Amplified controversies can silence the Gospel, or amplifying the Gospel can silence controversies. 

Photograph by William Earnhardt

The church in Jesus’ day was praying. They prayed so much Jesus had to warn people not to be showing off how much they were praying and to pray in their closets. The church in Jesus’ day was debating Scripture. Many lawyers and Pharisees would approach Jesus with some Scripture they wanted to argue over or debate. They all quoted Scripture to each other. Yet, even though they knew the Scriptures and prayed a lot, they still crucified Jesus.

Why didn’t praying and quoting Scripture keep them from turning around and crucifying the Son of God? Well, here is one thing they weren’t doing. They weren’t reaching out to serve others. They weren’t sharing the Gospel with the Samaritans and the rest of the world. They would rather be stirring up controversy in the church instead of sharing the Gospel with the world. That kind of a mindset led them to crucify Jesus. After all they had to get rid of Jesus so the Romans would not take away their church where they could have power struggles and controversies. We read of the exact opposite happening during the Protestant reformation.

In Wesley’s time, as in all ages of the church’s history, men of different gifts performed their appointed work. They did not harmonize upon every point of doctrine, but all were moved by the Spirit of God, and united in the absorbing aim to win souls to Christ. The differences between Whitefield and the Wesleys threatened at one time to create alienation; but as they learned meekness in the school of Christ, mutual forbearance and charity reconciled them. They had no time to dispute, while error and iniquity were teeming everywhere, and sinners were going down to ruin. –Ellen White, Great Controversy, Pages 257-258

While the reformers did not agree on every point, they amplified the Gospel and silenced controversies. Please notice that even though they did not all agree on every point they were still all led by the Holy Spirit. They avoided needless controversy so they could reach the lost, instead of avoiding the lost to engage in needless controversy.

Of course I realize not all controversy is needless, There are issues and controversies that must be faced. At the same time we have to choose our battles well. We don’t have to die on every hill. Daniel was a man of strict integrity who still got promoted in Babylon, of all places. I imagine he chose his battles well. His diet was very important. His prayer life was so important he would not back down even from the lion’s den. At the same time I can’t see Daniel getting promoted in Babylon by making an issue out of every little thing. I see him following the counsel Paul gave us, to live as peacefully with people as possible, instead of stirring up controversy. For Daniel to be such a man of integrity and still get promoted in Babylon, he must have learned some diplomacy. Again I don’t see him doing that by making mountains out of molehills and fighting every battle that could possibly be fought,  and dying on every hill there was to die on. 

Let’s consider the story of the paralytic. Let’s pay attention to the different participants in this story and what each person or group were doing. Which ones were engaged in the Gospel and which ones were engaged in controversy? 

And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. ]Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.  And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”  And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”  But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”  Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” Mark 2:1-12 NKJV

Jesus was preaching the Gospel. Some were carrying a man to Jesus so he could benefit from the gospel. Notice, though, it’s the people seated in the house that are causing controversy, (not all, I am sure) by questioning Jesus’ right to forgive. Jesus was too busy for controversy because He was too busy preaching the Gospel. As a matter of fact, His only response to the controversy was to amplify the Gospel by healing the man as well as forgiving him. The people bringing the paralytic to Jesus were so busy helping the man find Jesus that they had no time to engage in controversy. The only people in this story who had time for controversy were the people sitting in church waiting for something to be said that could turn into a controversy. 

Maybe there would be less time for controversy if we were all like the Wesleyans engaged in helping sinners find the Savior. Maybe there would be less time for controversy if instead of sitting in church critiquing the new elder’s sermon and his wife’s dress, we were busy creating an opening in the church to let people in who are hungering and thirsting for forgiveness and the Gospel. 

Maybe you’re right. Maybe the red carpet in the church does need to be replaced with an earth tone carpet instead. But while you were pleading your case in the board meeting, a young single mother could have used an encouraging phone call reminding her she is not alone and God loves her. You can amplify the need for earth tone carpet or you can amplify the Gospel. 

Maybe you’re right. Maybe the church should have reimbursed you for traveling all the way to see a church member in the larger hospital all the way in the city. You also had to pay for parking. The church did not reimburse you for that either, even though they paid for the youth group to go into the city to buy ice cream. It’s not fair. But you got to share Jesus with the sick church member and even prayed with the person in the next bed. Leave that with Jesus. After all, you did not do it for the church. You did it for Jesus. Let Him pay you. He saw what you did. He will provide for you. You can amplify your rights or you can amplify the Gospel. 

Maybe you’re right. Maybe your understanding of the 144,ooo is right ,and the Sabbath school teacher is wrong. But while you were fighting your case in Sabbath School, a teenage boy was loitering in the church hallway, not because he didn’t want to go to his Sabbath School class, but because he’s not sure he is worthy. You see, he found his uncle’s porn stash and got all tangled up in that again. He wasn’t looking for it. It was just there. Now he’s wondering why God allowed that to happen? He is wondering if God can forgive him – again. He is nowhere close to being able to debate and split hairs about Christian perfection. He just wants to know if God still loves him and can free him again from this one addiction. Amplify the Gospel. 

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