Not a naughty/nice list (as a Calvinist I put everyone on the naughty list) but a list of ten things he encourages new seminary graduates to focus on. I think it is a pretty good list.
• Make love the rule.
• Never compromise basic Christian doctrine.
• Don't divide over pet beliefs.
• Let God break your heart with the things that break His.
• With every activity, purchase, or relationship ask, Does this help to build the kingdom and fulfill the Great Commission?
• Make intercessory prayer a daily priority.
• Accept being a nobody for Jesus.
• Remember that all positions and titles are irrelevant.
• Escape the frenzied "earn and spend" syndrome that drives our culture.
• Do something in the great task of world evangelization.
Well that list seems pretty obvious. Maybe not. I can tell you I fail at this all the time. In fact I don’t see one thing on this list that I have done very well and there are some common sense but difficult things Dr. Black lists. What do you mean examine every single purchase or activity or relationship? It is my money/time, don't judge me! Don’t divide over pet beliefs? Doesn’t he know that pre/post/amillenialism is wrong, how can I be in fellowship with someone who is wrong about something?! I think it might be more accurate to say that this list seems commonsense when we apply it to other people, They should be more loving, they should pray more, they should do more for world evangelism. It is not as obvious where we fall short when we apply that list to ourselves and it is a lot more uncomfortable.
So yeah, it is a short, simple list but I am 100% confident that if we applied these admonitions to ourselves more faithfully, everyone in the Church, the impact of believers on the world would increase immeasurably.
What would you add to this list?
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