Abilene Christian University Lectures - Full Text Jerry Rushford
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Abilene Christian University Digital Commons @ ACU Lectureship Books Lectureship, Summit, and Ministry Events 1984 1984: Abilene Christian University Lectures - Full Text Jerry Rushford Joe Beam John D. Gipson Dick Marcear Lynn Anderson See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/sumlec_man Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, Christianity Commons, Comparative Methodologies and Theories Commons, Ethics in Religion Commons, Liturgy and Worship Commons, Missions and World Christianity Commons, Practical Theology Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Rushford, Jerry; Beam, Joe; Gipson, John D.; Marcear, Dick; Anderson, Lynn; McNeese, Art; Hazelip, Harold; Faulkner, Paul B.; Milholland, Tom; Money, Royce; Osburn, Carroll; McCoy, Jan; and Tate, Willard, "1984: Abilene Christian University Lectures - Full Text" (1984). Lectureship Books. 57. https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/sumlec_man/57 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Lectureship, Summit, and Ministry Events at Digital Commons @ ACU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Lectureship Books by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ ACU. Authors Jerry Rushford, Joe Beam, John D. Gipson, Dick Marcear, Lynn Anderson, Art McNeese, Harold Hazelip, Paul B. Faulkner, Tom Milholland, Royce Money, Carroll Osburn, Jan McCoy, and Willard Tate This book is available at Digital Commons @ ACU: https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/sumlec_man/57 ~· ANNOUNCING ... The 67th Annual Abilene Christian University BIBLE LECTURESHIP February 17-20, 1985 Theme: "What the Church Needs to Hear" About: * The Gospel * Unity * Righteous Living * The Family * Priorities * Secularism * Church Growth CALLED TOBE SERVANTS CALLED TO BE SERVANTS being the **************************************************** Abilene Christian University Annual Bible Lectures 1984 Published by Abilene Christian University Book Store ACU Station Abilene, Texas 79699 COPYRIGHT, 1984 Abilene Christian University TABLE OF CONTENTS Main Speec hes The Servant in Adver sity, Jerry Ru shf ord .... .. .. .. .. .. ..... 9 Per ils of a Servant, Joe Beam . 28 Not to Be Served, But to Serve, John D. Gipson . 36 He Wh o Would Be Greate st, Let Him Serve, Dick Marcear ....... 52 Portr a it of a Servant, Ly nn A nderson . 64 The Servant Leader, Art McNeese . 88 Thinkin g Like a Servant, Harold Hazelip . 99 Afternoon Sessions Vital Sign s of the Abundant Life, Paul B. Faulkner . ........ 109 Marit al Pre scription s, Tom Milholland . .... ..... .... ....... 118 Gu ara nt ee for Growing Health y Familie s, Royce Mon ey ..... .. 133 The Ep istle to Titu - A Missiolo gica l Per spective, Carroll Osburn ...... .. .. .. ...... ..... ... ... .... .. 146 Featured Classes Have Thi s Mind in You , Jan McCoy ............. .. .. .... ... 180 Learning to Love , Willard Tate . ... ... ............ ..... 238 PREFACE When Jesus' · disciples argued about which one of them was the greatest, the Lord settled the dispute by laying down a new standard of greatness - the greatness of being a servant (Matthew 23:11). This is true for all those who would claim to be followers of the Master. He has called us to be SER VANTS - not CELEBRITIES. If we are to become like Him, we need to listen again and again to His words about Himself: "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). The theme speeches and other special lectures and classes presented in this volume challenge us to probe again the basic commitment of our discipleship - the commitment to become "like Him." The Lectureship Committee chose this theme because of its conviction that this is one of the pressing needs of Christians in every generation. This volume goes forth with the fervent prayer that the messages it contains may be helpful to everyone who reads, in his own determination to follow Him who came to serve and to call us to imitate Him in all of life. CARL BRECHEEN Lectureship Director Main Speeches Jerry Rushford Address: Pepperdine Uni ver ity, 24255 Pa cific Coa t Hw y., Malibu, A 90265. Family: Wife : the former Lori Pfeiffer. The y ha ve two daughter : Hilary and A shley . Education: Great Lake Christian Co llege; Michigan hri stian ollege (A.A.); Oklahoma Christian ollege (B .A .); Harding Graduate School of Religion (graduate tudie s); Abi lene Chri tia n Univer ity (M.A. and M .Di v.); arlham School of Religion (graduate studie s); Univer ity of California (P h.D.). Work: Current ly A ssoc iate Professor of Religio n, Pepperdi ne Univer ity; Director of the annua l Pepperdine Bible Lecture hip and the annual Church Leader s' Work hop; Dire ctor of Pepper d ine ' off-campu M.A. in Religion program (pre sent ly offered in Sto ckton, California, and Seattle, Wa hington). Ministry: urrent ly erve a pulpit mini ster for the Cu lver- Palm s Church of hri t in Lo s Angele . Ha ·erved a s mini ter for the following co ngregation : Hazel Park, Michigan ( 1968-7 1); Roche ter, Michigan (197 1-72); Turnpike Road in anta Barbara, California ( 1972 -78); Univer sity in Malibu , alifornia ( 1978-8 1). Other fields of special interest: Editor of the Pacifi c Church News, and erve on editorial board s of the Restora tion Quarterly and the 20th Century Chri tian. Taught at Mi higan Chri tian Col lege ( 1969-72), and in Pepp er dine ' year-in- urope program in H eide lberg, Germany ( 198 1-82) . Pre ent ly writing a hi to ry of the C hu rc he of Christ in Cal ifornia. THE SERVANT IN ADVERSITY Jerry Rushford There is nothing in the journey of life that so ac curately reveals the character of a man or woman as the manner in which they stand up to adversity. Hardship is one experience which all of us have in common. It runs through the long centuries like a crimson cord, binding all mankind into one bundle. It respects neither race nor color nor social station. It treats the person of faith precisely as it treats the person of no faith. · Oftentimes the Christian is stronger in times of adver sity than he is in times of peace. "When I am weak," writes Paul, "then I am strong." This is one of the things about the Christian message which people find very difficult to comprehend. To admit weakness, in the world's viewpoint, is the worst possible thing a person can do. But from the standpoint of the Christian faith it is the first necessary thing to do. It is as if God's strength cannot be ours so long as we lack a sense of our need for it. Paul speaks out of his own experience. As long as he labored under the delusion that his own strength was sufficient, he went from failure to despair. The vision on the Damascus road dissolved his confidence in his own strength. That was the beginning of his salvation. "Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God," Paul told the Corinthians. "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our sufficiency is from God." The strength of the Christian servant is not to be found in his own The Servant in A d versity 11 resource s, but in his relian ce on God' s unchanging faithfulne ss. There is faith in the goodne ss of God when we look at the blessings which have been showered upon us. There is the same faith in the goodne of God when the shadow s fall and we see no blessing s. There is faith when we look into the tin y face of a newborn child. There is the same faith when we look at the still form of someone we loved dearl y. In the words of John Greenleaf Whittier: Yet, in the maddening maze of thing s, And to ssed by storm and flood, To one fixed stake my spirit cling s, I know that God is good! To cover up our weakne ss is failure. To pretend to a power we do not have is traged y. But to face our weakness and hand it over to God is to find a strength we did not know wa s there. How many great book s, for example, have been written in prison! Paul wrote his let ter to the Philippian s in pri son, Samuel Rutherford and Dietrich Bonhoeff er penned their famou s letters in con finement, and John Bunyan wrote Pilgrim's Progress in Bedford Jail. The truth of Paul' s insight on strength and weakness is also evident in the history of our hymns. Many of the hymn s that communicate great strength to worshippers were written in dark and difficult day s when their authors were beset with hard ship. This is true of the following lines composed by Charles Wesley in 1739: Jesus, Lover of my soul, Let me to Thy bosom fly 12 Abilene Chri stian Univer sity Lecture s While the nearer water s roll, While the tempe st still is high; Hide me, 0 my Savior, hide, Till the storm of life is pa st; Safe into the haven guide, 0 receive my soul at last. Other refuge have I none, Hang s my helple ss soul on Thee, Leave, 0 leave me not alone, Still support and comfort me; All my tru st on Thee i stayed; All my help from Thee I bring; Cover my defen seless head With the shadow of Thy wing. There are many intere sting account s of the origin of thi s hymn, but unfortunately none of them can be pro ven.