Preached by Rev. JAMES MACLEOD,
at St. Jude’s, Glasgow, 18th May, 1937.
“Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”—(I. Cor. iv. 1, 2).
AS we may be enabled let us bring before your notice the portion of God’s truth read in your hearing.
I. Let us point out in connection with the gospel the necessity of knowing it savingly, personally, and experimentally irrespective of what may be our position in relationship to the cause of Christ in the world. Everyone who will be saved from sin and its consequences must know the gospel for himself or herself. It is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.
II. The Apostle brings before us that those who are stewards of the mysteries of the gospel, must be faithful men.
III. They have their work, and instructions from the Lord Jesus in preaching the gospel.
IV. They must give their final account to Christ, for He is their Master, as well as their Saviour.
I. Let me draw your attention to the fact that we can never appreciate the gospel unless we know ourselves as ruined, fallen sinners.
We must be convinced of sin by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God before we can realise savingly that our sins are against an infinitely holy God. The law of God demands of us perfect obedience in our fallen state as sure as it required perfect obedience of Adam in a state of innocence. The Law of God nor His justice never changed although Adam miserably changed. It may be quite easy for some to use the word “sin” in a loose, careless manner without realising in the least measure what the awfulness of sin is. There is something inherent in sin which no finite mind can conceive, nevertheless, although there is that something in sin which is inexplicable, yet, every one taught by the Spirit of God must realise in a saving measure that he is a sinner who sinned against God not only in Adam, but in his own person. There are those who try to repudiate the truth of the fact that mankind fell in Adam at all. That is their way of trying to remove their responsibility from themselves to some other cause or reason, yet, that will never remove the guilt of sin from the conscience. That evil disposition of blaming others for our sins and crimes has followed the human race down through the ages—”the woman whom thou gavest to be with me,” said Adam. The spirit of Adam is as much in evidence to-day as ever it was and will remain so long as men are under the power of sin. The Holy Ghost alone can remove that deception from us. There are others who know full well through the teaching of the Holy Spirit that they are sinners, daily and hourly groaning under its burdens, guilt, and painful depravity. Dr. Owen said, that it was a great step in the knowledge of God to know one’s self as a sinner. Some may perhaps say: “What value can I place on that, that I know myself as a sinner”? Friend, there is an infinite difference between knowing yourself as a sinner on this side of the grave and knowing yourself as a sinner in a lost eternity! Those who have passed out of time Christless know to their eternal loss what it is to have sinned against God’s law. Men may and do trifle with sin but the justice of God shall not trifle with sinners! God’s people know that they are sinners because they have been convinced of sin, and they found out that no mere creature could remove the guilt of sin from their consciences until God revealed Himself to them in Christ as most just, merciful, and gracious in pardoning their sins through the blood of His Son. This was the remedy God provided to meet the needs of men in accordance with His justice, law, and holiness—the remedy itself is Jesus Christ and Him crucified set forth in the gospel. There is infinite efficacy in the blood of Christ to reconcile sinners to God: and all other efforts at reconciliation with an offended God will perish miserably eternally. It is not by works of supererogation as the Church of Rome teaches, or going to a priest to confess sin, or to the altars of idolatry. No! but by the precious blood of Jesus Christ applied by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God; for there is nothing so sweet on this side of heaven to the children of God than to know that there is a remedy prepared by God for their immortal souls. The gospel of the grace of God is for poor, needy, helpless sinners. It is of the utmost importance that we should know it in our hearts, minds, and experience.
Let us now briefly consider the ministry of the everlasting gospel. We can never understand the gospel nor be able to preach it unless we are born again. Every preacher of the everlasting gospel, before he can preach in accordance with the mind of God as set forth in His own Word, must be born again. It is no proof at all that you are born again to be a mere minister, an elder, or church member. That is not the new-birth; church membership is not a qualification for heaven. It is essential to be in Christ by faith otherwise you can not be a servant of Jesus Christ in the gospel ministry. There are thousands of men out to-day who prove by their conduct, and public statements that they are not in Christ because they do not believe the Word of God. If they do not believe the inspired Word how can they accept the Word Incarnate? They are hirelings, not servants of Jesus Christ. The prophet Isaiah calls them dumb dogs that cannot bark. Paul says that they are enemies to the cross of Christ. You remember how great the gospel was a mystery to you, and still is, but I mean at the time you were awakened by the Spirit of God. Could you preach the gospel then? No! As it is written; “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Neither could any of you preach the gospel until you were reconciled to God, and sent out by a divine commission to declare the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. I believe you are here to-night and that at one time in your history if any were to say to you that you should enter the ministry of the Church of Christ you would consider such a suggestion presumptuous, because you never thought of it for many a day after you were reconciled to God. Some may be commissioned immediately after they are reconciled to the Most High as is evident in the case of Paul, but his case was unique. You were quite satisfied in that heavenly calmness of soul that came through the Word of God into your whole being and life. The time came when the Lord set you apart for the work of the ministry. You might have been like Moses refusing to obey the divine command until the Lord defeated your doubts, mastered your fears, and promised you grace to sustain, support, and strengthen you for all the duties you were in honour bound to perform in connection with your holy calling. As we have said before, it is the duty of every one brought from darkness to light from the power of sin and Satan to God to tell to their fellow creatures what Christ has done for their soul. The woman of Samaria (although women have no warrant to preach), told what the Lord did for her soul and body. We read of the little girl that was taken captive from Israel and became a maid to Naaman’s wife, who had the great privilege (and her words are recorded by the Holy Spirit) of telling Naaman, the Syrian, of the great Prophet that was in the land of Israel. Was it on purpose the Holy Spirit left their history on record? Surely! Therefore, it is for us, our sons and daughters to learn from the Word of God what was done by His people in the past. Every man and woman, young and old, has the right to tell what the Lord has done for their soul: and would that this was the conversation of boys and girls, men and women in our Church and throughout the whole earth, meditating, praying to, and speaking about, Christ and His love to their souls! How few there are to-day that can speak about the love of Christ—that can speak of His love to their souls—that know the love of God to themselves as perishing sinners, and were it not for His love that they would have gone down into hell for ever—out of sight and out of mind for all eternity! It is a pitiable thing to meet men and women in the world who cannot say one word about Him whom they profess as their Saviour! How unlike the Roman, Ephesian, Colossian believers are such men and women!
Essential qualifications for a gospel ministry. The man who preaches must know the gospel, and understand it in his own soul. It is not by knowing several languages, mathematics, and all the branches of science that we can come to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus but by the demonstration of the Spirit in our souls. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity, I am become a sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing” (I. Cor. xiii. 1-2). The value of sound and liberal education to the servants of Christ is to demonstrate the truth of God to the consciences of ruined men and women. The Holy Ghost will teach the servants of Christ the best logic that was ever taught in this world. Paul was the greatest logician that the world ever saw or will see being taught of the Holy Spirit.
The best logician the world can produce is like what Isaiah describes him to be—‘Surely the princes of Zoon are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings.’
We must never be tired of preaching Christ and Him crucified. We must not tire of showing poor sinners the way from the brink of hell to the glories of heaven. There may be times when the servants of God may feel weary and tired—not tired of preaching Christ—but tired, being afraid that they do not preach Him as they ought and as they should, and indeed desire to tell more about Him who is altogether lovely. The servants of Christ can never preach enough concerning Him who is God with us; who laid down His life that we might live. It is He they preach. They love the souls of their fellow sinners—not their sins. The poor worldlings think that the servants of God hate them because they rebuke them for their sins, and warn them of the wrath of God against all ungodliness. The men who flatter their congregations and lull their souls to sleep on the brink of ruin are their worst enemies, yet poor blind sinners do not understand this. They think they are their friends. The servant of God must not associate with the world or its evil company. If an officer of His Majesty’s forces was to associate with his men unduly his authority would be gone. How much more must the servant of Christ keep aloof from the world, and its wicked associations. The servant of Christ must be qualified to declare law and gospel. It is not part truth that they must preach the whole truth. Their text book must be the Bible. They must be men of prayer, not by restraint, or after the fashion of “prayer-book” mummery. It is part of their daily life praying, and seeking the mind of the Lord in His own Word, to guide them, and to direct them in the path of duty. They must pray for all men, for kings, and all in authority, as well as for the sick, afflicted, fatherless and widows in their affliction. Their prayer is called “all manner of supplication” for all men friends and enemies. Some lecture in what they call prayers. It is most detestable even in the ears of the men and women who listen to such prayers when it is done in the name of “being engaged in prayer.” That is not prayer, it is mockery! Christ set an example before His servants and people for all time as how they were to pray. It is not a lecture but a prayer. That was a public example how men ought to pray in public. It was not a passing-time prayer, nor vain repetitions, nor lecturing to men, but a prayer directed to God. We read of the blessed Redeemer praying all night on the hill side. They who are taught of God must learn from His own Word. The Pharisees had long prayers in public, but probably none at all in private!
II. They must be faithful men.
Some of you may be thinking that it is an easy matter to be a minister of the gospel. I am not to tell you all I know for it does not concern you so much as it does some of us, but if that is your opinion, let me warn you, that you will understand differently at the Great Day of Judgment if you will not understand it in time. The man to whom it is an easy matter to be a pastor in the Church of Christ in the world, woe betide that man! for the Word of God is against him. One common distinguishing characteristic between the servants of Christ and hirelings is that the world will speak well of the latter, but they hate the true servants of Christ. I hope the woe is taken off every one of us! They must be faithful to Him that sent them to preach the gospel. It is to Him they must render their final account. Faithful to the Word of God. Faithful to the people of God. Faithful in the courts of His house. Faithful to the souls of men. They need constant supply of grace to keep them faithful to the end. It is most painful to see, and read of men who were faithful for a time in the vineyard of the Lord and then going backwards and covering their retreat by deception and irrational carnal policy. Men may cheat themselves and others; but they will not cheat the Most High by their carnal subterfuge. He shall search out their sin, however much it may be hid from the eyes of their fellow men in the world. There are thousands of men in this country to-day who profess to be servants of Christ and prove by their daily conduct that they are serving the devil, and the flesh. They may not be as profligate as they were in the days of John Knox: nor as openly profane, but, notwithstanding all that, they are publicly denying the truth of God, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. If they will not repent God will punish them in eternity. The cause of Christ is profaned in Scotland by these men. You will get no sympathy from such men nor help in any way. They would persecute you if the law of the land would allow them. They hate you. They call you bigots, narrow minded, unlearned, superstitious, obscurantists, intellectually dishonest, not decent-minded, mischievous and fanatical because you do not accept their own semi-pagan religion! They say, that they are broad-minded for Christ, His atonement, His inspired Word, the Holy Spirit, sin, hell, death, law, justice future punishment, regeneration, justification, adoption, sanctification; for the saving grace of God is not in their creed. They have framed a religion to suit the times. They must change with the times. No wonder although Romanism should be gaining ground in Britain to-day!
The servants of God must be on the watch-tower warning the people against such wicked men. It was the duty of the watchmen in Israel to sound the trumpet so that the people should prepare for the battle when the enemy was to attack them. It will be your duty to warn the people under your charge, especially the young. The dangers are great! It is required in stewards that they be faithful men, and this will keep them dependent on the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God. The Holy Spirit can unfold the mysteries of the gospel—Christ born of a woman, going down to the accursed cross of Calvary, and to the cold grave of Joseph of Arimathea. As we have said already they must be dependent on the Holy Spirit and not on human learning, so that they may pour out what is made known to them in the Word of God of the infinite riches of the gospel for the benefit of the poor and needy in Zion. This feeds the people of God when they hear about the love of God in Christ to their poor souls. The true servant of Christ must preach Christ crucified in all His adorable fulness. He is the centre, the beginning, the end of the gospel. It is an infinite Saviour, almighty, all-powerful, all knowing, all seeing, as Prophet, Priest, and King you must preach. A mere finite being would be like a Roman Catholic image. The servant of Christ needs constant supply of grace to preach Christ fully, freely, and lovingly to the people of God.
III. They have their work and instructions from the Lord Jesus in preaching the gospel.
You may not see much fruit of your labours. Let us leave the issues with the Lord. Noah did not see much fruit of his long laborious labours in the vineyard, however, the day came when he saw the Word of God fulfilled in the letter as he will see it fulfilled in the spirit yet. Men are not to be judges as to the various successes of otherwise of the servants of Christ. The Great Day of Judgment will reveal who was blessed in his labour and who was not. I am not saying but there are times when the Lord will be giving them tokens for good, and they need them, and when God will give them such tokens, it is a divine cordial to strengthen them in order to carry on; for the seed sown in love shall not return void to Him that sent it. Who can tell that the word you are preaching to-day to your congregation will show itself thirty years hence in some poor souls. Leave these things with the Lord, your duty is clear, your instructions are from heaven—preach the Word. We must not be jealous of the success of by-gone days. This is our day and if we merely look to the past we shall become stale and to the future we shall become stagnant. It is our duty to sow the seed now, or, if not now, never. Jealousy is a cruel sin; nothing can destroy it but grace. We see jealousy more openly in children. We are so crafty. We hide it. Let us be jealous about nothing but the glory of God, zealous for His truth, and cause in the world. You have to leave your success to the Lord Himself. You may be weeping and groaning like Jeremiah, so that he was called “the weeping Prophet.” The servants of God have cause to weep in our day when they see how the powers of darkness are prevailing in all directions; but although the cloud is dark, the sun is shining behind it—the Lord Jesus Christ is above the darkness, and as sure as He is behind it He will shine forth gloriously in His own good time. Nothing can heal this broken down world but the gospel. Men are trying to make peace by what is called a “League of Nations.” What madness and stupid folly! A League that refused to acknowledge publicly the Supreme Being to make and keep the peace! Nothing can bring peace, quietness, and harmony among the nations but the gospel of peace. You who know the gospel understand that thoroughly. The people of God are looking forward to the day when men shall not learn the art of war any more. They shall not require warships, machine guns, or poisonous bombs in that day. The kingdom is the Lord’s and that is what they are looking forward to. Popery shall then be cast down into hell from whence it came. When the “Harlot” of Rome shall be no more—the blasphemers, the Pope of Rome, his Cardinals, and soul-destroying priests shall be destroyed from the face of the earth. What will do that wonderful work? The gospel of the grace of God. We have our instructions, and as it came before my mind what used to be said in the War—”Carry on!” We are up against a tremendous power in our day and generation, but let us “carry on” in the strength of His grace to the last. Christ never lost a battle. He will be the victor on this field.
IV. We were to bring before your notice that when our work is finished like faithful stewards we must give in our account to our precious Master Christ.
Some of us may be trembling, and often afraid what the issues will be at last. My dear friends, you will go back to a loving Saviour—to the sweetest of all Masters. It will be welcome home. He will say: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” It is home they are going. The poor servants of Christ need rest. They were tired of sin, of Satan, and of the cold, cruel, world. They were tired of unbelief. They were tired of darkness. They were tired of fears and doubts. They were tired of their natural depravity, indwelling sin, as Owen calls it. It is but for a short moment they are here. Many a sweet moment of fellowship they had with the blessed Saviour in His Word, and with the people of God. The servants of Christ are very much alone, and apart because of the nature of their work. We may be a despised people, few in number, but our hope is in the Word of God. There will be yet a turning back to the Word of God in this land and in other lands according to His promise. We are like men in a state of siege holding the fort in the face of the most determined opposition. To yield would mean disaster. We cannot yield. We must not compromise. It is for the truth of God we are contending. May the Lord bless His own Word!