Make sure your pastor gets this!

This week on The White Horse Inn the topic is "Selling Jesus" and the tendency in our culture to treat the Triune God as just another commodity with the same principles of "supply and demand" that governs the marketing and selling of everything else we consume.

Part of my duties working at the White Horse Inn is preparing the e-newsletter that goes out every Monday (sign up here). This week I was actually struggling to come up with a good "Term to Learn" which we provide every week to help explain something in greater detail from that week's show. I decided to look at John Calvin's booklet The Necessity of Reforming the Church and found an unbelievable quote that I wanted to post here as well.

I really think that every pastor needs to read this, especially those who have a mindset which leans towards the "church-growth movement." To that end I have even made a printable PDF version that can be given to your pastor!

Without any further commenting here is the quote:

...the restoration of the church is the work of God, and no more depends on the hopes and opinions of men, than the resurrection of the dead, or any other miracle. Here, therefore, we are not to wait for facility of action, either from the will of men, or the temper of the times, but must rush forward through the midst of despair. It is the will of our Master that his gospel be preached. Let us obey his command, and follow whithersoever he calls. What the success will be it is not ours to inquire. Our only duty is to wish for what is best, and beseech it of the Lord in prayer; to strive with all zeal, solicitude, and diligence, to bring about the desired result, and at the same time to submit with patience to whatever that result may be. Groundless, therefore, is the charge brought against us of not having done all the good which we wished, and which was to be desired. God bids us plant and water. We have done so. He alone gives the increase. What, then, if he chooses not to give according to our wish? If it is clear that we have faithfully done our part, let not our adversaries require more of us: if the result is unfavorable, let them expostulate with God.

(From The Necessity of Reforming the Church by John Calvin)