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!” 

  

PROBLEMS AND PROVIDENCE

 

Is God sovereign?  Of course He is or He would not be God. That being the case, do we affirm that when problems come, they are according to His providence?  The Apostle Paul affirms it to be so. Writing to the Philippians, he does not merely resign himself to be confined in chains, but rejoices that he is. 

“But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.” (Philippians 1:12-18 NKJV)

Joy is the note that sounds over and over in this small letter. Perceiving providence in his problems led to praise. How are you responding to your adversity and dealing with adversaries?  These are inescapable realities in ministry. Being a preacher does not mean we escape them, but assures that we will face them. You either recently faced trouble, or are in the midst of a conflict, or soon will be in one. 

Paul calls on us to STAND FAST, “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast…” (Philippians 1:27a). This is a matter of conviction. I am at an age where I can no longer run fast…but I can stand fast!  The man of God dare not compromise. While we seek peace—it is not “peace at any price.”  The preacher who is surrendered to the Word must never surrender to the world.  In this sinful world, we will always face strong winds and surging waves.  Dig in your heels!  Providence has brought you where you are.

We stand fast when we STRIVE FEARLESSLY, “in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God,” (1:27b-28). This is a matter of courage. Satan whispers, “Flee!”  God speaks and says, “Fight!”  The providence that brought you to the problems will bring you through the problems. You can be fearless, when you recall that you are not in this fight alone. Of course, our Commander is there and He is more than sufficient, but it is also helpful to know we have other warriors alongside us. Paul calls for unity—to strive together. Too often we fight with each other. How many churches become a circular firing squad?  Do not see your fellow pastor as a competitor. See him as a fellow soldier!

To stand fast and strive fearlessly, requires a resolve that by the grace of God, we will SUFFER FAITHFULLY, “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me,” (v.29-30). This is a matter of consistency. Whatever our circumstances—and problems will often be present and in seasons be powerful—we must consistently embrace that God’s providence has brought us there. He has supplies us with faith to come to Christ and therefore will give us grace to suffer for Christ. Paul was a great man of faith, yet still a man. The same Spirit that empowered him is with us. Others have suffered faithfully, so may we.  Old Isaac Watts asked us:

1. Am I a soldier of the cross,
   A follow’r of the Lamb?
   And shall I fear to own His cause,
   Or blush to speak His name?
2. Must I be carried to the skies
   On flow’ry beds of ease,
   While others fought to win the prize,
   And sailed through bloody seas?
3. Are there no foes for me to face?
   Must I not stem the flood?
   Is this vile world a friend to grace,
   To help me on to God?
4. Sure I must fight if I would reign;
   Increase my courage, Lord;
   I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
   Supported by Thy Word.
5. Thy saints in all this glorious war
   Shall conquer, though they die;
   They see the triumph from afar,
   By faith’s discerning eye.
6. When that illustrious day shall rise,
   And all Thy armies shine
   In robes of vict’ry through the skies,
   The glory shall be Thine.

GOD WORKING IN OUR WORK

There is that street you feel moved to go and work in, — God has been there before you. Do you not remember how, when His children had to go and destroy the Canaanites, the Lord sent the hornet before them? Now, when you have to go and preach to sinners, God sends some preparatory work before you, He is sure to do so.  

In other cases God works afterwards; sometimes, immediately afterwards; at other times, years afterwards.  There are different sorts of seeds in the world. The seeds of some plants and trees, unless they undergo a peculiar process, will not grow for years. There is something about them which preserves them intact for a long time, but in due season the life-germ shoots forth: and there are certain kinds of men who do not catch the truth at the time it is uttered, and it lies hidden away in their souls till, one day, under peculiar circumstances, they recollect what they heard, and it begins to  affect their hearts.  

If we work, and God works with us, what is there that we may not expect? Therefore, the great need of any working church is for God to work with them, and therefore this ought to be our daily confession, that we need God to work with us.  We must always realize that we are nothing apart from His working; we must not pretend to compliment the Holy Ghost by now and then talking about Him, as though it were the  proper thing to say that of course the Holy Spirit must work. It must be a downright matter of fact with us that the Holy Spirit must work, as much as it would be with a miller that his sails could not go round without the wind; and then we must act as  the miller does. He sets his sails and tries to catch the wind from whatever quarter it blows; and we must try to work in such a way that the Holy Ghost is likely to bless us. I do not think the Holy Ghost will bless some service that is done even by well-meaning people, because if He did, it would seem as if He had set His seal to a great deal that was not according to the mind of the Lord. Let us so act in our work, that there is never the smudge of a dirty thumb across the page, and nothing of pride, or self-seeking, or hot-headedness, but that all is done humbly, dependently, hopefully, and always in a holy and gracious spirit, so that we may expect the Holy Spirit to own and bless it. That will, of course, involve that everything must be done prayerfully, for our Heavenly Father gives the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him; and we must ask for this greatest of blessings, that God the Holy Spirit may work with our work.  

Then we must believe in the Holy Spirit, and believe to the highest degree, so as never to be discouraged or think  anything difficult. “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Can  anything be difficult to the Holy Spirit? It is a grand thing often to get into deep water so as to be obliged to swim; but we like to keep our feet touching the sand. What a mercy it is to feel that you cannot do anything, for then you must trust in God and God alone, and feel that He is quite equal to any emergency! Thus trusting, and thus doing His bidding, we shall not fail. Come, Holy Spirit, and work with all Thy people now!  Come and rouse us to work; and when we are bestirred to a holy energy, then work Thou with us!  

(Spurgeon, Service and Honor, pp. 29-31, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, pub. Kindle Edition). 

THE POWER OF THE SPOKEN WORD

Our words have amazing potential. James tells us that the tongue—though a small part of the body—has a large potential, (James 3:1-12). He likens the tongue to the bits that direct a horse—and that horse properly led can propel us on a journey or launch us off a cliff. There is the illustration of a rudder that can steer a ship to safely reach its destination or crash it upon the rocks in destruction. Further, he says, “the tongue is a fire,” and the fire can warm your house all winter, or burn it down!

Likewise, Paul gives command concerning the power of the spoken word in Ephesians 4:29, when the Apostle says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”

While this is generally applicable to every believer, it should specifically direct the preacher, whose fundamental duty is to speak God’s message. This places a great responsibility and a grave accountability on him, so much so that we are also warned by James, “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment,” (3:1). The quantity of words spoken by the preacher and the potency of those words elevates the possibility our speech may become destructive rather than instructive.

Therefore, Paul calls for THE EXCISE OF EVIL SPEECH, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth…”. Evil speech is a malignancy in our mouth that must be excised. It is cancerous communication that if allowed even in small measure will spread with deadly consequence. 

Certainly, this would include crude language, but also deceptive speech, manipulative conversation, doctrinal error, boastful talk, and bitter expression.  All of this, as James states it, “is set on fire by hell,” (3:6b). We say so much and speak to so many that the weight of our words increases exponentially. 

The heart of our problem is the problem of our heart. Your tongue is a bucket and it draws out what is in the well of our heart. Jesus said, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks,” (Matt. 12:34b). The fruit of our speech is derived from the roots of our soul. This dark, desperate, depraved, demonic heart we have is poisoned beyond cleansing and wild beyond taming, (James 3:7-8). 

Our only hope is in regeneration. That which man cannot cure, God can heal. He gives us a new heart. Then, the Holy Spirit within us can tame our tongue. Yet, the potential in regeneration, must be practiced in sanctification. The cross must be applied to every area of the believer’s life. It must be for the preacher, and particularly his tongue. Let us pray, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips,” (Ps. 141:3). 

The negative to avoid is not enough, there is the positive to apply in THE EXPRESSION OF EDIFYING SPEECH, “but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”  Whereas, the speech of Adolph Hitler ignited a world war, the oratory of Winston Churchill extinguished those flames and helped propel the rebuilding of a civil society. God calls men to preach His Word and by that power He saves sinners and strengthens saints. While Paul demands the excise of evil speech, he directs us to the expression of edifying speech. Do not tear down with your words, but build up!

There is supernatural power in the preached Word. Here is the promise, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isa. 55:11). 

It is “A word fitly spoken [that is] like apples of gold in settings of silver,” (Prov. 25:11). It is proper speech precisely spoken that is a thing of beauty and value.  This is the preacher’s awesome privilege and power:

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (2 Tim. 3:16-4:5). 

The Apostle Paul reminds us that edifying preaching when it is received is helpful, but for those who reject it, it is hated. Truth that will grow the children, will grind on the counterfeit. The Word is a double-edged sword. Be faithful in your preaching and leave the results in God’s hands. Just make sure that you seek to edify.

SAVED TO SERVE

Most evangelicals are familiar with Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”  We ought to have those words embedded in our mind. 

Yet, we may not be as acquainted with the next verse, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them,” (v. 10). These go together—two sides of the same coin of salvation. While we are saved apart from our works—the root of salvation is solely in the work of Christ—our salvation is never apart from producing works—the fruit of salvation is seen in the work of Christ in Christians. The quote attributed to Martin Luther states it, “We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.”  

We are saved to serve. That is true of every child of God. This Gospel message must be preached. It must also be observed in the preacher’s life as well as heard from his lips.  Otherwise the words ring hollow and we may be branded a hypocrite.  The call is, “Practice what you preach!”

Ours is a POETIC LIFE, “For we are His workmanship…”.  The Greek word for “workmanship,” is poiema.  Our English word, “poem,” is derived from that. We might say it is a life that is “poetry in motion.”  I heard my mentor, Dr. Stephen Olford, put it, “a life of rhyme and reason.”  

God is the Author. He has written the script in His providence. As I look back over the course of my nearly seventy years of life, I can see how God has worked in me and through me. What may seem isolated events at the time, are now seen to be lines of sacred verse that God has been putting together. Since we are still here on earth, we may be sure there are more stanzas to be written.

Ours is also a PRACTICAL LIFE, “created in Christ Jesus for good works…”.  Orthodoxy in our doctrine leads to orthopraxy in our duty. If our belief is Biblical, then our behavior will be practical. God sovereignly created Adam and Eve for a sacred responsibility—to steward the creation and to shun the temptation.  Yet, they failed. Sin is now part of our natural state. 

Jesus came to give us a new nature—to fashion a new creation in Christ. This is regeneration. Yet, we are to flesh out our faith in daily duty. In Christ, His crucifixion means we die to self, sin, and this sphere of the world system (cf. Gal. 6:14), as we have been crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, we live, so in Christ’s resurrection we live for Him—yet, not I but Christ living in and through me, (cf. Gal. 2:20; Rom. 6). 

Further, ours is a PREPARED LIFE, “which God prepared beforehand…”. Before you were born, God already knew you. He fashioned you in your mother’s womb, infusing you with personality and capacity to be His choice servant. Then, He directed your life to the point of conviction of sin and conversion to salvation by the Gospel of grace. 

How all this transpired has been the topic of theological debate for two millennia of church history—so I will not attempt to resolve every question in this brief devotion. Yet, we cannot deny that God is sovereign and He orchestrates all things to the fulfillment of His will. This all redounds to His glory. 

Perhaps you are familiar with the quote, “Try to explain predestination and you may lose your mind.  Try to explain it away and you may lose your soul.” I am content to accept there is mystery in the harmony of God’s sovereignty in His choices and my responsibility for my choices. To paraphrase the Shorter Westminster Catechism, “The chief end of [Dennis] is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”  You can insert your name into that, as well.

In conclusion, ours is a PROGRESSIVE LIFE, “that we should walk in them.”  Perfection is not attainable on earth. That awaits eternity—to be glorified when we see Jesus face to face, “but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is,” (1 Jn. 3:2b). While perfection is not attainable, progression is achievable. John also said, “Beloved, now we are the children of God…. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure,” (1 Jn. 3:2a, 3). More and more, as I express the life of Christ within, I exhibit more of His likeness without. 

Jesus is the Model Servant. He set the example for us. We are being like Him than when we are serving others.  We are saved to serve!

THE PRIORITY OF PRACTICING AND PREACHING ABOUT PRAYER

“Practice what you preach!”  That is an expression we have often heard; but are we heeding it?  If we make prayer a priority, then it will be a passion in our practice and our preaching. 

Prayer is caught before it is taught. People need to see a sermon before we share the sermon. If, however, prayer is a priority in our practice, it will claim a place in our preaching. People need to be inspired to pray and instructed in prayer. 

Andrew Murray put it this way:

“He sends His servants out to call them. Let ministers make this a part of their duty. Let them make their church a training school of intercession. Give the people definite objects for prayer. Encourage them to devote a definite amount of time to it, even if it is only ten minutes every day. Help them to understand the boldness they may use with God. Teach them to expect and look out for answers. Show them what it is first to pray and get an answer in secret, and then carry the answer and impart the blessing. Tell everyone who is master of his own time that he is as the angels, free to tarry before the throne and then go out and minister to the heirs of salvation. Sound out the blessed tidings that this honor is for all God’s people. There is no difference. That servant girl, this laborer, that bedridden invalid, this daughter in her mother’s home, these men and young men in business – all are called and all are needed. 

God seeks intercessors. …As ministers take up the work of finding and training intercessors, they will feel the urge to pray even more themselves. Christ gave Paul to be a pattern of His grace before He made him a preacher of it. It has been well said, “The first duty of a clergyman is humbly to beg of God that all he would have done in his people may be first truly and fully done in himself.” The effort to bring this message of God may cause much heart-searching and humiliation. All the better. The best practice in doing a thing is helping others to do it. O ye servants of Christ, set as watchmen to cry to God day and night, let us awake to our holy calling. Let us believe in the power of intercession. Let us practice it. Let us seek on behalf of our people to get from God Himself the Spirit and the life we preach. With our spirit and life given up to God in intercession, the Spirit and life that God gives them through us cannot fail to be the life of intercession too.” (The Ministry of Intercession, pp. 123-124, Kindle Edition)

Preacher—be the spark that ignites a flame of intercessory prayer!

EFFECTIVE EXPOSITION

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians should be the prayer of every expositor: “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,” (‭‭Eph. ‭1‬:‭17‬).  When there is the application of truth from the Holy Spirit—“the spirit of wisdom”—and the apprehension of truth from the Holy Scriptures—“the spirit of…revelation”—then expository preaching will be effectively powerful.

We should seek to be DISCERNING OF THE WISDOM OF GOD, “the spirit of wisdom.”  Wisdom commences with the understanding of the meaning of the text—proper interpretation.  But, it does not stop there.  We continue with the message of the text—practical application.  We then conclude with the mandate from the text—persuasive exhortation.  Simply put, we pray for the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to the truth, that we may open our mouths to speak it, and then open the hearts of the people to receive it.  Wisdom goes beyond the facts in the heads of the listeners, to seeing those facts become a force in the hearts of the people.  We help them see that the Holy Spirit will guide them in day to day decisions that impact them and influence others.  We must help the congregation to know, “Here is what God says,” and then declare, “Here is what we need to do about it!”

We should seek to be DIRECTED BY THE WORD OF GOD, “the spirit of…revelation.”  While the Holy Spirit brings us into application of the truth, the Holy Scriptures lead us into the apprehension of the truth.  To apprehend means to grasp something—in this case we get a grip on God’s Word. In so doing, the Word will also grab hold of us!  The will of God is disclosed in the Word of God.  We are not getting direct revelation—new truth—as those in the first century before the New Testament was completed.  Paul prayed for them to have a direct pipeline to God’s revealed will from heaven.  With the completion of the New Testament and the deaths of the Apostles and prophets, we are not receiving new revelation, but fresh illumination from the Word of God.  Then we will not only be guided by God’s wisdom, but governed by God’s Word.

If we pray for this and preach like this, then our exposition will be effective. Biblical information, practical application, passionate exhortation, and compelling illustration will produce powerful transformation.

If we do not want this, then why do we stand in the pulpit and speak to the people?  

TAKE TIME TO BE HOLY

If we are too use to pray, then we are too busy. Consider these challenging words from Andrew Murray:

Though God had His appointed servants in Israel, watchmen set by Himself to cry to Him day and night and give Him no rest, He often had to wonder and say that there was no intercessor, none to stir themselves up to take hold of His strength. And He still waits and wonders in our day, that there are not more intercessors, that all His children do not give themselves to this highest and holiest work, that many of them who do so, do not engage in it more intensely and perseveringly. He wonders to find ministers of His gospel complaining that their duties do not allow them to find time for this, which He counts their first, their highest, their most delightful, their alone effective work. He wonders to find His sons and daughters, who have forsaken home and friends for His sake and the gospel’s, come so short in what He meant to be their abiding strength – receiving day by day all they needed to impart to the dark heathen. He wonders to find multitudes of His children who have hardly any conception of what intercession is. He wonders to find multitudes more who have learned that it is their duty, and seek to obey it, but confess that they know but little of taking hold upon God or prevailing with Him. (The Ministry of Intercession, pp. 120-121, Kindle edition).

The old hymn reminds us to “Take Time to Be Holy.”

1. Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;

Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.

Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak,

Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek. 

2. Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;

Spend much time in secret, with Jesus alone.

By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;

Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

3. Take time to be holy, let Him be thy Guide;

And run not before Him, whatever betide.

In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord,

And, looking to Jesus, still trust in His Word.

4. Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul,

Each thought and each motive beneath His control.

Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,

Thou soon shalt be fitted for service above. (William D. Longstaff)