THE SPURS OF A SERMON: TIME TO SADDLE UP!

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.  (Hebrews 10:24-25)

The NIV renders this command as to “spur one another on,” and makes me think of a rider on a horse, digging in his spurs and urging the steed on to the finish line in victory.  As a preacher, I am like that rider, the congregation is the horse, the finish line is the Judgment Seat of Christ, and my sermons are the spurs.  Well, Sunday is coming—and it’s time to saddle up!

My consideration is not to be about how best the people can serve me, but how I can best serve them.  Spurring them on is a priority.  Having a Word for them that stimulates them toward a heart of love and holiness of life is to be high priority.  People get lax, the world drags them down—and it is easy to give up.  Every man of God should know this because we face the same temptation to discouragement.  If we surrender to it, then how can we discharge our duty to encourage them?   “David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”  (1 Samuel 30:6b KJV)  We must do likewise—and we can.

There will never be a time that so long as God gives me breath that I will not need to place the Bible bugle onto my lips and gather the saints to the race.  The people need to be assembled, fed, and have a saddle put on them—that is being equipped—so that they can be spurred on down the track.  Just because these days are difficult does not mean we can slack up, but rather is a call to pour it on!

Think today how you can best encourage the church members forward.  They are beaten down, and need someone to stir them up and stimulate them onward.  Our message needs to be the spur that does it—one that we wear with our own example, and apply it in just the right manner to bring the desired effect.

Here is my prayer for you, O man of God, today:

            Blessed Lord,

Please encourage the heart of every one who will stand in a pulpit and preach the Word tomorrow.  Stir them to once more take the Scripture in hand, and with a plea for Your help and a purpose in their heart, seek a word of encouragement that will spur your people on.  Send the Encourager—Your precious Holy Spirit—to each pastor today and whisper in their ear, “Keep on!”

In the Name of Your Faithful Son, Jesus,

Amen!

MARKS OF A MAN OF GOD

Blessed is every one who fears the LORD,

Who walks in His ways.

When you eat the labor of your hands,

You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.  (Psalm 128:1-2)

It has been my relentless desire to be a man of God.  I have sought to be marked out as belonging to Him.  This has been the object of my prayers and the orientation of my pursuit.  I cannot get away from it, nor do I want to.

What does this mean?  What are the marks of a man of God?  There are three that are set forth in this text which I believe are comprehensive in scope.

The man of God is MARKED BY HIS DISPOSITION.  “Blessed is every one who fears the LORD” (v.1a).  This is our fear of God.  If our disposition of heart isn’t directed toward God then nothing else will matter.  Holiness begins here—with reverence, love and devotion to God.  The inner life must be nurtured.  We are worshippers of God before we are workers for God.  David was foremost, “a man after God’s own heart.”  That is what God is looking for—not the outward appearance, but He judges the heart.

The man of God is MARKED BY HIS DIRECTION.  He is one, “Who walks in His ways.”  (v.1b)  This is our faithfulness to God.  If our disposition is to fear the Lord, then it follows that our direction is to be faithful to the Lord.  We can profess the former—that we are a man after God’s own heart—but, it will be proven by the latter.  Those who are after God’s own heart, follow after His ways.  Those who worship God passionately, walk with God persistently.  As a shepherd of God’s flock, I lead my sheep in the right path because I am following the Lord my Shepherd.

The man of God is MARKED BY HIS DESTINATION.  “When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.”  (v.2)  This is our fruitfulness from God.  If our disposition is toward God, then our direction will be with God, and that will bring us to our destination in God—and that is a ministry of fruitfulness.  Abiding in Him—in the inner life of faith and in the outward walk of obedience—is the way of abundant fruitfulness to His glory.  Our heart is fixed, are feet are firm and our hands are filled with the fruit of our labor—sheaves to bring in and wave before the Lord in eternity.  This is the crowning joy that Paul spoke of concerning the disciples he had made in Thessalonica, “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?  Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.”  (1 Thess.2:19-20)

Let our cry to God today be, “Lord, make me a holy man of God!”

 

 

RAINY DAYS AND MONDAYS

 

O LORD, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, “Violence!” And You will not save.  Why do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and contention arises.  Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.  (Habakkuk 1:2-4)

Years ago, the late Karen Carpenter sang, “Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.”  Every pastor has felt that way.  You preach yourself empty on Sunday—and then you have to get up and face more demands on Monday.  There was an entrance into the pulpit on Sunday morning with great anticipation, only to watch the people sit there as stones—and not many of them at that.  The difficulties seemed more abundant than the numbers of congregants, and you went to bed, tossing and turning like a small ship in a storm-tossed ocean—the howling winds of doubt and fear assailing you.  Now, you drag yourself out from under the covers, with more questions than answers, more struggles than solutions—rainy days and Mondays always get us down.

God’s spokesman, Habakkuk, could identify.  We find him in the opening verses of his short prophecy questioning God.  He feels as if he can’t take it any more.  God’s people have become reckless in their faith, and are about to be ruined because of it.  The enemy is on the rampage, and the casualties are growing by the day.  He wonders, “Where is God in all this?”  Don’t tell me you haven’t felt that way—maybe this day.

Habakkuk was having a crisis of faith.  It seemed that things had gone from bad to worse in his ministry.  Not only had the people abandoned God’s ways, the Lord seemed to have now abandoned them.  The Lord’s soldiers were in full retreat, while the wicked were on the march—and the few voices like Habakkuk, that tried to rally the troops, seemed lost amid the cries of terror and despair.

God answered Habakkuk’s cry of complaint in chapter one with a call to commitment in chapter two.

Then the LORD answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.  For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.  (v.2-3)

The answer was simple to state, though challenging to do: God’s man must “live by his faith” (2:4).  We have preached it, now we must practice it.  In the midst of trials, we tell our people to trust in God.  Perhaps on rainy days and Mondays we should do the same.

A preacher who is full of faith is faithful.  We have a calling from God and nothing must hinder us from fulfilling it.  His Word is sure whatever the situation seems.  I can speak it confidently because God has communicated it to me clearly.  I am to take it and run with it!  The urgency of my spiritual task must spur me onward despite the insufficiency of my physical strength.  I might feel like I am running on fumes, but God may have a filling station just around the corner.

When we are sagging, our spirits need reviving.  So, in desperation, take up the prophet’s prayer:

O LORD, I have heard Your speech and was afraid;

            O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years!

In the midst of the years make it known;

In wrath remember mercy.  (3:2)

It was then that God showed up (v.3ff), revealing His glory and displaying His power.  In the end, no matter the burdens we carry and the difficulties we face—God is enough.  He is the reward.  Irrespective of how many or how few show up on Sunday morning, God will show up on a Monday morning!  Is He enough?  Must the pastor be rewarded with recognition by the congregation and community—celebrated as a church rock star?  Do the pews have to be overflowing with crowds and the plates be overflowing with cash before we will feel joy or is God’s presence reward enough and is He our source of joy?

Here is how the prophet concludes his message:

Though the fig tree may not blossom,

Nor fruit be on the vines;

Though the labor of the olive may fail,

And the fields yield no food;

Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,

And there be no herd in the stalls—

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,

I will joy in the God of my salvation. 

The LORD God is my strength;

He will make my feet like deer’s feet,

And He will make me walk on my high hills.

To the Chief Musician.

With my stringed instruments.  (3:17-19)

You can walk out the door my brother, singing this tune—even on rainy days and Mondays!

THE PATH TO PRODUCTIVE MINISTRY

 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.  (Proverbs 3:5-6)

When I was a young student, twenty-one years old, attending Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute, a teacher gave me a bookmark with Proverbs 3:5-6 handwritten on it.  That charted a path for me toward productive ministry.  I was reminded that God alone is worthy of my trust—that Gospel ministry is a grace gift from Him, and is guided by Him for the glory of God Himself.  Places where we train like Fruitland, seminaries where we study like Luther Rice (where I graduated), sermons from successful pastors, and books others have written about sound ministry practices may reinforce God’s Word, but His wisdom is the foundation and only infallible guide.

We are to look to Him, learn from Him, and lean on Him wholeheartedly.  The foolish alternative is to lean on our own ingenuity and ability—charting a course to shipwreck in ministry!  We will be dashed on the rocks of self-sufficiency, that not only will sink us, but drown the passengers on board the ship we pilot!  How can we be so arrogant, when there is an all-knowing and all-powerful God who will steer us, if we look to Him?

Acknowledge God in every dimension of life and ministry.  Do not fret about the problems you face or plot for the position your ambitions want to attain.  Lean on Him and He will guide you.  Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”  Paul put it this way:

[Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.  And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.  And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.  For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.  And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.  (Colossians 1:15-23)

The preeminence of Jesus Christ—acknowledging Him in all our ways—directed Paul’s ministry.  If that doesn’t also define my ministry, I should repent or resign!

When we seek for His wisdom, submit to His work, and step in His ways, then the Lord directs us in the pathway of productivity.  Now, it may not be the celebrity the world commends (and I must say that too often the church has the same carnal standard).  We may not have the church with big buildings and big budgets—with packed pews and profuse praise from the denominational HQ.  What we will have is the favor of God that brings influence now and reward in Heaven, for it is all to the glory of God.

I want to walk a path where my footprints are indelibly marked so others may follow.  I want that to be the flock of my family first—for generations to come if the Lord tarries His return.  Then, I want to be sure I am blazing a trail for the sheep I lead in the local church I serve.  Furthermore, I pray that other young men who come after me in ministry will find the path to productive ministry as I point them to the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ!

Driving down the road on the Bible bus, I look in the mirror and observe the passengers that have taken a ride across nearly four decades of ministry—and am grateful to God for each one.  Then, I gaze into the mirror, beyond the passengers, to the road behind me, and see a caravan of buses!  I behold drivers younger than I am—those the Lord has used me to impact, and they now are carrying a church-load of riders down the highway!   This is what productive ministry is all about—not just the number of additions we can report, but the multiplication of ministers we can rejoice over!  To God be the glory!  Great things He has done!

Here is my prayer and I ask you to consider making it yours today:

Dear God,

I once more place my faith fully on You.  You are worthy!  You have demonstrated Your faithfulness time and again.  I am blessed beyond measure—so much more than I deserve.  It is grace that has called me, sustained me and will see me home.  Even when the path has been plagued by problems, You have infused me with power and perseverance.  Forgive me for all those times I have proudly relied on my own understanding.  Keep me from a wreck by ignoring Your way because I think I know best.  Lord, that will not only harm me, but so much worse, those who ride along with me!  In ALL my ways this day I want to acknowledge You and Your ways.  Bring my ministry into alignment with Your Word.  Direct all Your servants whom You have placed in positions of leadership in the Church into the path of productivity.

For the Sake of Christ,

Amen!

SUCCESSFUL MINISTRY

 

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  (Philippians 4:13)

When Paul penned these words, his ministry would not have seemed very successful by man’s standard.  He wasn’t preaching to throngs.  There was no denominational platform to laud his ability.  The trappings of accomplishment were absent.  He was in jail!  His congregation was some Roman guards and fellow prisoners—and some of those were the dregs of society—vile and violent men.

Yet, there was no whining!  In the midst of difficult ministry, there is unbridled joy that the Apostle expresses.  He was in submission to the sovereignty of God.  Paul knew his station in life in the present season was appointed by the Lord, so he didn’t chafe in his chains, but rattled them in celebration with hands uplifted victoriously!

He claims that he can do everything God has called him to do.  There were supernatural resources available.  The limitations of his surroundings and the harsh conditions of his circumstances could not hinder the Almighty from working in and through him.  The outward situation was irrelevant.  What mattered was being faithful and fervent in duty.

Maybe you feel your present place of ministry is much like a prison cell.  The place where you labor is small and confining.  The people you minister to seem uncaring and unresponsive to your message.  How could we possibly be successful in such a ministry?  A better question would be, “With God on our side, how can we possibly not be successful?”  Remember, it is His standard of measurement and not man’s that matters. 

Some more words written from that cell to a different church are these, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men” (Colossians 3:23).  Should we find ourselves turning on the lights, putting a roll of paper towels in the men’s restroom, teaching a Sunday School class, listening to Mrs. Jones complain about being cold (or hot) right before the worship service begins, and then pouring ourselves out in preaching to a people that sit there like stones—the only movement in the service being as people close their Bibles, grab their coats, and head out the door to the café as quickly as possible—you can be absolutely successful!

Have you given yourself wholeheartedly to the work of the Lord?  Have you rendered service to Him as a delight rather than a drudgery?  Are you working to please Him or to get a pat on the back from man?  He appreciates what we do in loving service for His cause, whether anyone else does.  God will reward us in eternity whether there is any recognition on earth.  A man of God must be liberated from the bondage of people-pleasing, by being chained to the Master’s will.

Be thankful that everywhere you go and whatever you do that you are a soldier of the Conquering King!  Paul put it this way,

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.  For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.  To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?  For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.  (2 Corinthians 2:14-17)

Being true to diffuse the Gospel wherever we labor is our duty.  The response is up to them.  Some will receive our ministry as the sweet smell of Heaven’s bouquets, while others will reject our message as the sulfurous stench of Hell’s blast-furnace.  One thing is certain—we will have an impact.  God’s Word always accomplishes its purpose, as he promised.  Some are helped by it and some are hardened by it, but none are unchanged from it.  That is God’s promise in Isaiah 55:11,

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

Do we feel insufficient for such a responsibility?  We should, because we are—if dependent on our own feeble resources.  But Paul would go on to say, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”  (2 Cor.3:5-6)

We are not peddling the Word of God—not some hireling who hawks a product, cleverly packaged for a church consumer culture, for our profit.  There must be sincerity in our manner, integrity in our message and eternity for our motivation—and that is successful ministry!