STAY THE COURSE

 

Paul reminds us in this text that God is sovereign. He sets the terms of our service. He ordains the place where we serve and the period for our service. We are tempted when seeing the apparent success of others to covet their status. Why them?  We may be tempted to give up when facing adversity. Why us?  We need to hear the Apostle’s challenge to us. 

He calls for COMMITMENT to our calling. “Let each one remain with God.”  It is not so much what we do for God, but who we are in God. He is shaping us into the image of Christ for His glory. Sometimes we will be painfully pruned in order to bear much fruit. Abiding is the key, (cf. John 15). I heard a pastor this week who had complained at a Bible Conference that he was being mistreated at his church. The evangelist asked, “Have they nailed you to a cross yet?”  Lesson learned. To follow Jesus is to walk the Calvary Road. 

Paul demands CONTENTMENT in our calling, “remain…in that state in which he was called.”  We must stay in that state—even if it is Arkansas!  God divinely directs us. In His providence, He places us where He knows best. God does not want us to be tumble-weeds but trees that are rooted.   For trees that are rooted become fruited!  Unpack your bags, hang the pictures on the walls of the pastorium, throw away the business card of the moving company, and be grateful for the high and holy privilege of serving Him. As my mentor in ministry told me, “God knows where you are and He can get you where He wants you to be!”

Love and prayers to you my brothers—may we stay the course!

GLORIFYING OUR FATHER

 

There is no greater imperative for us than to glorify God. While we know this applies to all believers, the elders of the church must set the example in this. Jesus told us how—abide in Him and bear much fruit.

Christ calls us to FRUITFULNESS, (John 15:1-8). As a branch is connected to the grapevine, life flows into it, and fruit is produced from it. Without this vital connection, there will be no fruit. Abiding in Christ is essential. We can work our fingers to the bone and collapse in exhaustion and all we have done equals nothing!  How much of our effort will go up in smoke at the Judgment Seat of Christ because it was done in the energy of the flesh!

Christ calls us to FELLOWSHIP, (John 15:9-17).  Abiding in Him means abiding in Christ’s love and experiencing His abiding joy. This is the fellowship from being in the Word and on our knees in prayer, along with an ongoing sense of His presence. While it is our duty to serve Him, it is more. Jesus calls us His friends. This elevates our work from duty to delight. Our motivation is not obligation alone. It is passion that comes from devotion to our Friend. This is fruit that remains.  It is of eternal worth.  In the words of the old hymn, “What a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms!”

Christ calls us to FAITHFULNESS, (John 15:18-16:4). This is not the way to becoming popular with the world. When the life of Jesus is manifested in and through us, the world will react to us as it did to Him. There was hate and rejection. They cursed Jesus and crucified Him. We have not signed up for a picnic, but persecution. Christ-likeness ignites the fury of Satan and all his minions.   Will we back down and back up, or will we abide in Him and stand resolute?  In the flesh, we will falter. Yet, we have the Spirit of God as our Helper. By His abiding power we can be faithful.

 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John‬ ‭16‬:‭33‬‬).

THE MINISTRY, RECEPTIVITY, AND PRODUCTIVITY OF THE WORD

The parables of Jesus recorded in Mark 4 are about preaching and teaching the Word of God, and how that supernatural act brings spiritual life and growth to those who hear and heed it. As we come to the Lord’s Day and the gathering of the saints, let us do so with confidence that God’s intended results will come from that life-giving Book. We are likely familiar with the parable of the sower found in Mark 4:1-20. It deals with the condition of the soil—that is, the human heart. Only the soil that produces a crop (in varying measure) is good soil—one out of four hearers in this illustration. The Lord does not change the thrust of his sermon, as He proceeds further with four other parables, that we will group under three headings.

First, consider THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD IN SHINING LIGHT.

“Also He said to them, ‘Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.’” (v. 21-23). 

Sin is for the shadows. This is the dark depravity of the human heart. The preacher is meant to take the Word of God as a Gospel light to summon men and women from the darkness to Christ who is the Light of the World. Pastors need to speak plainly. The light is not meant to be stuck under a basket of confusion or under the bed of comfort. The first type of teaching leaves the hearer scratching his head and the second style, rubbing his or her eyes. The preacher is not there to impress the people with his profundity or confound them with his obscurity. They need the light of truth plainly and simply communicated.  The congregation needs to come with preparation—ears to hear.  The best sermon will not help someone who is absent or absent-minded.  This has to do with the way we hear.

Second, note THE RECEPTIVITY OF THE WORD IN SHARING TRUTH.

“Then He said to them, ‘Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.’” (v. 24-25). 

The church member has a responsibility to be selective in what they hear. They must make sure there is an alignment of the preacher’s sermon with the truth of Scripture. Obviously, the church needs caution to determine if the instruction is doctrinally sound or theologically deviant. If you attend a church or are part of a denomination that has departed from the Word, then you need to depart from that congregation. Saturate the place with your absence!  However, preaching can be so basic for so long as to end up giving people a bottle full of milk, sermon after sermon, and never nourish them with a plateful of meat!  Again, we do not start with fundamental matters and move on from them, for there will always be those in the fellowship who need the simple Gospel for they are lost, with others who are babes in Christ needing to be spoon fed. Yet, the preacher must give more than that for others are eager to grow, being receptive to the truth. Expository preaching produces a well-balanced diet for all stages of spiritual development. It will sort out the receptive hearers from the carnal crowd.  Some will ravenously consume it as they know it is feeding their soul. Others will spit it out and move on searching for a sugary sermonette that puts them in a spiritual slumber. This relates to what we hear.

Third, observe THE PRODUCTIVITY OF THE WORD IN SOWING SEED. 

“And He said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.’ Then He said, ‘To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.’” (v. 26-‭32‬‬)

In both these parables, there is similarity in presenting the productivity of God’s Word when it is faithfully sown.  The preacher is not responsible for fruitfulness. He is accountable for his faithfulness. We do the sowing and God does the saving. It is not a product of human ability, but heavenly activity. The preacher must make certain to cultivate the soil, sow good seed in abundance, and prayerfully prepare in faith for a harvest. He must be capable of gathering and conserving.  Do not be disheartened if there seems small progress. God can grow a church into a large work, not only in terms of numbers, but in Kingdom impact. Preacher, trust God and press on!  This speaks to why we hear.

If the Word of God is faithfully proclaimed then there will be results. God has promised this supernatural impact. Everybody who sits under the Word will leave changed by it. It is to the welfare of those who receive it, “For whoever has, to him more will be given,” (v.25a). But, sadly, it is to the worsening of those who reject it, “but whoever does not have even what he has will be taken away from him,” (v.25b).

THE PROCLAMATION OF THE PREACHER

 

When a preacher speaks—whether in the pulpit or outside it—his words convey not only the content of Scripture, but of his own heart. Jesus was addressing a group of “preachers,” called Pharisees. They were twisting truth to build their own kingdom rather than the kingdom of God, and Christ called them a “brood of vipers!”  They were the spawn of the old Serpent, the Devil.  Let us explore further the Lord’s message in Matthew 12:33-37.

Consider THE POTENTIALITY OF OUR SPEECH.  “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit,” (v.33).  Our words have such potential for help or harm. The fruit that our words produce will be good or bad, but never neutral. Faithfulness to the Scriptures will yield fruitfulness in the saints. Likewise, if our message is perverse, the fruit will be poisonous!  It is poison for it contains the venom of the Serpent.

There is also THE TRANSPARENCY IN OUR SPEECH.  “You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.” (v.34-35).  The fruit from our sermons will be evil or good depending on the root of our speech. What we say is a window into our soul. There is a transparency when we speak. When a preacher fills his heart with the study of and submission to the Scriptures, there will be treasure to give to those in the congregation. Likewise, if he is Biblically bankrupt in content and conduct, he will impoverish his audience.

Weigh THE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR OUR SPEECH. “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (v.36-37). What a serious and searching reality!  Those who sit in the audience will evaluate our sermons. It is possible to gather a great throng by telling them what they want to hear in appealing to their carnal passions. Likewise, we can build up people in the faith by our fearless and faithful preaching of Scripture. This may or may not increase the numbers of hearers, but is assured to increase the faith of those who receive the Word, and for that we will give account at the Judgment Seat.  Whatever sentence the congregation passes on our preaching, what ultimately matters is the sentence that Christ proclaims about our preaching!

THE INVESTMENT IN INTERCESSION

 

There are many good things a pastor may do, but surely one of the best is the ministry of intercession.  Often, we do not see the immediate results and are tempted to busy ourselves in other matters that seem to pay quicker dividends. Prayer is spiritual and therefore eternal. While God can and does answer with immediacy in some instances, often it is like sowing seed which may yield a harvest much later. It may even be after our lifetime.

The prayers of the saints are described here as being bowls full of incense with their fragrance filling the atmosphere of heaven. I see them as stored up, and in God’s timing and according to His sovereign design, will be answered. So, dear pastor, pray for your family, pray for the church, pray for the community, pray for missionaries and ministries. Pray and pray some more. Invest in intercession and it will pay eternal dividends.

It may be that you die without seeing much fruit. Looking back over a ministry and judging it as largely unproductive can be a discouraging thing. But, God gives the final judgment—and it may be when we get to the other side, that we discover an abundant fruitfulness exceeding our wildest imagination. Those prayers that seemed to rise no higher than the ceiling—the continual pleading when heaven seemed silent—were working powerfully.  Keep on praying!

THE FARMER AND HIS FIELD

 

Perhaps the most common metaphor to describe the pastor’s role is that of the shepherd and his flock. In fact, that is the meaning behind the word, “pastor.”  Yet, there are others, and if not as frequently mentioned, no less significant. One of these would be the farmer and his field.  Jesus spoke often of those sowing the seeds of the Gospel and reaping the harvest that was grown.  Paul’s commendation of Timothy’s labor for the Lord in 1 Thessalonians 3:2 will illustrate this principle.

We examine first THE CONNECTION IN THE HARVEST. Paul calls Timothy, “our brother.”  It is a family farm. Our Father God is the Lord of the Harvest, and we who are His children are employed not first because of our farming capability but our family connection. Our labor is a labor of love. 

There is a connection with our Father. In the secular world, there are gifted communicators, skilled counselors, and effective leaders, yet having these abilities does not in itself qualify one for work in the Lord’s field. That takes a new birth and spiritual gifting—the anointing of the Holy Spirit which enables us to speak, lead, and counsel the saints.  We do not function as a hired hand, but a loving son. That relationship will sustain us when the field is hard and the fruit is scant.

There is also a connection with our family. Our love is for the Lord with all our being—the Great Commandment—but is also love for our brothers—the second commandment, like unto the first. The pastor is to love the people. It is not foremost about projects to finish but people to further.  Never forget that within the family, there are brothers and sisters who also have gifts, and our ministry is most effective when we equip them in their ministry. Recall also the extended family—that there are fellow pastors who are serving in the same harvest—for the field is the world. We are not in competition with our brother in a nearby acre, but in connection working alongside him. Our joy and not our jealousy is called for when their crops appear more lush; our encouragement and assistance are required when their corner is withering and weed infested.

Paul also speaks to Timothy of THE CALLING TO THE HARVEST. He calls him a “minister of God.”  We are reminded that the field is the Lord’s. He owns it—not us. It is His church and not ours. He treasures His church and we should view our labor as a sacred calling to fulfill.

This speaks of our Master. We are foremost serving the Lord. Whatever His assignment for this day—wherever field He would send us—our work is for God. He is God and we are not. He is the Lord of the Harvest and determines our duty. In His sovereignty He calls us to specific places for set periods for select purposes. Frankly, there will be seasons of productivity when the ministry is rewarding, but there may also be seasons of paucity when the ministry is discouraging.  That is not our call. Faithfulness is our work and fruitfulness is God’s.

It also speaks of our manner. To be a minister is to serve God by serving others. We are not to pursue vanity in wanting the people to serve us, but we are to display humility by stooping to serve them. No work is too menial and no task too trivial, if we are serving our members. The Lord of Glory set the standard with taking a basin and towel, washing feet!

Then, the Apostle points to THE COMMITMENT TO THE HARVEST.  This is indicated by Paul’s reference to the young pastor as, “our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ.”  It takes commitment because farming requires toil and time. You do not just wander into a field, dump out a bag of seed and expect a harvest the next day. It takes toil. This is labor. There is no room for laziness in the ministry!  It is work where you sweat and get dirt under the fingernails of calloused hands. It takes time. Farming is continual business. After a harvest is gathered, it is time to till up the soil and get it prepared for the next season of growth. There is no occasion for impatience in the ministry! You cannot tug on a tender plant to expect it to grow more quickly or burn it up with excessive fertilizer. All you will do is kill it.

We must be committed to plowing and planting. Paul sent Timothy to the church “to establish [them].”  The Word of God is used to plow up the fallow ground. The sharp spade of Scripture will often meet a hard, resistant soil.  What are we to do?  Keep plowing!  Yet that is not sufficient, for we must also take Gospel seed and plant it. There is power in the Seed of Scripture. It contains life.  In it is latent a great harvest. Do not pursue the carnal and the novel in an effort to get a crowd—it may be just a quick, abundant crop of weeds!  Keep plowing and planting by preaching the Word, publicly and privately, in faith that the Lord of the Harvest will enable you to reap wheat in due season, if you do not faint.

We are further committed to watering and weeding. Timothy is also instructed “to encourage [them].”  Gospel work is ongoing. The cultivating of the crop is needed to sustain growth. In a fallen world, there will be times of spiritual drought and yet God has sent us to irrigate the tender plants with the water of the Word.  Because of the curse there will always be the need to pull weeds—taking great care not to uproot plants. Be on the watch for Satan to sow weeds among the wheat.  The consistently expounded truth will weed out carnality. They will get in or get out!

Then, in accordance with God’s purpose, there will be gathering and garnering. All the hardships of labor under the sun are quickly forgotten in the harvest of souls. Different fields produce different yields. Not every place will produce a bumper crop, but there will be some fruit.  The rigor is for us to bear and the results are for God to bring. Whatever He gives we garner to conserve. It is placed in the granary not only for the present use, but as future seed for many more harvests to come.  Paul’s labor produced a young plant named Timothy. Timothy would then produce others, and on down to us. Long after we are gone, the harvest we have gathered will still be yielding crops and producing more seed until the final harvest is gathered at the end of time! 

GOSPEL PREACHING

There is God’s sovereignty at work in the grace that calls sinners to salvation. Yet, there is also human responsibility in the Gospel declaration by the witness and the Gospel reception by the hearer.  How, this works has been the subject of theological debate for 2000 years of church history that I will not try to settle today. How it works, I may not understand, but that it works is undeniable, “knowing…your election by God.”  Gospel preachers call out the called.

In Gospel preaching there is PROCLAMATION, “in word.”  The facts of the Gospel—the vicarious crucifixion and victorious resurrection of Jesus—must be faithfully preached. The sower must sow the seed. We are not responsible for the condition of the soil, but the casting of the seed.

In Gospel preaching there is EXPECTATION, “in power.”  The Gospel is the power of God for salvation to all who believe (cf. Rom.1:16). We are not called to sort out who the called may be, but to have confidence that if we are faithful to the Gospel, the Gospel will be forceful to do its work. It is the power of the message and not the persuasiveness of the messenger that matters.  If I can talk someone into a decision, someone else can talk them out of it!

In Gospel preaching there is CONSECRATION, “the Holy Spirit.”   It was not the powerful personality of the Apostle that wrought conversion. In fact, Paul was not impressive in his appearance or charming in his style (cf. 1 Cor.2:1-5). True Gospel preaching flows from a vessel fully consecrated to God so that the fullness of the Spirit poured in may then be poured out. Gospel preaching is a Divine transaction.

In Gospel preaching there is CONVICTION, “much assurance.”  The meaning of the word is, “conviction,” and so the ESV renders it. There must be conviction in the preacher—a confidence in the truthfulness of our message—that will produce conviction in the hearer. He or she will be convicted of sin, righteousness, and judgment through the Spirit’s work (cf. John 16:7-11).  One will not be converted until they are convicted. Someone isn’t saved until they realize they are lost.  Then, those who are converted  have the conviction that if they look to Christ by faith He will save them.

In Gospel preaching there is IDENTIFICATION, “what kind of men we were among you for your sake.”  A good shepherd abides with his flock. They see the consistency of his walk and then will listen to the communication of his words. He can identify with them in their hurts and difficulties, with their hopes and dreams. They do not see him as a man isolated from them, but identified with them—as God’s man, yet still just a man.  The Gospel preacher is not a hireling who serves for his sake, but for the sake of the sheep.  His preaching is not lofty theory, but down to earth reality.  It is not speculation spoken from an ivory tower, but identification from a man who holds a Bible with a hand that has had dirt under the fingernails.

In Gospel preaching there is REPRODUCTION, “And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit.”  It is not a momentary decision that fades with the feeling or withers under opposition or disappointment.  It was not a superficial response, but a persevering commitment that was made. True faith produces works—genuine profession produces a godly practice.  The reception of the seed of the Word will yield the reproduction of the Lord in the fruit of the Spirit.

Let us pray that God would so bless our preaching. After all, such preaching is in reliance on Him. We must be prepared to preach, but cannot unless we abide in Christ.  As the old hymn underscores, “All is vain unless the Spirit Of the Holy One comes down; Brethren, pray, and holy manna Will be showered all around.” (George Askins)

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE!

As the moon reflects the sun’s light, so we are called to reflect the Son’s glory. Jesus is the Light of the World, and He has said, “You are the light of the world.”  He is the source of the light and we are to shine with His light. As the old hymn puts it, “Let the lower lights be burning.”  John the Baptist illustrates this.  Our Lord said of him, “He was a burning and shining lamp.”  Here, Paul tells us how to let our light shine.

THERE MUST BE A CONNECTION WITH THE WORLD, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” (Philippians‬ ‭2:14-15).  

We are to be in the world, but not of the world, as a physician must be among the sick, but not sick himself.  He must be clean from infection to treat those who are ill. Thus, we cannot be isolated from the sinful, but are to be immunized from sinfulness. Light is potent because it is distinct from the darkness, yet its very intent is to encounter darkness.

So, stop whining about the conditions of the world and “Do all things without grumbling.”  Yes, it is very dark—and getting darker—but, that is the opportunity for the light to be most valuable.   

Cease warring with the citizens of the world and “Do all things without…disputing.”  Our enemy is the Devil, not those captured by him. Jesus was known as the friend of sinners, and we are to be.  

Yet, be wary of the contamination of the world, “that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation.”   You must be different to make a difference. While Jesus was connected with sinners, He was clean from sin.

THERE MUST BE A COMMUNICATION OF THE WORD,  “holding fast to the word of life,” (v.16a). While an oil lamp requires the wick to be trimmed and the globe to be clean (v.15), there must be fuel and a flame. Paul deals with that next.

We must digest the Word and thus hold fast to it ourselves. This is ingestion of truth, as the word of life. It is our daily bread to fuel our faith. Partake of the Word.  You cannot give out what you do not have.

We must demonstrate the Word. We not only hold it fast, but hold it forth. This is incarnation of truth. Jesus said our light would shine as we do good works before men for the glory of God.  Practice the Word. You cannot speak out about what you do not live.

We must declare the Word. That word is meant to be proclaimed.   This is illumination with truth. Good news is meant to be shared. Preach the Word.  You cannot help out if you do not speak up.

THERE MUST BE A CONSECRATION TO THE WORK, “so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain, (v.16‬b). 

We have a race to run. Paul did not want to run in vain. He was intent on giving his all and not stumbling short of the finish line.  Many a man has dropped out from discouragement or disqualified himself by defilement.  Don’t be that guy!

We have a rigor to show. The Apostle did not want to labor in vain. Gospel ministry is not just about inspiration, but involves perspiration. Labor and do not be lazy!  You can rest when you get to heaven.

We have a reward to gain. Paul points to the day of Christ, and his desire to hear Christ’s, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”  He lived with faithfulness on earth that he might attain fruitfulness in eternity—a crown on his head for the race he had run, and a crop from the labor for the souls he had won. There is going to be some surprises on Judgment Day, when a lot of celebrity preachers see their works go up in smoke, while some who have labored in obscurity are summoned to the dais and the Judge crowns them with glory (1 Pet.5:4)!

What a challenge to my heart today and I trust to you as well!  Let your light shine!

SOCIAL DISTANCING

Read Psalm 1

Until the coronavirus pandemic, I had never heard the term “social distancing.”  The government is calling upon us to distance ourselves from contact with others who might infect us and spread the deadly virus.

While the term may be new, the concept is not. The Psalmist is warning us about an even deadlier virus called sin. If we are intimate with those who have given themselves over to it—embrace their counsel, enter their course, and enjoy their company—the contagion will destroy us.

There is a vaccine for this sin virus.  A daily dose of God’s Word has a power to immunize us. Let Scripture be your counselor, chart your course, and its truths your companions. Delight in the Word and digest its message. 

The word “meditate,” is to ruminate, as a sheep chews its cud extracting all the nutrition from the meal. So, we read the Word, study it, memorize it, meditate on it, and apply it—which is transforming.

To change the metaphor, we will be like trees, with roots downward for stability and fruit outward for productivity.  Our branches will be growing and our foliage will be showing—all to the glory of God.  We will not fear death and judgment for we have life, abundant life, here and hereafter—real happiness and prosperity. COVID-19 cannot change that. What if we die?  We can’t really!  All we would do is leave behind the only part of us that gives us a problem and enter the wonder of heaven!

But, not the wicked.  They are not trees. They are tumbleweeds. No root, no fruit, blown along by culture and circumstances—the prevailing winds of the moment. Worse of all, death is a constant fear and judgment a dreadful fate.  They often deny the existence of God because they do not want to consider the consequences of their choice. They did not listen and “shelter in place,” seeking refuge in Christ who alone can save us.

What choice will you make?

THE CROSS AND THE PASTOR

“I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.”  (Gal.6:17b)

The cross is at the center of the Christian faith—and thus the cross is the inescapable obligation for every disciple to carry.  Following Christ means self-denial and sacrificial death—it is the Calvary Road.  What is true of every disciple is paramount for the pastor.  He leads by example—and so the pastor bears in his body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

The word marks is from stigma (στιγμα). The word had various uses. Slaves in the Phrygian temples with which the Galatians were familiar, were attached for life to the service of the temple, and were branded with the name of the deity. The name was the stigma (στιγμα) or mark. Slaves and soldiers bore branded upon their bodies the names of their masters and commanding generals. The marks (stigma (στιγμα)) of the Lord Jesus were the scars that were caused by the scourgings, the Roman rods, and the stoning at Lystra which Paul had received. The word bear is from bastazō (βασταζω) which means “to bear what is burdensome.” Paul’s body, marked by the assaults made upon his person, must often have been wracked with pain. Paul was a man old before his time, partly by reason of the sufferings he endured at the hands of his enemies, the Judaizers. ^[1]

How often we suffer the cut of sharp criticism, are called to endure a late night crisis of a church member, or help lift the heavy burden of a struggling saint.  Our messages are dissected over Sunday lunch, our methods and motives questioned by fellow pastors, our money may run short and stress be compounded out of concern for our family, our manner judged too serious or too frivolous, too legalistic or too liberal—there is no shortage of those willing to critique the minister for these and a myriad of other dimensions of ministry.  Our response may be, “I don’t deserve this!”  True—what we deserve is hell—so anything short of that is grace and mercy!  Do we think we are better than Jesus?  If the only perfect Preacher was crucified, then dare we believe we can avoid the cross?  Paul bore the scars of his service.  So will we—if we desire to be fruitful.  Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”  (John 12:24)

George Mueller was one of those fruitful men of God we ought to emulate.  Listen to him:

There was a day when I died—died to George Mueller, his opinions, preferences, tastes, and will—died to the world, it approval or censure—died to the approval or blame even of my brethren or friends—and since then I have studied only to show myself approved unto God.

We will be wounded warriors, but in the end there is conquest, comfort, and a crown!

---

^[1] Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Ga 6:17). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

THE FOUNDATION OF FAITHFUL AND FRUITFUL MINISTRY

 

Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.  (1 Timothy 4:12)

Timothy was able to stay true despite his timidity, while Demas fled despite his ability (2 Tim.4:9).  Peter, with all his failings, persisted while Judas, with all his skill, perished.  What makes the difference?  Character!  It is the indispensable foundation for faithful and fruitful ministry.  No amount of competence in pastoral skill can overcome character flaws.  We may be charming communicators, but if we do not seek to model the sermon as well as deliver it, then it is all hollow—and without the touch of heaven.  Balaam spoke the truth, but his heart was mercenary.  He was a hireling—a false prophet—not so much because he taught error, but his heart was wicked and that was the ultimate deception.  He knew the vocabulary of Scripture, but did not know the Author.  If the foundation is merely hearing the doctrine in seminary class, then it is sand and the storms of ministry trials will bring collapse—if not here and now, then on the Judgment Day.  To hear and obey is the solid rock of Biblical conviction that issue in true character and righteous conduct.

Even the best of us will struggle and sometimes stumble.  Let us not use grace, as a license to yield to temptation, however!  If we are born again, and God has called us into the ministry, may we not rationalize our surrender to sin as, “I’m only human!”  That is a lie!  If we are God’s child, then the Holy Spirit indwells us.  Yes, we are human, but more—we have become partakers of the Divine nature!  Read 2 Peter 1:2-11.

Clarence Macartney put it like this:

 

The better the man, the better the preacher.  When he kneels by the bed of the dying or when he mounts the pulpit stairs, then every self-denial he has made, every Christian forbearance he has shown, every resistance to sin and temptation will come back to strengthen his arm and give conviction to his voice.  Likewise, every evasion of duty, every indulgence of self, every compromise with evil, every unworthy thought, word or deed, will be there at the head of the pulpit stairs to meet the minister on Sunday morning, to take the light from his eye, the power from his blow, the ring from his voice, and the joy from his heart.

Character is the foundation of faithful and fruitful ministry.  Let us strive to be competent in the ministry we do, but chiefly let us seek to have character as the ministers we are!

MARKS OF A MAN OF GOD

Blessed is every one who fears the LORD,

Who walks in His ways.

When you eat the labor of your hands,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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