Can Ministry be Measured?

Every once in a while I sit down with our member directory and note every ministry every member is involved in. It always pleasantly surprises me.
We are not a “program church.” By design we keep our service schedule tight and avoid meeting at any times besides Sundays and Wednesdays. Yet, almost every member of our church is busy serving in three or four significant ministries. These will include everything from nursery staff, to setting up (lots of!) chairs, to serving seniors at a nearby nursing home, to greeting people at the door.
As vital as all these ministries are, they pale in comparison to that whole other level of ministry that is taking place at the same time – Christians serving other Christians. The members of our church take fellowship seriously, and seek to build into each other’s lives all the time. I am amazed to overhear snippets of conversations week by week as I stroll the hall. I am encouraged to catch glimpses of brothers meeting for meals during the week in order to sharpen each other spiritually. I smile at established members inviting “new people” over for a meal. I am thrilled to observe older women serving younger women, to see grown men taking time to build relationships with unbelieving kids in our church family, to hear of “secret” financial gifts to those in need and to watch the tidal movement of authentic Christian community.
Then there is the consistent evangelism of the lost. We meet to pray every week and every week our members ask to pray for certain folks to whom they have spoken the Gospel.
How could one measure this? Part of its beauty is that it is so real and “of the moment” and carried along by the Spirit that it could never be scripted or assessed.
I think that is a very important thing to remember when we evaluate church. We might be tempted to set up a grid that lists particular ministries to particular age groups or demographics. Or, we might think the only evangelism that really counts is the stuff we do “officially” as a group. In a market-driven culture these look like decent measures. They are not the ones God uses.
Real people engaging real people with the real Truth. This is what it means to be part of a real local church. And I absolutely love mine!

Toronto Pastors Fellowship Ready to Go on Monday!

The best part of serving other pastors by hosting the Toronto Pastors Fellowship is that I get to read all the papers presented about one week before anybody else. I just finished David Robinson’s excellent work on, “The Pastor as Competent” and I am quite excited to meet with my brothers, hear this paper, and discuss the truths it contains.
I think we have a pretty cool line up this year. Our idea was to listen carefully to Paul’s admonition to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3 and 4 and so we will take each section and unpack its relevance to us. David starts us off with a look at what makes us competent in our duties – the Word of God we preach.
As always, there will be some great coffee, singing, time to fellowship, pray together and sharpen one another in the things of God.
Does your pastor attend TPF? Some men say they can’t make it because they take Mondays as a day off. I do, too. But I have found over the last 14 years that “losing” part of my day off once a month to this kind of spiritual input bears greater fruit than gardening. Besides, most pastors have fairly flexible schedules and can probably take another day off, so tell your pastor to come. The Starbucks is free!
Looking forward to seeing you there. All are welcome.

Poem: AN ELEGY ON THE DEATH OF THE REV. MR. GEORGE WHITEFIELD. (Part Two)

Here is another section of Charles Wesley's poetic eulogy of George Whitefield. You can read part one here.

Yet soon he bows before the will divine
Clearly demonstrating its own design,
Called by a prelate good, no more delays
T’ accept with awe the consecrating grace,
And offers up, through the Redeemer’s blood, 120
His body, spirit, soul, a sacrifice to God.
He now begins, from every weight set free,
To make full trial of his ministry,
Breaks forth on every side, and runs, and flies,
Like kindling flames that from the stubble rise,
Where’er the ministerial Spirit leads,
From house to house the heavenly fire he spreads,
Ranges through all the city-lanes and streets,
And seizes every prodigal he meets.
Who shall the will and work divine oppose? 130
His strength with his increasing labour grows:
Workman and work th’ Almighty hath prepared,
And sent of God, the servant must be heard,
Rush through the opening door, on sinners call,
Proclaim the truth, and offer Christ to all.
“Sound an alarm, the gospel-trumpet blow,
Let all their time of visitation know;
The Saviour comes! (You hear his herald cry)
Go forth and meet the friend of sinners nigh!”
Roused from the sleep of death, a countless crowd, 140
(Whose hearts like trees before the wind are bowed,
As a thick cloud, that darkens all the sky,
As flocking doves, that to their windows fly,)
Press to the hallowed courts, with eager strife,
Catch the convincing word, and hear for life.
Parties and sects their endless feuds forget
And fall, and tremble at the preacher’s feet,
Pricked at the heart, with one consent inquire
What must we do t’ escape the never-dying fire?
Made apt to teach he points them out the way, 150
And willing multitudes the truth obey;
He lets his light on all impartial shine,
And strenuously asserts the birth divine;
The Spirit freely given to all who claim
That promised Comforter in Jesus’ name;
The pardon bought so dear, by grace bestowed,
Received through faith in the atoning blood.
While yet he speaks, the Lord himself comes down,
Applies and proves the gracious word his own,
The Holy Ghost to thirsty souls imparts, 160
And writes forgiveness on the broken hearts.
But lo! An ampler field appears in view,
And calls his champion forth to conquests new:
Nor toils, nor dangers can his zeal repress,
Nor crowds detain him by his own success:
In vain his children tempt him to delay,
With prayers and tears invite his longer stay,
Or ask, as sharers of his weal or woe,
To earth’s remotest bounds with him to go:
He leaves them all behind, at Jesus’ word, 170
He finds them all again in his beloved Lord.
See, where he flies! As if by heaven designed,
T’ awake and draw our whole apostate kind!
He takes the eagle’s with the morning’s wings,
To other worlds the great salvation brings,
As sent, with joyful news of sins forgiven,
To every ransomed soul on this side heaven!
With ready mind th’ Americans receive
Their angel-friend, and his report believe,
So soon the servant’s heavenly call they find, 180
So soon they hear the Master’s feet behind:
He comes—to wound, and heal! At his descent
The mountains flow, the rocky hearts are rent;
Numbers acknowledging their gracious day
Turn to the Lord, and cast their sins away,
And faint and sink, beneath their guilty load,
Into the arms of a forgiving God.
His Son revealed, they now exult to know,
And after a despised Redeemer go,
In all the works prepared their faith to prove, 190
In patient hope, and fervency of love.

Benedictions...

A few years ago I developed a strong urge to incorporate a final benediction into our meetings for corporate worship at Grace Fellowship Church. This had never been a part of my ministry, probably out of reaction to some of the rote renditions I had lived under in the past.

It is now a great joy to me to speak one of these blessings over the sheep allotted to me each week. It is exciting to read them with meaning and to bless my people with the very words of Scripture.

I got to wondering. Do you have a benediction at church? And are there any we have missed on our list?

Just reading this list will bless you...

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Now to him who is able to strengthen you
according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages
but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations,
according to the command of the eternal God,
to bring about the obedience of faith
— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

May the God of peace be with you all.

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling
and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,
to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord,
be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority,
before all time and now and forever. Amen.

And my God will supply every need of yours
according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord,
knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with you all.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith,
from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all... so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely,
and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

May... our God may make you worthy of his calling and may [He] fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Ordination Sermon - The Fuel to Pastoral Courage - 2 Timothy 1:7 - Part Two

In Timothy’s case, it was a fear of man (the cowardice that flows out of shame/embarrassment) that fuelled the neglect of his spiritual gifting. He had an ample supply of fear-triggers.

1. Imminent persecution. Paul himself is writing from prison. Deserted, cold and suffering – and this after much public opposition to his work. The same fate always lurked about for Timothy.

2. Older saints opposed to his ministry. It is not always the case, but sometimes, some churches are full of old people who are too proud to listen to a younger man. Timothy was ever conscious of his young age and apparently there were some in Ephesus who were as well. Paul would write in 1 Timothy 4:12 “ Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”

3. Sophisticated false teachers abounded. These wolves in sheepskins were deceptive, slick and always saying enough good to make you think their bad was not so bad. They were a formidable enemy.

4. It appears that Timothy was not altogether healthy and might have worried about his ailments. Or, he might have been so anxious over other matters that it affected his health. Paul would write to him: “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.” (1 Timothy 5:23).

Persecution, grumpy old men, false teachers, sickness – lots to be afraid of!

But to all these possible causes of fear and shame – we are given one answer. Julian – to all your triggers to fear and shame, whether the fear of hurting someone, the fear of looking badly, the fear of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time... to all these triggers you are offered one word. And I want to preach that word to you, my brother! And may God give you grace so that fuel for Gospel courage, that cure to shame and fear – the true cure – marks your entire life and ministry!

The Cure? “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

I. Remember what the Spirit does not give -- (Fear

Was Not Attached to the Given Spirit or His Gifts

The Holy Spirit that God gave you – and the gifts with which He has blessed you – are not marked by fear.

That means that any fear in you is man-generated, sin-generated. It is a symbol of our fallenness, not our righteousness. It is evidence of your spirit, not the Holy Spirit.

Saul was a tall and handsome man. He stood head and shoulders over everyone and when the people of Israel saw their new King, they said: “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.” But where was Saul before they brought him to the coronation ceremony? Hiding in the luggage. He was afraid.

You are a good looking chap, Julian. People see you as smart and friendly and full of good works. And all that pressure to perform, to not disappoint people, may tempt you to hide in the luggage. To duck back behind books or administration or fellow elders... but that is the fear of man – not a mark of God’s powerful Spirit!

It was not humility that kept Saul in the luggage – but disbelief that gave birth to her screaming child, Fear. Saul had already been assured by God that the Sovereign Lord would be with him. He had been anointed by God to this ministry. He had been given confirmations of this through circumstance and people. He was called to be King – not coward.

And you too have been called, not to a kingship, but the eldership. An office in God’s church that requires you to serve by leading. You will lead by example, yes, but you must also lead by word and action. The best Kings in Israel’s history led their troops to battle; they marched at the front of the lines. Like King Theoden in Lord of the Rings they rushed down to what appeared to be certain death. They took risk for God’s glory. Necessary risk – no one WANTED to fight those Orks, but someone HAD to!

There is no room for the faint-hearted in the leadership of a church. By taking on this ministry you are inviting, at some point, persecution and suffering. You are offering your life to the King as the one who will go into the battle when someone HAS to. You might as well decide now not to fear!

Jesus calmed a raging storm from a little fishing boat. After they woke him up from his nap, He asked His disciples (in the midst of the tumult!), “Why are you afraid?” and then with a word stopped the wind and waves. He did not console them, dry the rain and salt water off their faces... He asked them why they feared. They should not have been afraid since the Lord of Creation was in the boat with them! And the Lord of creation is “in the boat” with you, Julian, in all you do.

The more fear controls your ministry, the less the Holy Spirit is at work.

Although there are plenty of worldly reasons to run away in shame and tremble in the corner – there is never a spiritual reason. God Himself has removed all “triggers to fear” by removing the greatest risk known to man – death. By conquering death, he conquers fear. Perfect love casts out fear.

The presence of God’s Spirit and the gifts of His Spirit in us – are not gifts of fear.

In Paul’s words, God has not given us:

^· The Holy Spirit of Timidity!

^· The Coward Spirit.

^· The Barney Fife Spirit – with shaking hands and wobbly knees.

^· The Golly Spirit of Indecision and Second-guessing.

^· The Buckle-Under and Roll-Over Spirit

God has not given to us the Spirit of Fear... “BUT” (that lovely little adversative....) BUT, He has given the opposite, something entirely better and different!

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

“The Spirit and the gifts are ours!” Ours through Christ our Lord. Now, tell us about the Spirit and the gifts... how do these impact our fearful tendencies? How do the Spirit and His gifts help us fight off the cowardice that tempts us when sickness, persecution, strife and false teachers attack?

Ordination Sermon - The Fuel to Pastoral Courage - 2 Timothy 1:7 - Part One

Spending the last several weeks meditating on 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus (and other passages) has greatly refreshed my own zeal for the ministry which God has set before me. One of my kids asked me on Sunday night how long it took to prepare the sermon I preached as we brought Julian into the eldership. My answer (I think I stole it from somewhere in essence) was 41 years and one week. This sermon in particular had a lifetime behind it - not that I am the pastoral prototype(!) - rather, it is a subject that I have thought about for years.
Anyway, we do not ordain men at GFC... and we have our reasons. But we do confirm their calling to the eldership and the deaconate. What follows are some notes from the first part of my sermon on 2 Timothy 1:6-7 as we set aside a service to confirm the call of God on Julian Freeman.

The Fuel to Pastoral Courage - 2 Timothy 1:7

“I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

I. There are ways that this passage does not relate to us:

1. Timothy had a unique relationship to an Apostle. “I have no one like him,” “He is a son in the faith.” That is how Paul characterizes this man. Timothy had traveled with Paul, witnessed his persecutions firsthand and spent countless hours being mentored and trained by this apostle.

2. There was something unique in Timothy’s gifting because of this. Today, we lay hands on Julian: “we,” as in Murray and me. But we are not apostles nor do we transfer spiritual gifting via our hands. In fact, Mr. Spurgeon would suggest we are wasting our time! Speaking of this ceremony, he said, “Empty hands on a empty head make for an empty rite” – I think that is how he described this! But we have our reasons to press on.

II. There are more ways this passage does relate to us:

1. It is in the Bible – and all of the Scripture is “breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” This is more than a distant story, some history to be read at arm’s length. It is the Word of God spoken to us to teach, etc.

2. This passage also describes something that is common to the Christian condition – namely, temptation to shame and fear in relation to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

3. Although Timothy was uniquely gifted by the laying on of hands of an Apostle, he was gifted by the same Holy Spirit that gives gifts to every believer. In fact, the same Holy Spirit that is given to every believer in Jesus. And this Holy Spirit does not change personality or nature depending on whom He indwells! He is the same, yesterday, today and forever – He is the Spirit of love, power and self-control.

III. What’s more, there are several ways in which this Scripture relates to you, Julian, in particular:

1. You share with Timothy a similar family and spiritual heritage.

Like you, Timothy came from a Christian family. They were not always that way, since his grandmother Lois would have been alive long before Jesus was born. She must have been a faithful Jew, who, like her daughter Eunice, repented of sin and put her faith in Jesus when she first heard of him.

You have a similar heritage, Julian. Faithfully taught by your grandmother Marion, and your mother Lynn as a young boy, you were graced with a solid Christian upbringing.

Now, we all know this upbringing is not what saved you! I know that social structures, family background and genetics did not make you what you are... because I was there while you were growing up. I can testify to the entire world that you gave good evidence of being a slave to sin. That you were born with no special propensity or leaning toward Godliness. That you, like Adam, were under sin’s dominion. That you, like the rest of us, were as lost and dead in sin as any other.

Yet, God saw fit to use the means of grace to your conversion.

Parents, use those means! Read the Word. Pray. Evangelize your kids! Don’t fall prey to the temptation to think that conversion is unnecessary or a given – just because you believe in Jesus.

One day as a young High School student God saved Julian. The good seed sown in your life was met with the life-giving water and sunshine of the Holy Spirit and you became a Christian, not because of Mama and Nana, but because you saw your sin as a great offense to a Holy God and you turned in faith to His Son, Jesus.

Like Timothy, you have shown evidence of a sincere, a genuine faith. And it is to the praise of God that He would impart life to THREE generations – and we hope and pray to a fourth with your daughters and any other children.

But let me ask the rest of you: “Has God saved you?” Have you acted upon the facts of the Gospel: Jesus the Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. And that He now calls on all men everywhere to repent from sin and put their complete trust in Him alone for salvation. Have you turned to Christ? I am not looking for pastors here, I am looking for Christians! If you have not turned in faith to Jesus, do so today!

2. You share with Timothy similar gifts.

On the day God saved you, He gave you the Person of His Holy Spirit to dwell in you. He also gave you gifts to be used in His church for her good. Just as He does with every Christian.

Now, there was a council of elders that saw the gifting to pastoral ministry in Timothy. And these elders along with Paul laid hands on him and when they did, or prior to it, they were also given a word of prophecy concerning his life.

Today, the prophets are silent, but the Holy Spirit is not. By putting the desire into your heart to be an elder, and by confirming your giftedness through the Elders of your local church and the members of that local church – we are 100% certain that He has called you to this ministry. In the words of Paul to the Ephesian Christians – you are a gift to the church.

So, you are a gift. And you have been given a gift.

3. You are like Timothy in your need to exercise that gift!

Last year I made a great bonfire at the cottage. It began with soaring flames and intense heat. But that initial burst of energy rather quickly died down and would have slowly smoldered all day had I not tended my fire. I needed to poke at it to give it some air – add dry kindling when the damp wood took over – stir the embers to create more heat – and generally prod, poke and push to keep it burning hot and furiously.

Paul writes to Timothy that the gift he was given by God is much like my fire. It will not extinguish as long as Timothy lives (“the gifts of God are irrevocable!”)... but it can smolder away and become more smoke than flame – fogging up rather than giving light and heat.

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands”

Timothy’s gift, given as it was by Apostolic hand-laying, still needed to be fanned into flame. How much more your gifts, Julian. And ours!

Earlier, Paul wrote: 1 Timothy 4:14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.

Fan it into flame... do not neglect it... these warnings mean we can do that very thing. An untended fire throws little light and little heat.

A New Elder at GFC and a Big Promise for Every Pastor to Keep

Yesterday we added another elder to Grace Fellowship Church. It was a remarkable day! We take eldership quite seriously, so this was the end of a long process of training and evaluation. Murray and I are thrilled to have Julian Freeman serving alongside us as a fellow pastor!

After the sermon, I asked Julian to stand and respond to the following statement. This statement is a result of surveying the New Testament and considering some of the unique requirements and qualifications given to an elder. Just assembling this was a humbling and yet, encouraging task.

The references are included:

Called to the Office of Elder – The Promise

Having repented of sin and put your faith in Jesus Christ;

Having been baptized by immersion in water and made member of this local church;

Having faithfully served for many years in many capacities;

Having prayed and studied and read and grown in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus;

And having aspired to the office of elder and having been approved and affirmed to that office after careful examination by all the elders and members of Grace Fellowship Church;

Will you now promise,

Hebrews 13:7

- to lead a life worthy of emulation

Hebrews 13:17

- to joyfully watch over the souls of this flock as one will give an accounting for each of them to God

James 3:1

- to always preach with the Day of God’s Strict Judgement for Teachers in mind

James 5:13

- to pray believingly for the sick

1 Peter 5:1

- to shepherd God’s flock allotted to you willingly, eagerly, seeking to model first what you ask of them

Acts 20: 17

- to serve the Lord with both joy and tears

- to resist every temptation to shrink back from declaring the whole Gospel (whether in the privacy of someone’s home or the public square)

- to preach repentance and faith in Christ alone

- to willingly accept suffering, should God call you there

- to value the calling and Gospel of Jesus Christ above your own life

- to guard the church as the blood-bought possession of Jesus Christ, and thus to care for her as His most valuable possession

- to stay alert at your post, even willing to rebuke fellow elders who preach or teach any doctrine not found in God’s Word

- to live as if, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

1 Corinthians 14:29

- to carefully weigh the words of the preached Word

2 Corinthians 11-12

- to willingly suffer for Jesus’ sake hardship, physical torture, betrayal, inconvenience, exposure, disappointment, persecution, sovereign weakenings, calamities, and daily pressures of concern for the church

1 Timothy 4:6

- to value the Word of God over an argument won

- to train yourself for godliness

- to labour and strive with persistence in the work of your ministry more than any before you, giving God all the glory for any success

- to address men’s lives as well as minds; calling others to follow your personal growth in godliness and sanctification

- to keep close watch on your life and your doctrine

1 Timothy 6

- to purse righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness.

- to never quit, give up, swerve from or slack off in your effort to fulfil your ministry; not even when you are middle-aged, tired, and suffering

- to despise the allure of riches in this world and live for the eternal wealth of Christ’s presence in heaven

- to guard the sacred deposit entrusted to your care

Titus 2

- to teach the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in such a way that old men, old women, young men, young women, and children will understand how to adorn the Gospel of Jesus Christ with good works

- to value Jesus above your wife, your children, your church, your ministry, your knowledge, your self, and anything else in this world

- to speak to God’s people with gentle authority

- to be zealous for good works

2 Timothy

- to not be ashamed of the Gospel or the Saviour, regardless of the audience

- to flee youthful sins and run toward being a man who handles the Word of Truth accurately

- to correct with gentleness, not quarrelsomeness

- to preach the Word of God; in season and out of season, reproving, rebuking, and exhorting with complete patience and teaching

- to entrust your soul to the Faithful Creator no matter the blessing, the trial or persecution

If, in the sight of God and these witnesses you do now set your heart to make this pledge, promising that when you fail you will seek both forgiveness and restoration as soon as is possible, then I call upon you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom to answer, “I do.”

Julian, because we believe

- the Holy Spirit has gifted you to this ministry

- and made you a gift to this church

- and trust that we have not acted in haste, but in prayerful dependence on Christ

Therefore, it is our joy as the council of elders of this local church to lay hands on you and call upon God Himself to seal to you this ministry for your life and His glory.

Amen.

Pastors Poorly Dressed

On a recent flight to Texas I secretly watched a man. (Isn’t that what you do on planes? Watch people and pretend not to?)

He was clearly a pastor.

The white, button-down shirt was one clue – but there were more.

He had a big, black NIV Study Bible in his hand. And a big voice. And a big gut. And a big attitude. The flight attendant had to ask him several times to move back to his own seat... being a big man he kept moving to rows with two open seats so he could spread out. Then another passenger would board and the whole process of shifting around would begin anew.

Finally, he grumped back to his original seat, while the flight attendant gave a knowing glance to surrounding passengers.

Watching him reminded me of a conference I attended where pastors nearly crushed one another in a mad dash for a free Christian book. The irony was profound.

All of this made me wonder how my life stains the Gospel. Paul urges the early church to seek to “adorn the Gospel” by our good and loving behaviour, but too often I think I am a stained garment. And yes, it is all the worse since I am a pastor. I ought to lead by example, but my example can be misleading.

Watching that big man on that little plane was like looking in a mirror. The expressions of sin might be different, but too often I wear the same tarnished clothes. May God give grace to me and that man to “let [our] manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.”

The Bizarreness of Preaching: Some Monday Reflections on a Long-winded Sunday

I had received the question many times before, but never with such sincerity. After telling the 8 year old in the car beside me that I was a pastor, his perplexed face looked at mine and he queried. “Well, what do you do the rest of the week?” So much for bonding with my kids classmates!

I thought of that little guy today as I sat here in my study reading Mariano Di Gangi’s new book, “Great Themes in Puritan Preaching.” Di Gangi noted how many consider the Puritans to have been obnoxious bores... especially when you consider for how long they preached! I had to chuckle to myself. I found out Sunday night that my morning sermon had droned on for exactly 60 minutes. Sixty minutes of me speaking and others listening. It is a rather bizarre thing when you think of it. First of all, I need to say that I generally have a very precise “feeling” for time – as in down to the exact minute. But Sunday was different. There was a conspicuous fatigue in the air at GFC Sunday morning and a lot of our "regulars" were gone. That all made for a different experience, preaching wise, and somehow I thought I had preached for around 40 minutes. Twenty whole minutes off! Yowza! (Which is probably something close to what most of the parents of small children were saying around minute 43!)

Di Gangi writes of some long-winded Puritans, “Undoubtedly, some of their homilies would have benefited from sensitive editing. But such criticisms say more about the shortness of the average listener’s attention span today than they do about a Puritan pastor’s supposed prolixity [wordiness]” (p. 18).

It is remarkable to me that the folks of GFC stayed with me on Sunday morning when I was too long. I think it says much more about them than me (in one respect). There is a hunger for the Word in that lion’s den and whomever the pulpiteer, he had best deliver at least a little meat!

My text Sunday morning was John 3:16 and the love of God. It has been some time since I have laboured as much in preparation and preaching of a text. I felt like a schoolboy trying to describe the heavens or a spelunker shining his penlight around a massive underground cavern... there was so much to say! Yet, every word that tumbled out of my mouth felt like felt. It landed soft.

I think, I hope(!), we got a few good glances in on the love of God for the world... but I still felt such a lack. Even as I preached I thought, “Why aren’t you more affected by these things, Preacher!?”

Which leads me to this stunning observation – preaching is odd. Think of it! You are called to labour in the Word, study men’s hearts to figure out how best to get the Truth of that Word into them, then stand and talk (interestingly, not redundantly, but with passion) and your topic is... God! The ineffable, almighty, eternal, good, holy, transcendent yet immanent, Creator of all things – including you (and your voice and mind and heart, etc). And to top it all off, good Christian people sit and labour to listen – working hard to understand what God wants to say through their appointed “stammering tongue.”

I am so glad there is a Holy Spirit.

Sometimes while I preach my mind is praying to the Spirit, begging Him to come and work. Unbelievers were in my church Sunday – and there I was offering them life. If such a thing as a “salvation gun” existed, I would have shot them between the eyes! I want them to be in heaven. But, by God’s appointment and design, it all comes down to this:

“...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:9-17).

Preacher, take aim and fire off the Word. Regardless the skill or incompetence, that Word will not return void. It may be bizarre at one level, but isn’t it also so remarkably grand!

Church Government Models May Encourage the Toleration of Sin

In my pastoral theology class today we continued our study of what qualifies a man to be an elder. We have been systematically making our way through every single character qualification written in the New Testament. It is a humbling study!

In considering the command found in Titus to have “believing/faithful children,” one of my students made a keen observation. He commented how church government often impacts how we view these qualifications. For example, if our church government is something like one pastor, and a second board of deacons or elders or managers or what have you, there is an added pressure on the church to tolerate sin/disqualification in a pastor. Why? Because if the church were to remove the pastor, they are a ship without a captain!

However, if a church operates Biblically, with a plurality of elders (equal in standing, ministry and responsibility – albeit, to use Strauch’s term, there exists “a leader among equals”) then if one elder is disqualified (sad as this may be!) there is freedom to remove him without ripping apart the overall leadership of the church. Removing a solo elder is a much greater threat to the church. (This is partly why we wrote into our constitution that any time our local church is without 2 or more elders, the church must apply to a sister congregation to have their elders join the solo elder in leading our church.)

This is one more reason I think the Lord was quite right when he established two offices in the church – elder and deacon – and determined that both offices should be filled by a plurality of qualified men.

Haykin to Speak on Newton at November Meeting

The Sovereign Grace Pastor’s Fellowship (formerly known as FRPS) will be holding it's November 19th meeting at Toronto Baptist Seminary with Guest Lecturer Dr. Michael A. G. Haykin. Details are below and include FREE LUNCH for pastors!

“The Life of John Newton”
Presented by Dr. Michael Haykin
November 19, 2007
10:00 AM

Welcomes you to our November Meeting at: Toronto Baptist Seminary
130 Gerrard Street East, Toronto,
Ontario, M5A 3T4 (416) 925-3263
In the chapel of Jarvis St. Baptist Church
(Limited free parking is available!)

FREE LUNCH PROVIDED FOR ALL PASTORS.
You must register in advance by calling 416.925.3263

Strauch on Why You Should Hug In Church

I have argued for several years now that a time of greeting ought to be regularly included in the corporate worship services of God's people. This seems to bug a lot of folks, especially those who like to show up 2 minutes after a service begins and leave during a closing song! Others feel it is a disruption to their own focus on the Lord. But I would argue that this is a much too self-centered approach to worship.

Consider, for example, the one reason the New Testament gives us to sing in our corporate worship - "teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom." Singing is to be to one another in our church gatherings... it is not for your pleasure alone.

In like fashion, we need to participate in all aspects of corporate worship... corporately. Think of all the times Paul sent greetings to local churches. Have you ever noticed how many times he told them to "greet one another?" This is a Biblical command for Christians.

I do think there is cultural latitude on the application of the command. My father-in-law used to be a part of a denomination that took this Scripture quite literally and every service began with some smooching. Men kissed the men, and women kissed the women - and never the twain did meet! (Yes, on the lips... think of it in European ways and it is not so threatening... maybe...). Anyway, we don't kiss at Grace, but we often include a time in our worship of God to greet each other - and we try to teach our folks that this is more than "make the visitors feel welcome!" It is another aspect of our worship of God who exists in Trinitarian relationship.

Now, all of this is to introduce this quote from Alexander Strauch's new book "Leading With Love." I have been slowly making my way through this excellent work and trying to work on some weak and sinful areas of my life. But I loved this little section on the physical expressions of love in a church. So I have reproduced it to bless you!

Showing Physical Signs of Affection

One physical expression of Christian love is the “kiss of love,” and it is “one of the beautiful customs of the early Christians.” Peter urged his readers to “Greet one another with the kiss of love” (1 Peter 5:14), which is a practical outworking of his earlier instructions to love one another fervently as brothers and sisters:

• Love one another earnestly from a pure heart (1 Peter 1:22)

• Love the brotherhood (1 Peter 2:17)

• Above all, keep loving one another earnestly (1 Peter 4:8)

This “kiss of love,” which Paul also refers to as a “holy kiss,” is an outward, physical sign of “mutuality ... oneness of status and identity which all Christians share across divisions of race, class, and gender.” But it is a “holy” kiss, not a sensual kiss. It is to be expressed with respect and in all purity.

Whether we apply the “kiss of love” with an actual kiss, hug, or hearty handshake, we are commanded to greet brothers and sisters affectionately. Our greetings to one another should visibly express the reality of our family oneness and love. So let us not be impersonal, standoffish, or cold. Let us not take one another for granted. People need physical expressions of love as well as words of love. This physical expression of love is one concrete, practical way we live out the New Testament command to love “one another earnestly” (1 Peter 4:8).

John Stott, a naturally reserved and proper Englishman, has learned from his extensive world travels, especially to Latin America and Africa, to enjoy the affectionate physical embrace of fellow believers. In closing a letter to a friend, he quips: I “send you a greeting and a hug (I’m now a life-member of the Institute of Hug Therapy!).”

Paul too was a member of the “Institute of Hug Therapy.” At the end of Paul’s farewell message to the Ephesian elders, Luke records: “And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him” (Acts 20:37).

The children in our churches need to feel expressions of love too. Our Lord Jesus welcomed children. They were a joy to him. He was not too busy to pay attention to them. He touched, prayed for, and blessed them (Matt. 19:13-15). Mothers and children felt comfortable coming to Jesus because his nature was welcoming and affectionate. Let us also be protec¬tive of and loving toward children.

The local church is “the household of God” (1 Tim. 3:15) and should be filled with loving words and demonstrations of familial affection. Sadly, the atmosphere in some churches is more like a funeral home than a loving family home. There is little affection and warmth.

Legitimate emotional feelings are suffocated. People hardly know one another. They keep their distance, and the only display of affection is a speedy handshake before exiting the church doors. Such behavior is not authentic Christian brotherhood and sisterhood. It does not represent people who are faithful to the “new commandment.”

How to Get Started

To create a more loving atmosphere in your local church or in a group you lead, start by regularly praying for growth in love. Use these Scriptures as a guide in your prayers:

• And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more. (Phil. 1:9)
• And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all. (1 Thess. 3:12)
• [I pray] that you ... may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. (Eph. 3:18-19)

Even if your church or group is a loving body, you always can excel still “more and more” in love (1 Thess. 4:10,). Teach what the Bible says about love. How often do people hear a careful exposition of 1 Corinthians 13, Ephesians 3:14-19 and 4:1-16, or 1 John 4:7-21? Most church-goers do not know the biblical demands of love and need in-depth teaching on this subject. Challenge the people you lead to grow in love.

An atmosphere of love doesn’t come by teaching alone. Church leaders need to model love. There are teachers, musicians, and others in the church who have voluntarily served for years. They need to know that their faithfulness to God and the congregation is appreciated. Express your gratitude to them and encourage others to do the same. There are people who clean, repair, and maintain the church building; don’t let them go unnoticed. They should be thanked verbally or with a gift or card. Don’t take anyone for granted. God doesn’t!

Don’t allow your church to be a place where members of the body of Christ have only superficial interaction, or worse, where they come and go without even speaking to one another. Again, it is your responsibility to lead by example. The church is not a business corporation, military institution, or government agency. It is the “household of God,” so act accordingly. Reach out to others in love. Greet them with a “kiss of love,” an affectionate hug, or a “holy handshake.” Make it a point to remember people’s names.

The church is to be a close-knit family of brothers and sisters who express Christ’s love to one another. It is to be a life-transforming community where people grow and become more like their loving Lord. Your church can become a more loving community and experience greater unity as you teach and lead with love.

From: A Christian Leader's Guide to Leading With Love by Alexander Strauch. (Lewis and Roth, 2006). Another critical work for pastors is Strauch's Biblical Eldership - I highly commend it to you!

Pray For These Boys, Too!

One of the real joys in my ministry is teaching pastoral theology courses at Toronto Baptist Seminary. Every semester I like to post a picture of my class and ask you to pick one of these men for whom you will pray. Most of these fellows are still in preparation for pastoral work, and a couple are already in the middle of it.
I thank the Lord for these men. They are a great group of guys and the Lord has been with us so far. Pray that He uses every class to bring glory to His Name and to shape all of us more into His likeness.
Spain, Hong Kong, the Bahamas, China and Canada are all here in our little class... remarkable when one considers what the Lord might do!

I think my tie was too short that day.

It's an early morning, man!!

Military Missional Work Available!

Pastor Perry Edwards is a friend of mine leading a church beside the enormous Canadian military base in Oromocto, New Brunswick. CFB Gagetown is the second largest military base in Canada and one of the largest in the world. Almost every Canadian soldier does time at “Gag Town.” Sovereign Grace Baptist Church is about 3 minutes away from the front gate.

When I visited there this past winter, I got cold. But I also got a feel for the unique ministry opportunity facing Perry and the good folks at SGBC. The longest most military families stay at Gagetown is 3 years. Then comes a transfer to another base or a tour of duty. That means that any families or individuals that join the church will not be there for long.

Perhaps that is why not many churches have made inroads into the base. I was delighted to see that was not the case with SGBC. Oromocto itself only boasts about 8400 people, so you can imagine there are not many mega-churches with that small population base. But the 70 people of SGBC are faithful givers and have a desire to evangelize as many soldiers as they can for the short time they reside on the base. And they know this will not result in swelling numbers at their assemblies over the long haul. In other words, this is true, servant-hearted, self-sacrificing mission.

The church has approved a new budget to hire a part-time “military evangelist” – a man who will be a member of SGBC but spend 10 hours per week or so developing relationships with military personnel in order to preach Christ and Him crucified. If you know of a man who might fit this assignment, then feel free to email me and I will put you in touch with Perry.

May the Gospel of Christ go forward with power from Gagetown! What a wonderful testimony for SGBC, if at the end of many years there were a whole host of soldiers living all over the world who could point to them as the means of their salvation!

Shut Them Out - They'll Make Much of You

“They want to shut you out that you may make much of them.” – Galatians 4:17

Paul captures a universal truth – men are always seeking to shut others out in order to gain control of them. Such habits begin in the nursery and crawl into the playground. Little Johnny finds that by sharing his candy with Tom, and only Tom, many other boys grow jealous and want some. In fact, these other boys invite Johnny into their games, offer him treats of their own and lavish whatever attention on him they think will gain them a bite of that candy.

Psychologists sometimes call it co-dependency, when really it is just pride and lust. Johnny likes being “made much of” and has learned that excluding others will provoke that response. Why do they make much of him? Because their lust for candy is so strong. But like all lusts, it is never satisfied. Before that candy is finished lust is crying out “It was not enough,” and it begs for more. And so the cycle runs.

What happens on the playground eventually walks into the office, the government, the family reunion and the bedroom – usually in a much more refined way. Exclusion is used to direct the lusts of those the excluders want to control. O, to be on the inside!

Christians must never play this game.

The Bible is overflowing with references to freedom. Freed from sin and its dominion, we are free to live as weapons of righteousness. The Spirit is given to us freely and He enables us to live free from every fear and worldly influence.

If we are making much of someone in order to “get in,” then we are not walking by the Spirit. Christians, of all people, are freed to look at all men equally.

Paul illustrates this idea in the same letter when he refers to those pillars of the church, the Apostles. In describing his visit with them he keeps referring to them as “those who seemed influential.” And this statement is qualified by the very plain, “what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality!”

Just as we must never fall prey to “making much of someone” in order to “get in,” so we must never “shut others out” so that they will “make much of us.” Those who follow Jesus must remember these words:

“You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The Second Generation Scandal

I was involved in a long conversation with a second generation Christian the other day – a man that had “grown up” in the church. During our talk, he consistently disparaged what he called, “my tradition;” a reference to the denomination of churches of which he was a part.

He spoke quite plainly as to how he considered them to be very incorrect in a matter of doctrine... and with a kind of nudge and wink told me of how he endured their condemnation of his views. In other words, he had no intention of leaving that church or denomination, even though he disagreed with a very important doctrine which they taught.

You might consider that admirable.

I thought it was pathetic.

If a man believes something to be true, then he ought to live like it is so! If my church began to assert that belief in the deity of Jesus was optional, I am duty bound to stand up and stand for the Truth: Jesus is God!

This man’s dismissal of the “uneducated” and “simple” members of his church manifested the all too frequent Second Generation Scandal. The second generation does not believe what the first generation was willing to die for, but they are too bound by familial obligation and social pressure to admit it. They will wait for the first generation to die off, then quietly move the church away from its secure foundation.

This brought to mind the words of John Reisinger as he happily pontificated (in the best sense of that word!) for a bunch of seminary students in my living room a few years ago. “You must indoctrinate the next generation of Christians, that is how the Truth passes down through the ages. And part of that indoctrination is teaching them to indoctrinate those who follow.”

Should you find that theory odd, I suggest you consult 2 Timothy 2.



It reminds me of one of my favorite poems:

THE BOY WE WANT
A boy that is truthful and honest
And faithful and willing to work;
But we have not a place that we care to disgrace
with a boy that is ready to shirk.

Wanted--a boy you can tie to,
A boy that is trusty and true,
A boy that is good to old people,
And kind to the little ones too.

A boy that is nice to the home folks,
And pleasant to sister and brother,
A boy who will try when things go awry
To be helpful to father and mother.

These are the boys we depend on--
Our hope for the future, and then
Grave problems of state and the world's work await
Such boys when they grow to be men.

2007 Pastors Conference :: Desiring God

2007 Pastors Conference :: Desiring God

All the sermons from the Desiring God Conference for Pastors are now available for free online!

HT: Dan

The Pastor as Leader - Part Two

Part one of this leadership seminar can be found here. (Sorry it took so long to get to the next installment!)

------------------------------

On the topic of evangelism: Do you see a difference between pastor and evangelist?

K: Yes. I think there is a gifting in evangelistic ministry. In another sense, all pastors and Christians are responsible for sharing the gospel with others. There is an evangelistic gift. We sorely need people today who can preach the gospel to the lost in a way that people respond to positively. We have to seriously examine the 70-80% dropout rate from high school ministry to university/college ministry. We have to examine how much they really have known the truth. That’s an enormous problem. My wife works in a medical office for a year, and because of bad experiences people no longer attend the church.

C: I’d agree with Kirk. There is a gift. Would you say that there are people who are not pastors but have that gift? (addressing Kirk)

K: Yes. I would agree with that.

C: There are a couple of guys like that in our church. They are creative in the ways they share the gospel with others. You want to put these people into positions of leadership.

D: One of my problems with evangelism is its narrow track. It’s inviting people into your home. A pastor is an evangelist in proclaiming the gospel every Sunday, when you preach you’re speaking about the glory of God that encourages others to be passionate about sharing God with others. I believe that evangelists must also train to be pastors as well.

2 Tim 4.5, “Do the work of an evangelist.” What does that mean?

K: It is inviting people into your home. Yes. But it is also men like Ravi Zacharias who are challenging the ideologies of the day. It is making a compelling argument for Christ and causing people to come to Christ without just calling people to repentance.

D: It’s interesting that the context of that passage is “Preach the Word.” It is the gospel that saves people. When you’re preaching the Word, even to believers, you’re telling people about what they’re missing without Christ.

C: There is an office of evangelism, but all pastors need to be evangelists. People need to know that you love them and care about them. Don’t preach Christ in an indifferent way. You’re speaking about eternal life and eternal death. You better come across that way, even if they don’t agree with your approach. The gospel ministry is about life and death. Don’t get discouraged because you don’t see a lot of fruit.

Do you disagree with add-on evangelism, i.e. tacking on a plea to sinners at the end of a sermon?

P: Spurgeon points out that you need to be strategic about when to add the gospel in a message. The gospel must be kept precious. It is a danger to keep using the same catch phrases and turning people off to the core gospel message.

K: Absolutely. In a way, you cannot separate evangelism from what we say. Everything we say has an evangelistic thrust to it whether we’re speaking to Christians or non-Christians, what we say needs to speak of the gospel. Without falling prey to superficial relevance, our preaching needs to be driven by careful thought about where people are at and what people are thinking. A pastor can easily lose touch with the current trends of the time. The key is to keep in touch with the times. It’s not to say that we’re not experts to modern culture, but weave the gospel through that in a way that sticks in people’s minds. You have to at least be aware of what is going on.

Eph 4:11—Are these offices still around today? How many are there? Would you have evangelist as a church office?

K: The office of apostle is no longer in force. There is a progression in the NT. This is the cause of confusion in the charismatic circles. The only one that is valid is pastors and teachers. You don’t have apostles in the sense of the Twelve, but you do have leaders in the church, not in the sense of divinely inspired words. There is a compelling force of what seems to work (e.g. Pentecostalism).

D: If you want to evangelize, evangelize. Support it, teach it, etc.

We often encourage others to be missionaries, but maybe we need to missionaries of our own culture.

C: You need to send people out to our own culture. The greatest need is to get people doing it. Historically, the church grows through personal evangelism. How you do that is tough. You, the pastor, ought to be able to come to prayer meeting and say that I witnessed to so and so. Then you start praying for opportunities. You have to put tracts and pamphlets in their faces so that people are not just writing checks to missions.

There are a few churches in Canada who have an office of evangelism, but their actual practice was paying a pastor to evangelize.

K: One thing we must keep in mind as Baptists is regarding our children as sinners. Bringing children into the world bears a deep responsibility to bring them into salvation in Christ. Churches need to take heed to the warning that parents must take the responsibility to do everything possible to secure salvation for their children.

D: One of the things to do from the pulpit is to address the children (given that children are in the service). It’s a powerful way of indirectly addressing parents and non-believers. Speak to the children throughout the sermon. Make them feel special although they don’t understand everything about it. Let them know that the gospel is also for them.

C: I agree with you 100%. Sometimes I forget to do that. One thing another pastor does is sit down at lunch and ask the children what they learned from the sermon. (He shared a story at this point.)

Can you give us some examples of personal evangelism?

K: I go to a gym and conversations sometimes arise (with men of course!). You don’t want to tell people you’re a pastor right away.

C: A couple of things. I am involved in are a soccer league where half the people are non-Christians. I have a barber who is a Jehovah’s Witness, even though I pay more I still go there so that I can speak of Christ.

D: A lot of evangelism is done through the church, through preaching. A lot of what I do is motivating people to witness to others. A lot of what I do is through the church, making inroads into the community in different ways, not trying to make the church too busy.

No More Youth Pastors!

The title of this post was meant to catch your attention... apparently it worked! This is not a post attempting to slam anyone involved in youth ministry... at least not directly.

One of the alarming trends in the Canadian medical establishment is the high number of new physicians who are avoiding a general practice and specializing. Specialization has many benefits... work in the area of medicine you enjoy, make more money, avoid the repetitive nature of cold and flu diagnoses, etc.

We need specialists in medicine, don’t misunderstand me, but one problem we face are too many specialists and not enough GP’s. The result? Not enough family doctors for the population base.

It seems to me that a similar trend is manifesting itself in most seminaries and Bible colleges. Perhaps it is motivated out of a desire to attract new students? Regardless, now you can “specialize” your degree and gain similar benefits to those listed above (except the money!).

The result is a dearth of good old pastors. Pastors that study and pray and preach and counsel and marry and bury and write letters and help churches along. I have spoken to a lot of young men who shudder at that kind of boring life and thus launch off on the specialization path to find some meaning or excitement. Most of them think the best route would be some form of youth ministry.

After 5-10 years of that though... (and lets face it, who could last much longer!)... they feel “called” to take a “real” church and be a “senior” pastor.

Hoogly.

Paul told the Corinthians to “act like men.” If I had the opportunity to preach in every Bible college across North America, that would be my text.

Where are the men who are willing to lay down their lives in obscurity ministering to God’s elect? Where are the men who seek to be “all things to all people” in order to win a few? Where are the men who gladly deal with the same marriage, family, single, financial, etc. etc. counseling issues year after year?

Where are the men who bless a newborn, teach him in Sunday School, help him through High School, baptize him after his conversion, marry him to his bride, bless his children, help him through his marriage problems, bury his father, encourage him in his job loss, rebuke him in his covetousness, mentor him in ministry, ordain him to the eldership and die?

Maybe we do need specialists... specialists in an “all-round ministry.”

If you think the Lord is calling you to be a “youth pastor,” I challenge you to do three things:

1. Show me anywhere in the Bible such a ministry is modeled.

2. Tell me why you think the church is in need of a specialist to minister to this tiny group.

3. Answer this question: Has God called you to be a pastor?

Church Hopping and Boring Pastors

I was talking with a friend last week from out of town who told me they had just started attending their 5th church in 15 years. I thought more about this after our conversation and concluded that North Americans are just too consumer-driven when it comes to “finding a good church.” That is, until I thought through each transition of my friends.
In each instance, these dear folks were part of a church where the leadership began to change their ministry “style” or “philosophy” while they were there. In other words, the church itself changed – either doctrinally or methodologically. The church they committed to was not the same church they felt constrained to leave.
Now, without going into all the details, suffice it to say that the changes that took place in each case were substantial. You won’t get any argument from me against sempre refomata! But, always reforming is not the same thing as flip-flopping or trading in your sermon for a drama and a song.
My own view (for what it’s worth) is that churches whose leaders feel compelled to re-invent themselves every few years will never grow deep in spiritual matters – unless that change is toward instrumental prayer, expositional preaching, genuine worship, vibrant community, personal evangelism and Spirit-empowered obedience to the commands of Christ.
I pity folks who spend their entire Christian life having to learn the next “key” or “secret” every 5-8 years! These trends have grown almost predictable. In my day it has gone Gotthard, to Crabb, to PromiseKeepers, to Openess, and now Emergent. Each one building on the other in the sense of looking for some elusive sense of meaning – apart from instrumental prayer, expositional preaching, genuine worship, vibrant community personal evangelism and Spirit-empowered obedience to the commands of Christ.
We need men who will be content to lead by faithfully doing the essential tasks of a pastor as outlined in the Scriptures. There may not be much publicity or book contracts with that approach – nor stubble and straw to kindle the fire in the day of judgment.