A W itnessing M in istry “I have appeared unto thee . . . to make thee a minis ter and a witness” (Acts 26:16). To make,thee a minister! Does that mean a man dressed in clerical garb? Does that mean a man who has been approved by some human council so that he may write the word “Reverend” before his name? Does that mean a man who is identified by others as belong ing to “the Clergy” or “the Clpth” ? God forbid! A minister is one who ministers, who serves. A true minis ter is a servant of the Spirit, who becomes a clear chan nel through which the glories of the Gospel are mediated to the hearts and lives of others. Your ministry and mine is to be a witnessing ministry. This was the Lord’s last word, “Ye shall be my witnesses.” This is what He expects. This is what the world is needing. This is what alone can meet the challenge of a lost world. ^Such wit nessing must be by word of mouth reinforced by regen erate hearts and consecrated lives. Some are divinely called to preach. As long as God gives me breath, and whenever and wherever I have opportunity to do so, I want to magnify Gospel preaching. What saith the Scripture? “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching” (Matt. 3:1). “Jesus came . . . preaching” (Mark 1:14). “They that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the Word” (Acts 8:4). “For it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe” (I Cor. 1:21). There can never be any substitute for Gospel preach ing! Pageantry, dramatics, audio-visual aids, esthetic appeals, personal counselling—all these and many other things may have their place, but they cannot take the place of the plain, positive preaching of the Gospel by one whose heart is afire and whose lips are empowered by the Spirit of God. Last year at the meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Miami, Florida, I listened to Dr. Baker James Cauthen, our Secretary to the Orient under the Foreign Mission Board. He is a young man, highly trained, of keen intellect, of wonderful ability, who gave up his position as professor of missions and pastor in order that he might answer the call of God to China. He is a great preacher of the Gospel and my heart was stirred within me as he said to that great host of nearly
A man was traveling up the road one day on a jour ney from one great city to another. He was deeply reli gious and thoroughly trained. He was capable, influen tial and zealous. He was well versed in the Old Testa ment Scriptures. Personally, he was a man of high moral principles and unimpeachable conduct." Having been appointed to help stamp out a heretical sect which was causing no little embarrassment to the religious leaders of his day, and being possessed of a strong con viction that these people were blasphemous and apos tate, he went to the task of their apprehension and an nihilation with his customary vigor and determination. The day started out with no indication that it was going to be different from any other, but as he ap proached his destination, something happened, some thing which revolutionized his life, which affected the whole course of Christian history, and which shall stand as one of the significant events in world history. Here is the historian’s account: “Suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest . . . And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:3-6). Have you ever carefully considered the original form of his commis sion? It is in the same chapter, verses 15 and 16: “He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: for I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name’s safce.” Now, bear in mind that the name of Jesus was de spised, hated, held in contempt and regarded as the very epitome of all that was to be avoided. The voice that spoke said, “I am Jesus.” The messenger who came to him while he prayed said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou earnest, hast sent me.” And the Lord’s recorded com mission to him closed with the words, “How great things [how many things] he must suffer for my name’s saJce.” The same name, the name of Jesus! Long years passed by. They were years of hardship, danger, sacrifice, suffering and loss, but also of victory and glory. One day this man was called to account, and he stood before the king to answer for himself. In sim ple words, he told the story as recorded in Acts 26:13-18. But the words which challenge my heart and yours in this hour are found in verse 19, “Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.” Thank God for that! It is because of a heavenly vision received somewhere along the way that you and I are here today. Not in the same way did it come to everyone of us. In some bases, the light shined upon us as we read His Word. In some cases, the Voice spoke through a sermon delivered by pastor, missionary or evangelist. In other cases, it was the still small voice which spoke in the quietness of the night. But somewhere, somehow, “ the heavenly vision” came and “the things of earth” faded and became insig nificant and secondary after the glimpse of His face and the ringing challenge of His voice saying, “Follow me!” It is concerning this “heavenly vision” that I have come all the way across the country, from the nation’s capital to the Pacific coast, to talk with you today. The members of the Graduating Class of this great Bible-loving institution must determine whether they will be obedient to the heavenly vision. Many roads will beckon, many voices will call, many opportunities will present themselves; secondary matters will clamor for attention; alluring by-paths and by-ways will attract; temptations will abound. Blessed is the one who can say humbly and sincerely, "I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.” What is involved in it? The an swer is here in the Word. T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
Yoseraite Palls. The highest leaping waterfall in the world. Rase Ten
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