INTAKE BEFORE OUTFLOW

 

 Old Mother Hubbard 
Went to the Cupboard,
 To give the poor Dog a bone;
 When she came there,
 The Cupboard was bare,
 And so the poor Dog had none.

As a preacher of God’s Word, we cannot give what we do not have. There must be intake before there can be outflow. If the spring is not flowing, then we cannot draw out water. Our people come to us, thirsty and longing for the Water of Life. Is the well dry?

We may all feel that way at times. Having given and given and given—we are poured out and exhausted—with nothing left to give. Yet, here comes another Lord’s Day and the assembling of the saints to drink. They are thirsty. The world they have functioned in all week has drained them dry. They look to the pulpit for help. What will you do?  Jesus provides the solution. 

There must be DESIRE. He says, “If anyone thirsts.”  

Self-sufficiency may drain our desire. Pride calls us to self-sufficiency. It’s our job to give the people the Lord’s message and satisfy their spiritual thirst.  We have been to seminary. We are the Bible experts. So, we function as professionals, just doing our job. There will be no outflow of grace from such a pulpit, for there has been no intake. God gives grace to the humble, and not the self-sufficient.

Carnal satisfaction can deplete our desire. Rather than the intake from the tributaries of truth in Scripture, we may satiate ourselves at this world’s well.  Distracted by electronic devices, addicted to worldly amusements, and gorged with fleshly pursuits, we think on Saturday night, we can borrow some other preacher’s bucket and share the contents of his intake with the thirsty Sunday morning crowd. 

Jeremiah speaks to this:  “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.” (‭Jer. 2‬:‭13‬‬). 

God forbid that we be a broken cistern!  Let us desire to drink deeply of Christ all week long through the fountain of the Spirit-inspired Scriptures.  Then, no matter how demanding our week has been, we may claim the promise, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled,” (Matt. 5:6). 

There must then be DIRECTION.  Jesus said, “let him come to me.”

Good intentions will not get the job done. We may have meant to dive deeply into the text we are to preach, but so many good things have detoured us from the primary task. I think of the Apostles, in the early days of the church. The congregation was growing exponentially, conflict arose, ministry demands intensified, and the church turned to the leadership. Their response was to install other godly men to care for those needs, for they said, “we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word,” (Acts 6:4). There must be delegation of many tasks, if there is to be the declaration of mighty truths. 

Wrong direction will keep us from the right direction. There is a place for reading commentaries and listening to podcasts. But, we must prioritize seeking Jesus. Our agenda is to drink deeply of Him, before we dive deeply into research. Pray much before you study long—to seek the Savior and not just create a sermon. You will be amazed how if you are in the Word with regularity, the Lord will fill you up, so you can pour out. Prayer and the ministry of the Word are inseparable.

Finally, this calls for DECISION. Our Lord said, “drink.”

The old adage is, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”  I can present this, but you can ignore it. You may nod your head and say, “Amen,” with your lips, while returning to the old rut of doing what you’ve always done. You may feel guilty and so drained as to despair and quit the ministry. Some preachers go down in flames of moral failure, while others just fade away.  

It is time to come and drink. Open your heart to Christ anew. The Holy Spirit promises to flow into you and then out of you!  That outflow will be “rivers of living water,” not a trickle, but a torrent!  You may be drained, but the Spirit within you never is—not even a bit—from His boundless supply. 

Let us seek the Lord, brothers. God will supply the outflow if you take care of the intake.

FEAR WILL FLEE

God’s servants are not exempt from the storms of life. They are certain to come. It is at that time we face a choice—faith or fear?

John tells us that he and the other disciples were in the same boat. It is true of everyone in ministry. Our “boat” may be a different size and the storms we face may be of a diverse nature, but the bottom line—it is a storm that tests us with the same choice.  I have heard it said, “You are either heading into a storm, in a storm, or coming out of one.”  It is the common lot of those who follow Christ in this creation that is groaning under the curse. 

“And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them,” (v. 17b). What do you do when darkness envelopes you, and you long for the Lord and He is nowhere apparent. Perhaps that is the way you feel today. You are rowing and rowing, but the wind only blows harder and the waves mount higher!

It is then—in that moment of desperation—that Jesus shows up. The very storm that we never wanted to be in becomes the means by which Christ will manifest His presence in a profound manner!

Yet, at first, His appearance only intensified their fear. Can you imagine being in such a desperate situation and seeing what appears a specter walking on top of the water toward you?  

Then the Lord speaks, “It is I; do not be afraid.”  It is the Word of God that produces faith and drives away our fear. Circumstances change.  One moment the disciples were on course and suddenly they are in a storm. Yet, just as quickly the storm is over and “immediately the boat was at the land where they were going,” (v. 21b). What does not change are the immutable promises of God.

To those who preach the Word, let us be reminded to trust that Word. We call people to faith, and so should model that faith. 

    Standing on the promises that cannot fail.
    When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
    By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
    Standing on the promises of God.

You can stand on the promises, even when sitting in a boat buffeted by winds and waves. Often we have little choice about the circumstances we find ourselves in, but we always have a choice as to how we respond to them. Fear or faith?  You make the call.

HEAVEN’S HONOR

 

“I” is at the heart of sin—s-“I”-n. The first sin was in eternity where a celestial being named Lucifer became enamored with himself:

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!  How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the  nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into  heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit  on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the  north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like  the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the  lowest depths of the Pit.”  (Isaiah‬ ‭14‬:‭12‬-‭15‬‬ NKJV). 

Five times we hear him say, “I will” concluding with, “I will be like the Most High,” and in that moment an angel of light became the prince of darkness. 

The first sin on earth was when the Serpent enticed Eve similarly to eat the forbidden fruit, “and you will be like God,” (Gen. 3:5). As Eve ate and shared with Adam, humanity fell into the pit of pride and the fall was catastrophic. That virus of vanity has infected all their offspring.

In John 5, we find the Lord Jesus confronted by the spawn of Satan—the Pharisees. They claimed to be children of Abraham and thus children  of God, but Jesus would later say, “You are of your father the devil…” (John 8:44).  Egotism was the motivation for their religiosity. They did not seek the honor from God that comes from seeking to honor God, but lusted for the honor of other men. 

These were in many ways orthodox in their belief and faithful—even fervent—in their teaching. Yet, they did not serve God for His glory, but for their own. Jesus said they were devoid of God’s love. They did not love others, for their hearts were consumed with self-love. 

Preachers are not immune from this peril. Seeking the honor of man can be like a drug addiction. The first dose of recognition brings brief euphoria, and then we want more and it takes increasing injections of celebrity to bring the sensation back. 

We love a pat on the back—a place on the platform—a position of power. The celebrity preacher is birthed when he basks in the celebration from other men.  It is such a subtle and sinister seduction. 

May God guard our hearts!  May the Spirit of God consume us with a desire to honor God!  I have written a prayer in my Bible from A. W. Tozer. Out of that I have starred and circled one particular sentence: “If in Thy permissive providence honor should come to me from Thy church, let me not forget in that hour that I am unworthy of the least of Thy mercies, and that if men knew me as I know myself they would withhold their honors or bestow them on others more worthy to receive them,”

If we are to receive honor, let it be from honoring God, and receive it not on earth, but in eternity. Humble yourself and seek God’s glory alone. Then, you will not be deflated when you  are criticized, nor inflated when you are celebrated. Trust in Jesus who promised, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.” (John‬ ‭12‬:‭26‬‬). 

Serve the Savior rather than serving yourself. Concentrate on following Him instead of gathering your own following. Look to the acclaim of eternity and not the adulation of earth.

I preach to myself, and hope that if you listen these words will help you, also.

A SON OF MAN TO TEACH THE SONS OF MEN

 Here is a quote from Spurgeon taken from a sermon on Ezekiel 40:4:   ”And the man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears, and fix your mind on everything I show you; for you were brought here so that I might show them to you. Declare to the house of Israel everything you see.”(NKJV‬‬)

WE learn from this text something concerning Ezekiel himself. He was certainly one of the greatest of the prophets; his visions remind us of those of John, both for their brightness, splendour, and number, and yet this eminent prophet was, nevertheless, styled “son of man.” He is continually called by that name. The title is used over and over again throughout the book of his prophecies— “ Son of man”— to remind him that even the seer, the prophet, the inspired, the man who was indulged with vision upon vision, was still only a man. The best of men are men at the best. Those eyes that are strengthened to behold the cherubim, and to gaze upon the stupendous wheels of providence, are still only the eyes of a son of man. The title was used to teach him humility, and also to remind him of the condescension of God towards him, and to fill him with awe and wonder that he should be chosen from the rest of mankind, though no more than they, to see such wondrous sights, withheld from other eyes. To us this wears a very promising aspect, for if God can reveal himself to one “son of man,” why not to another? And if God can speak, as he did speak, so wonderfully through Ezekiel, one son of man, why not through you? why not through me? for we, too, are sons of men. We have no worthiness or fitness; neither does Ezekiel claim any. He is reminded of his descent: he is still one of the sons of men. Oh, be of good comfort, you who think that God can never use you— you who are poor in spirit, and wish to serve him, but deeply feel your own insignificance. Remember that God is able to do for you exceedingly abundantly above what you ask or even think. He can yet reveal his Son in you, and himself to you, and by you, after such methods as you have never dreamed of; and, possibly, the painful experience through which you are passing even now may be preparing you to stand upon yet loftier mounts, and to behold visions of God, which in happier days you shall tell out to the house of Israel, by which multitudes shall be blessed through you.

A PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH

 I am offering Spurgeon’s prayer today. Will you join me?

We ask especially for this Lord’s Day, that we may be in the Spirit, and know the fulness of his quickening power. May we do nothing after the dead manner of formality. May there be no dead hymn, nor dead prayer. Lord, give the preacher life. Oh, give the hearers life. Oh may this be living worship this morning, the bowing not of heads alone, but of hearts, and the closing not alone of the eyes to things that can be seen, but the closing of the eyelids of the thought to everything worldly.

Amen.

GUARDING AND GUIDING GOD’S PEOPLE

 The thrust of Ezekiel 33-34 is guarding and guiding God’s people. Those who are entrusted with leading and feeding the flock have a solemn duty and sacred accountability. Two primary metaphors are used: the sentinel and the shepherd.

We read about THE FAITHFUL SENTINEL WHO IS CONFIRMED, (33:1-33). This is basically a confirmation of Ezekiel’s previous call given in 3:16-21. The words are essentially the same. 

This is a reminder of the mandate, (v. 1-9). In the wear and tear of ministry, it is easy to be distracted and diverted from the essentials of our work. We are forgetful people, who need to refocus. The first phase of Ezekiel’s labor that focused on condemnation will now turn to the next phase that will concentrate on consolation. It is a good time for a reminder of the man of God’s stewardship. “Moreover it is required of stewards that they be found faithful,” (1 Cor. 4:2).

We must be wary of the approach of the enemy. Spiritual perils are ever about. The enemy is looking for opportunity to attack. Thus, our mandate is a call to watchfulness. 

Further, there is a reinforcement of the message, (v. 10-33). Again, these are truths that have previously been shared. God’s messenger is not searching for something novel. He preaches, “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints,” (Jude v. 3b). 

Our mandate is to warn of spiritual perils, but also to proclaim Scriptural principles. Our mandate is a call to watchfulness, and our message is a charge to witness.

We summon the sinner to repent of sin and to receive the Savior. While Ezekiel was faithful to proclaim the truth, the people stubbornly refused to heed the warning. Thus, the horrifying moment—long predicted—was fulfilled in the fall of Jerusalem. The prophet was faithful and fearless, but the people were stubbornly sinful. They would hear the preaching and say, “Amen,” then walk away and do as they pleased. 

The blood was off the preacher’s hands and on the people’s heads. The Lord is loving and righteous and holds these attributes in perfect balance. He does not desire to condemn the wicked. But, if they perish, then His justice will be meted out. He shows us the way to life, but if we choose our own path, it will bring our doom, and we cannot say that God is unjust to give us what we want.

From the faithful sentinel who is confirmed, we turn to THE FAITHLESS SHEPHERDS WHO ARE CONFRONTED, (34:1-31). The assignment of the shepherd is to guide the people as he leads them and feeds them. This chapter confronts those failing to fulfill their duty. 

Consider first the shepherds who scatter the sheep, (v. 1-10). Rather than feed the flock, the shepherds stuffed themselves. Instead of giving out the Word to aid the sheep, they twisted the truth so the sheep would benefit them. Their focus was on self-indulgence and self-aggrandizement. 

A good shepherd will support the weak, bring healing to the sick, bind up the broken, reclaim the straying, and seek the lost. These faithless shepherds were utter failures. They used and abused the sheep. They used them for personal gain and abused them for personal glory. Their motive was carnal and their manner was dictatorial. God will judge such faithless shepherds. A day of reckoning is coming!

The Lord will rescue His sheep. So we observe secondly the Savior who seeks His sheep, (v. 11-31). The Good Shepherd will not lose one of His sheep, (cf. John 10:1-5, 27-30). Men often fail, but the Master does not!  He will lead and feed the flock. Oh, may we as shepherds seek to emulate the Good Shepherd, rather than be as these faithless ones!

Ultimately, God will gather His flock. Ezekiel takes us to the last days, where literally Israel will be regathered to their land. Showers of blessing will make the land fruitful. The Lord will reign over them and be their God. David will be their prince. Most commentators see this fulfilled in Jesus, David’s descendant, the Messiah. That is likely. But, it is at least possible that David will be resurrected and reign under the Lord in the earthly Jerusalem, while Christ reigns in the eternal Jerusalem—the city of God come down from heaven to earth. It is an intriguing thought. We do know that as those who are part of the Bride of Christ, we will reign with the Lord. We will be given charge over cities and citizens then based on our faithfulness to God now.  

What we certainly know is that a great day is coming.  This is the prophetic interpretation. But, we also have a practical illustration.  The literal prophecy conveys a spiritual principle. When shepherds faithfully feed and lead the flock, there can be  showers of blessing in revival and the church may manifest the fruit of the Spirit and gather a harvest of souls!  It is a foretaste of glory divine!  May it be so in our day!  Recall the old hymn:

 1. There shall be showers of blessing:
  This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
  Sent from the Savior above.
  
Chorus: Showers of blessing,
  Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
    But for the showers we plead.

2. There shall be showers of blessing—
  Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
  Sound of abundance of rain.

3. There shall be showers of blessing;
  Send them upon us, O Lord!
Grant to us now a refreshing;
  Come, and now honor Thy Word.

 4. There shall be showers of blessing;
  O that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
  Now as on Jesus we call!

5. There shall be showers of blessing,
  If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
  If we let God have His way.

A CONSUMING FIRE

 

Jesus is our perfect pattern in all things good. In John 2:17, He is seen to fulfill the prophetic word of Psalm 69:9 in His consuming zeal for the house of God.   It is a startling portrait of Christ’s holy passion for His Father’s house. 

Do we have a zeal for God’s house?

I fear there are only a few scattered embers glowing in a few places—and that most “worship” services have the appearance of ashes. Once a fire burned there, but it went cold a long time ago. Revival happens when someone stirs the ash, finds a hot coal buried there, the breath of God blows upon it, and we fuel it with our prayers. It is then the fire can be rekindled. How I long to see it!

Or do I?

If revival tarries then it is not the fault of God. Nor can I point to the godless environment around me, though the world indeed seeks to water any spark. I can rightfully scorn the false fires where carnal Christians mistake emotionalism for a deep work of repentance that is needed.  But to make that the focus is to miss the coldness in my own heart. 

Will it start in the pulpit?

If the preacher does not have a consuming passion for the house of God, then it is unlikely anyone in the congregation will. I think of a chorus I heard many years ago, and invite you to make this your plea:

My eyes are dry
My faith is old
My heart is hard
My prayers are cold

And I know how I ought to be
Alive to You and dead to me

But what can be done
For an old heart like mine
Soften it up
With oil and wine
The oil is You, Your Spirit of love
Please wash me anew

With the wine of Your Blood. (Keith Green)

STEADFAST SERVICE

I heard a sermon recently that quoted these words from Spurgeon on 1 Cor. 15:58:

 Let us continue true to him, for evil would be our case if we were to desert his cause, and then should see him come in the glory of his Father, attended by cohorts of angels. It would be a dreadful thing to have deserted the army just when the shout of “victory ” was about to be raised. Be ye stedfast, unmoveable, for he is risen, and he ever liveth to secure the victory. Our work of faith is not in vain, because we shall rise again. If what we do for God were to have its only reward on earth, it were a poor prospect. Strike out the hope of the hereafter, and the Christian’s reward would be gone; but, beloved, we shall rise again.

     Our work is ended when our eye is closed in death, but our life is not ended with our work. We shall preach no more, we shall no more teach the little children, we shall no more talk with the wayfarer about the Saviour; but we shall enjoy better things than these, for we shall sit upon our Saviour’s throne even as lie sits upon his Father’s throne. Our heads shall have crowns to deck them, our hands shall wave the palm of victory; we shall put on the white robe— the victor’s apparel; we shall stand around the throne in triumph, and shall behold and share the glories of the Son of God. O brethren, shrink not, for the crown is just within your reach. Never think of diminishing your service, rather increase it, for the reward is close at hand. And remember that as you will rise again, so those whom you come in contact with will also rise again. When I have preached the gospel on a Sunday I have thought, “Well, I shall never see many of these people again,” and the reflection, has flashed across my mind, “Yes, I shall; and if I have faithfully, as God’s servant, preached the truth, I shall not need to be afraid to see them either.” If they have received benefit and found Christ through the witness I have borne, they shall be my reward hereafter in the land of the living; and even if they reject the testimony, yet shall they bear their witness to my faithfulness in having preached to them the word of God, for they shall rise again.

     O beloved, what is this poor world? There, shut your eyes to it, for it is not worth your gaze. What is there here below? What see I but fleeting shadows and dreams, and phantoms? What shall I live for? What is there worth living for beneath yon stars? What, if I hoard up wealth, I shall have to leave it to ungrateful heirs! What if I get fame, yet how can the breath of man add to my comfort when I lie tossing on the verge of eternity? What is there worth living for, I say, beneath yon stars? But there is a something that makes it worth while existing and makes life grand and noble. It is this: if I may crown with praise that head which for my sake was crowned with thorns, if I may honour him who was dishonoured for my sake, if to the manifestation of the glories of Jehovah I may have contributed a share, if at the reading of the records of all time it may be found that I put out my talent as a faithful servant, and gained interest for my Master, it shall be well. Saved not of debt – far hence the thought! – but of grace alone, yet shall it be no small thing, out of a sense of indebtedness to grace, to have lived and loved and died for Jesus.

     What more can I say? are there no ambitions among you? I know there are. Young men, consecrate yourselves to God this day. If you have looked to Jesus and trusted him, serve him for ever. Preach him if you can; go abroad into the foreign field if you may. If you cannot do that, make money for him that you may give it to his cause. Open your shop for his sake, let everything be done for Jesus. Take this henceforth for your motto— All for Jesus, always for Jesus, everywhere for Jesus. He deserves it. I should not so speak to you if you had to live in this world only. Alas, for the love of Jesus, if thou wert all and nought beside, O earth! But there is another life— live for it. There is another world— live for it. There is a resurrection, there is eternal blessedness, there is glory, there are crowns of pure reward— live for them, by God’s grace live for them. The Lord bless you, and save you. Amen.

HERALDS OF THE KING

 

The herald was sent to prepare the way for the coming of the king. The road was to be prepared and the reception was to be planned. The herald’s cry summoned the crowds in anticipation of the king’s arrival. That was John’s mission, and models that of the preacher. As  John the Baptist was a herald of the Lord’s first advent, we are honored to prepare people for His second coming. 

There is a MANDATE for the Lord’s herald. John was “sent.”  He was sent and he went. There was the call of God and his obedience to it. Every man of God serves because he is compelled by God’s command to preach the Gospel. It is not his choice, but God’s. 

There is a MISSION for the Lord’s  herald. John was a “witness.”  The witness is summoned to court for a “testimony.” He tells what he has seen and heard. This demands our study of the Scripture, as we gaze upon its truth and hear the voice of God. This goes beyond only the mere intellectual, to the experiential; we are not repeating hearsay, but what we have known and applied.

There is a MESSAGE for the Lord’s herald. John was a “voice.”  He stood up and spoke out. There was authority in his message for he was God’s appointed herald. There was clarity in his message for he gave an explanation rooted in Scripture, quoting from Isaiah 40:3 as “the voice of one crying in the wilderness.”  This should be said of every man who stands in the pulpit.  His words are not the opinions of a man, but the truth of God, spoken with authority and clarity.

John was not the Light, but pointed to the Light. Since some thought he might be that Light, this means that he much reflected Christ’s Light. Do we?

John summoned people to believe in Christ and be saved. He beckoned them to look to the Light and come out of the darkness of unbelief. That is our glad privilege also.

He cried out in the wilderness.  This world is a spiritual wilderness. It is replete with thorns and thistles due to the curse of sin. But, that is where God has sent us to minister. We are to help reclaim a bit of paradise from the jungle of a wicked world.  Let us tend the garden of the local church and the church field.

John beckoned those on a crooked path to straighten up. This was his call to repentance.  That is a demand to turn to Christ and away from sin. Let us persist in preaching repentance.

His focus was on Jesus.  John the Baptist wanted no glory for himself. He never said, “Behold, I am a man of God,” but declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”  Later, he would underscore this, “He must increase, but I must decrease,” (John 3:30). May our prayer ever be that people would not leave the worship service saying, “What a great sermon,” but “What a great Savior!”

A FAULTLESS SAVIOR AND A BLAMELESS PREACHER

There has only been one sinless human—Jesus Christ. He alone is worthy of worship. Born of a virgin, and thereby conceived by the Holy Spirit without a depraved nature, yet being a real man, tempted at all points as we are, yet without sin. To condemn Him required false witnesses and the miscarriage of justice.  Pilate upon examining Him declared Jesus to be faultless. He had no guilt. As preachers, it is imperative that we point people to Jesus. He alone can save from sin. If people will honestly examine Christ, they will see One unique and meriting submission to Him as Lord and Savior. He is in a class unparalleled—the “one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,” (1 Tim. 2:5). 

Yet, as His representatives, we are to be blameless. It is a different word in the Greek language than the one used to describe the sinless Savior.  Scripture demands that, “A bishop then must be blameless,” (I Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬‬).  This means to be above reproach. None may justly accuse the pastor of scandalous sin. He is a holy man of God who seeks to practice what he preaches. When he does stumble, he confesses his sin with deep contrition and makes it right. If he has offended another, he seeks reconciliation. He keeps short accounts with God and man. His wife and children see him consistent in his home life with what he teaches in the church. His character in private aligns with his claims in public. He abhors hypocrisy.

Pastor, if you want to be set on a pedestal and revered, someone will knock you off, or you will eventually fall yourself. That singular place of being faultless is reserved for the Savior, our Lord Jesus.  But, if you think your character, conduct, and conversation unimportant, then you disqualify yourself. There should be a passionate pursuit in my life to be like Jesus. Paul put it this way: “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.”  (1 Corinthians‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬‬). 

Holy God, 

May I follow in the footsteps of Jesus that others might follow my leadership and not go astray.  Give me a passion to progressively become more like my Savior, so others would see Jesus in me. As the moon reflects the light of the sun, may I gaze into the Light of the world—nothing between my soul and the Savior to diminish that illumination, nor the shadow of earth to eclipse it. 

In the Name and for the Fame of Jesus,

Amen!

NO KNAPSACK BUT NO LACK

 

I’ve heard it said, “Where the finger of God points, the hand of God provides.”  If you want to make a fortune on earth, I would not recommend ministry as a vocation. But, if God calls you to serve Him, and He sends you into the field of Gospel work, then you can be confident of enough here and eternal reward hereafter!

I type this as I sit in a modest house. I drive a car that is about ten years old with around 200,000 miles on it. My wardrobe is not extravagant and my lifestyle not one of the rich and famous. So what?  It does not matter to me.  If I can meet my obligations—it is enough. 

The disciples testified to this reality. Jesus had sent them out without what one would consider even basic supplies. There was an urgency about the mission which did not allow a lot of preparation. They would learn to walk by faith and not by sight. It is how God wants us all to live. It is a counter-cultural approach that summons us to reject man’s natural inclination and live with supernatural direction.

My Father has never failed me. Day by day, He has cared for me. The One who feeds the fowls and robes the flowers, has kept me nourished and clothed. Sometimes what was going out demanded more than what was coming in. It is good to have a budget, but when you crunch the numbers, they may crash us to our knees.  But, that is a good place to be, and I will tell you that “my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭19‬‬). He has not promised to provide for greed, but to meet need. 

I was basically bi-vocational in my first pastorate—a small country church in the mountains. The membership was mainly senior saints on fixed incomes. A typical offering was $300, of which they paid me about a third of it. We went there with my wife expecting our first child. We had no insurance.  They did provide us a place to stay, but we had to pay for the utilities. The old two story, rock farmhouse had windows that were not tight and when the winds of winter blew hard, the curtains moved!  In a hard rain, water would pour in through the worn shingles and we placed jars and cans to catch the water that dripped through. 

I remember coming home with our little family one night and the furnace was off because the fuel had run out. There was nothing to do but call one of our young deacons who let us spend the night. The next day, they put some oil in. Then the church purchased a wood furnace, and they would let me cut wood off some of their land, sometimes even helping me work it up—and we made it through the winter. When it seemed the food would run out, somebody would bring us some beef for the freezer and some beans they had canned.

There are many other stories of this nature I might tell. Nearly half a century has passed and always God has provided.  Trust Him today. Serve Him always. If you have no knapsack, the Lord promises there will still be no lack. 

My old professor, the late William Willingham, sometimes would sing this song to us in chapel:

1. Sometimes the day seems long,
Our trials hard to bear.
We´re tempted to complain,
to murmur and despair.
But Christ will soon appear
to catch his bride away!
All tears forever over
in God’s eternal day!
 
CHORUS:
It will be worth it all
when we see Jesus!
Life’s trials will seem so small
when we see Christ.
One glimpse of his dear face,
all sorrow will erase.
So, bravely run the race
till we see Christ.
 
2. At times the sky seems dark,
with not a ray of light;
We’re tossed and driven on,
no human help in sight.
But there is One in heaven,
Who knows our deepest care;
Let Jesus solve your problems,
just go to him in prayer.
 
3. Life’s day will soon be o’re,
all storms forever past;
We’ll cross the great divide
to Glory, safe at last!
We’ll share the joys of heaven:
a harp, a home, a crown;
The tempter will be banished,
We’ll lay our burdens down.

HE NEEDS YOU

Is this not an amazing and humbling truth?  Here is the Lord of Glory, who was able to walk on water, yet needed a donkey to ride into Jerusalem. There were several reasons why He rode on a donkey. 

He needed to do so because of the prophecy this fulfilled. The Word of God had said, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.”  (Zechariah‬ ‭9‬:‭9‬‬).  Not one Scripture will fail to be fulfilled. Again and again, we read of Jesus doing something in fulfillment of Scripture. As a preacher of God’s Word, I can speak with confidence in the accuracy of that Blessed Book!

He needed to do so because of the position this revealed. Among the Jews we see their rulers riding on donkeys. “The king also said to them, ‘Take with you the servants of your Lord, and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon.’” (‭‭I Kings‬ ‭1‬:‭33‬‬). You also see rulers riding these beasts of burden in Judges 5:10; 10:4; 12:14). Jesus is the King of kings.  When I am faithful to my calling, I am submitting to my King and promoting Him, not myself.  The people did not cry, “Oh look at that donkey!”  They exulted in the Son of David.

He needed to do so because of the purpose this unveiled. A king would at other times mount a mighty horse, should His purpose be to go to war. The riding on a donkey represented that the king was coming in peace. Jesus will come the second time on a white horse to conquer those who war against God, but in His first advent, He was coming to be crucified—to bring us peace with God.  God sends sinners who have surrendered to Him to share with other sinners how they can be forgiven.  He could have used an angel to trumpet His truth, but we have a story that holy angels do no have—the testimony of amazing grace that saved wretches like we were.

He needed to do so because of the prosperity this promised. These beasts were used to plow the land and transport the produce. 

“Likewise the oxen and the young donkeys that work the ground Will eat cured fodder, Which has been winnowed with the shovel and fan.”  (Isaiah‬ ‭30‬:‭24‬‬). Canaan was the Promised Land—a place of abundant milk and honey. Yet, because of Israel’s sin, they never enjoyed the fruitfulness God desired for them. Jesus was coming to reverse the curse, and give abundant life, (cf. John 10:10). You be faithful and trust God to make you fruitful. He can cause the hardest ground to yield the sweetest fruit!

Almighty God needs nothing. He is self-existent. We can neither add to nor take from Him in His self-sufficiency. Jesus, fully Divine, needed nothing. But, He told the disciples, “I need that donkey.”  God in His sovereign grace created man in His own image and set him to cultivate the ground and care for the creation. He calls us to share the Gospel and disciple the nations. In this sense, God needs a donkey like me!  Apart from God, we cannot, but apart from us, He will not.  Don’t get the idea that God lacks anything and is fretting over whether you are going to come through or not. His will is going to be done—with or without me. If I am silent, He can make stones cry out, (Luke 19:40). To accomplish His inexorable will, however, He has decided to use a vessel of clay like me and you. 

Paul put it this way, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.”  (I Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬-‭29‬‬).

God used a jackass to speak to Balaam (cf. Num. 22:21-35). If God could communicate through that donkey, then He can speak through me. How astonishing!  Omnipotent God needs weak men to communicate the power of salvation through the foolishness of the cross!  Stop bemoaning your weakness and making excuses. Humble yourself before God, open His Word, stand up and speak up, trusting God to show up!

Old E. M. Bounds put it this way in his classic little book, “Power through Prayer,”

God’s plan is to make much of the man, far more of him than of anything else. Men are God’s method. The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men. …What the Church needs to-day is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use—men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men—men of prayer.

Will you be that man?

ENVY OF MEGA-MINISTRY

 

As I read a devotional from Stephen Olford, these thoughts came to mind. 

Who among us has not listened to a preacher on a podcast or listened to one in a pastors’ conference who leads a megachurch and not wondered, “Why not me?”  There may be several responses to that—none of them good. 

The first is to belittle ourselves. “Well, I just don’t have such gifts.  I wouldn’t be capable of leading a church like that.”  Yet none of us know what will unfold in the providence of God—if we will be faithful in that little place. But, if we become discouraged, it can hinder our growth. We should have a passion to be all we can be for God, but leave the results to Him. 

The second is to belittle others. “I am sure he compromises doctrine and that is why people flock to hear him. I will not do that!”  Or we may accuse him of rustling sheep from smaller flocks.  “They offer all this stuff to entertain the people and we are not going to do that!”  The reality is that sometimes that is true. But, not always. Some megachurches are solid as a rock doctrinally and grow evangelistically. They want to help smaller churches be healthy. Some have a kingdom mindset—and it is about God’s kingdom and not their own. Charles Spurgeon pastored a megachurch and who can question his fidelity to Scripture and faithfulness in soul-winning?

The third is to boost ourselves. We seek status. We become a ladder climber and a name-dropper. Then, we pad our resume’ and that never ends well. We plagiarize the sermons of prominent preachers to impress others. Eventually, we will be exposed. Just be who God made you to be and serve where His providence has placed you.

Be faithful and let God sort all that out. I have wrestled with these same temptations. I would like to say that I have never succumbed to envy of mega-ministries, but that would be another sin—lying!  So, when that temptation arises, let us resist and if we give in, immediately repent!

THE MAGNETISM OF THE MESSAGE

 

In many circles today, there is a call to focus on edifying the saints in the sermons preached on the Lord’s Day.  The thought is that if God’s people are growing, they will “go and tell,” in reaching their neighbors with the Gospel. There is no doubt that our messages are to motivate Christians to mature and carry the message of Christ to those God brings across their path. 

Yet, we dare not neglect preaching to evangelize the sinners who may be among us. Paul acknowledged in the Corinthian church that what was communicated in worship needed to be clear to those who were among them in need of regeneration, (cf. 1 Cor. 14:23-25). 

Some of our reaction against evangelistic preaching in the worship service is likely due to an overreaction to extremes in the “attractional” model of worship. In the attractional church, the likely sincere effort to reach lost souls and attract them to Christ has sometimes resulted in diluting of sound doctrine. A desire to connect with the uniformed and unbelieving makes it tempting to take the edge off truths that might offend sinners. Such churches have tended to avoid speaking about these uncomfortable texts at best or abandoning such truths at worst. 

I want to caution of letting the pendulum swing too far the other direction. Paul commanded Timothy to, “do the work of an evangelist,” (2 Tim. 4:5). While this should move the preacher out of the church building and into the harvest field, the command is set in the context of our preaching ministry. “Go and tell,” is commanded, but Scripture also beckons, “Come and see,” (Jn. 1:35-39). 

Some also decry a Gospel invitation at the end of the sermon, where people are called to respond publicly to the message. I do not want to be uncharitable, so it is important to note that solid preachers do extend a call to commitment, even if the form in which it is presented is not that which became common to evangelicalism. If you do not call people to commitment and preach the Gospel, then there needs to be some soul-searching as to the purpose of your preaching.

Again, I think this has risen from a rightful concern about “easy-believism” and emotional manipulation that has brought too many of the unconverted into the church membership. They went into the baptistery as dry sinners and came out wet ones—but still sinners!

But, while we are on the subject of water, let us not “throw out the baby with the bath water,” as the old saying goes. An evangelistic sermon with an evangelical invitation can still be effective. Just consider the Jesus model. He attracted sinners to Himself. They heard Him eagerly.  While the religious crowd was scandalized, the sinful were magnetized. 

The reality is that Jesus still draws a crowd. Sinners will be attracted by the work of the Holy Spirit through the power of the Gospel. Sinners should be invited to salvation as we go to them, but in going to them we should also invite them to come hear the Gospel message. Where the Body of Christ manifests His love and grace, sinners will be drawn.  Also, there ought to be children growing up under sound Gospel preaching that will respond to the Gospel. Likewise, the Spirit will open the eyes of unconverted church members who are yet unregenerate. 

Throughout the Scripture, multiple witnesses were required to confirm the testimony given, (Deut. 19:15; Matt. 18:16; 2 Cor. 13:1; 1 Tim. 5:19; 2 Tim. 2:2). So, it might look like this: a man and his wife share the Gospel with their neighbor. They invite them to the worship service and hear the Gospel in music and message. As the preacher speaks the Word, they hear the, “Amen’s” from the congregation. The confirmation of the message convicts them and they respond to the Gospel invitation. At that point, the process of discipleship has only begun—but, at least, it has begun. Sadly, some will make a start who do not finish, but no one will finish who does not make a start!

Church members need to hear the Gospel with regularity and fervency also. Those who are saved dare not forget what it was like to be lost. The cross is central in our preaching, even if we think we are “preaching to the choir.”  If that were not so, then why did Jesus command the consistent observance of the Lord’s Supper?

The old Gospel song put it:

Roll back the curtain of memory now and then,
show me where you brought me from
and where I could have been,
oh remember I'm human and humans forget,
so remind me remind me dear lord.

Invite sinners to Christ. Preach Jesus. There is magnetism in that message. Call men and women to repentance with urgency!  

Stephen Olford wrote this:

“Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him.” – Luke 15:1 

What a grand fact! It is interesting to note how the ministry of the Lord primarily attracted the publicans and sinners. It is recorded: “The common people heard Him gladly” (Mark 12:37). He said, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Matt. 9:13). “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Paul testifies: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief ” (1 Tim. 1:15). In the light of these few verses, it is obvious that the Lord's ministry not only attracted sinners but also was primarily for them. How important to have His message and mission today!

O, that Your ministry, Lord, through mewould draw the publicans and sinners to Yourself.  (According to Your Word, p. 58, Kindle version)

SALTY SERMONS

 

We need preachers who will deliver salty sermons!  Jesus did—and all preachers who follow His example will.  His mandate here encompasses a wider audience than preachers and a larger application than preaching, of course. All believers are to be salt in this society. Yet, it is unlikely that the church will be if her leaders are not setting the standard of saltiness and speaking salty sermons.

Salty sermons have a SEASONING CAPACITY.  Jesus said, “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?” Salt in the proper amount enhances the taste of the meat or vegetables for consumption. Too little salt and it is tasteless, and too much is overpowering. So, in our sermons, there needs to be the proper mixture of reproof, rebuke, exhortation, and doctrine delivered with patience, (cf. 2 Tim. 4:2). “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt,” (Col.4:6a). This makes our preaching palatable. If the congregation instantly spits out what we offer them, then what good have we done?

Salty sermons have a STERILIZING EFFICACY. Salt is applied to meat as a preservative. It arrests the spread of rottenness. Salty sermons equip the church to be in the world, yet not of the world. The people need to be preserved from the contamination that would corrupt them. Yet, they cannot be isolated from the world they live in. What we can do is help through our preaching to cleanse them—and that salt will sting—but then they will be challenged to be salt themselves. Otherwise, what good are they, and what point is there in our preaching?  So, our Lord warned, “It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out.”  If our sermons are not salty, then the members will not be salty, and the world will reject the church as good for nothing!  Are we not seeing that today?

Salty sermons have a SOFTENING POTENCY. The hardness of ice can be melted by the softening potency of salt. So hard hearts that are resistant to God can be softened by salty sermons. The Holy Spirit has power and speaks through the Gospel to accomplish His effectual calling. This past week I spoke with a man who had not communicated with me for years. In fact, I did not recall him when he gave me his name. But, he was someone who rejected our outreach to him a long time ago. He had a hard heart and harsh language for me and my partner as we were doing outreach. Yet, the Gospel did its work. His heart melted in a time of crisis and he came to Christ!  He searched for my phone number so he could ask me to forgive him for his unkindness. That is what the salt of the Gospel can do!  Jesus said, “He who has ears, let him hear!”  Our task in preaching is not to soften the Gospel, but share the Gospel and trust God to soften hearts. Those who have spiritual hearing will respond—even if it takes awhile!

Men of God, give the message of God with faithfulness and fearlessness. This will lead to fruitfulness. May the Lord give us grace to deliver salty sermons!

THE WINDOW OF THE SOUL

When I was a child I learned a song in church that conveys a warning still applicable, “Be careful little eyes what you see…”. Is that not the same caution Jesus gives here?  “The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.” (Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭34‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Think of the eye as the window of your soul. What you allow in shapes what you become—either light or darkness. Many of God’s men have been disqualified for ministry, caused many to stumble over their downfall, and given the enemy occasion to blaspheme, all because they looked too long, when they should have looked away!

I think of David, whose eyes should have been closed in sleep, looking at a woman bathing, and when enflamed with lust succumbed to adultery. The results were tragic. It is not unusual, sadly, to hear of a preacher whose ministry burns to the ground because he was, “looking for love in all the wrong places,” as the old country classic says. 

Then, there is the darkness that comes from the look of materialism. “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world,” Paul spoke with heartbreak in 2 Timothy 4:10. The allure of this material world had captured the attention, and at last the affection, of Demas. If it is not sex, it may be money and power that the world offers which enter the eye and darken the soul with demonic force. While the lifestyle of the rich and famous is often connected to celebrity preachers, it is possible for a minister who may not have much to be mastered by covetousness for what he lacks that leads him to sell out for a lesser  amount. 

What do I say? “There but for the grace of God, go I!”  Had it not been for the Lord helping me, I could have done what David or Demas did. If you deny that possibility, you are setting yourself up for a fall. The reality is that in this fallen world, we cannot avoid, “seeing,” some things. You do not have to be searching for them, for Satan will see to it that Potiphar’s wife beckons you and reaches out to you, as she did to Joseph. 

How do we overcome?  How do we escape like Joseph did?  The godly Job said, “I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why should I then look upon a young woman?” (Job 31:1). There is a negative and positive side to this. 

First, the negative choice of denial: God has given you eyelids as shutters to close the windows!  These protect our eyesight physically, but they may also spiritually. Further, we have a neck that can swivel our head away from the seduction of temptation. We must purpose to look away. 

Second, and this is vital, the positive choice of delight: we not only covenant not to gaze upon darkness, but open the windows of our vision wide to the light!  The windows are there for a good reason.  We must look to the Light of the World, Jesus Christ, and in so doing be captivated by Him!  The old hymn states it:

    Turn your eyes upon Jesus
    Look full in his wonderful face
    And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
    In the light of his glory and grace.  (Helen Howarth Lemmel)

There is a covenant we must keep each morning with the dawn to look upon Jesus in the light of His Word. We must open the windows of our soul and let truth and beauty fill our soul with Gospel light!  

Recall how Jesus resisted the Tempter with, “It is written!”  His eye was full of light, so He rejected the appeal of the world in its lust of the flesh, (turn stones to bread), the lust of the eyes, (the kingdoms of the world), and the pride of life, (make a grand entrance by angel escort to the ground). The Last Adam succeeded where the first Adam fell. That first Adam looked upon forbidden fruit and salivated over it. He tasted it with hellish consequences. Where will you direct your eyes?

“How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. …Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. …Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law. …Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way. …Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. …Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” (Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭9,11,18,37,97,105‬‬).

David knew better. In the end he failed to apply what he taught.  Had he buried his face in the Scriptures that morning, he might not have been restlessly pacing the floor in dark of night—and we know the tragic result.

Be careful little eyes, what you see.

THE SUPERLATIVE NATURE OF WHAT WE SEE AND SAY

 

We should exult in the incredible grace that has been extended to Gospel preachers!  The superlative nature of what we see in Scripture and hear from God in order to share with the church is truly remarkable!  

In Luke 10:23-24, Jesus is impressing this upon the first of our breed—New Covenant messengers.  Weigh His words. He is saying that in this dispensation we have seen the fulfillment of what kings like David and Solomon only saw dimly—a beam of light here and there, whereas we have seen the Light of the World. We have heard truths that prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah only heard in part—an occasional word from heaven, when we have heard the Word of Life!

Those men of God in the Old Testament were longing for God’s King and the Prophet Who was to come, and now we are privileged as New Testament preachers to look back at the Lord of Glory who has come. Their faith looked into the mists of the future in hope of the Lamb who would atone for sin, while we are honored to look back at the clear record of history and declare its accomplishment. 

That Book we hold in our hands is a treasure and the opportunity to see it and to hear from it is to share the unsearchable riches of Christ. Do we so cherish this privilege?  Is the thrill of that conveyed to the congregation at every occasion of our gathering?

I pray that as you study that it does not become just a monotonous thing. Please do not stand and speak to God’s church as mere routine. Exult in preaching!  If Hezekiah or Daniel were here today and saw and heard how some preachers are just doing a job and the people yawning through it, they would either be aghast or angry—maybe both!

Malachi might denounce us with these words:

 “For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name  shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall  be offered to My name, And a pure offering; For My name shall  be great among the nations,” Says the Lord of hosts. “But you  profane it, In that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled; And  its fruit, its food, is contemptible.’ You also say, ‘Oh, what a  weariness!’ And you sneer at it,” Says the Lord of hosts. “And you  bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; Thus you bring an  offering! Should I accept this from your hand?” Says the Lord. (Malachi‬ ‭1‬:‭11‬-‭13‬‬). 

Let us, as preachers of this glorious message, ask God to give us eager eyes and ears to look and listen to His Word—to thrill our hearts anew with the inexpressible privilege we have!  Then tomorrow stand speak with joy to the people of God.

LIVING WITH SOME DIFFERENCES

 

Truth, by its very nature, can be divisive. There is a right and a wrong. If one thing is true, then another thing concerning the same matter that is different is false.  A vital duty of the pastor is to promote and preserve that which is true, and counter that which is false. Jesus said, “[God’s] word is truth,” (John 17:17b). Yet, He also said in the same context, “that [disciples] all may be one…that the world may believe that [God] sent [Jesus],” (John 17:21). Being right and being one are two sides of the same coin. These are not contradictory truths, but complementary ones.In the passage in Luke 9:49-50, the disciples have chosen truth over unity, and have done more—they have become divisive. They have seen some who are not of their group casting out demons. Rather than rejoicing in the power of darkness being repelled, they are more concerned that those acting on behalf of the Kingdom of Light are not part of their “denomination.”  Jesus—while not minimizing believing right—nevertheless maximizes belonging to the right side.  

I am seldom in doubt, but I am not always right. I like to think I am right and I should strive to be right, but only God is omniscient. He alone is utterly right. Jesus said that He was and is the very embodiment of absolute truth, (cf. John 14:6). If you do not accept there is absolute truth, then you have no basis for attempting to get things right because what would or could be right? 

All of the world is wired up by the Creator to function according to truth. Science, engineering, mapping, mathematics, medicine, and such have precise formulae that make things work out to the proper conclusion. Yet, because we are fallible humans—though we attempt to get things correct—we sometime learn that there is greater understanding. Scientific theories have often changed as more insight is gained.  Absolute truth is absolutely true in the Word God has communicated and the world He has created. Truth never changes, but our understanding of it may.

There is much that I know to be right concerning doctrine. I  should never preach a sermon unless I am convinced I have accurately interpreted the text and I am proclaiming truth—“rightly dividing the word of truth,” (2 Tim. 2:15).  Correct interpretation may lead to division, but being divisive in spirit is wrong. Divisiveness is marked by majoring on minors. 

Being fallible human beings means we can know the major matters and not dare compromise on them. Because there is truth, we should seek to know it and preach it, even in minor issues.  But, majoring on minors and seeking disputes over disputable issues is not right. The same chapter that demands the preacher to accurately interpret Scripture also says, “avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,” with a spirit of humility, (2 Tim. 2:23-24).  The preacher must fight for truth, but if he is always looking for a fight, then he has a pugilistic spirit, contrary to the spirit of Jesus demanded here.

Yesterday, I had the privilege on my mission trip of having fellowship with a brother who is an Anglican priest.  He listened and embraced my preaching with enthusiasm. This man is not a liberal (as a great many Anglicans today are), although if we get down into the details we would disagree over certain doctrines that make me a Baptist and not an Anglican. But, this man is a conservative, Bible-believing soldier of the cross. Think of World War II and the alliance of Brits and American soldiers who though different, fought against a common foe. This man and his wife live in an area hostile to faith.  The numbers of Bible-believers is small and the opposition of demonic power intense. They embrace one another in love for God and each other. They live with some differences or they would not live—period.  In the fight for freedom in America, Ben Franklin is attributed to saying, “We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”

We may be coming to such a time for Christianity on a global scale. The Dragon and his followers are raging, for his time is short. Those who hold to fundamentals of the faith must rally to fight against the Devil and his troops. In such conflict, there is no time for a divisive spirit. That is what Jesus said—and that’s the truth!

PREACHING TO THE POOR

 

John the Baptist was struggling. He wanted assurance that Jesus wss the one and only Messiah to come, or was He a forerunner who would be followed by another. There was an interpretation among the religious scholars that the Messianic prophecies of a suffering Servant and those of a glorious King would be fulfilled by two distinct people. John is not denying that Jesus is the Lamb of God, as he had attested. He is wondering if he is to look for the King in another person. If Christ is both, then why does He not deliver His cousin from the dungeon?  We know what John did not—that there would not be two different people, but that Jesus would fulfill those roles in two different periods—a first and second advent. 

Jesus offers proof He is the One and Only. His power caused the blind to see, the lame to walk, the lepers to be clean, the deaf to hear, and remarkably, even the dead to rise. Such power displayed was the proof. But, Jesus added one more thing: “the poor have the gospel preached to them.”  That is what I want to focus on in this meditation. 

The rich and powerful are the people of privilege. They are the first recognized, those given places of honor, the ones who have the most comfort and pleasure. Yet, Jesus did not rank people according to social status. He shattered these human norms. The most needy were given the greatest opportunity.

Did Jesus not care for the rich and powerful?  Of course He did, and we find a few who responded to His message. The truth is that the high and mighty typically did not see their need—and still do not. What could a peasant preacher offer them?  That was laughable to most. 

But, the poor—whose lives were continually marked by bad news—were most receptive to good news. They lived daily with the awareness of their need. This made them most receptive to the hope that Jesus offered these hopeless people. The transformation of their lives from spiritual paupers to heirs of the Kingdom of God was as miraculous—I would suggest more so—than any of the other miracles Christ wrought, including raising the dead!

We are still called to preach the Gospel to the poor. We will preach to any who will listen, for all are bankrupt spiritually, including those who live in luxury now. But, the fact is that those who have so much here are not usually concerned about the life hereafter.  The most receptive audience will be the broken and battered, the sick and sorrowful, the helpless and hopeless—these will listen to the good news. 

Paul put it this way:  “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.’”  ( ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭31‬‬)

Notice it does not say, “not any wise…mighty…noble are called,” for a few are. It says “not many,” as most will be less educated, influential, and wealthy.  So, let us preach to everyone—in the penthouse or the homeless shelter. But, let us rejoice in opportunity given in preaching to the poor, for there is fertile soul for the seed of the Gospel. 

I can attest to this reality in the five churches I have pastored in forty five years of ministry.  Those congregations have included a few business leaders, community leaders, educators, and such. Mostly they have been the poor, the unknown, the common people, lower to middle class economically.  The majority have been working families who lived paycheck to paycheck.  Such are most eager to embrace and treasure the unsearchable riches of Christ!

“Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?”  (James‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬‬). 

LOVING THE UNLOVING

 

No one ever said that pastoring a church would be easy. One of the most severe tests is to love those who are unloving. The reality is that there will be members of the congregation that are exceedingly challenging. Some of them will be hateful.  They will not be our friends, but act as fiends!  We pray they are sheep, but suspect they may be goats.

Our natural tendency when facing a threat is flight or fight. We want to run from the problem, cave to the pressure—get away as fast as we can. Or, we may desire to roll up our sleeves, ball up our fists, and fight fire with fire. We are tempted to either compromise our convictions or combat with contentions. 

But, what does the Bible say?  

Jesus commands us to love even our enemies. A lost world is capable of loving those who love them. But, we are not of the world. As children of God, we are to manifest the love of our Father. His patience, mercy, and goodwill toward those who despise Him is evident.  He would have long ago destroyed all the wicked, were it not that He loves sinners.  Jesus came to earth to save the very ones who nailed Him to the cross. In, this the love of God is manifested in fullness. As followers of Jesus, we are to yield to His Spirit indwelling us, and respond the same way—to love the unloving.

Hear Jesus on the cross pleading, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do,” (Lk. 23:34). Now, we may say, “But that was Jesus. I cannot do that!”  That is true in your natural strength, but we have supernatural power in the Holy Spirit. Stephen was a mortal who was full of the Holy Spirit, (Acts 6:3-8).  As he was being killed, he prayed, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin,” (Acts 7:60a). 

One of the toughest, if not most difficult things to do in ministry is to love the unloving. Yet, that we must do. For this, we have Jesus’ model to follow, and His might for accomplishing that!

GOING DEEP

 

Too often we are content to splash around in the shallows. Stephen Olford reminds us in these devotional thoughts to go deeper. How much productivity have we missed in ministry because we did not launch out by faith according to the Word of the Lord?

If you recall the story, the disciples had fished all night and caught nothing. Then Jesus commanded them to get back in the boat and go back in the water—but to go deeper this time. Simon protested initially. Perhaps he thought, “We are worn out. We have been at this all night with nothing to show for it. We just got our nets clean. I mean, we are experts at this as fishermen by trade—and You are carpenter!”  

Have we studied methodology, immersed ourselves in demographics, and made excuses for the lack of response  by pointing to the difficulties modern culture presents?  There is help that may be found and truth to acknowledge in those areas, but supremely our call is to say, “Master we have toiled…and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net,” (Lk. 5:5). 

When I get to heaven someday will the Lord show me what might have been had I only trusted in Him?

To their credit, the disciples did as Jesus said—and that faith enabled them to catch so many fish, the weight of them nearly sunk the boats!  Peter recognized the sinfulness of his unbelief and the power of Christ, falling at the Lord’s feet in repentance. The Lord let them know that this wasn’t really about catching fish, but would illustrate His call for them to catch men!

These simple fishermen in faith and obedience to the Lord changed the course of history and impacted eternity. It is said, “they forsook all and followed Him,” (Lk. 5:11b). God desires to do a deeper work in us and through us. Let us trust Him!

THE COMPELLING CALL!

Tomorrow, I will be privileged to preach God’s Word at Homecoming services at Oakley Baptist Church.  This is coming home for Marilyn and me. She grew up in that church, and after we were married, I joined there. 

It was on another Homecoming Sunday, 47 years ago that I yielded to God’s call to preach, would preach my first sermon the following week, and have been at it ever since. 

Preaching was not my choice, but God’s choice—and He has made it my compulsion. Since 1976, I have been a preacher. I have also been a student, a salesclerk, an expediter, a construction worker, a pastor, and now a mission strategist, during these 47 years, but foremost—A PREACHER. I have preached in North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Indiana, Vermont, Alaska, Brazil, India, Albania, and soon in Armenia.

If you hear rumors that I have retired, it is not true. I have redeployed. So long as God gives me a brain and body that will work, I intend to keep preaching. I have files full of sermons, outlines written in Bibles, messages shared on social media, more on the computer, and thoughts in my head that will surpass my time on earth. Many of them I have preached, but I know some I will never get around to preaching. Lord willing, they will be left for another generation when I am gone to read and reflect on in preparation for their messages to a people, places, and a time I will not see. 

When I die and they stretch me out in a coffin for the funeral, I want to have a Bible in my hand. What grace God has given me to serve Him!

THE WORD IN THE WILDERNESS

John the Baptist would be in the wilderness of preparation when he received the Word for proclamation. It is interesting how many of God’s men were readied for public declaration through private isolation. Moses was in the wilderness caring for his father-in-law’s flocks when the Lord spoke to Him. It took him forty years to graduate from that “seminary,” but what a man of God he had been molded to be!  David was likewise tending sheep when he was summoned to become the shepherd of Israel. God assigned him a work, but also gave him His Word. The anointing with oil was an attestation of the anointing of the Spirit. Further, Amos was a shepherd whom God set apart for prophetic declaration. Do you see the pattern here?

It is good to be alone with God—to be apart from the din and clamor of our world. Horns honking, engines racing, radios blaring, voices calling—all the raucous noise that can drown out the still, small voice of God. 

This time I am now spending has often been referred to as “the daily quiet time.”  It has been the pattern of my Christian life to rise early in the morning to meet with the Lord. Being alone, having conversation with God as I hear His voice in Scripture and lifting my voice in supplication in response. If there is anything that has propelled me forward in maturity and prepared me for ministry, it has been this daily discipline. It has been said that my worth to God in public is what I am in private.  How can I speak for God until I hear from Him?

Yet, this is not sermon preparation, but the spiritual preparation of the preacher. There is a time for study in anticipation of the proclamation of God’s truth from the pulpit. Certainly, God may give us a message as the one I am sharing today. Yet, the intent of morning devotions is for our own growth in godliness. It helps me to be and not just to say.  

Of course, the daily quiet time is vital for every Christian’s development and not just meant for preachers. Before God called me to preach, the pattern had already been established in my life.  Whatever the nature of service in the church—a Bible study leader, a deacon, a children’s worker, a member of the finance committee—each disciple needs development and this discipline is demanded.

I would also advocate a “sabbatical,” for elders in the church, as such a time is often called. I began a yearly pattern of a few days away alone with God to pray and plan. It may be profitable after a number of years in church work to have a longer time—several weeks to reflect and be refreshed. Visit other churches, hear from other preachers, just soak in without having to give out.

 “If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success.”  (Ecclesiastes‬ ‭10‬:‭10‬‬). Some of us have been so busy swinging the ax, that we have failed to sharpen the edge. We work feverishly, but not fruitfully.  Go to the woods, not to cut logs, but to pause and regain your edge. 

Does God have you in a season of being in the wilderness?  Do not strive to escape, but rather embrace it as the providential hand of God shaping you for your work.  You can turn the time of present inactivity into future productivity.  Wait, reflect, grow, prepare—God knows where you are and can get you where you need to be.  A dear friend gave me that counsel as a young student at Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute (now College). It was the crucible of refining—helping to make me a man God could use. 

The work continues.