E
EarlyActs
Guest
“Doing the Lord’s Work in the Lord’s Way”
by F. Schaeffer
Highlights from F. Schaeffer’s landmark address to the National Youth Workers annual meeting, 1971:
*We are the next prophets and voice of God to our generation. We always face a very hard monolithic consensus opposed to the word of God. We dare not face this consensus in human strength but only with tongues of fire.
*Tongues of fire exist because power was granted to the risen Christ. Mt.28. The same power is intended to be passed on to believers. Lk.24 and Acts 1. Once this is obtained we are to be witnesses; we are never to go in our own power, ideas, wisdom, strength. It is obtained through absorbing the apostles teaching about Christ, and through prayer. After doing these things and waiting on God, the work of God is seen in all its various forms. Without these it is not seen.
*No convention, method, technique, conference or vogue is enough strength; only tongues of fire. There is no substitute for waiting for power.
*The 20th century is either busy and noisy or vapid Eastern mysticism. There is only true quietness after waiting on God. The greatest temptation of the 20th century is humanistic effort. The greatest loss for Christian work is when it is done humanistically. God’s work is not being done to the extent that we are operating in humanistic ways. What contrasts more with humanism, than waiting on God to “see” him at work? This is a true temptation because the problem of operating in the flesh has always been a problem.
*It is possible to serve God in the flesh and lose all our effort, to lose all spiritual impact. Don’t seek to lead (Lk.14). It is very easy to operate humanistically when trying to have more influence. Instead seek the way of the cross. Seek to sacrifice.
*The world has a ‘fire’ too that attracts all of its people. It is Madison Avenue thinking and practice. If we fight the world’s fire with a weak copy of the same, we will lose our effect as Christians and become powerless. If we seem to win a battle in the power of the flesh, we have lost. If we seem to lose a battle in the power of the Spirit, we have won. God has opposite score-keeping. The believer who keeps his integrity and truly waits on God to work has won because he has keep true and pure.
*Waiting on God does not ‘get less work done.’ If I really act as though I would get more done in human techniques in the flesh, do I really believe he is there? Christian work will not become easy by waiting on God. You will be consumed!
*Revival and reformation need each other. Like doctrine and life need each other. Are we really practicing non-humanist positions? Do we seek ways to ‘sell’ Christ like we would ‘sell’ machinery? Satan will always provide good reasons to “hurry up” and do things the humanist way.
*We must practice that God is there. We must not just believe the doctrine that God is supernatural. We must practice the fact that
God is supernatural. If we do not practice that it is God’s work, and that he is there, why should the world care what we have and have to say?
by F. Schaeffer
Highlights from F. Schaeffer’s landmark address to the National Youth Workers annual meeting, 1971:
*We are the next prophets and voice of God to our generation. We always face a very hard monolithic consensus opposed to the word of God. We dare not face this consensus in human strength but only with tongues of fire.
*Tongues of fire exist because power was granted to the risen Christ. Mt.28. The same power is intended to be passed on to believers. Lk.24 and Acts 1. Once this is obtained we are to be witnesses; we are never to go in our own power, ideas, wisdom, strength. It is obtained through absorbing the apostles teaching about Christ, and through prayer. After doing these things and waiting on God, the work of God is seen in all its various forms. Without these it is not seen.
*No convention, method, technique, conference or vogue is enough strength; only tongues of fire. There is no substitute for waiting for power.
*The 20th century is either busy and noisy or vapid Eastern mysticism. There is only true quietness after waiting on God. The greatest temptation of the 20th century is humanistic effort. The greatest loss for Christian work is when it is done humanistically. God’s work is not being done to the extent that we are operating in humanistic ways. What contrasts more with humanism, than waiting on God to “see” him at work? This is a true temptation because the problem of operating in the flesh has always been a problem.
*It is possible to serve God in the flesh and lose all our effort, to lose all spiritual impact. Don’t seek to lead (Lk.14). It is very easy to operate humanistically when trying to have more influence. Instead seek the way of the cross. Seek to sacrifice.
*The world has a ‘fire’ too that attracts all of its people. It is Madison Avenue thinking and practice. If we fight the world’s fire with a weak copy of the same, we will lose our effect as Christians and become powerless. If we seem to win a battle in the power of the flesh, we have lost. If we seem to lose a battle in the power of the Spirit, we have won. God has opposite score-keeping. The believer who keeps his integrity and truly waits on God to work has won because he has keep true and pure.
*Waiting on God does not ‘get less work done.’ If I really act as though I would get more done in human techniques in the flesh, do I really believe he is there? Christian work will not become easy by waiting on God. You will be consumed!
*Revival and reformation need each other. Like doctrine and life need each other. Are we really practicing non-humanist positions? Do we seek ways to ‘sell’ Christ like we would ‘sell’ machinery? Satan will always provide good reasons to “hurry up” and do things the humanist way.
*We must practice that God is there. We must not just believe the doctrine that God is supernatural. We must practice the fact that
God is supernatural. If we do not practice that it is God’s work, and that he is there, why should the world care what we have and have to say?