..and use words if necessary!
The Perth Diocese of the Anglican church has employed an evangelist! Her name is Alison Gilchrist and she comes from Hull in the UK. [You Poms can have fun teaching us how to say Hull]Alison is a great lady drowning in a new culture for which she has been poorly prepared – so pray for her right now!I know she is a great lady because we interviewed her for our Associate position here at St Philips. We were a bit too established for her. Her background is more impoverished urban underclass – the lost, last and least. We didn’t reject her, she lovingly and graciously rejected us. Alison sent me an article during the week by one Ed Stetzer, an edited version of which I publish for your reflection:“There's a popular saying often repeated by Christians. It has found new life on Facebook and Twitter. Maybe you have even uttered these words, commonly attributed to Francis of Assisi: "Preach the gospel. Use words if necessary." I think we can appreciate what many are getting at when they say something like this. As Christians, we should live in such a way that our lives point to the person and work of Jesus.However, good intentions cannot overcome two basic problems with this quote and its supposed origin. One, there is no authoritative record of Francis ever saying it, and two, the quote is not biblical. "Preach the gospel; use words if necessary" goes hand in hand with a postmodern assumption that words are finally empty of meaning. It subtly denigrates the high value that the prophets, Jesus, and Paul put on preaching. Of course, we want our actions to match our words as much as possible. But the gospel is a message, news about an event and a person upon which the history of the planet turns. And this is the real problem -- not from whom the quote originally came, but just how it gives us an incomplete understanding of the gospel and how God saves sinners. Christians are quick to encourage each other to "live out the gospel, yet the gospel isn't anything that Christian can live out, practice, or become. The Apostle Paul summarised the gospel as the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, through whom sin is atoned for, sinners are reconciled to God, and the hope of the resurrection awaits all who believe. The gospel is not habit, but history. The gospel is the declaration of something that actually happened. And since the gospel is the saving work of Jesus, it isn't something we can do, but it is something we must announce. We do live out its implications, but if we are to make the gospel known, we will do so through words. No, it is not the only task God has given us, but it is central. A godly life should serve as a witness for the message we proclaim. But without words, what can our actions point to but ourselves? Paul thunders, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher? (Rom. 10:13-14). So…
- Let your gospel words be comprehensible. Those who value theological dialogue, must also make certain they are comprehensible. I find it ironic that some who love the Puritans sometimes betray the Puritan practice of speaking "plainly." Gospel words should be offered in simple, plain language.
- Let your gospel words be earnest. We communicate that the gospel is a serious matter because it is a serious matter. I'm not suggesting that everyone should have the same temperament, but I am saying that life-saving "good news" should be offered with sobriety, sincerity, and zeal. No one listens to proclamation about serious issues presented in frivolous ways. When preaching Christ, we need clarity and sincerity.
- Let your gospel words be heard outside the local church. Making disciples means giving the gospel to those outside the church. This requires us to know the message and be comfortable enough with it to share it winsomely. The best gospel message is often our own story of what Jesus did to bring you to faith.
- Let your gospel words be heard inside the local church. The gospel should be spoken in the church because even the redeemed can drift back toward the opposite temptations of legalism and lawlessness.
One of the most important things a Christian does is to redirect other Christians back to Jesus though the good news of the gospel and so the unbelievers visiting among us can hear how precious it remains to our lives. The gospel requires, demands even, words. So let's preach the gospel, and let's use words, since they're necessary. May they be clear and bold words that call those inside and outside the church to experience Jesus’ love and choose to follow him.
Thanks Alison,
Malcolm