Tell It

How can any man possess the pearl of great price and yet fail to share it?

E. E.  Cleveland is an associate secretary  of  the Ministerial Association

THE  early disciples took literally the commandment  of  Jesus to  go  to  all  nations,  making  disciples  (Matt.  28:18- 20),  and  they  accomplished  their work so thoroughly and swiftly that the whole earth  heard the  gospel  within the  first century.

At  different  times  in  our history the church  lapsed  into  evangelistic  lethargy.  Competing  programs  have  at times robbed the church of her evangelistic  fervor.  A  favorite  tool  of  the  enemy  was  and  is  to  divert  the  church from her evangelistic mission by inducing her to  often  settle  for lesser  priorities. Not a few churchmen have believed that the church should settle for being a shining  example  of  the  character  of Christ,  divested of  all aggressive proselytizing.

Had  the  church  heeded  this  static philosophy,  its growth through the centuries  would  have  been  far  more  severely  retarded.  However,  the  church by  its  very  nature  is  an aggressive  society  of  saints.  As a motivating force it has  not  only  the  commandment  of  its Founder  but  the  power  of  indwelling love  and  the  naming  passion  of  living faith.

When  the  church  was  established  in the  earth,  it was  not  immediately  evident that it would survive. It is true that our Lord had said, "Upon this rock I will build  my  church;  and  the  gates  of  hell shall  not  prevail  against  it"  (Matt. 16:18).  But  the  spirit  beings  behind those  "gates"  were  apparently unaware of the truthfulness of these words  since their  warfare  against  the  church  from its inception has been unremittent.

The  greatest  crisis  of  confidence  surrounded the  church's  greatest triumph, and the focal point of this crisis was the cross.  For when Christ died, disappointment and disillusionment characterized the  early  members  of  the  church.  The original preachers forsook Him and fled, and  for  days  crouched  in terror behind locked  doors  fearful  that  what  happened  to  their  Lord  might  happen  to them.  They  saw  Jesus  taken  in  Gethsemane.  A  few of them ventured to His trial.  In amazement they followed hesitatingly  as  He  made  His  way  up  Golgotha.  Only  one  of  them  remained  for the final hours  of  His passion.

When Christ died on the cross the disciples  felt  that  His  work  had  come  to an end.  It is incredible that they misunderstood  His  many  predictions  of  His death.  It  is  strange  indeed  that  they could  live  with  Him  for  nearly  three years  and  understand  so  little  of  His mission.  They  still  clung  to  the  belief that  He  would  establish  a  temporal kingdom,  put  the  Roman  conqueror  in his place,  and exalt the throne of David as the source  of  wisdom, might, and authority  for  the  whole  world.  A  few  of them had been given intimate glimpses of  our  Lord's  true  nature,  as  on  the Mount  of  Transfiguration,  but  in  the press  of  all  the  crucifixion  tensions, these  scenes  of  glory  were  driven  from their  memory  and  they  fled  in  terror from all association with the Son  of the living God.

But  this  was  not  for  long,  for  there occurred an event that was to make the total ministry of  our Lord while  on this planet  extremely  significant.  He  who had power to lay  down  His life,  took  it up  again.  Christ  arose  from  the  dead and is alive forevermore. The transcendent significance of this event, occurring within  the  gray  of  dawn  that  far-off Sunday  morning,  was  to  illumine  the past, the present,  and the future.  It literally  resurrected  the  dying  church, and  when  the  awareness  of  what  had happened  dawned  upon  the  disciples they were  ready then to preach the gospel.  They  were  prepared to  come  out of hiding  and  declare  again  their  allegiance  to  the  Galilean.  No  longer  were they  ashamed of Him and of His teachings.  They  would  become  the  proud bearers  of  the  glad tidings  of  great joy to  all  people!  They  literally  had  to  be restrained. The knowledge of the resurrection transformed them, but Jesus had said,  "Tarry  ye  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on  high"  (Luke 24:49).

You see, the work of the church would go  beyond that of  setting an example in Christian  character.  It would  be  an aggressive  warfare  against  the  battlements of hell.  It would be laying siege to the kingdom of  evil. It would be tearing down the  altars of Baal.  It would be an assault  against the  citadel  of  iniquity. It  would  be  a  restoration  of  the  kingdom  of  God  on  earth.  It  would  entail blood,  sweat,  and  tears,  and  for  some, martyrdom,  but  the  influence  of  the good news must be ever extending until the gospel be preached to every creature.

For  this  aggressive  task  they  were promised:  "But  ye  shall  receive  power, after that the  Holy Ghost is come  upon you:  and ye  shall  be witnesses unto me both  in  Jerusalem,  and  in  all  Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part  of  the  earth"  (Acts  1:8).  It  would be  through the mysterious union of the divine with the human that this super human  task  would  be  accomplished. Here  is  envisioned  no  "evangelism  by example"  program  but  rather  an  invasion  of  virgin territory with the  gospel of  Christ,  coupled  with  "example  living."

This  would  require  first,  committed persons.  The  commission  of  Matthew 28:19 was given to human beings. There is  a  tendency  to  depend  on  plans  and programs and organizational units. Now these things  are  good  by their very nature.  However,  the  gospel  commission was  given  to  people,  and  people  must respond with hearts and lives. The Lord is waiting to hear from the lips of every believer  the  precious  promise,  "I  do." The  words  of  Isaiah  must  become  the universal language of the church, "Here am I;  send me."

While angels are capable of spreading the  gospel,  and,  indeed,  the  first  proclamation  of  good  news  came  from  the lips of an angel when our Lord was born in Bethlehem, it is equally true that be cause  men  share  a  common  humanity, the progress of the gospel is best served by  divinity working through humanity. 

 

Second,  the  gospel  commission  requires committed  resources.  In the complex times to which we have come,  economics has become a major factor in the spreading  of  the  gospel  of  Christ.  It is difficult, if not impossible, to travel long distances  without  material  resources. Therefore  the  saints  of  God  must  commit  not  only  their  lives  but  their  re sources  to  the  promulgation  of  the gospel.

Third,  it  involves  visionary  leader ship.  Yes,  the leadership  of  the church must  be  able  to  grasp  the  untried  and the  untested.  While  it  is  necessary  to apply  business  principles  to  the  economics in the  spread of the gospel,  this is  certainly  no  time  for  the  business man's  point  of  view  as  it relates to  the extension  of  the  evangelistic  cords. "Binding  rules  and  cautious  methods" must  not  limit  the  faith  concept  of church leadership.  If  this is  allowed to happen, the spread of the gospel will assume  the  pace  of  the  proverbial  racing snail,  as, indeed, it has."

Every Convert a Convert Maker"

To  fulfill  her  commission,  the church must divest itself of the concept adopted during the Middle Ages of the spread of the  gospel  by  the  vested  clergy  alone. The  original  gospel  commission  had "every  convert  a  convert  maker,"  and it  was  the  solemn  duty  of  every  practitioner of the Christian faith to become a purveyor of the same. This evangelistic fervor receded as the church entered the  second  century,  and finally reached a  point  during  the Middle  Ages  where the  Bibles  were  chained to  the  podium and  only  the  clergy  were  regarded  as qualified teachers of the faith.

In the initial stages of reformation it seemed  that  the  church  would  once again  become  a  society  of  witnessing saints,  as  little  children,  inspired  by the Holy Spirit, proclaimed the words of life. But with the passage of time, lay involvement  became  a  historical  antique and  Protestantism  assumed  the  hierarchical  form  as  less  and less  were the claims  of  evangelism  pressed  home  to the  individual  church  member's  con science. The work of the church has been greatly  impeded  by  this  empirical  concept.  The  enrichment  of  the  human spirit, of the joy  of the Lord,  and power in  the  life,  have  largely  deserted  the hearts of the saints because their experiences  have  become  static  and  they are not  "faith  sharers."  The  church  today seems to be "stalled." If we are to get going  again we must begin with all haste to  reorient its membership to the  soulwinning concept.

Finally,  the  spirit  of  evangelism  is residual  in  the  degree  of  personal  appreciation  one  has  for  the  gospel  of Christ. If, indeed, his soul has been thoroughly  captured by the love of  God and if  he  has  experienced freedom  from guilt and strength to live the Christ life that the gospel offers, the Christian will not  be  lacking  in  inspiration  as  it  relates to  faith sharing. He will need only education  in  the  witnessing  method.

The miracle  of  divine  grace  accomplishes  transformation  of  life  and  alteration of life-style in the new believer. Selfishness  is  replaced  by  selflessness, and concern for others dilutes the Christian's concern for himself. A consecrated restlessness  characterizes  the  true  believer.  He  is  not  content  to  merely "keep  the  faith,"  he  becomes  a  part  of the  gospel  contagion, and he  recognizes that "spreading the  spiritual infection" is his business.

It is a mystery to this writer how any man can possess the pearl of great price, understanding  its  benefits  to  the  receiver,  and  yet  fail  to  share  it,  for the gospel  is  the  only true  source  of  happiness  in  this  miserable  world,  and  the love of God that it advertises constitutes the only source of mental and emotional stability.  Ultimately, it will  solve  all of man's problems. Christ is indeed the answer whatever the question.

Holy Spirit at Work

During  more  than  thirty-three  years of  Christian ministry, I have witnessed the Holy  Spirit at work in human lives. I  have  seen  alcoholics  become  sober, drug  addicts  delivered,  broken  homes mended, and the healing of juvenile and other forms of  adult delinquency.

But the  benefits  of  the  gospel  extend beyond  the  here,  for  the  blessed  hope extends beyond the grave. The Christian has hope of life in the hereafter. There is a heaven to  gain! And the joys pictured in the  Scriptures  that await the  saints are  enough to  fire  the imagination and rekindle  hope  in  human  hearts.  There are many who have abandoned the here after  for  the  here.  To  all  such  I  would quote  the  apostle  Paul,  "If  in this  life only you have hope in Christ, we  are of all men most miserable" (1  Cor.  15:19). Fired  by  the  Spirit  of  God  and  filled with the grace of God, what else can the true believer do  but  tell it?

 

E. E.  Cleveland is an associate secretary  of  the Ministerial Association

March 1976

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