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John Stott, The Living Church (Downers Grove: IVP, 2007).

[The final part of the review: I leave the conclusion and the appendices for the reader]

Chapter Eight: Impact

"One of the most important questions facing Christians in every age and every place is this: what values and standards are going to dominate our national culture?" (128).  A great starting point and very poignant question over which the church must wrestle.  Stott recognizes this as both an ecclesial question as well as a social and cultural one.  Certainly, we are at no current loss of perspectives for just how church and culture (or government) should go together.  It is rather unfortunate that Christians have allowed such secondary issues to disrupt the primary unity of the faith, both sides claiming the other is the guilty party (cf. Matthew 7:3-5).  Yet according to Stott, "There can surely be no doubt that our Lord Jesus Christ wants his values and standards to prevail" (129, emphasis in original).

"So he sends his people out into the world both to preach the gospel and make disciples, and to sweeten the whole community and make it more pleasing to God, more just, more participatory, more free" (129).

On one level, there is nothing particularly new within this chapter.  Stott returns to the images of salt and light, briefly explaining their specific usefulness in Jesus' context.  But I do appreciate his outworking of the images - a mode for the symbols to find meaning and significance in the life of the church.  "First, Christians are radically different from non-Christians - or ought to be" (130, emphasis in original).  Stott is right to point out that this is one of the major themes of Scripture - God's calling of a people from among the rest.  And there have been points within church history where we can clearly see the church making a definitive statement in its counter-culturalism (yes, sometimes to error), but it has been a long time since we as believers have collectively given our culture the bird.  We misunderstand assimilation, I fear.

"Second, Christians must permeate non-Christian society" (131, emphasis in original).  This is precisely the point of not hiding the light under the bowl.  Similarly, the salt would have no effectiveness without it actually touching the meat it is meant to preserve.  How are believers supposed to pull this off?  "One way to permeate secular culture for Christ is through our daily work" (132).  We need to rid ourselves of the mentality that only professional minister do the ministry and everyone else is along for the ride a few hours a week.

"Third, Christians can influence and change non-Christian society" (133).  I continue to be amazed at how many churchgoers remain so skeptical about the effectiveness of the gospel.  So many people pay lip-service to the power of the gospel but do not really expect it to change the world in their hearts, minds and (especially) efforts.  Stott labels this section more 'controversial territory' but I would beg to differ - so long as we are willing to drink the kool-aid we're trying to sell.

After reviewing these areas, Stott considers six *weapons* for making this change a reality: prayer, evangelism, example, argument (reason), action, suffering (135-139).  All of this boils down to the need for Christian distinctness - the ability for the salt to retain its saltiness.  It is the mark of a well-thought and highly reflective ecclesiology that Stott includes this chapter, with this specific tone - that the edification of the church finds its culmination in the outworking of the kingdom of God.

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John Stott, The Living Church (Downers Grove: IVP, 2007).

Chapter Seven: Giving

"Christian giving is an extremely important topic on the contemporary church's agenda.  Local churches are often preoccupied with financial concerns, and worldwide I doubt if there is a single Christian enterprise which is not hindered and hampered by lack of funds" (111).  I suppose this is Rev. Stott's way of saying that my church isn't alone in its tendency to jump off the deep-end when it comes to finances and *church business* - as though financial meetings are the church business and the ministry end of things is not.

In reflecting on this aspect of the church, Stott gives ten principles.

1. "Christian giving is an expression of the grace of God" (112).  On this, see 2 Corinthians 8:1-6, where Paul refers to the generosity of (not the church, but. . .) of God.  The grace we have received is our inspiration to give.

2. "Christian giving can be a charisma, that is, a gift of the Spirit" (113).  Along with other gifts of the Spirit, we have been called to a certain life even though some are more slanted toward various aspects than are others.  "Many of God's gifts are both generously bestowed in some measure on all believers and given in special measure to some" (114).  It is as though he anticipates the argument: No, naming it as charisma does not mean some people do not have to give.

3. "Christian giving is inspired by the cross of Christ" (114).  On this, see 2 Corinthians 8:8-9.  In light of the cross, how is it that Christians remain stingy?

4. "Christian giving is proportionate giving" (115).  On this, see 2 Corinthians 8:10-12.  I am reminded of the superb study which draws the same conclusion (among others): Craig L. Blomberg, Neither Poverty Nor Riches (Downers Grove: IVP, 1999).  A review of materialism and giving in Scripture will show that our best attempt at achieving the biblical ideal is in the 'graduated tithe' approach.

5. "Christian giving contributes to equality" (116).  On this, see 2 Corinthians 8:13-15.  Stott contends that this does not mean egalitarianism (a socialistic approach to income and lifestyle), but that it provides an equal opportunity for those in need.  ". . . equality sees an end to extreme social disparity" (118).

6. "Christian giving must be carefully supervised" (119).  On this, see 2 Corinthians 8:16-24.  Although this could easily (and often does quickly) turn into the abuse of power and control within the church, Stott is right to include it into the discussion.  Our ability to disrupt a practice does not make such practice inherently bad, but that we need to continually surrender ourselves to Christ.  Sometimes in order to ensure that the church is not disrupted by money we need to take extra steps to safeguard the giving process.

7. "Christian giving can be stimulated by a little friendly competition" (121).  On this, see 2 Corinthians 9:1-5.  Sometimes the *fun* of giving needs to be infused.

8. "Christian giving resembles a harvest" (122).  On this, see 2 Corinthians 9:6-11.  Stott provides two 'harvest principles' here: a) we reap what we sow; b) what we reap has a double purpose - for eating and further sowing.  This is not a case of Paul's endorsement of the prosperity gospel, but that the means we receive have an ongoing purpose.

9. "Christian giving has symbolic significance" (124).  "Paul looks beyond the mere transfer of cash to what it represents . . . for it was a deliberate, self-conscious symbol of Jewish-Gentile solidarity in the body of Christ" (125).  How we give demonstrates what we believe.

10. "Christian giving promotes thanksgiving to God" (126).  Throughout the passage in 2 Corinthians which has been used in this chapter, Paul returns to the notion that when the Corinthians give there will be an increased thanksgiving and praise to God.

"What an awesome privilege we have in helping others right across the world to give glory to God.  Releasing more of the money which he has entrusted to us as stewards will end in this.  And to increase thanksgiving to God for the sake of his own glory is surely our highest goal" (127).

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John Stott, The Living Church (Downers Grove: IVP, 2007).

Chapter Six: Preaching

This chapter of Stott's reflections on the church is built upon 'five paradoxes' which he presents as the heart and soul of what preaching should be to the life of the church.  His opening statement demonstrates his perspective: "The contemporary world is decidedly unfriendly towards preaching.  Words have largely been eclipsed by images, and the book by the screen.  So preaching is regarded as an outmoded form of communication, what someone has called 'an echo from an abandoned past'" (97).  A quick survey of many Western evangelical churches will reveal that this is indeed the case, much to our culture's detriment.

What are the five paradoxes?

Biblical and Contemporary

"It is an exposition of Scripture which is related to the world in which we live" (98).  This is perhaps one of the greater challenges not only to preaching, but to the life of the church altogether - that we hold to an ancient faith but struggle to be relevant in our present and make ways toward the future.  Various models have been more or less effective (the Pope's recent reception in the United States helps us identify our own fascination with things ancient and traditional, but the rising trend of emergent churches also shows how our culture is looking for such ancient things to be in motion).  In regards to preaching Stott says, "I hope we are agreed that all Christian preaching is biblical preaching" (98).  This, unfortunately, will be vastly more readily agreed upon in theory than in practice.

Authoritative and Tentative

There is a manner in which the message from the pulpit is to be definitive and authoritative, but I agree that there is a danger in becoming overly fixed in one's own traditional reading of Scripture that it blocks out sound alternatives and new developments to understanding the text and shaping our faith.  But, as Stott reminds us, our authority is found in the text that we have before us and not, importantly, in the Spirit alone who speaks through the preacher (cf. 101).  Too often church leaders have gone only 'by the Spirit' as an excuse for not being diligent in their quest for the truth which is revealed in the Word of God.  No, we do not have to have the brilliance of a world-renowned biblical scholar but we do need to have a hunger and passion for Scripture's message.

Prophetic and Pastoral

Again, the paradox mentioned here extends beyond preaching and into the larger life of the church (103).  There is to be a balance between the voice which speaks loud and clear to definitively broadcast the gospel and the character which exhibits the care and grace which comes from living the gospel into the world.  Stott is right to show how many preachers and leaders usually fall on one extreme or another, but that the most effective work and witness is found in a balance struck (104-105).

Gifted and Studied

This ties in to comments made above, but still needs to be spelled-out.  In the author's words: "Does God create preachers?  Or do they have a share in the creative process?  The answer to these questions must again be 'both'" (105).  In the face of many congregations and denominations who are motivated by factors from all across the board but have no real understanding of the role of a church as a ministry of the kingdom, Stott challenges the selection of preachers: "The church has no liberty to ordain those whom God has neither called nor gifted" (105).  There must be a clear balance of both, with many churches and families paying the price for a failure to heed this fundamental principle.

Stott quotes from Bishop Phillip Brooks, from the 1877 Yale Lectures: "The preacher's life must be a life of large accumulation. . .Learn to study for the sake of truth, learn to think for the profit and the joy of thinking.  Then your sermons shall be like the leaping of a fountain, and not like the pumping of a pump" (107).

Thoughtful and Passionate

This is another of the paradoxes which so easily become pushed to one side or another, lacking a proper balance.  Many preachers who are great expositors of the word, pouring over their exegesis throughout the week and presenting sound doctrine often do not have the passion which should come from the truth of the gospel.  Others (indeed, many televised speakers) are quite passionate and exciting but have no foundation for their belief or their truths.  Some do not even use Scripture to make their points, appealing only to the emotion.

Stott states, "All preaching should lead people to the Scriptures" (103).  It's no wonder why people such as Benny Hinn, Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer and Jeremiah Wright get it so wrong.  They fill seats and make noise, but to no avail.

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John Stott, The Living Church (Downers Grove: IVP, 2007).

Chapter Five: Fellowship

The next chapter in Stott's reflections on the church is, appropriately enough, the shortest.  For it is impossible to achieve a sense of koinonia without doing it; you can't learn by sitting back and speaking about community, you must develop it.  The question that remains is whether or not our fellowship and *community-building* has reached that which it was supposed to be.  In moving forward on the issue of fellowship among believers, Stott approaches it in threefold manner: biblical, historical, and practical.

Simply enough, Stott begins his comments with Genesis 2:18, where it asserts that it is not good for man to be alone (86).  Yet this cannot be cured by large crowds alone (87), which calls into question the habits of many Christians who seek larger churches without the participation in small group ministry.  Thus, Stott affirms the need for larger congregations to structure themselves in such a way as to facilitate smaller, more intimate group settings.

Historically speaking, there is much to be drawn from the Reformation of gathering together in small groups to fellowship and study the Scriptures (cf. 88).  There is also the Holy Club of Oxford which fostered the growth and explosion of the Methodist movement, among others he mentions.  "It is from such small and unpretentious beginnings that great movements have sprung up and spread" (88).

The third argument is pastoral, in that in every church the clergy cannot reach out to meet the needs of every person/family.  This means that fellowship is not just a way of having a good time, but the proper mode in which our lives are invested into one another's for the nurturing, care and growth of the gospel.  "Moreover, the Bible indicates that each of us is our brother's keeper" (89).  Such an approach reminds me of another good read about discipleship (I have no idea if Stott is familiar with this work): Greg Ogden, Transforming Discipleship (Downers Grove: IVP, 2003).

Stott continues to develop this chapter, emphasizing our common inheritance (91), our common service (92-93), our mutual responsibility (93-94) and drawing out some practical illustrations about fellowship (94-96).  It is a good chapter, but brief and largely presented in bare-bones theology so that the gaps may be easily filled in by each specific and unique community.  Discipleship and fellowship have been lost on many churches, but are making a comeback in many way across the board in Christianity.

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John Stott, The Living Church (Downers Grove: IVP, 2007).

Chapter Four: Ministry (The Twelve and the Seven):

When one reflects on the early church as described in Acts, there are usually many appeals to the modern church 'getting back' the way things were obviously meant to be.  And while there might be some merit in this approach, it is neither practical, possible or desirable.  Still, there seem to be lessons for us to learn by looking at the approach of the early believers and uncover where their heart was in the midst of it all.  John Stott is again good to keep a proper perspective and balance in his reflections on the church (both ancient and modern), and he approaches the topic of ministry in this way.  Indeed, one could probably get more from the highlighted text throughout this chapter than in the entirety of many leadership books.

As he reviews the situation in Acts, he notes that there are the disciples (the twelve) and there arise a need for others to be appointed to ministry (the seven). Great Highlighted Text #1: "Everybody cannot do everything" (73).  Acts 6 shows that the disciples face the risk of being overcome by administration that they would neglect their priority of ministry of the word.  This does not mean that they were 'above' certain tasks, nor that they completely ignored them.  This is to take the scene too far into physical laziness.  But it does demonstrate their proper place in the scheme of things and where they need to be positioned in order to be most effective.  A great lesson for many churches and church leadership today.

This chapter also recognizes the proper balance of everyone's calling to ministry, but also that ministry must be defined broadly. Great Highlighted Text #2: "All Christians are called to ministry" (74).  One of the lessons to be learned from Acts 6 is that the disciples did indeed delegate the needs of the community to those willing and able to take it, a form of servant leadership which does not happen frequently in many churches today (cf. 75).  This requires pastors willing to hand over the reigns of leadership and people who are willing to take them with a humble attitude.  Great Highlighted Text #3: "God calls different people to different ministries" (76).

This also ties into Stott's belief that: Great Highlighted Text #4: "Christian oversight is pastoral oversight" (77).  This is true on every level of ministry.  Further, he points out that Christian oversight is also "plural oversight" (77).  That is, Great Highlighted Text #5: "There is no biblical warrant for the so-called one-man band" (78).  Once he has put these statements forward, Stott then examines the leadership of the local church through the eyes of Paul's development(s) of the pastoral metaphor.  To review it briefly (go read the entirety on your own): there is the example of the apostle (the shepherd) which relies on Acts 20:18-27; there is the invasion of false teachers (the wolves) which reads Acts 20:28-31; 3) there is the value of the people (the sheep) which holds Acts 20:28 in view.  Admittedly, the third statement is one which I need reminded of often.

The whole of ministry and pastoral leadership is built upon Great Highlighted Text #8 (I skipped two of them): "It is not our church; it is God's" (83).  To quote his words more completely: "This is a splendid Trinitarian truth about the church, namely that it belongs to God the Father, has been redeemed by the blood of Christ his Son, and has overseers appointed by God the Holy Spirit.  This fact should humble us" (83).

Indeed.

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John Stott, The Living Church (Downers Grove: IVP, 2007).

Chapter Three: Evangelism

In the third chapter of his book of reflections on the church, John Stott explores the nature of evangelism as an outworking of the body of faith.  He includes both 'mass evangelism' and 'local church evangelism' in his scope (48-49), and rightly asks the question (in my own words): What are we doing?  To answer this, he posits four conditions through which the church must ". . . act out its God-appointed role": the church must understand itself; the church must organize itself; the church must express itself; the church must be itself (50).

The Church Must Understand Itself: Stott begins with the theology of the church, citing as one of his chief reasons, "Many churches are sick because they have a false self-image.  They have grasped neither who they are nor what they are called to be" (50).  Thus, he believes that the church has fallen prey to two basic errors: the religious club or the secular mission. The former is a group of people with a common interest in God but with no real impact for the mission of the kingdom of God.  The latter is so concerned with social change that they have removed the idea of religion from any aspect of their congregations.  In combatting this, Stott suggests understanding a double-identity of the church which summons God's people to be those who have been called out of the world for worship but sent back into the world for service (52).  There are certainly issues to keep in front of us as we seek to do so, but I believe that Stott has the proper perspective on the movement of the Spirit within the body of believers.

The Church Must Organize Itself: The very thought of this line probably sends many people toward the doors (especially if you've been to a church board meeting recently).  But, the idea of structuring the church is vital for its mission and focus - Stott continues to maintain that we cannot simply ignore the existing church for that which is *new*.  Very simply, it is true that unless the church is structured to be intentionally outward-driven then it will not happen.  But what Stott cautions against here is the "overfull program of church-based activities" (56, his list is by no means exaggerated for many).  What happens here is that church members are so engaged with life in and around the church that they've no opportunity to interact with the world; evangelism has been squeezed out by the church!  The solution to the church's organization in this chapter is that the congregation should seek to address the most relevant needs of the particular community in which they are found in order to maximize the work of the church for the kingdom.  It is a sad commentary that many of our churches do not reflect their neighborhood or community at all - they have no connection with the needs of their world.

The Church Must Express Itself: If anyone is going to hear the gospel, the church must be able to articulate it - again, understanding the surrounding community is key.  Here is a telling passage: "There can be no doubt that the essence of the gospel is Jesus Christ himself.  It would be impossible to preach the Christian good news without talking about Jesus" (63).  The fact that Stott would need to say such a thing speaks volumes for the condition of our church (e.g. the secular mission club).  I strongly agree with his overall premise in this section that all of the church's efforts and activities are hallow and useless if we do not share the gospel of Jesus through them.  This doesn't mean we must Bible-thump, but it does require that every thing we do be an accurate and articulate representation of the gospel.

The Church Must Be Itself: "The church is supposed to be God's new society, the living embodiment of the gospel, a sign of the kingdom of God, a demonstration of what human community looks like when it comes under his gracious rule" (66).  Yet, too often we have sacrificed this for the sake of so many other myopic issues.  Stott quotes from John Poulton: "Christians . . . need to look like what they are talking about.  It is people who communicate primarily, not words or ideas . . . What communicates now is basically personal authenticity" (66).  This is a fundamental return to the world knowing that we are his disciples by our love for one another.

the living church (2)

John Stott, The Living Church (Downers Grove: IVP, 2007).

Chapter 2. Worship:

According to John Stott, "Worship is the church's preeminent duty" (34).  This is certainly going to be taken as a challenge to the many churches who think otherwise (esp. those congregations which place evangelism at the forefront - even when they haven't evangelized in years!).  But in this present chapter, Stott outlines four main characteristics of Christian worship.

Biblical Worship: ". . .that it to say, it is a response to the biblical revelation" (35).  This is a very good working definition of worship which not only describes what Scripture envisages, but also serves to explain the failure of so many evangelicals to have a proper attitude/mode of worship.  Stott goes further to state, "The spirit of receptivity is a necessary condition of hearing the word of God.  So much depends on how the readers and preachers approach their task" (36).  What he is getting at here is key: in order to provide proper worship (which is defined as a response to biblical revelation), then we must have an atmosphere which provides opportunity for hearing the word of God in order to achieve a proper response.

Congregational Worship: How many times will I hear someone say that they can worship God just as well in their fishing boat than in church on Sunday morning?  Such sentiments are far from the piety they attempt to espouse and really serve to mask the lack of commitment on the part of the sayer.  In reality, true worship is congregational - it needs a connection with others in the body of Christ.  Ours is a community affair (cf. Grenz's Theology for the Community of God).

Stott makes a good point along with this section, though.  He notes that if we are to worship together (and keeping in mind the parameters for biblical worship), then we need to ensure that it is readily accessible for the community.  In other words, everyone should be able to understand and participate (38).  But also the services should reflect the diversity of those who find unity in the cross (39).

Spiritual Worship:  "No book, not even by Marx and his followers, is more scathing of empty religion than the Bible" (41).  In approaching this particular topic, Stott introduces a few brief comments on the use of music within worship (42-43).  While there are many forms and instruments to serve as a vehicle for worship, Stott rightly points out that it is the biblical content of the music which should be at issue (43).  I agree with his comparison that many church experiences have become New Age approaches to spirituality by emptying the mind and clearing the soul unto nothingness.  The point, therefore, seems to be that if we are to affirm in our creeds that we are spiritual creatures in a spiritual world, then our practice should act as though we are about a spiritual work.

Moral Worship:  Worship cannot exist without a total surrender of our lives, living rightly and justly into the world.  The church is damaged by those who live one way and then worship another.  Stott uses 1 Samuel 15:22 and Romans 12 to get this point across.  In reading Romans, Stott points out that Paul has emphasized the mercies of God throughout the letter, culminating in the response from the believer as a living sacrifice.  This fits well with his reflections on true and proper worship.

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John Stott, The Living Church (Downers Grove: IVP, 2007).

World-renowned theologian and preacher John Stott has long been a welcome read to many pastors and scholars who are invested in the church.  He has for many years been a strong voice within the body who has worked to strengthen the message and ministry of the people of God.  His latest book is a reflection on the the current state of the church and where it is headed.  In doing this, he offers principles and observations which will no doubt serve to clarify and sharpen the ongoing work of the church, and the many who work in it.

Chapter 1. Essentials:

Stott begins by providing the essential marks of a living church - those aspects of a body of believers which serve to demonstrate their commitment.  It has always been interesting to me how many people think of themselves as devoted followers of Christ but who pay little attention to his word or prayer (and the like).  This takes such a sentiment a bit further and considers whether or not our church bodies align with the expectations for spiritual health which are found in Scripture.

A Learning Church:  Building from Acts 2:42, Stott takes note that the earliest Christians devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles (22), a striking statement only when one considers how little of this we do today.  At first blush, it appears that our priorities are not the same as theirs.  His statement exposes many modern evangelical circles, "We note that those new Spirit-filled converts were not enjoying a mystical experience which led them to neglect their intellect, despise theology or stop thinking" (23).  For us today, this means that we must build our congregations upon the teaching of the apostles rather than on various business models or growth seminars - this is true 'apostolic succession,' according to Stott (25).

A Caring Church:  I will admit that whenever I hear of churches and leaders who want to capture the *spirit* of the earliest believers, they undoubtedly consider koinonia as the highest ideal.  But in Acts 2 (and for Stott), it is listed secondly - once again giving strong emphasis on the first point about being built as learning churches as a priority.  Nevertheless, there is an important lesson to be gained by focusing on the fellowship of our churches; we can certainly do better at building people groups who genuinely show love toward one another.

  

At issue in this passage (Acts 2:44-45) is that of an apparent communal life of the believers.  This has led many groups (Stott notes some of them) to turning churches into communes and seeing uneasy correlations between Marxism and Christianity.  But Stott handles this well by keeping in balance the voluntary sharing of property which is found among the early church and the prohibition of personal property which characterizes Marxism and communes.  He rightly identifies this as forcing all believers to participate in certain gifts/callings even though they might not be called to such (27).  Even still, the summons to reach out to the poorest and most needy cannot be ignored as it has been so often in the Western church.

A Worshiping Church:  There are two aspects to the worship patterns of the early church to which Stott draws attention.  The first is that it was both formal and informal (28).  They were meeting regularly in the temple and also in their homes (Acts 2:46).  They did not immediately abandon the institutional church (as have so many others who are overly eager for change, to which Stott handles on p. 29f.).  The second aspect which is noted is that the early church's worship was both joyful and reverent (30).  I agree with Stott that many worship services could easily be confused with funeral services, while others seem so flippant as to have no value at the center whatsoever (cf. 30).

An Evangelizing Church:  In the interest of church leadership, I find it interesting how often we have misread Acts 2, refusing to discover the proper balance of the attitudes and functions of the early church.  There are some churches who readily ignore the outward focus of the church, while others believe this is the only activity in which believers should be engaged.  The former read only 2:42 while the latter only see 2:47, "And the Lord adder to their number daily those who were being saved."  Not surprisingly, it is for us to discover the balance of these two statements in the attitudes of our congregations.

Stott lists three truths regarding the early church's evangelism: 1) Jesus did it - he is the one working through the work of the church, being lifted up to draw all unto himself (31); 2) Jesus added to their number those who were being saved - "He didn't add them to the church without saving them, and he didn't save them without adding them to the church" (32); 3) Jesus did these things daily - the witness was continuous and quite effective.

Having laid out this foundation for the marks of a living church, Stott will examine many of the various aspects found within the life of the church.  I appreciate one of his final statements: "We don't have to wait for the Holy Spirit to come, for he did come on the Day of Pentecost, and he has never left the church" (33).