A Going Concern
Those of you in the business world know that there is no such thing as standing still. If you stand still, that means you are going backward. You can't stand still, because to do so means lack of progress....lack of vision....lack of success. If you as a business man fail to progress and push forward, your competition soon gets ahead of you; and before you know it, you have lost your business, and if you don't pull out of it, you soon go broke. You become a miserable failure. It's the aggressive organization that is looked up to in the community, because the aggressive organization is the organization that is doing the most for its customers ....performing the greatest services.... giving the most.
One of the wholesale food companies has a saying: (I believe it is the Campbell Soup Co.) "If you ever make a dent in your competitor's business, it will be because you out-serviced your competition." In the commercial world, the corporation President will tell his Vice Presidents that in order for the company to get ahead, they must all think ahead. Then on down the chain of command, the Sales manager tells his salesmen that if they want to sell more, they must be prepared to tell their prospects why they should buy more. He explains that there are two ways that they can increase their business, two ways to go on toward perfection, which is the ultimate goal of any business corporation. The first way is to get more customers. The second way is, to sell the customers they have more merchandise. This is a principle of big business that could very well be applied by the church, which is the biggest business in the world. Shouldn't the church get more converts (customers), and shouldn't the church sell (teach) more of the perfect way of life to the customers they already have, in order that the body could go on toward perfection? In business, an organization like this is referred to as a "successful business house," "an up and coming firm," "a going concern?' Thus the title of our article, "A Going Concern."
One of Robert Ingersoll's favorite expressions was "The church must go." Those of us who are familiar with the history of Robert Ingersoll know that he was one of the most profound disbelievers of any age.... but when he made a statement like that, he meant doing away with the church entirely. When we examine the statement closely, we find that it is true. The church "must go," but not in the sense that he meant. By Ingersoll's making a statement like that, he had very definitely underestimated the church. The most important thing about the church is its dynamic quality....its going power. It must go, and keep on going, else it is not the church. It may have the church of Christ sign over the building, but this doesn't necessarily mean that it is the church of Christ, does it? When we examine Matthew 10, we find there that Jesus sent men to those who needed his teaching. He didn't wait for them to come and get it. This sending out by Jesus was a prevue of what was to come after the establishing of His church. Someone has said that while Christ's followers believe that the people ought to go to church, they also believe that the church ought to go to the people. Thus with the fact established then that the church is a going concern, let us proceed into the subject.
First of all, we might notice that this going concern will achieve her aims. Secondly, she will plan and work, and thirdly, she will be courageous. In the introduction above, we said that "a going concern" was successful. How do we go about being successful? To be successful means to achieve your aims, doesn't it? This brings us to our first point for consideration. What is the aim of the congregation of the church of which you are a member? Shouldn't the congregation where you attend have the same aim as the Ephesian and the Corinthian churches had in the first century? It is entirely possible that the congregation where you worship is doing many good works of preaching the Gospel, both at home as well as in other places, but ask yourselves these questions! "Are you more missionary minded now than you have been?" "Are you more interested in saving souls than anything else in the world?" Don't you find that you are working just a little bit harder individually at the task of building up the church today than you did last week?" In everything you do and plan for the future in your individual lives, don't you have the building up of the church in mind?" Does the welfare of the church come first in your lives over anything else?" "Isn't it the love for the truth motive that causes you to do certain things?" "Don't you want still more evangelists on the field in foreign countries as well as at home preaching the Gospel?" Brethren, if you can't say "yes" to all of these questions, you're standing still.... you're going backward....you're lacking in progress.... and your competition (Satan) will get the better of you if you don't change Then you remember Jesus saying in Luke 9:62 that if you turn back, you're not fit for the kingdom of God. You don't dare go backward. You don't dare rest on your past achievements. Whether you realize it or not, you are faced with competition just as great, if not greater, than is encountered in the business world. The opposition is attacking on every front. They are determined to cause division within the blessed body of Jesus Christ with their man-made innovations and commandments and doctrines of men. One case in point: Along the U. S.-Mexico border at Sonoyta, Sonora, Mexico, there is a young Mexican with whom I work, Fidel Cisneros by name. This man has already been propositioned by nearby liberal American brethren to leave the work that he and I started and are presently doing at Sonoyta and let them support him while they send him to Abilene Christian College to "Learn English, and Learn How to Preach." This young man was "taught to preach" in the Tecate, Mexico, congregation which I had a part in starting in 1958, and which is still part of the work I am doing along this border. It seems as though liberal brethren always have plenty of money, and are trying to get us to sell out the truth for "Thirty pieces of silver." More times than one I've been invited to write my confession to the Gospel Advocate, with the assurance that there would be all the money needed to carry on the work we are doing along the U. S.-Mexico border, if I would just change my position regarding my convictions!
Of a necessity, we who demand a "thus saith the Lord" for every doctrine bound on the Lord's church must give more planning and thought to the work of Christ. We must think of ourselves as a going concern. We will "go" with the Gospel into all the world as our blessed Lord said, and a good place to start is through our back door Mexico.
— Box 641, San Luis, Arizona