The Work of Shepherds (7)

Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Acts 8.4

Christianity and Liberalism
J. Gresham Machen (1881-1937)
“…the Christian way of salvation is narrow only so long as the Church chooses to let it remain narrow. The name of Jesus is discovered to be strangely adapted to men of every race and of every kind of previous education. And the Church has ample means, with the promise of God’s Spirit, to bring the name of Jesus to all. If, therefore, this way of salvation is not offered to all, it is not the fault of the way of salvation itself, but the fault of those who fail to use the means that God has placed in their hands.”

The “come/see” attitude of many churches toward their neighbors makes the Gospel a narrow rather than a broad way. Instead of actively and consistently seeking the lost – as Jesus did (Lk. 19.10) – we try to encourage the lost to seek us, and we make adjustments and adaptations to our worship and church life so as to minimize the obstacles to their finding their way in. If the only way someone can hear the Good News is by coming to church, that’s a very narrow approach to evangelizing the lost. If instead we equip our people to go everywhere talking about Jesus, testifying about His grace, speaking of His Kingdom and rule, giving a reason for the hope that is within them, and calling on others to consider Him, then we have considerably broadened the ways that people may come to the Lord. The gate to eternal life is narrow, but the way must be broad. We must begin to recover our “go/tell” paradigm for reaching the lost, and the shepherds of the Lord must lead the way (cf. Jn. 10.16).

How are you training and leading your people to go everywhere preaching the word?

T. M. Moore

Introduction to Spiritual Theology
Whatever we’re trying to build in the Name of the Lord – our souls, congregations, or movements – if we do not follow the Kingdom agenda of our Lord, we will not realize the promises He holds out to us. How does the Gospel of the Kingdom affect an individual believer, a local church, and the culture and times in which that congregation exists? We address this question in our course, Introduction to Spiritual Theology. It’s free and online, and you can study at your own pace. To learn more or to register, click here.

The Fellowship of Ailbe is supported through the generous and faithful gifts of those who benefit from and believe in our work. Does the Lord want to use you in this way? Please look to Him in prayer over this question. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the Contribute button at our website, or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452. Thank you.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.All quotations from J. Gresham Machen, Christianity and Liberalism(Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1923, 1974).