The Gospel - Its Ministry Today

by Toms, A. F. | Category: The Gospel And Its Ministry | Dec 1979

On the wall of the visitors' gallery at the U.S. Air Force academy in

Colorado Springs is an excerpt from a poem entitled "The coming

American" by Samuel Walter Foss.

"Bring me men to match my mountains;

Bring me men to match my plains -

Men with empires in their purpose,

And new eras in their brains.

Bring me men to match my prairies,

Men to match my inland seas,

Men whose thought shall pave a highway

Up to ampler destinies.

Pioneers to clear Thought's marshlands,

And to cleanse old Error's fen;

Bring me men to match my mountains

Bring me men!"

A former chief of staff chose the first three words of the poem as a slogan and wrote them in large letters above the battle ramp arch. Under them walk each day some 4,000 cadets in training for the service of their country, eloquent reminder that the poet's words have not been without their appeal.

God is looking for men, too. He always has been. But sometimes the appeal from heaven's throne finds little response in human hearts. "I have no man like-minded" wrote Paul of Timothy, "for they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ. But ye know the proof of him, that, as a child serveth a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the gospel" (Phil. 2:20-22).

As we come to the final article in our series "The Gospel and its Ministry" we do well to reflect upon the importance of men if the message is to be carried out as God intends it should be. God has placed the treasure of the gospel in the earthen vessel and in every age therefore He has been looking for men who, like Gideon's three hundred pitchers, are prepared to be broken themselves that "the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ" may shine out through them. The apostle Paul was always on the lookout for such men, and glad to link with him in service any who were willing to yield themselves to the task.

As an aged veteran, Paul the apostle, knowing that the time of his

departure had come, wrote to encourage the young man Timothy, and the second epistle to Timothy is full of instruction for young men in whose hearts burns the message of the gospel. "Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my gospel" (2 Tim. 2:8). It was like a battle cry, breathing strength and encouragement into the heart of this good soldier of Christ Jesus. The One he served and of whom he preached was risen from the dead and alive in the power of an indissoluble life. And He was of the seed of David, too, and therefore destined to sit upon David's throne when He comes to take His power and reign. What could be more calculated to encourage any young preacher than the knowledge that despite the powers of evil which are opposed and the indifference of human hearts, he served in a cause which could never fail, for Christ must reign "till He hath put all His enemies under His feet"?

In a recently published booklet Dr John Stott poses the question "What is an evangelical?" and in his answer he emphasizes the fact that the two hallmarks of an evangelical's faith are the' supreme authority of the Scriptures and the centrality of the gospel. With his conclusion we wholly agree, but we would remind our readers that the gospel which Paul described as "my gospel", presented the Lord Jesus not only as Saviour, dying to bear away our sins, but also as Lord, coming to reign, and now living to claim the obedience of believing hearts. The apostolic preachers never forgot that all authority in heaven and on earth belonged to the glorious Leader who had sent them forth. His command was to make disciples of all the nations, baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and then to teach them all things whatsoever He had commanded them. To that charge they were faithful.

"God hath made him both Lord and Christ" preached Peter to the Jews on the day of Pentecost. "He is Lord of all" was his message in the home of Cornelius to the first group of Gentiles to be reached with the Word. And in both cases those who responded were baptized in water in acknowledgement of the fact that Christ was Lord of their lives. Afterwards it is specifically recorded of the Jewish converts that they continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.

This was the gospel they preached in the first century and it holds good {or today. The Great Commission of Matthew 28 has never been repealed. Those who would be true to the Lord Jesus must hold to it. This may not be popular among all who claim to be evangelical in their faith, but popularity is not the criterion by which truth is judged. In the churches of God, which are responsible for the monthly publication of this magazine, we believe that an acknowledgement of the supreme authority of the Scriptures involves that we stand for all that the Scriptures teach. Clearly, God "willeth that all men should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4). His desire for all men is that they should not only be saved and joined to Christ as members of His Body, but also gathered among a people who are described as being for His Name (Acts 15:14). For both these purposes Christ gave His life, as Ephesians 5:25 and Titus 2:14 make clear.

We pause for a moment to make our position clear. Many have asked why we remain separate in our service from other evangelical believers. The question is a proper one and we value the opportunity to explain that it is not because we disregard them. On the contrary we love all our brethren and sisters who are joined with us in Christ, and we have much in common with them. We are closely linked in eternal bonds. But love to our Lord Jesus involves obedience to His Word, and in obeying the word of Christ we find that our paths separate. It has been our privilege now for more than 90 years to present to fellow-believers, through the pages of this magazine, what we understand to be involved in obeying all things whatsoever He has commanded us.

In regard to our fellow-believers we remember that the Lord Jesus taught that "he that is not against us is for us" (Mark 9:40), and we thank God for all who love Him and are making Him known throughout the world. There are many who are against us, of whom the Lord Jesus also spoke, "he that is not with Me is against Me" (Matt. 12:30). We serve in a day when heresies abound on every hand. Of the philosophy of their adherents Paul forewarned us, that it is "after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ" (Col. 2:8). They normally have a common factor that they deny the deity and eternal Son ship of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we watch the rapid advance many are making we are the more thankful for all our brethren who preach Christ insincerity. Therein we rejoice. We take the opportunity of greeting all such among our readers, and may we gently remind you that as there were those who were against Christ and those who were for Him, He also spoke of another group who were with Him. "Ye are they which have continued with Me in My temptations", He said (Luke 22:28). They abode in His Word and they were His disciples (John 8:31). Some were not prepared to go as far as that. Of certain of His teaching they said, "This is a hard saying; who can hear it?" and they "went back, and walked no more with him" (John 6:60,66). We trust that this will not be too hard a saying for our readers today, but remembering that He taught us to observe all things that He has commanded, we shall seek His help to do that very thing ourselves, and then teach it to others.

The book of the Acts is our textbook if we would learn from the methods of the early disciples. It is an interesting study to note how many times "the word of God" is mentioned, or simply "the Word". They testified to it (Acts 8:25), preached it (8:4), proclaimed it (13:5), taught it (18:11), and reasoned it (17:2). They worked to convince the minds as well as to persuade the hearts of all who heard, and always with the same goal in view, that men and women, young and old, might become obedient to the word of the Lord.

We live in changing and challenging days, days of technological progress, and this very progress offers new opportunities in the effective communication and presentation of our message. But let us ever remember that our responsibility is to present the word of the Lord. His word alone is living and active, and through it the Holy Spirit works in human hearts. "Preach the word" is the solemn charge which comes down to us today, and there is no substitute for it. God is looking for men who will with all diligence present themselves as workmen who will handle aright the word of truth; men who will be the Lord's messengers in the Lord's message; men who love the secret place, and therein, upon their knees, receive the message from the Lord, and then speak it forth in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The work will be demanding and calls for the best we have to give. The message we are called to preach is nothing less than "the gospel of God concerning His Son" and the very dignity of it demands that we yield ourselves wholly and without reserve. The call comes from heaven's throne, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Over the centuries it has lost nothing of its urgency or of its appeal. Men who have seen the King, the Lord of hosts, are the sort of men required; men who are in touch with heaven's throne, whose lips and lives have been touched with the live coal from off the altar; men who will not fear to speak the word that God gives, whatever the cost; and men who will never turn back till the task is done. "Bring me men" is the earnest call. Will you be one of them?

Toms, A. F. | Dec 1979
The Gospel And Its Ministry