Christian Joe

Archive for the ‘Preaching’ Category

The Lord has used some people recently in my life to teach me about priorities.  I am not talking about priorities when it comes to human beings, but rather priorities as a minister of the Word of God, a preacher, if you will.  These are not new things, just things that I need to put in remembrance.

1.  My personal walk with God.
It is far too easy for a minister of the Word to become so focused on bringing fresh bread to the people of God’s pasture, that he ceases to feed his own soul with the Word.  Couple the eating with fervent prayer and we have a full meal.  Often I find myself thinking about what the church needs or what my duties are and how to accomplish those duties, meanwhile failing to spend much time in personal reflection and attention to my walk with God.

2.  My family.
This is cliché I know, but it is still true.  The pastor’s family is his walking résumé.  Most other professions do not require a family in submission to God’s teaching both in word and in conduct in order to continue at the job.  But the Bible clearly gives a requirement that the pastor’s family walk with God.  For this to happen I must be real as I live out what it means to be a Christian (notice that I did not say, “what it means to be a pastor”); and I must be really there (there is no substitute for the often presence of a father with his family).

3.  Exposition of Scripture.
My chief responsibility as a minister of God’s Word is to accurately know and proclaim the entirety of God’s Word within its context.  I must spend the bulk of ministry engagement in analytical study and prayer over texts of Scripture.  I must wrestle with original intent, grammatical wording, and logical relationships.  I must deepen my understanding of historical interpretations and original languages.  I must consult other men of God both living and dead who have wrestled with the same texts.  By the grace of God through the Holy Spirit, I must boldly proclaim the intent of a text and provide implications for how this ought to impact all who hear or read.

4.  Systematic teaching of Doctrine.
Along with exposition of Scripture, I must make it my delightful duty to study and prepare systematic teaching of the Word of God.  My job is not to change people, persuade sinners or saints, or to make clones of myself; but my job is to teach all who have ears to hear the manifold wisdom of God unfolded in a systematic, understandable fashion.  If I must part ways with those with whom I have been privileged to minister to, I must depart with the doctrines of God and grace firmly rooted in their hearts so that they might continue to teach others long after I am gone.

5.  Continued Discipleship of other men.
The things that I have learned of God, I must commit to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also.  This means that I must prioritize my time to teach the teachable, to study with those looking for answers, not those who imagine they have all the answers.  Jesus Christ taught multitudes, ordained 70, discipled 12, and devoted much time to only 3.  All were important to the ministry and to our Lord.  Instead of trying to build large congregations where crowds can get only a taste of Christianity, I must devote the bulk of my attention to those so satiated by the Word, that they will be able to feed others.

6.  Give further teaching to saints personally as needed.
Another way this has been expressed is with the word “counsel.”  Counseling is private teaching from the Word of God. Those who don’t desire to find the answers in the Word of God will not generally appreciate the type of counsel I can give.  I am not a therapist or counselor in the modern use of the word, but I can point people to Jesus Christ.  He has the answers to every problem, and he has given us the answer in His Word; ours is to obey.

7.  Facilitate proper worship of God and service to God.
A duty of mine as a minister of God’s Word is to help God’s people understand the true meaning and purpose of corporate worship and to facilitate such.  By facilitate, I mean both by example and principle, provide a God-honoring method and motive for pure worship in public reading, music, giving, serving, and prayers.  This mostly happens when we gather on Sunday to honor the Lord.  This, of course, implies that I would be confident in what God-honoring worship looks like from Scripture and be willing to model and gently urge toward that kind of worship.

8. Faithfully lead the church in spiritual direction.
This includes leading the church in administrative and policy decisions that enable us to more fully do the work of the ministry.  By example and teaching, God can use me to help the church make Biblical decisions that will set the direction for the church.  This is a far cry from a dictatorship, but rather through giving principles and then urging others how to practically follow those principles, God can use me to spiritually guide the course of the ship.

You might notice that some duties that ministers do are not included in my priorities.  I believe that we have confused what it means to be a pastor with a Christian at times.  I did not include my duties and priorities as a Christian in this list, but this does not mean that a pastor is exempt from them.  They are a given no matter what position I would hold in an assembly.  These would include (but not be limited to) evangelism, edification of others, service in the physical needs (the building, etc), visiting the sick, praying for one another, fellowshipping with saints, attendance to church services, Bible studies, discipleship, etc.

Consider this post as a work in progress, as this is my understanding with the Biblical knowledge I have at his time.  I have intentionally put these priorities in what I believe to be order of importance.  Although I did not quote Scripture, I believe that Scripture supports what I have written.  “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enable me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.” -I Timothy 1:12

As I continue to grow in God’s amazing grace, I am overcome with a sense of my own unworthiness to teach and preach the Word of God.  I am also amazed at my unworthiness to lead God’s people.  God’s sheep are so precious and I take them for granted so often.  Pastors, beware not just the wolves that might hurt God’s flock, but beware our own pride that elevates ourselves and makes us think we know more or are better than they are.  There is no clergy-laity distinction, we are all just sinners saved by Grace seeking to worship the King of kings as his family.  I am looking forward to this next month as we look at God’s Word and reflect on how we must love the church that Christ died for.  Lord, forgive me where I am proud and arrogant, make me a humble servant of yours; and church family, please forgive me where I allow my ego to rule rather than Christ.  O, for grace to be like Christ, truly the one and only Great Shepherd.  I plead with you my Lord and my God to make me more like You.

Recently I have been challenged in my thinking regarding the doctrine of hell.  Is there really a hell, a place of eternal torment?  Does this make God sadistic?  I have been thinking about these things, not with an unbelieving heart, but rather with a conviction that we do not express the justice of God in sending sinners to hell enough in this age. I believe this is mostly due to an effort by many in professing Christianity to remove the seemingly rough aspects of God.  It is as if, preachers feel the need to polish God’s image or even make excuses for His “bad behavior.”  Hell is offensive; an eternal God who will judge with anger and wrath is not pretty or something that natural man wants to consider or contemplate.  It is best just to remove the “dirty” aspects of the Bible rather than to wrestle with the Truth-some might think.

The Bible teaches there is a literal hell, a burning fire which represents very well the burning justice of God.  To remove hell or “air condition hell” as some have said, is to mar and attack the character of a holy, just God.  To ignore or repudiate the reality of hell also numbs the call to “flee the wrath to come” and makes the demands of the gospel powerless.  It is not as simple as “just keeping it positive.”  Denying or softening the teaching of hell strips God of His moral character and ethic (how could a just God not send certain people to hell?)

I was encouraged by an article I read by Dr. Albert Mohler.  Here is a clip from that article and a link to the full article.

A new apologetic move is now evident among some theologians and preachers who do affirm the inerrancy of the Bible and the essential truthfulness of the New Testament doctrine of hell. This new move is more subtle, to be sure. In this move the preacher simply says something like this:

“I regret to tell you that the doctrine of hell is taught in the Bible. I believe it. I believe it because it is revealed in the Bible. It is not up for renegotiation. We just have to receive it and believe it. I do believe it. I wish it could be otherwise but it is not.”

Statements like this reveal a very great deal. The authority of the Bible is clearly affirmed. The speaker affirms what the Bible reveals and rejects accommodation. So far, so good. The problem is in how the affirmation is introduced and explained. In an apologetic gesture, the doctrine is essentially lamented.

What does this say about God? What does this imply about God’s truth? Can a truth clearly revealed in the Bible be anything less than good for us? The Bible presents the knowledge of hell just as it presents the knowledge of sin and judgment: these are things we had better know. God reveals these things to us for our good and for our redemption. In this light, the knowledge of these things is grace to us. Apologizing for a doctrine is tantamount to impugning the character of God.

You can read more of what Dr. Mohler has to say by following this link.

Let us be clear and unashamed of God’s truth as we propagate and protect it.

The late S.M. Lockridge’s sermon entitled “That’s My King” has been circulating through the internet for some time.  Pastor Lockridge was the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in San Diego and a well-known speaker around the world.  I do not know much about Pastor Lockridge’s ministry, but I do know that it is impossible to listen his sermon without my heart being lifted up in adoration to the King of kings, Jesus Christ.  As we consider the birth of the King, let us consider all that He is as the Eternal One.  I have linked to a website called Igniter Media which has a powerful remix of Dr. Lockridge’s sermon.  I challenge you to take a few minutes and listen to it.

“God becoming flesh;”  that is the meaning of the incarnation.  Most people are willing to celebrate the incarnation of a baby born in a manger.  Countless families who never crack a Bible normally may even read Luke 2 this time of year, and with smiles of pity remember a baby born in a manger who is “Savior,” although that word may mean little theologically to them.  The incarnation however does not begin and end with the Christmas story.  Rather, the scene of baby Jesus so many will decorate their houses and front yards with is the just the means God used to orchestrate the purpose of the incarnation.  Jesus said that “for this hour” he had come, referring to his impending death on  the Roman cross.  Jesus Christ has never had a beginning.  When Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph could not rejoice over a “new” little life they cradled in their arms.  Why? Because Micah 5:2 tells us that the Messiah who came from Bethlehem would be from everlasting to everlasting.  The person of Jesus did not begin in Bethlehem; he had always existed as eternal, infinite God.  Rather, the beginning of the incarnation seen as the baby in the manger, was God the Son mixing his eternal person with flesh and blood.  That means the Christ was sinless (being eternally God) and still sin-cursed (being now fleshly man).  Of course, the crucifixion on the cross was Jesus Christ carrying our sinful curse on himself in fullness being separated from the Father (suffering as God) and tortured in the flesh (suffering as man).  Of course we know that Jesus Christ being God and man could die and yet not stay dead.  Death has no power over God since he instituted death as punishment for sin.  But the incarnation goes further than the cross.  When Christ rose from the dead, he rose with a body.  Similar in style but different in substance in that it was glorified and perfected.  He retains that body even today, and is still fully God and fully glorified man, which gives us hope of the glory that shall be revealed in us as his saints.  One day, we will see the fullness of the incarnation when the incarnated God, Jesus the Christ, flesh and Spirit perfectly joined returns to rule with a rod of iron.  His eye are a flaming fire and on His name is the Word of God.  The title of Jesus when He comes and we “see” the incarnation–King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19).

Hallelujah for the incarnation of God the Son from cradle to cross to king!

Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance. It is laying hold of God’s willingness.

I preached a sermon recently from Luke 11 concerning the parable of the friend at midnight.  In that sermon, I contend that this familiar parable is not about man’s persistence in prayer, but rather God’s delight and willingness to answer prayer in spite of our failings and incompetence.  Answered prayer does not depend upon us, but rather it depends upon God’s faithful character.  That brings me great joy as a sinner saved only by grace.

Listen to sermon here.

In the previous post, I said that this one would be practical concerning the presentation of exposition. I am going to deviate a little bit here because I think that I missed an important point concerning why we should be committed to exposition as undershepherds, and why the people of God’s pasture should desire and demand expositional preaching.

Need for Exposition
The definition of expositional preaching is explaining a specific Biblical text (without our personal, cultural, or traditional opinions and biases) within its own context and providing implications concerning our lives. Since this is the definition, we must recognize that Biblical exposition may not always have immediate application in our lives. (Although I have learned that the Holy Spirit has a way of meeting a specific need that I had no idea existed when I have preached the Word). But that is okay! If we are living from sermon to sermon in order to “survive” as a Christian we are exhibiting immaturity and frailty in the Christian life. The Psalmist says, “Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.” (Psalm 119:11) Often we use this verse to promote Bible memory, and that is good, but hiding God’s Word in our heart is better understood as storing up sustenance that will keep us in the moment of trial and temptation. That is why we must be active in receiving Biblical exposition even if the preacher’s sermon is not what we “need” today. Preventative treatment for illness is far better than prescriptive rescue when we are failing in spiritual health. No one would argue that counseling with a married couple on the verge of divorce is better than premarital counseling or consistent teaching on Biblical roles in marriage long before there is conflict. However, the church has long ago left this concept behind and has moved along with the culture in seeking instant gratification in all areas, even the spiritual. “I’m sick, fix me!” is the cry of the anemic Christian, or rather “My job is in danger, my kids are struggling, my marriage is suffering, etc. . . Fix it. . . Now!” Perhaps the cry should be, “I may become ill, build me up in the most holy faith in a consistent, thorough fashion!” (Personal note* As a pastor, that would thrill my heart more than a million statements like, “good sermon pastor, it was just what I needed today.”) One view seeks a solution from Christ, the other seeks after a relationship with Christ. Crisis preaching (topical preaching patterned to focus on man’s current need) views God and the Word as means to an end. Expositional preaching (systematic explanation of Biblical texts) views a relationship with God through the Word as the end itself. One is man-centered, the other is God-focused. I will let you guess which is which.

If we are committed to thorough, Biblical exposition, we will take great joy in preaching through texts that seem to have nothing to do with the “big issues” of today. The opposite is dangerous in my opinion because the preacher becomes tied to the issues at hand and may begin drifting toward a man-driven ministry rather than a Word-driven philosophy of ministry. On the flip side, it is a misnomer that some texts are alive while others are dry and boring. The entirety of the Word of God (even Leviticus) cries out concerning the beauty and glory of our great and mighty God. He is in every phrase and paragraph of Holy Scripture. We can delight in God through any passage of Scripture because the Bible is the revelation of God Himself, not a book of virtues or morals. Perhaps the style and type of preaching will reveal the preacher’s view of the Book itself and even the God of the Book?

Shepherds, be committed to expositional preaching. Flock be demanding expositional preaching from your shepherds. The health of the local church, present and future, depends upon it.