CHURCH:
CULTURAL IMPACT; TRUTH: BOLD PROCLAMATION OF; BOLDNESS

The mission of the church is to declare, to proclaim, to witness. She has been left on earth to be a witness to certain great eternal truths which she received from God and which the world could not possibly know unless she told it.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), said Jesus to the infant church. The church was to teach and the world was to listen.…

But always the world was on the receiving end. The church spake and the world heard. Thus it was as Christ said it must be.

But hear, O ye heavens, and be astonished, O earth, for a mighty derangement has occurred in the relative position of the church and the world, a transposition so radical and so grotesque as would not have been believed if it had been foretold but a few years ago.

The church has lost her testimony. She has no longer anything to say to the world. Her once robust shout of assurance has faded away to an apologetic whisper. She who one time went out to declare now goes out to inquire. Her dogmatic declaration has become a respectful suggestion, a word of religious advice, given with the understanding that it is after all only an opinion and not meant to sound bigoted.…

The Christian must not allow himself to be entrapped by current vogues in religion, and above all he must never go to the world for his message. He is a man of heaven sent to give witness on earth. As he shall give account to the Lord that bought him, let him see to his commission.

Matthew 28:18–20; 1 Timothy 4:13–16; 2 Timothy 4:1–5

God Tells the Man Who Cares, 32, 34, 39.