President Jefferson honored Meriwether Lewis’ leadership of the Lewis and Clark Voyage of Discovery by appointing him Governor of Louisiana. The worst possible benefaction Jefferson could have bestowed! As leaders of a band of young men in the wilderness, America has had few peers and no superiors of Lewis and Clark. While Clark later had an exceptional career as Indian Agent of the Government, Lewis failed as Governor.
In the 28 months between May, 1804 and September, 1806, in concert with Clark, Lewis single-mindedly directed the expedition. Once appointed Governor the single-mindedness vanished under many distracting voices. The focused intensity of Explorer diverted itself into self-centered goals as Governor. Including spending Government money Jefferson would have honored but his successor James Madison wouldn’t. Including buying land on speculation in the new territory. (A fault of many early American leaders.) Including selling trade licenses to men which would profit himself. As Leader of the Voyage he remained focused. As Governor he scattered his attention. That has a spiritual application. The Church Growth single-focus Model mistakenly served a dual purpose. It first surfaced felt-human needs so it could eventually surface humanity’s real need. It was a matter of Duration, not Intention. It wanted to present the Gospel in a non-threatening way, eliminating any unnecessary obstacles to reaching people. Then, having made that concession, expected listeners to hear Gospel Truth. Because…leaders reasoned, those helped by God to be better people, with better marriages, better inter-personal relationships, etc., etc., etc., would be willing to listen to hard Gospel facts. That overlooked three important principles. First, it didn’t determine when reaching felt needs merited teaching real needs. Second, it neglected the human need of familiarity, as in what you win people WITH you win them TO. Having been won by hearing self-improvement homilies they wouldn’t care to hear self-denying sermons. Listening how kind, inoffensive, patient and non-judgmental God was, they have no desire to learn the true facts of Christ’s All Powerful Personality invading human life, shattering human egotism with his All-Encompassing Authority! They had heard indirect references to God in Christ for so long they refused to accept direct, God-given, Christ-honoring teaching that demanded obedience. Third, the problem of NOISE in the Church Growth Model. Too busy offering secondary factors to get people’s attention, they discounted the essential matters that got them converted. Like: awareness of sin that demanded repentance; forgiveness of sin that Jesus alone achieved; commitment to Jesus as God’s SOLE OFFER of forgiveness; new life after baptism that crucified bad habits and lifestyles; tithing as a debt paid to God, etc., etc., etc. Anticipating the Church-Growth Model, an elder in a church told me we should consider ourselves salesmen, selling the Gospel. Like good salesmen, tell only the good things about being a Christian. And, once the prospect is interested, quietly mention THE COST! I quietly, but firmly, replied that Christians are grace-givers, not salesmen, and that Jesus always put FIRST the condition of self-denial in following him. For he knew that without self-denial, people would go only as far as their interest level, but not ALL THE WAY to OBEDIENCE, whatever it meant. End Part XIV
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