Article from The Bible Methodist
January – February 1973
“Thou Hast A Name” – Live Up to It
By George Vernon – Editor
In an interesting and pertinent article which appeared in the Church Herald, Mr. William R. Buitendorp wrote, “No doubt more than once in your purchases you have seen a name on the outside of the the package that reads, ‘Container Corporation of America.’ This company will make a box or carton to ship or package anything from an IBM machine to a bottle of perfume. When he started his little company, Walter P. Paepeke was meeting with his lawyer to draw up the proper legal papers. When he said the name of the company would be ‘Container Corporation of America’ the lawyer said to him, ‘Don’t you think this is a rather big name for so small a company?’ Mr. Paepeke replied, ‘We’ll take the name and grow into it.’ Today it is internationally known.”
This is a challenging story to the “Bible Methodist Connection of Churches” – in the words of Mr Paepeke, “a big name for small a company.”
The emphasis of the apostate church world, and one world church, is not on blessedness but on bigness; and the ecumenical movement is marked and marred by the nebulous mission, a neutral message, novel methods and a “New Morality.”
The early Church was marked by unfailing love for the brethren, an untrammeled liberty in the Lord, and an unmistakable likeness to Christ in their sacrificial devotion to the Father’s will.
If we are to grow into the challenging name which we believe that the Lord has given us:
- WE MUST BE ESSENTIALLY EXCELLENT. We must be vessels unto God’s honor – molded and motivated by the power of the Holy Spirit. There is not substitute for godliness – both in character and conduct. Shoddy “containers” are a shame to both the cause of Bible Methodist and Bible holiness.
- WE MUST BE ENERGETICALLY EVANGELISTIC. Our chief business is not to sing the praises of the “company,” or to promote a program, or even to preserve its purity; but to seek to bring sinners to a personal knowledge of God’s regenerating and sanctifying power and to build them up in Bible faith and faithfulness. The Spirit energizes that we may evangelize.
- WE MUST BE EARNESTLY EXPECTANT. We must pray persistently, earnestly and believingly that the Holy Spirit will prosper every effort that is put forth for the Glory of God. Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it; but the Lord is faithful.
Spiritually energized employment will enable a “small company” to grow into a multitude of believers who will bring great honor and praise to the God of all grace.
We have “a rather big name” – Let’s grow into it.