WHAT WE CAN CONTROL

Some churches are on the incline. God’s work is obvious and the congregation is growing spiritually and numerically. They are alive and thrive. More churches are in recline. They are stuck and stagnant. As many come in the front door are going out the back door, and where amens were formerly heard, they have been replaced with yawns. In our day, most churches seem in decline. Their spiritual health is failing and the membership is fading. Before the year ends, a significant number will be in hospice care—or even deceased. 

Is it the preacher’s fault?  

Certainly, the pastor must look in the mirror of the Word and let the Spirit show him if he is not up to the task. A spiritual inventory is a necessity. It may be that the preacher has doctrinal departure, moral compromise, a lack of effort, or something else. I cannot see a church succeeding if their shepherd is failing. 

Yet, there are men of God who are true to the Word of God—men who pray fervently and preach faithfully—who still serve dying churches. Whatever strategies they employ, the results are the same. These pastors carry a heavy burden and shed many tears and wonder what they can do.

Hebrews 4:1-2 remind us to focus on what we can control. There were people who had made profession of faith, but without possession of faith, and they were departing from the fellowship. The inspired writer deals with this by presenting an Old Testament illustration of this New Testament reality in the children of Israel who did not attain the promise, but instead perished. Moses brought them out, but did not bring them in. The issue was not Moses’ leadership. He was not a sinless man, but he was a steadfast leader. It was not a failure of leadership, but a failure of the people. 

There was FAITHFUL PROCLAMATION, “For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them.”  Moses was a faithful and fearless proclaimer of truth. Yet, he did not bring them in. I have often said, “If the Word of God won’t do it, it won’t get done.” What is in control of the preacher is that he can prepare himself spiritually and studiously to preach the Word steadfastly—and see people reject the message and walk away. The Word doesn’t get it done, not through the fault of the preacher, but the failing of the people. 

The sad reality is there can be FAILED PROFITABILITY, “but the word they heard did not profit them.” Consider the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. Only one fourth of the fields were fruitful. The problem was not the seed—the seed was the Word of God. The problem was not the sower—he diligently spoke the truth. The problem was the soil as it fell on hard hearts with no receptivity, shallow hearts with only superficiality, and carnal hearts with worldly mentality. The preacher has control of being faithful in proclamation. If the Word of God won’t do it, it won’t get done, but sometimes it won’t get done because of the condition of the congregation’s hearts.

The issue here is a FAITHLESS PEOPLE, “the word…not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.”  No matter how solid the message, how powerful the manner of delivery, and how anointed the messenger may be—all that is in his control—if the people do not respond in faith, then the congregation will not flourish. The Word rejected in unbelief will instead have a deadening effect. The sermon always gets results if it is faithfully, fervently, and fearlessly proclaimed by a consecrated man. People will leave the sanctuary different—better if they receive the Word, but worse if they reject it. 

If we try to shoulder a responsibility that is beyond our control, we face a risk. Moses became so frustrated and infuriated that he disobeyed God in anger. He would see the Promised Land and yet not enter it. Don’t allow anger and bitterness to lead you to make a mess of your ministry. 

Just do what is in your control. Live godly, pray fervently, love fully, and preach faithfully, and leave the results to God.

FUNCTION WITH UNCTION!

If you are not excited about the One you are preaching about, then how can you expect the congregation to be?  If the Word does not stir you, then why anticipate it will stir the people?  Jared Wilson says this:

Every seasoned preacher knows the experience of unction. Every now and again, in the Spirit’s kindness, he allows us, even in the midst of going through our preplanned outline or manuscript, to find a sort of jet stream where he more or less takes over. We are speaking, but we sense his presence and feel his power. He is giving us the words to say, and every word is like an arrow to the hearts of our people—arrows that bring life and warmth! They are like the illuminating beams of the one who is the radiance of the glory of God. Never has this unction been dispensed to me when I am dryly reciting facts or covering some other perfunctory matter. 

Never has it come when I, myself, remain unmoved by what I am declaring. It comes as I worship, as if I am chipping gleefully away at the dam of the congregation’s affections and my own, and suddenly the Lord simply blows the stones away himself. We feel that living water rush.

So, pastor: study yourself hot. Pray yourself full. Preach Christ passionately and gratuitously.” (Gospel-Driven Ministry, p. 54, Kindle edition) 

PREACHER—PRAY!

You can preach after you pray, but you better not preach until you pray!  Paul tells his young colleague in ministry—“first of all…prayers…”. Consider these words from “Gospel Driven Ministry” by Jared Wilson:

In our devotional times and in our sermon preparation, as the Scriptures take us out of our depth, we pray for understanding, for insight, and for help in taking them to heart. Pray that God would empower you to follow his Word and give you pastoral insight to the needs of your people. Intercede for them even as you cook up the expository meal for them to eat. Make the sermon prep an act of love, both toward God and toward your congregation. 

The work of sermon preparation should also be an act of love for the lost! Pray that God would awaken souls through your ministry, that he would bring the dead to life. Pray that your words be used to amplify God’s Word, which ushers people trapped in the darkness into his marvelous light. 

Prepare yourself for ministry prayerfully. Embrace this posture of humility and beg for God’s help. Plead with him for strength, for unction, for revival. Petition him for healing and deliverance. Pray as though, if God weren’t to help you, you couldn’t get anything done that mattered. Don’t be like Uzziah, who was marvelously helped “until he became powerful” (2 Chr 26:15). Trust that God’s strength is perfected in weakness and own the expressed weakness of prayer. This is another important way we fan that flame. If the Word of God brings the fire, prayer is perhaps the stacking of the wood. We are opening ourselves to God’s power, exposing ourselves to God’s holiness, and bringing ourselves before his mercy. (P. 52, Kindle edition)

LOVING GOD AND LOVING PEOPLE

 

This picture could be drawn from John 21:15-17. 

So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.” (NKJV)

‭‭Loving the Lord and loving His lambs are bound together. To love God with all our being and our neighbor as ourselves summarizes all Biblical mandates. 

A preacher can love to be in the spotlight—to have the congregation’s focus on the pulpit on Sunday morning. It can feed the ego—and have no eternal significance. Paul put it this way: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” (1 Cor.‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬-‭2‬).

You may preach with oratorical splendor and doctrinal soundness, but if our words do not flow from a heart devoted to the Father and His flock, it is worthless.

Church members smell like sheep.  They have a tendency to wander and when you seek them, you have to travel to places where you would not wish to go  It is a costly business.  Jesus said, “The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep,” (John 10:11).  He set the supreme example.  This is in contrast to the hireling—the man who does it as a job for his own benefit. “But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.” (John‬ ‭10‬:‭12‬-‭13‬).

Sacrificial shepherd or self-centered hireling—which are we?

A COMPREHENSIVE MESSAGE FOR CONGREGATIONAL MATURITY

The second chapter of Titus commences with Paul telling Titus to “speak the things,” and concludes with, “speak these things.”  The method and manner of the preacher’s task is made clear. His method is to speak a comprehensive message that touches every member and his manner is to seek after congregational maturity.

The man of God must preach with APPLICABILITY, (v. 1-10). Doctrine is to lead to duty. Proper belief yields proper behavior.

There is a word for older men, (v. 2). Paul begins with them for they will be the mature leaders in the fellowship and in their family. There is to be seriousness, “sober,” sanctity, “reverent,” self-control, “temperate,” and soundness, “sound in faith, in love, in patience…”. 

There is a word for older women, (v. 3-4a). These godly women are to be trained to then disciple the younger women. They do so with reverence, “reverent in behavior,” restraint, “not slanderers, not given to much wine,” and with responsibility, “teachers of good things…[as they] admonish the young women,”. 

There is a word for younger women, (v. 4b-5). The education from what the older women speak and the emulation of what the older women show is to help the young women to mature. They will grow in devotion as those taught, “to love their husbands, to love their children,” grow in discretion by being “discreet, chaste,” and grow in discipline,”homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.”

There is a word for younger men, (v. 6-8). They are to model a sincere character, “sober-minded,” a sanctified conduct, “in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works,” a steadfast commitment, “in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,” and a sound conversation, “sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.”

The man of God must not only speak with applicability but with AUTHORITY, (v.11-15). When we preach the Word of God it will mature the people of God. This assures that we speak with conviction as we “exhort,” with correction as we “rebuke with all authority,” and with courage as to “Let no man despise you.” Here is a comprehensive message that will bring congregational maturity. This text covers the three dimensions of salvation. 

There is the commencement of salvation, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men…[in Christ] who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us…”. The true Christian can confess, “I have been saved.” This is a past experience of redemption. Jesus died for us—His substitutionary sacrifice paying the penalty for our sins.

Then follows the continuation of salvation, “teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age… [redeemed] from every lawless deed and [to] purify for Himself His own special people zealous for good works.” The true Christian can confess, “I am being saved.”  This  is a present evidence of sanctification. We are to be a holy people in our lifestyle of self-denial and sincere devotion.

Ultimately there is the consummation of salvation, “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…”.  The true Christian can confess, “I will be saved.”  This is a promised expectation of glorification.  Paul said elsewhere, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ,” (Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬‬).

Now—PREACH IT! 

STANDING FAST

 

A man was passing by a field one day and saw a young boy with his horse. The horse was worn down by time and toil—its legs bent and its back bowed, yet the lad was tenderly patting the old steed. The fellow yelled to the kid, “Can your horse run fast?” The boy smiled, “No mister, but he can sure stand fast!”

That is a good trait for every preacher to have!  We may as well accept that burdens to bear are inherent in Gospel work. Giving up and moving  on is ever tempting. 

When facing opposition—as we surely will—we may decide not to pack up our bags but put up our fists!  Don’t strike first, but stand fast!  In 2 Timothy 2:24, Paul tells us three traits of such a steadfast servant of the Lord.

The first trait is TENDERNESS. “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all…”. In ministry you need a tough hide and a tender touch. When assaults come, you let it roll off—instead of responding with a counterattack. Remember that our war is with the Devil and not those he dupes. They are captives to be freed, not combatants to fight. The Apostle goes on to say, “in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will,” (v. ‭25‬-‭26‬‬). The wise man said, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger,” (Prov. 15:1). Stand fast with tenderness. 

The second trait is TEACHING. “And a servant of the Lord must…be…able to teach…”. Opposition sometimes arises over a lack of understanding. Poor communication often ignites powerful conflict. The positive truth can overcome the negative tendency. The congregation must be taught. When we are faithful to the Scriptures, If members want to argue with the message, it is not resistance to the messenger, but the Master!  The persistent preaching of the Word cultivates a spirit of cooperation instead of opposition. Stand fast with tenderness and teaching.

The third trait is TENACITY. “And a servant of the Lord must…be…patient… .”  We do not give up but dig in! Outlast your opposition. Be resolute in faith, hope, and love. A tenacious faith trusts God with the problem people. A tenacious hope rests in the potential of change in the problem people. A tenacious love wears down the resistance of problem people. It is always too soon to give up!  I wrote this in my Bible nearly a century ago as I began Gospel ministry:

    DON’T QUIT

    When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
    when the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
    when the funds are low and the debts are high,
    and you want to smile but you have to sigh,
    when care is pressing you down a bit—rest if you must, but don't you quit.

    Life is queer with its twists and turns.
    As everyone of us sometimes learns.
    And many a fellow turns about when he might have won had he stuck it out.
    Don't give up though the pace seems slow—you may succeed with another blow.

    Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man;
    Often the struggler has given up when he might have captured the victor's cup;

    and he learned too late when the night came down,

    how close he was to the golden crown.

    Success is failure turned inside out—the silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
    and when you never can tell how close you are,
    it may be near when it seems afar;

    so stick to the fight when you're hardest hit—it's when things seem worst, 

    you must not quit.  (Edgar A. Guest)

Brothers, stand fast with tenderness, teaching, and tenacity.

THE PASTOR’S APPOINTED AUDIENCE

 

A pastor is a man appointed by God. It is not a vocational choice, but a Divine call. He does not seek the position, but is selected for it. This call is affirmed by the church and confirmed by his works.  He is appointed to a threefold audience, as Paul described himself in 2 Timothy 1:11.

There is PUBLIC EXHORTATION as “a preacher.”  The Greek word is used of a herald. The herald went before the king and summoned those in the city to prepare to meet their sovereign. The pastor lifts his voice and passionately proclaims the coming of the King of kings!  He summons them to readiness to receive Him. The message is not the herald’s, but one appointed for him. The audienc is not of his choosing, but of the King’s sending. Thus, we have the anointed Word of God, and are sent to the appointed people of God to preach in light of eternity. We will give account for our faithfulness to the assignment and our congregation to their faithfulness in responding to the truth.

We are also called to PERVASIVE EVANGELIZATION as “an apostle.”  In the strictest sense of the word, there are no apostles like those of the first century. The Twelve were the pillars of the church erected on the foundation of Christ, the Rock of Ages. Beware any man that claims apostolic authority today. Demand that he meets the criteria of having been with Jesus, heard Him teach, and seen Jesus alive from the dead, (Acts 1:21-26).  Paul was an apostle in a special sense having been personally called, instructed by Christ, having heard Him and seen Him as the glorified, risen and ascended Savior. When these men died, there is no indication that others replaced them. They were unique in church history.

Yet, it is also apparent that that there were others whom I would call, “apostolic men.”  I think of Barnabas, Silas, Luke, Mark, Timothy, and Titus for example. The term literally means, “sent on a mission.” In that way, the pastor is an apostle for he has been sent on a mission. It is a global mission—the Great Commission of Matt. 28:16-20. Our appointed audience is those who are lost—wherever we find them. Paul told Timothy and all who are called to be pastors to “do the work of an evangelist,” (2 Tim. 4:5). 

Further, the pastor is called to do PERSONAL EDUCATION as “a teacher.”  Recall that while Jesus preached to the masses publicly, he was a teacher of the twelve personally—especially concentrating on the core of Peter, James, and John. Once we win people to Christ and they are born again, they need to grow up in Christ. This is often done in small groups—a more personal educational process.  One of the vital ways is mentoring men in leadership. By this our voice and ministry extends beyond our lifetime. As we reproduce biologically, so we ought to do spiritually—pastors producing more pastors.  

Thus, we preach to the congregation as we root them in the fertile soil of truth, are sent to the crowds as we scatter the Gospel seed far and wide, and teach the core in order to cultivate them to fruitfulness, whereby they may reproduce future harvests.

PERILS FOR A PASTOR

A little compromise can lead to a large collapse. Sometimes, a pastor may steer clear of a “big” sin and allow a “small” temptation to bring him down. If you hear a woodpecker attacking your house, you will run it away, but the greater danger is from termites insidiously eating away until there is destruction. Thus, Paul has a solemn charge for Timothy and the Holy Spirit for us today through these words in 1 Timothy 5:21-22.  We must beware three perils for a pastor that may be overlooked, while deadly serious. 

There is the peril of SHOWING PARTIALITY, “ I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality,” (v. 21). 

In general, the church family needs to see a pastor without prejudice—that the wealthy do not claim precedence over the poor in the ministry and attention they receive, or the desires of the elderly are weighed more than the needs of the young, and a host of other ways we may show partiality. 

But, specifically—in context of what the Apostle has just said concerning the discipline of elders, (v. 19-20), all are to be treated equally. If one must be confronted about a sin, then sin cannot be tolerated in another. Simply because one leader may have greater ability or wider influence cannot subvert the need for impartiality. There must be accountability even for the lead pastor by the other elders. Too many men fall without such accountability.

Further caution is given about ACTING IMPULSIVELY, “Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins,” (v. 22a).

Again, there is a general principle to apply in all things, “Haste makes waste!”  That is a term we have heard, and though the quote is not found in Scripture, the principle is.  Here is one: “Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge, And he sins who hastens with his feet,” (Prov.‬ ‭19‬:‭2‬‬), and there are others. We can run ahead of God and act on impulse without intelligent forethought. That is a runaway locomotive that ends in a train wreck!

Still, we must come to the contextual prohibition that has to do with the ordination of elders. Selection of men in key leadership roles in the church must be preceded by thorough investigation. A man may have a charming personality and obvious ability—but if there is hidden immorality, then sooner or later it will surface with scandal. It will reflect on the church in negative ways, harming our testimony and giving the enemy cause for mockery with the charge of hypocrisy.  As another old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

The third peril presented is ALLOWING IMPURITY, ”keep yourself pure,” (v. 22‬‬b). 

All of these are connected. Partiality in our heart will eventually show in prejudice in our dealings with others—so that sinful spirit undermines our ministry. That may bleed over into our choice of elders—elevating our buddies and weeding out anyone who would dare question us—which will bring a collapse of our credibility. Such compromise in ministry will likely be manifest in compromise in morality.

Generally, we can categorize the peril of impurity in two areas: sexual indecency and doctrinal infidelity. Compromise at either point is to open the door for the Devil to bring us down—and cause many followers to stumble over us when we fall. 

Sexual indecency is a danger for any man. God created us a sexual beings, and put passions in us for pleasure in marriage and procreation from marriage. Yet, sin takes a God-given drive beyond the bounds of holy matrimony. It usually does not begin with physical adultery, but temptation comes through the gate of our eyes, worms its way into our thoughts, and begins to raise passions in our heart. When this spark of lust is fueled rather than forsaken, it will consume us in the inferno of indecency.

Doctrinal infidelity is another deadly compromise. God has given us His unadulterated Word, and we are to concentrate and communicate with Biblical integrity. Again, a man hardly holds and heralds sound doctrine one Sunday and then obvious heresy the next. Rather, he begins to avoid certain uncomfortable truths while claiming to still believe them, yet in the name of pragmatism does not declare them. Before long, he starts rationalizing further deviation. Like erosion eating away at the foundation, eventually a collapse comes in his belief system. 

Men, keep yourself pure from these perils for a pastor!

ENABLING AND EXCELLING GRACE

Perhaps you have heard the expression, “God’s commandment is His enablement.”  Paul attests to that in 1 Timothy 1:12-14. That is the grace of God. Grace is God’s sufficiency for our inadequacy. 

That is grace to save, since we do not have the capability to save ourselves. Paul rejoices in the amazing grace that saved a wretch like he was, “formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief,” (v. 13). 

But, the grace of God extends beyond that, as it is also grace to serve.  Our efforts to serve God will be futile apart from God’s Spirit equipping us. That is the focus of these verses. 

It is ENABLING GRACE, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,” (v. 12). Paul was faithful and God made Him fruitful. Jesus used the analogy of a grape vine and its branches in John 15. He is the True Vine and we are mere branches. Only as we abide in Him, does His grace flow into us and through us, yielding fruit. The God who called us into the ministry will give us the capacity to minister.  The task is beyond my ability, but puts no strain on Omnipotent God!

This is also EXCELLING GRACE, “And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus,” (v. 14). Not only is there an adequate measure of grace so I may serve the Lord, but there is an abundant supply of grace—more than enough. The demands of ministry would be overwhelming. Yet, there is no drain on Almighty God!  This grace is expressed with faith and love. 

The faith in Christ supplies this grace. This is how we connect to Him. The writer of Hebrews list the exploits of heroic people of faith in chapter 11. He concludes with a reminder that we too have work to do in our day—and it is the work of faith. “And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.” (Heb.‭11‬:‭39‬-‭40‬‬).

The love of Christ shares this grace. This is how we communicate Him. Grace operates in us to turn us from self-centeredness to servant-heartedness. We take up the basin and towel, following the example of Jesus in washing feet, for it is the enabling of Jesus who gives us His heart of love to do so. I need to speak of God’s love, but it will only be impactful as I show His love.

So, as you serve Him—marvel that He would reach down into the den of iniquity and summon you out of the dregs of society to be a trophy of His grace. But, then that same grace is not meant to have you displayed on a shelf, but demonstrated as you serve.

VIRTUES FOR VICTORY

 

There is a trinity of Christian virtues—faith, hope, and love. Paul returns to these again and again in his writings. These are found repeatedly in 1 Thessalonians as the Apostle tells the church what they are to be: a people of faith, hope, and love. Nearing the close of this letter, he indicates that these virtues are vital for victorious spiritual warfare in 5:8. 

He points to THE SOBRIETY OF THE CONFLICT, “But let us of who are of the day be sober…”.  War is serious business. There is the need to face it with sobriety. The Christian life is not to be taken casually. Satan and his forces are ever seeking opportunity to attack. We are exhorted to vigilance of we would have victory—“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation,” is the call of Christ, (Matt. 26:41). Paul had just exhorted, “Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober,” (v. 6).  

Then, he stresses THE SECURITY IN OUR COMBAT, “putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.”  While we must keep our eyes open, we also must have our armor on. 

This brings protection for our heart, “putting on the breastplate of faith and love…”.  The heart is the seat of affection. To protect our heart for God requires we wear the breastplate of faith and love. 

Faith is the response of the heart to the Word of God. We have heard the truth of the Gospel and by the work of the Spirit we have been drawn to Christ. Faith in Christ saves us and secures us. Satan seeks to undermine the Word of God. Recall in the first temptation in Eden how the serpent called Eve to doubt the Word of God and then to deny it altogether. 

Love is the response of the heart to the love of God. We love Him for He first loved us. God sent His Son to save us and seal us. Knowing this shields us. Again, we revisit the catastrophic choice in Paradise as the serpent basically told Eve that God was holding out on them by denying them the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He called into question God’s love for Adam and Eve.

If our heart does not rest in the Word of God and rely on the love of God, then we have no protection. Our doubt will defeat us.

Further, we have protection for our head, “and as a helmet the hope of salvation.”  The head is the seat of comprehension. Hope is the confident assurance of the promises of God. Satan seeks to undermine these by our circumstances. Consider Job’s devastating circumstances. Satan attacked him furiously. Even Job’s wife assailed him with a call to abandon God for God had surely abandoned him. 

There is what is called, “the fog of war.”  What we cannot see and the wrong conclusions based on that limited knowledge impacts our decision making and potentially can bring defeat. While, we may not fully grasp what is happening in the midst of Satan’s attacks, we can rely on what we have seen—the hope of salvation in the end. Have you not read the book of Revelation?  We win—and it is not even close!  Get this firmly fixed in your mind and press on. That blessed hope is your helmet. It is why Paul stresses the rapture of the church as Christ comes for His people.

The Apostle  would go on to say, “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” (v.8‬-‭11‬‬). 

Shane and Shane have a song that puts it:

So I can face tomorrow
For tomorrow's in Your hands
All I need You will provide
Just like You always have

 

I'm fighting a battle
That You've already won
No matter what comes my way
I will overcome
I don't know what You're doing
But I know what You've done
I'm fighting a battle
You've already won.

SACRIFICE IN THE SENDING

 

We are beginning to get some produce from the garden that one of my sons-in-law works with me—already squash, peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes, with beans, corn, and okra about ready. Yet, this reward has demanded an investment of time, money, and energy. You do not have a crop without a cost.

That is true in the spiritual realm, also. A spiritual harvest demands a sacrificial service. We see it in 1 Thessalonians 3:1-3, as Paul sacrificed to send his young protege, Timothy, to buttress the faith of the Thessalonians. Paul would miss the young preacher’s assistance, but Paul was not about caring for himself, but the church.

THE DESCRIPTION OF THE MINISTER is given in verses 1-2a. Three terms are used to describe Timothy, and are helpful for us in understanding Gospel work. 

Timothy was described first as a “brother.”  The preacher has an elite responsibility, but is not in a superior category. Whether an apostle, like Paul, a preacher like Timothy, or a member of the church at Thessalonica, there is an equal standing before God. He is our Father, and we are brothers. Everything begins with our relationship to God through Christ by the regenerating work of the Spirit that births us into the family of God. There is no special category of priest or saint whom we must go through to get to the Father. Scripture teaches the priesthood of all believers. A class system dividing clergy and laity is doctrinal error. So, if you have been called to preach the Gospel, it is a gift of grace, and there is no room for arrogance. 

Timothy is further described as a “minister.”  He is a minister of God. He answers—ultimately not to a church board or even the church body, but to the Lord who called him. We serve Christ as we serve His body, the church. Yet, we are accountable to God—to do the will of the Master and not the whims of men. 

Timothy was also described as a “laborer.”  The preacher does not sit on a throne to be waited on and fawned over. He takes up a basin and towel as his dear Lord, and follows Christ’s example in washing dirty feet. Gospel ministry is not for the lazy. Church work is simply that—work!  Timothy is called “a fellow laborer,” and this is a reminder that ours is not a solo service. We work most effectively when we multiply ministry by equipping and engaging others in the church to labor alongside us. 

All of this flows from, “the gospel of Christ.”  We are in a relationship with Christ and His church because we have responded to the Gospel. We are ministers with the duty of sharing the message of the Gospel. We are laborers who have embraced the commission to take the Gospel to all people in all places.

THE DUTY OF THE MINISTER is disclosed in verses 2b-3. The Thessalonians were facing intensifying persecution—“afflictions,” as Paul called it. He knew the danger that they might be “shaken,” by this. From the first century until now, Satan is busy in opposing the church. Those whom Christ so loves, the Devil rabidly hates. As a minister of the Gospel, you are to ground the saints in the Gospel. 

Our duty is to establish the people of God. We lay a solid foundation of faith. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,” (Rom. 10:17). As we preach the Gospel publicly in the church house and share it personally from house to house, we establish the saved on the Rock—Jesus Christ. This was Paul’s pattern, “how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house,” (Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭20‬‬). 

Yet this extends beyond evangelism to edification. Our duty is further to encourage the people of God. We construct a Scriptural framework of faith. These pillars of truth form a solid doctrinal house to encourage the saints to withstand the assaults on them from the world and the Devil. If the Wicked One cannot deter souls from grounding in the faith, he will try to discourage saints from growing in faith. Gospel ministry not only brings people to Christ, but buttresses them in Christ.

There are many struggling churches that are in need of support. If you are a pastor of a stronger church, do not try to maintain what you have, but multiply your ministry. Call out the young men in the church who are candidates for Gospel ministry. Yes, it is God who calls them, but He often uses our voice. Pray for the Lord to raise up young men. Then mentor them as you model for them what Gospel work is all about. When you call them, commission them—send them out, if possible with a support team—to some declining church to establish and encourage that congregation. Yes, it is a sacrifice in sending out those who have been so valuable in serving alongside you, but Kingdom work is not about us—it is about propagating the Gospel beyond our walls.

SUCCESSFUL SERVICE

Should we pursue success in the Lord’s service?  Let me put it this way, “Do you want to be a failure at such a vital assignment?”  I want to hear above all when I stand before the Judge, “Well done, good and faithful servant…Enter into the joy of your Lord,” (Matt. 25:23). The question is, “By what metric do we measure success?”  

In the modern church world it is has often been gauged by how many buildings we put up, how many bucks we took up, and how many backsides we sat down. Those are not insignificant, but not the final measurement. Paul lists three standards for successful service in 1 Thessalonians 2:10 that any servant of the Lord can attain.

First, we are to be devoted toward God, “how devoutly…we behaved.”  This is service that is RESPONSIVE. The grace of God was not given in vain to Paul. He was devoted to the Savior who dedicated Himself to the Apostle. His service was not to earn God’s favor, but a response to God’s love. In Rom. 12:1, he set this as our standard, “ “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” The first commandment is to love God with all our being. 

Second, we are to be just toward man, “how…justly…we behaved.”  This is service that is RIGHTEOUS. Our conduct in the world is to be just in how we deal with our fellowman. In the neighborhood, the marketplace, or wherever we go, we are to treat people right!  The second commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves. To claim to love God is only credible as we love those who are created in His image. 

Third, we are to be blameless toward believers, “how…blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe.”  This is service that is RIGOROUS. We are called to scrupulously seek sanctification. Holiness is to be the gauge of our service in the fellowship of the saints. It should be more than a claim expressed, but a conduct exhibited. God is our Creator and we are to love Him, humanity is His creation and we are to love them, but the church is His Bride and we are to love her. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another,” (John‬ ‭13‬:‭34‬‬). The church is His new creation and Christ calls us to a new love that He demonstrated —a rigorous commitment to the people of God.

Be faithful in pursuing these three spheres of service and God will make you fruitful as He sees fit.

POWERFUL PREACHING

Paul was a powerful preacher. His impact is still felt two millennia later, and has shaken earth and eternity. It was not his personal charisma (he had none) nor his persuasive communication (he could not). In fact, this is what others said of him, “his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible,” (2 Cor.‬ ‭10‬:‭10‬‬). 

The Apostle would not deny the description, as he said this, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Cor.‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭5‬‬). 

Paul gets to the reconciliation of these polar opposites—human frailties overcome by heavenly force. This is what makes for powerful preaching as defined in 1 Thess. 1:5. 

Powerful preaching demands EXPOSITION THAT IS ACCURATE, “Our gospel.”  The Gospel Paul preached was accurate. The message was comprehensible, and convictional. If the message is not accurate, then God will not bless it. One may draw a crowd, but will not build a church.  People do not need novelties and entertainment. They need the Gospel, whether they know it or not and whether they want it or not.

Further, powerful preaching requires EXHORTATION THAT IS ANOINTED, “did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit.”  Paul knew what Martyn Lloyd-Jones called, “The Sacred Anointing.”  Being accurate is essential, but it is not enough. As old Vance Havner said, “You can be straight as a gun barrel theologically, and empty as one spiritually.”  We must have the Holy Spirit’s anointing abiding on us if there is to be true spiritual fruit. This is reinforced in the old hymn, “Brethren, We Have Met to Worship.”

Brethren, we have met to worship

And adore the Lord, our God

Will you pray with all your power

While we try to preach the Word?

All is vain unless the Spirit

Of the Holy One comes down

Brethren, pray, and holy manna

Will be showered all around. (George Askins)

Also, powerful preaching calls for an EXAMPLE THAT IS ASSURING, “and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.”  The Apostle did not just declare the truth—he demonstrated it. The old saying is, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”  Something may look tasty, but you do not know for certain, until you put it in your mouth. Assurance that the message is from God is that the preacher does not just speak the Word theoretically, but shows the Word visibly.  The people will receive the message when they see it modeled.  Otherwise, we are heralds who are hypocrites. This short-circuits the power of the Spirit. 

Weigh these words from the aforementioned Lloyd-Jones:

What is this [anointing]? It is the Holy Spirit falling upon the preacher in a special manner. It is an access of power. It is God giving power and enabling, through the Spirit, to the preacher in order that he may do the work in a manner that lifts it up beyond the efforts and endeavors of man to a position in which the preacher is being used by the Spirit and becomes the channel through which the Spirit works (Preaching and Preachers, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, p. 305).

God, help us be clothed in power when we speak Your Word!  That is the prayer for myself and all men of God who will preach the Word.

DIMENSIONS OF DIRECTION

Paul exhorts Archippus in his ministry. There are three dimensions in Colossians 4:17 that give direction in Gospel work. The Apostle points the preacher to the past, present, and future. The Holy Spirit inspired Word is as applicable to ministry today as it was then. 

There is the past dimension of calling, “the ministry which you have received in the Lord.”  Paul points Archippus to the sacred work of God in selecting him and setting him apart for his task. We do not deserve this high calling. It is a sovereign work of God’s grace—a treasured opportunity—that we have received. As someone once said, “If God calls you to be a preacher, do not stoop to be the president!”  It would be a step down!  Never get over the marvel that God would call someone such as us to such a noble work. 

There is the present dimension of caution, “Take heed.”  Archippus was being put on alert.  Satan is roving about as a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” He will pounce on a preacher quicker than anyone, unless the man of God stays alert to the peril. If Satan can bring down God’s preacher then God’s people will stumble over him. The warning is for caution against compromise doctrinally and morally which disqualify the minister.  We see the scandals of fallen preachers, but must understand that the car wreck of ministry is seldom from a blowout, but a slow leak. They did not “take heed” to the pressure gauge and so little by little in small compromises the disaster eventually comes.

There is the prospective dimension of completion, “that you may fulfill it.”  Archippus is directed to the future—when he will stand before God and give account of his ministry.  We want to finish well, for there awaits the Judgment Seat of Christ. As a preacher has come to the end—he has preached his final sermon—and the last breath will be taken and the last beat of his heart will pulse, we want to have finished faithfully. I want to sprint down the homestretch and cross the finish line in glory a champion. There awaits a crown of completion to those who do.  Peter addresses the preacher who shepherds God’s flock faithfully to the finish as he promises, “and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away,” (1 Pet.‬ ‭5‬:‭4‬‬)!

IN HIS HAND

Preacher, you are in Christ’s hand. Today, as you gather in His name, He has promised to walk among His people. The church is meant to be His lamp stand, shining into the darkness of this world. Whatever challenges you are facing, whatever infirmities you feel, whatever enemies you fight—just know that you are held by the nail-scarred hand of Omnipotence. None can pluck you out of His hand! Be faithful to proclaim the Word, for the Living Word will be faithful to you!

STOP WHINING AND START WINNING

Are we on the verge of World War III?  Is the economy shrinking?  What are we to say of the apparent decline of the church and depravity of the culture?  We can just whine about it—and that will only make things worse.  Or, we can start winning souls to Christ!  That will make a difference!  Spurgeon put it this way:

I know that with many of us there is a tendency to sit down and say, “All things are wrong,  the world gets darker and darker, and everything is going to the bad.” We sit and fret together in most delightful misery, and try to cheer each other downwards into greater depths of despair!  Do we not often act thus? Alas! it is so, and we feel happy to think that other people will blend in blessed harmony of misery with us in all our melancholies; or if we do stir ourselves at little, we feel that there is not much good in our service, and that very little can possibly come of it. This message of our Master seems to me to be something like fine sound of a  trumpet. I have given you the strains of a dulcimer, but now there rings out the clarion note of a trumpet. Here is the power to enable you to “go.” Therefore, “go” away from your dunghills,  away from your ashes and your dust. Shake yourselves from your melancholy. The bugle calls, “Boot and saddle! Up and away!” The battle has begun, and every good soldier of Jesus Christ must be to the front for his Captain and his Lord.  Because all power is given unto Christ, He passes on that power  to His people, and sends them forth to battle and to victory.

I don’t know all that the future holds, but I know Who holds the future. God has made the outcome clear, but the timing is only known to Him. May we have the desperate drive of the four lepers who sat starving outside the besieged city of Samaria and asked, “Why are we sitting here until we die?” (2 Kings‬ ‭7‬:‭3).  God not only provided a miracle for them, but poured out blessing on His people through them.

I think of the thousands of starfish that washed up on the beach in a storm, where they would die. A little lad knowing this picked one up and tossed it into the water, again and again. An old fellow watched with amusement and asked, “Son, do you think that will make any difference?”  The boy picked up another and cast it into the surf. He said, “It did for that one!” 

So, whatever challenges you are facing today—get up and go forward. Stop whining and start winning. 

CHRIST’S COMMISSION

Spurgeon said concerning Christ’s commission:

If any of us would receive a commission for Christian service,  it must come from Christ Himself; if we would carry out that  commission, it must be in loyalty to Christ; and if we hope to  succeed in that commission, it must be in a perpetual, personal  fellowship with Christ. We must begin to work with Him, and go  on working with Him, and never cease to work until He Himself  shall come to discharge us from the service because there is no  further need of it. Oh, that we did all our work in the name of  the great Head of the Church! Oh that we did all Christ’s work  consciously in the presence and in the strength of Christ! (Service and Honor, Spurgeon, p. 42, Kindle edition)

SEEING A SERMON

 

We have all heard the expression, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”  When God sent His Son as the Incarnation of Himself, Jesus was, “The Word made flesh.”  Certainly, Christ spoke the truth about God, but He also showed the truth of God. To see Him was to see the Father. 

While the preacher will not accomplish this absolutely as Jesus did, nevertheless our objective is in speaking the Word in our communication of it, to also show the Word in our submission to it. Paul calls on us to do so in Philippians 3:16, “Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.”

There must be OUR DECLARING OF TRUTH, “Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained…”. This is the apprehension of the Word of God.  We have attained a degree of truth, and should persistently seek to apprehend the message increasingly—to get a grip on the truth in such a way that the truth grips us. If the sermon does not move us, we may be sure it will not stir the people!  This is what it means to apprehend something, and in this case, it is to understand the meaning of the text. We grow our people as we grow in our understanding and help them to do so. Yet, with the clarity of God’s revelation, there comes responsibility—for the preacher, as well as the people, to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only,” (James 1:22). That brings us to our second point. 

There must also be OUR DEMONSTRATING OF TRUTH, “let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.” This is the application of the Word of God. The rule of truth is established to gauge the straightness of our walk. The revelation of truth is expounded to grow the measure of our understanding. The old cliche’ is, “Practice what you preach.”  The familiarity of that phrase does not lessen the necessity of its performance.  This is the hardest part of preaching. While grasping the meaning of the text and conveying it in a clear and compelling manner is a challenge, the rubber meets the road when we not only share the sermon, but show the sermon.  Am I not a hypocrite if I urge the people to do something (read Scripture, pray, evangelize, give, pursue holiness, etc.) that I will not?  This is expressed in a poem by Edgar Guest.

Sermons We See

I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day; 
I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way. 
The eye's a better pupil and more willing than the ear, 
Fine counsel is confusing, but example's always clear; 
And the best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds, 
For to see good put in action is what everybody needs.

I soon can learn to do it if you'll let me see it done; 
I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run. 
And the lecture you deliver may be very wise and true, 
But I'd rather get my lessons by observing what you do; 
For I might misunderstand you and the high advice you give, 
But there's no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.

When I see a deed of kindness, I am eager to be kind. 
When a weaker brother stumbles and a strong man stays behind 
Just to see if he can help him, then the wish grows strong in me 
To become as big and thoughtful as I know that friend to be. 
And all travelers can witness that the best of guides today 
Is not the one who tells them, but the one who shows the way.

One good man teaches many, men believe what they behold; 
One deed of kindness noticed is worth forty that are told. 
Who stands with men of honor learns to hold his honor dear, 
For right living speaks a language which to every one is clear. 
Though an able speaker charms me with his eloquence, I say, 
I'd rather see a sermon than to hear one, any day.

SUCCESSFUL SERVICE

Surely none of us want to fail in ministry. Yet, what are the standards for successful service?  The church world typically measures success in terms of numbers of congregants in the church pews and cash in the collection plate.  While it is true that these might indicate the blessing of God on a man’s leadership, it may also be attributed to the circumstances conducive to such growth along with the human capacity of the leader. Paul did not have such credentials.  As he wrote to the Philippians, he was confined to a dungeon. Yet, he was confident of the Lord’s commendation. So, let us not discount statistical measurements, but look deeper to spiritual indicators found in Philippians 2:12-18.  By these we can all be successful servants.

The first is OUR DYNAMIC FOR SERVICE. “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure,” (v. 12-13). The dynamic for successful service is seen to be the power of God at work in us and through us. We work out what God works in. It is not about what our skills can accomplish, but what God’s strength can do. Our reliance is on a Sovereign Lord “to will and to do for His good pleasure,” and thus He gets all the glory. It is about His name and not our fame!  

The second is OUR DISPOSITION IN SERVICE. “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,” (v. 14-15). If any man had a reason to gripe about his conditions and seek to get even with his enemies it would have been Paul. All he did was seek to serve the Lord and share the good news. For this, he was beaten cruelly and bound unjustly. Yet, he exhibited a disposition that was “blameless and harmless.”  He reflected the image of His Father and calls on us to do so. We labor “in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,” and so can expect mistreatment. Yet, having such a sacrificial spirit as that of the Lord Jesus—the Light of the World—and is how we “shine as lights in the world.”  This world is a dark place, but that makes our light even more needful.

That brings us to the third standard of OUR DECLARATION IN SERVICE. We are to be, “holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain,” (v. 16). As mentioned in the previous verse, our light is to shine—to show the way of salvation. Every church should be a Gospel Lighthouse. Gospel light is needed. Often our pulpits promote Gospel-lite instead!  We must hold fast to the truth and then extend it as a lifeline to the lost. The old hymn urges:

1 Throw out the lifeline across the dark wave;

There is a brother whom someone should save;

Somebody’s brother, O who then will dare

To throw out the lifeline, his peril to share?

Refrain:

Throw out the lifeline! Throw out the lifeline!

Someone is drifting away;

Throw out the lifeline! Throw out the lifeline!

Someone is sinking today.

2 Throw out the lifeline with hand quick and strong;

Why do you tarry, why linger so long?

See, he is sinking, O hasten today;

And out with the lifeboat, away, then, away! [Refrain]

3 Throw out the lifeline to danger-fraught men,

Sinking in anguish where you’ve never been;

Winds of temptation and billows of woe

Will soon hurl them out where the dark waters flow. [Refrain]

4 Soon will the season of rescue be o’er;

Soon will they drift to eternity’s shore;

Haste then, my brother, no time for delay!

But throw out the lifeline and save them today. [Refrain}

We cannot make others grasp the Gospel, but we can assure that we give it out! To be faithful no matter the response means, “that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”

There is a fourth matter and that is OUR DEVOTION IN SERVICE. “Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all,” (v. 17). Our service is an act of worship—as we pour ourselves out on the altar as living sacrifices, (cf. Rom. 12:1). Successful ministry is about sweat and sobs; labor and lament; work and weeping. It is ultimately not about recognition here, but reward hereafter.  Far better to be a little-known humble servant in this world that we might be summoned to the head table by the Lord.  What a day of rejoicing that will be!  Don’t be a glory hound sniffing the trail for headlines in the Baptist Press, but a devoted servant wherever God assigns you.  The Lord sees and knows and He is the ultimate arbiter of success!

That brings us to the fifth and final issue of OUR DELIGHT IN SERVICE. “For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me,” (v. 18). Rejoicing is the theme of this little letter. Three times in these six verses Paul repeats the word, “rejoice,” as he speaks of the delight he felt despite the difficulties he faced. We cannot control our circumstances, but we can control our response to them. This is a a decision, even more than an emotion. Feelings will fluctuate and circumstances will change, but our satisfaction in the Lord can be steadfast.

If you pursue and practice these principles, then no matter what men may think, our Master will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”