Dr. Schuller's Ministry: Analysis

In their book, The Great Commission to Worship, Vernon Whaley and David Wheeler takes an in depth look at commandment from Jesus for His followers to go out and spread the Good News of salvation. Today’s Christian seems to have a misconception about their role in evangelism. As the authors stated, “many times in Scripture it appears

Especially within a society such as ours, which distorts love into lust, the ability to recognize and display the gift of love is essential. Selfish love, which is so inherent to humanity, inhibits God from acting in our lives, blinding us from experiencing His presence and eternal joy. It is so easy to look for pleasure and love in self satisfaction. However, the path to lasting happiness is not found through instant gratifications, but in the grueling practice of living a life full of

In contrast Pope Benedict XVI’s book, Jesus of Nazareth, stated that the ‘Kingdom of God’ is “… an inner disposition characterised in daily behaviour by adopting the mind and outlook of Christ…” A teacher of the law once asked Jesus, “Which commandment is the most important?” He deemed loving God and your neighbour as the two most important. So here it is clear that Jesus is talking about love as a major theme in personal conduct a theme which is exemplified by biblical stories of Jesus’ own behaviour. Jesus demonstrated his love for others on many occasions and in many different ways. He spoke to people who were outcasts or disliked such as the woman at the well and Zacchaeus. He met people’s physical needs through some of his

Men and women throughout the ages have desired to love others the way the greatest commandment instructs us to. However, due to our sinful nature, overshadowed by the fear of death and our limited physical and emotional vulnerabilities, the love we should have for one another turns into controlling one another, so that we have power and are in control. Instead of giving, we want. Instead of serving, we demand our rights. And scriptures like Matthew 5:48, “Be perfect, as your Father in heaven in perfect” can be frustrating

‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. The second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two precepts hang all the law and the prophets’ (Mathew 22.37, 38, 39, 40). ‘By this all men know that they are my disciples, if ye have love one to another’ (John 13.35) …’He who loveth God loveth his brother also’ (1 John 4.21) …’If any man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar’ (1 John 4.20) …The first thing that takes our attention is the saying of Jesus, ‘Thou shalt love,’ etc. (501-2)

The image the author gives the reader of this element is that of Jesus stating the commandment of loving your neighbor as yourself. You cannot be transformed without first putting others first because one’s relationship with God encompasses relationships with each other.

“The Gospel for Those Broken by the Church” by Dr. Ron Rosenbladt is a presentation that focuses on those who have left the church behind and no longer associate themselves with it. He categorizes those who have left into two sections: “sad” alumni and “mad” alumni. Sad alumni are those people who really wanted to believe but never could really get it right, while mad alumni are those who were “conned” by the church into giving themselves over to Christ and trying to believe and then when things didn’t quite work out, they were tossed away. This presentation focuses on how to bring people like this back to the faith, both the sad and mad alumni.

Growing up I thought of church and the bible as something that was out of my reach intellectually. With this being a central thought, I just decided to table the hearing and understanding of the truth of Jesus until I was an adult. As an adult, I have learned a great deal about what Jesus Christ was about and why He died on the cross, however, I did not think of the gospels as hinging on the kingdom of God. I knew Jesus as many people do, as my savior and one who loves me to the point of dying on a cross for my sins. Gordon Fee articulates this well as he explains Jesus' ministry and purpose of His ministry. My understanding of the gospels are now clear in that the kingdom of God is the pearl and gold nugget that we are attempting to obtain

To fulfill His mission to reconcile all things to Himself, God sends you and me, the church, into the world to spread the gospel, to evangelize, to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, and to embody in its corporate life the message of reconciliation. Lofty words indeed. God is God. He will achieve His ends. We can either be part of His plans or we can hide in the shadows. Jesus did not shrink back from giving us instructions. He was blunt, direct, and authoritative. No room for discussion, shades of meaning, different interpretations. As they say, “Which part of ‘go’ don’t you understand?” Just “go.” Not a call, but a command. The “go” may be a walk across the street to help and witness to a neighbor, it may be picking up

The Holy Bible authorities people to be evangelists for Jesus Christ, and they will impart their beliefs on others, therefore knowing the doctrine of Jesus Christ is important.

Francis Schaeffer, in the 1980's, chastised those who compromised their view of scripture and had accommodated the culture in the name of "love".

Friedrich Schleiermacher's On Religion: Speeches to its Cultured Despisers led to his description of "the Father of Modern Theology." The first two speeches, "Defence" and "The Nature of Religion" both use established concepts to oppose orthodoxy and establish a new method of theological thought that influences theology to modern times. Paul Tillich and Karl Rahner are also influential, both supporting the vital and intimate relationship between the divine and the human. Furthermore, this essential interrelationship and theology's focus on it are supported by various Christian philosophical/theological thinkers, including Langdon Gilkey, Martin Luther, John Calvin and Blaise Pascal.

Wesley’s sermons are characterized with the call to exercise personal faith in Jesus as a means to salvation (Hutchison & Wolffe 25). Although a bit detached from the time of Edwards and Wesley, Finney, a famous and yet controversial preacher, also exhibits the same emphasis on conversion and evangelism when he exhorts the preachers to preach in order to “convert his congregation,” (Finney Lecter 12, 203). It is

Reading Lohfink was an experience in climbing an inviting ladder of which some of the rungs were missing when you got there. His description of how the community of believers lived their faith and the impact they had is truly inspiring. It leaves me to reflect on the life of our own community: Have we indeed left everything to follow Jesus? Are we living toward each other with the kind of love that is uncommon in the world? Are we a people of peace, light to the world, flavorful salt in how we live? Reading the accounts of how the early church lived among the pagans and loved sacrificially, there is a call for me as a leader to teach, practice and exemplify that kind of love among our people, along with making opportunities for us to practice it together. On the other hand, Lohfink’s polarizing reaction to “individualism” failed to recognize that a contrast-community consists of individuals who have been transformed by the cross of Jesus and the power of His Spirit. Lohfink argues that no missionary effort is needed because the church as contrast-society will gather people to itself by attraction. He quotes Bronx, saying: “…if it is possible at all to speak of the ancient church's missionary theory the most that can be said is this. The twelve apostles preached the

Jesus teaches his followers many life lessons that gives them a good life while they have faith in God. John 15:1-11 and other passages explains to people that Jesus is the people’s lord and savior of his disciples, who in following Jesus will give them the love and hope they need by God, Jesus Father.