The Ohio Independent Baptist, July 1961

July, l 961 lllsti:.1(1 \ l ,1 tit, <)lil>t1nl 11,t',,,1g' <ltl 1):1 1 (' , ( tl11\ 111<>t1Ll1 . 1, t tt~ r 'r1cl \,\ 1 l1al t,, c> of 01 1r l11t \,,,lt'iatic 11 11,1,t<)l~ l,n,~ l () , ,t\ .111cl tl, ' 11 1)1 ,l)' fc>r r '\' i , 1.) j t l, l 1 t' ~11 itl'\l)l l '" tl \ll)()ll 11\t' l l' t ll t l \\ itl1 l\ll l'llll)ll,\ l \(.' l)l ("'~~lll l' tl1,1t tl1t:r' :1rc so 111a11, tl1111g.., tl1at clc111n11 l ot1r t1111c. ot11 t'tl rg, , n11cl t1r nttc11tior1. It 1" .1l ·(1 tr\tC. 110,, - e, ·cr tl1,1t ,,,l1t1t ,,, tl11111' i. 1111port,111t a11 l ,,,l,at ,, t: dC', 1r t<1 do \t. t1all} de– tl"'r111i11rs tl1c t'Ot11 C' of ot1r actio11. RcL C'11tl)' 111 our \\.ed11e dn)' nigl1t ot1l-\\ i1111i11g ot11 <;ti.. ,, notecl t]1at it 1 relial)l, csti111ated that 95% of ttll l1ri.. t1a,1" }1,1, e 11e, er lecl a si11gle -ot1l t<.1 l1ri -- t T11,1t 111ea11 , tl1at 111,r ~c of all bo1,1-agai11 b clie, ·ers • ~,re lo111g tl1e job of leading p eople t o tl1e a.,·ior. \:\·e certainl)· need to get the ot1l-\, i1111i11g l1abit. This is 11ot ~0111etl11ng for "a elect ed fewn bl1t e, er,· Chri tian ha b een com- 111i ~ io11ed b)· l1rist, equipped \\rith the \\.01d. a11d e11abled b)y the Hol)y ... pirit to enter i11to tl1i bles ed min– ~ tn·. The tor,· i tolcl of a11 ancie11t king • in a fom1er en1pire ,,·ho had decreed that a certain criminal ,vas to die b~ ha11g1ng on the gallo,,ls. The <la,· a11d }1ot1r for the execution ,vas • fixed On tl1e da)' the execution ,, a to take place, the mother of the condem11ed n1an ,\·as able t o gain entrance to the throne of the king and there sl1e pleaded the cause of her son. Her plPa for his life \\ 1 as ,c1 {' loc1t1 11t ,111cl o co1npa sio11atc tl,at tl1 ki11g \\ra n10 eel t o gr,111t a 11ardo11. ,alling for a parchme11t ,111cl hi golden p e11, he instantly ,vrot ot1 t tl1e pardon. Tl1en tl1 kii1g called one of his 11 arby ervants and placed the doct1- me11t in his hands ,vith the charge that it be delivered to the execu– tioner, in order that the life of the condemned man might b e saved. The sen 1 an t tucked the pardon in his pocket and hurriedly went on ]Ji ,vay to deliver it to the intended p erson. As he jaunted along the thorough– {are, he encountered a gay cro,vd of people ,vho vvere ,vatching the amus– ing p erformance of a clown. The gaiety and laughter of the multitude captivated the servant's attention. He stopped to en joy the ent ertain– ment for a while, l1e looked and laughed ,vith the rest of the com– pany- in fact , h e b ecame so intrigued and enthralled by the entertainment of the clo\.\n a11d gaiety of the crowd that he completely forgot to deliver the message that had b een entrusted to l1im by the kii1g. Suddenly, r e– membe1mg his important mission, he hurried to tl1e executioner, only to find that he was too late-the prisoner l1acl be 11 exectt tcd on tl1 ~ i;allovvs. The 11ext momi11g the king learnecl that the prison r had b een executed rather than pardoned . Horror strick– C'n and astonishecl, h e orderecl the servant who had b een e11trusted ,, ith the delivery of the pardo11 into his presence for an explana tion. The feeb le excuse of the trembling man vvas, ' 'I laughecl with the crowd at the entertainment of a clown." Hear– ing this , the king ordered the un– faithful servant to die on the same ~allows becat1se of his inexcusable neglect of duty. You may sa)' , " "\i\ 7 ell, that's only a story," Yes. that may b e true ; but it is a story ,vith a very p ertinent and pt1ngent point. WE, AS SEr A TS OF GOD, HA \ 7 E BEE E1 - TRUSTED \VITH A PARDO FOR THE LOST \VORLD, a p ardon '\Vrought out by Jesus Christ on Cal– vary's Cross. Let 's ask the Spirit of God to open our eyes and our hearts as ,ve r ead II Cor. 5: 18 and 19: "God ... hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hatli given to us the ministry of recon– ciliation; To wit, that God vvas in Christ, r econciling the world unto }1imself . . . and hath committed ttnto us the word of reconciliation.'· THOMAS S. WRIGHT ASKS: ''I S EFFECTIVE PREACH ING PAST?'' Let me a k ,·ot1 ministers of the • \\~ord a pert111e11t qt1e tio11: "'Ho\\ m11ch n1ore ,, 1 ot1lcl a fe\\ 1 goocl a11d fen·e11t 1ne11 affect the mi11istr\ 1 tl1a11 • a 111ultitl1cle of lt1ke\, 1 ar1n ones?,, I \ .. tial1 l1ad l1is ,, 1 oe of (·011fessio11. 1 ~ l1e aicl: '·\:\·oe 1" 1ne. for I am t111- clo11e. beca·1se I am a ma11 of t111- clea11 lips ,111c1 I d,,,ell i11 the miclst of a people of u11clean lips." Patil l1acl }1is ,,,oe of comn1issio11-"\~~oe is me if I preach 11ot the Gospel." Yet 11eitl1er of these n, 1 0 men had a greater co11cept of the magnitucle of the task that confro11ted them than l-licl1ard Baxter of Enaland. H e \\as taunted for being id]e. Listen as h~ a1_s,,·ers their taunts. "The ,, 1 orst I \,,ish , 1 ou is that ., ,,,ou had m,· case, instead of vot1r • • • labor. I take the labor of most tradesmen in the to\vn to b e a pleas– t1re to the body in compari 011 t o mi11e, thot1gh I \\rould not exchange places \Vith the1n for all tl1ey possess . Their labor preserv·eth health, a1 cl 1nine co11st1n1eth it. Thev \\'Ork i11 ., ease, a11cl I in co11tinual pai11 . They ha\·e l1ot1rs a11d clays of recreation ; I l1a\·e scarce time to eat i111cl clrink. ~ o one 1nolesteth tl1em for their labor; bt1t the more I do , the more I a1n hated and the more trouble I bring t1po11 myself." There is something of 1 e\v T e ta- 1nent sot1l culh1re about that atti– tucle to,,Tard preaching. A genera– tion of such preachers \vould rescue tl1is generation of sinners from the greedy mouth of a yawning hell. We may ha,,e an all-time high in church attenda11ce, but \vith a correspond- ing all-time lo,v in spirituality. We blame liberalism, modernism, athe– ism, communis1n, and other isms as seducers of tl1e people. Radio and tele– visio11 are also scape goats that get the anathe1nas of preachers. But men. let us ask our elves the question, ''Is not some of the fault ,vithin our– sel\'es?'' Has great, soul-saving preaching diecl? Is red-hot, hell– fire preaching a lost art? Have ,ve conceded to tl1e modem pressure for snack-bar sermonettes, spiced \Vith a little l1umor to tempt jaded ap– petites? Ha\'e ,ve forgotten the po\ver that is committed to our h·t1st? vVith a po,verful anointing of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul \vent to ransack Asia Minor of souls– mauling its markets, stirring its