I’ve been a little more out of the loop than usual these past few weeks since starting a new job, so I was a little late in hearing that John Stott has moved on to his eternal home. So much could be said about this great man of God. He will be missed within the Christian community of our day, but he will live on through the many excellent books, commentaries, and sermons he left behind. Mark Galli of CT magazine said it far better than I ever could so I will take the liberty of quoting him as he pays tribute to John Stott, one of a rare and dying breed. There are 3 things Mark Galli said:
1. John Stott articulated a biblical faith in ways that are true and faithful to the text of the Bible. No postmodern experiments with deconstructing. No theological flights of fancy. No sermons that overwhelmed the biblical narrative with his own cute stories. No pandering after the crowds. No studied attempt to be authentic, no pacing up and down the stage, no working the crowd for a laugh. Just simple and clear exegesis, with the appropriate illustration or classic quote.
2. John Stott lived a life that was true and faithful to the Bible. He spoke with conviction and humility. He worked hard but did not burn out. He played hard – if you call his fascination with bird-watching play - but was never tempted to let leisure define his lifestyle. He listened to his critics without being cowed by them. He wore his fame lightly, and used it not to promote himself or the sale of his books, but to further the ministries he had given himself to. He continued to grow and learn his whole life, expanding God’s calling on his life until his last breath. He put love into action, bringing into near perfect biblical balance the call for evangelism and social justice.
3. John Stott preached and lived a life that was an apology for the oldest and strongest pillars of evangelicalism: the complete trustworthiness and authority of Scripture; the primacy of the substitutionary atonement of Christ; Jesus as Savior and Lord; and a life of activism, characterized by both evangelism and social justice.
These things shaped the life of John Stott, as they most likely have countless evangelical Christians over the past several decades. His writings have certainly served as a shaping influence on me and those who God used to shape me. May his tribe live on and increase to the glory of God:
