the campus. Pastor Travaillehas completed two decades of min istry in the church and has seen if grow to some 1500 members. Dr. RayA. Myers, Biola Board Chairman, is a member of the congrega tion.
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