Olivet Nazarene University Digital Commons @ Olivet Preacher's Magazine Church of the Nazarene 6-1-1980 Preacher's Magazine Volume 55 Number 04 Neil B. Wiseman (Editor) Olivet Nazarene University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/cotn_pm Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, International and Intercultural Communication Commons, Liturgy and Worship Commons, Missions and World Christianity Commons, and the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Wiseman, Neil B. (Editor), "Preacher's Magazine Volume 55 Number 04" (1980). Preacher's Magazine. 564. https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/cotn_pm/564 This Journal Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the Church of the Nazarene at Digital Commons @ Olivet. It has been accepted for inclusion in Preacher's Magazine by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Olivet. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ACCENT ON CHURCH GROWTH June, July, August, 1980 s u i t a b l e Framing The Creature Who Is His Image God has created man to be a creaturely reflection of His spiritual, holy, and blessed nature. That they might be a mirror of His spirituality He gave them the understanding; that they might be a copy of His holiness and love, the will; and that they should be a vessel of His blessedness and happiness, the feelings. But then came sin. The whole man fell. His understanding was darkened (Eph. 4:18), his will became evil (John 3:19), and his feelings became unhappy (Rom. 7:24). Out of this total ruin the work of Christ now saves him. As Prophet He brings knowledge, i.e., light, delivers the understanding from sin’s darkness, and establishes the king­ dom of truth. As Priest He brings the sacrifice, cancels the guilt and thereby the consciousness of guilt, thus delivering the feelings from the crippling pressure of misery and an accusing con­ science, and establishes the Kingdom of peace and joy. As King He rules the will, guides it in paths of holiness, and establishes the kingdom of love and righteousness. Thus does His title Christ, embracing a threefold salva­ tion, become the unfolding and explanation of His name Jesus. It is because the Redeemer is the Christ, the thrice-anointed, that He is Jesus, the Savior. His threefold office sets man free in the three powers of his soul, the understanding, the feelings, and the will. A full, free, and complete salvation is introduced, so that the redemption could not be more perfect than it is. The threefold wretchedness of darkness, unhappiness, and sinfulness is met by a threefold, yet organically single salvation of enlightenment, blessedness, and holiness, and the spirituality (Col. 3:10), glorious happiness (2 Cor. 3:18), and holiness of God (Eph. 4:24) shine anew out of the creature who is His image. Erich Sauer, The Triumph of the Crucified r - Q Editorial J k by Neil B. Wiseman HN INVITATION TO YOUR FUTURE ome preachers are greeting the 1980s shoulder broken human relationships. His instructions, “Oc­ S blades first. To them the future looks like a cupy until I come,” send us out again to faithful grinning Medusa that can hardly be glanced at, let service. Look up, your future is bright. alone stared down. Worldwide double-digit infla­ Maybe your future includes the apparent destruc­ tion, accelerating energy costs, rising crime rates, tion of a dream. Perhaps you have been captured frighteningly rapid change, all coupled with a sub­ by an idea or truth that would literally revolutionize tle resistance to the gospel of Christ can add up the situation where you minister. And maybe some­ to clergy discouragement in our time. Our situation one has so undercut your vision and so questioned reminds me of a missionary’s statement that every your intentions that you cannot now turn the dream period of history has had hindering opposition but into reality. But take the long view; God still lives. the opposition keeps changing. It is true, we face If He is the Giver of the dream, He will either bring obstacles that the church has never known before. the dream into reality or challenge you with a bigger Just now I have been listening by cassette tape vision of what He can do through you. to Samuel Kamaleson’s message, “Holiness—Living Beyond Fear,” preached at the Christian Holiness Recently I overheard a conversation, “A dream Association Meeting at Olivet Nazarene College. He of months and years was dashed to dust by a bung­ reminds me that God gives us freedom from every ling brother. He could not be satisfied to squelch kind of fear, including our fear of the future. Since the dream but he went on to cast a cloud on my the power of the Holy Spirit stretches us to be­ integrity and to cause the deepest pain of my min­ come and to do something more than we can ever isterial career.” And you have people like that in do on our own, our future service for Christ and to your life experience who can shatter your dream the human family looks very bright. Real spiritual and question your motives. But no one can keep you leaders, the kind God always uses, are ready to be from dreaming a new dream. Remember those tried shaped by new experiences and forces of faith and true friends in the gospel who have been bound which make them see things they previously over­ to you by your ministry to them. No one can take looked. them from you. And with your God-given dream Perhaps your future includes the soon return of there will be others who will be won and nurtured our Lord. These could be the last days. But since by your future ministerial efforts. God as the Giver we are His possession, that possibility holds no of the dream and you the doer of the dream are fear for us. How thrilling it would be to go into still in eternal partnership; the delays are only His immediate presence from a pulpit where we temporary. Your future is bright. had been declaring the full counsel of God. What a blessing it would be to go into His presence from Unprecedented opportunities loom in the future a hospital room where we had been offering hope in of the holiness movement. At least three different the name of the Lord to the ill and the afflicted. groups of people are already eager to hear our What a glad reunion experience it would be to go message. into His presence from an altar in a revival meeting Tens of thousands of persons are among the where we had been helping a fellow beggar find world’s walking wounded because of loneliness, bread. And it might be even more enjoyable to go alienation, and divorce; the caring attitude of a into His presence from an experience of mended church that connects the Savior and the sinner is 1 the most magnetic force in the world to such folks. But they will not want to give up on spontaneity How will they hear our message of love made per­ in worship and reality of personal faith. Both of fect. these factors are a viable part of our kind of church. Our understanding of our opportunity grows So in addition to the gigantic evangelistic oppor­ when you consider another target for our message tunities we have enjoyed throughout this century, is the good people who hunger for spiritual reality we add these three additional targets in the popula­ in churches that have given their major emphasis tion who will respond to our ministry. Think of the to insignificant issues. They long to hear the whole unprecedented opportunities. Your future looks message of the Bible and to be challenged to life- bright. transformation through the power of Christ. Of Isolationalists, traditionalists, doubters, overly course, they will not be attracted by puny spiritual cautious colleagues and dream destroyers may pride or faith based on dreary duty. They want hound your steps in the future. There are a thou­ reality, and in our finest hour we know how to com­ sand nearly valid reasons for fearing the future. municate it. These kinds of spiritually serious per­ You can allow your tomorrows to be mesmerized sons would already be in our churches if they only by problems or motivated by possibilities. E. Stanley knew who we really are and if we could more effec­ Jones once wrote, “Yourself on your hands is a tively model the faith we profess. They need to know problem and a pain, yourself in the hands of God us and to see our faith in action. is a potential and a possibility.” Can you really afford And this unprecedented opportunity increases to allow anyone but God and you to shape your again when you add the thousands of serious Chris­ future ministry? tians who will eventually be burned out by the Here comes your future—are you ready to em­ emotional excesses in the charismatic movement. brace it with joy? when I consider the fact that this one phase of my QRiep and ministry is closing even as another portion opens. The ministry of the holiness churches of our time is important to me. There is so much that we can pRomise accomplish in these times. As I have traveled the church I have been impressed with the commitment This is my last issue as editor of the Preacher’s for improved ministry that I have met nearly every­ Magazine.