BOOK REVIEW: Lurking behind a cheesy title is a really good book …

The title: “Jesus Called, He Wants His Church Back.”

Could you possibly come up with a cheesier title than that?!

Except, in this case, the title really does work with the content, and lurking behind that cheesy title is a very good book!

How good?

On my ministry website is a page for a “Self-Help Toolbox,” a list of “resources” which is really recommended reading on a variety of topics. I’m adding this book by Ray Johnston (published by W Publishing, an imprint of Thomas Nelson) to that list.

Johnston sets a context of first establishing his love for the Christian church, then identifies some of the key things that Christians and the American church are missing. That’s nothing new — the market is flooded with books by people hurling stones at the church and berating what is the bride of Christ.

But that isn’t what Johnston does.

John Ortberg writes the following in the book’s Foreward: “Ray is passionate about the church. He loves it with his whole heart. He loves it just the way it is, but he loves it too much to let it stay that way (kind of like Jesus in that regard).” For example, Johnston writes:

“One of the main problems undermining American Christianity is this: people become Christians, join the church, put Christian bumper stickers on their cars — but stop short of letting Jesus make a fundamental change in their foundational beliefs, their worldviews. Their lives don’t reflect the values taught and lived by the Jesus they claim to follow. Another way to put it is this: until Jesus changes your worldview, He will never change your life. Real change happens only when there is a fundamental change in your foundational worldview.”

Instead of just casting stones, Johnston does a stellar job of offering us what really is some fine teaching done in very simple, easy-to-understand writing. Johnston uses some brilliant illustrations and stories to bring biblical teaching about the church to life. He both challenges your socks off, and encourages you, almost at the same time.

You’ll find each chapter loaded with equipping, with Johnston breaking down his teaching into three things about this, six things about that, or five items about something else — easily delineating his points to make his message simple to comprehend, all the while revealing to the church its shortcomings and pointing to a better, more biblical way to live life as Christ’s church.

That’s what makes this book worth reading, and worth being on my list of recommended resources.

The only real weakness in the book, in my opinion, is when Johnston touches on the topic of evangelism near the end of the book. It appears to me he leans too much toward an attractional model, but at least he doesn’t embrace that method in a wholesale manner.

If you’re a Christian — and especially, if you’re a church leader — buy this book and absorb it.

Scotty

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”