Hendry Says to Share Jesus’ Love

Selected as Oklahoma Baptist University's student preacher for a spring chapel service, senior biblical languages major Scott Hendry, spoke to students Wednesday about rediscovering the gospel in the current culture. 

Hendry asked students how Christians shed the light of Jesus to the world.

"Don't you think you and I need to discover why the gospel is good news for our contemporaries?" Hendry asked.

He began by stating that there are three virtues that hold true in global culture - achievement, appearance and affluence. He said that Christians must analyze the three theological virtues of faith, hope and love to offset the contemporary importance of the secular virtues.

Hendry said that making the story of Jesus personal and applicable requires faith. It lives and acts and is dependent upon the belief that the power of God's love is greater then evil, he said.

He also emphasized that a faith that questions is not a bad faith. He told students that asking why things happen shows strength in one's faith

Hendry talked about hope and the dangers of putting too much emphasis on what happens after death.

"It is dangerous and destructive to postpone the effects of Jesus to an afterlife," he said. "When we become so focused on what will happen after we die, then it is easy to look at the gospel of culture and ultimately become focused on 'I' or 'me'. Each person becomes concerned with their own personal salvation rather then reaching a fallen world."

He went on to say that evangelism is not just about bringing people to know the truth but also showing them a kind of love that helps them to ultimately live in the truth. The Christian life should not be about rights and privileges but about self-giving love, he said.

"If you are looking at the love of power not the power of love, then you are giving lip service to the true gospel but living under the lordship of another one," Hendry said.

He told students that love is what the community of Jesus is built upon. Christianity is built around skills, talents and interests for the expression or betterment of the gospel. He said that as Christians we must avoid accommodating ourselves to the three "A's" of culture, but should strive to apply Jesus' message to our contemporaries.

He concluded by challenging students to find out where their friends stood on these issues and then take the gospel to them at that point, just as Jesus did in his time.

Hendry will graduate from OBU magnum cum laude with honors in May. He has preached in more than forty churches and held a chaplaincy internship with Baptist Hospital.

He is the son of Sam and Janell Hendry of Shawnee.