Shortly after moving to Richmond at the end of August I saw a quote that resonated with what I believe God had/has been showing/challenging me with. It is a famous quote from John Stott. He used to say, "We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God." That spoke very powerfully to me. Not only does the quote impact me, but the more I read about John Stott, the more I wanted to learn about the man he was. He was a local pastor, with a passion for London (his local context) and the world. He was a bridge builder and a cultural learner. He had a big vision...to change the world for Christ!
A July 27th, 2011 article in the New York Times touched on the global impact he had. Professor Mark Noll stated, "Mr. Stott became a patron, mentor, friend and encourager of thousands of pastors, students and laypeople from the newer Christian parts of the world. He became a bridge between the West and the rising Christian world.” He was dedicated to helping the poor in developing countries, what he termed the Majority World. Using royalties from his books, he set up trusts to help gifted students from the developing world earn doctorates abroad and then return to their native countries to teach in theological seminaries. His ministry, John Stott Ministries, is still going strong. It is dedicated to "equipping pastors so that the Majority World church matures through the Word of God."
I discovered the following (roughly 20 minute) sermon preached in his honor by Tim Keller at his United States memorial service (he also had one in England and Canada). I was both challenged and inspired by what he shared.
In light of John Stott's life of faith (Hebrews 13:7), we ought to be...
1)Convicted by his Kingdom vision
-He had zeal for the Kingdom!
-"His entire life was dedicated to banish apathy"
-He wanted to do something world, historical for Jesus. He wanted to change the world for Christ!
2)Cautioned by his cultural learning curve
-He went into the developing world (Asia, Africa, & South America) and listened.
-He got out and allowed Christians in other parts of the world to teach him about the Bible and culture.
-His travels gave him a growing concern for poverty and injustice.
3)Chastened by his leadership controversies
-He was a diplomat and a bridge builder, and yet he could not avoid controversy and conflict.
-If you want do do something for Christ, there will be conflict and controversy.
(4)Instructed by his great innovations
a)Expository preaching - he had electrifying clarity
b)He invented the modern city center church where he was committed to evangelism and ministry to the poor/social justice.
c)He used organizations to strengthen local churches and leaders.
d)He forced Evangelicals to think about social ethics and social justice.
(5)Created Evangelicalism
-Orthodox in doctrine, but intellectually, culturally, and socially engaged.
-Commitment to the authority of Scripture, to scholarship, and to engagement.
I am thankful for the example of John Stott's life. He has given me new mentor (through his books) and a life worth emulating. He was a man who followed Christ and spent himself on behalf of others (Isaiah 58).
Have any of you read any books by John Stott that you would recommend? Any good biographies on him?
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