John Stott

John R.W. Stott died last week and is now living in the presence of the Christ that he so clearly and simply presented to us. 
Stott wasn’t perfect.  There are moments when some evangelicals had their concerns about Stott.  Such as when he strongly opposed Martin Lloyd Jones warnings about ecumenicalism and its relationship to the gospel, and his flirting with annihilationism was problematic.  Yet Stott was and will forever receive my admiration.  Here is what he gave the evangelical world and myself.

1.  A living example of self-denial.  Stott remained single his entire life and gave much of his material possessions back to the poor and needy.  He was a reminder of living doctrine in word and deed.

2. An incredible preacher.  Not all preachers are created equal, some are clearly gifted more than others.  Stott had the gift.  A particular type of preaching gift that rare have.  Stott could preach on an entire chapter and with great clarity wrap his whole sermon around one, central idea that was the point of the text.  He was masterful in making lofty and sometimes difficult exegesis look easy.

3. A scholarly pastor.  I fear for my generation and those younger.  We are grooming a generation of prima dona type pastors that are more celebrity than scholarly.  When a lot of men, plant a church and with clever marketing grow large ministries, but bypass hours of scholarship I dread to see what their ministries will look like in a decade.  Stott provides an illustration that one can be a pastor and know his text outwardly and inwardly and using that text masterfully rather than relying on slick technique or shocking language or sophomoric books.

4.  A historic writer.  I was in junior high when I first read Basic Christianity and have read many of his commentaries and books since.  But it was as freshmen in college that I read The Cross of Christ and I have read it every year since that time.  It is epic and riveting and one of my favorite books ever written.  

So I praise the God Who created John Stott, and I praise the Son Whom Stott exalted every chance he got, and I praise the Spirit Whose presence seemed to be in everything Stott said or did.  
Here is the memorial website to learn more about John Stott