A BURDEN FOR SOULS

Spurgeon was a passionate preacher and a zealous soul-winner.  But, all God’s men should be.  What is it that fueled such a fire in Spurgeon’s heart—and might it not also do so for me and for you?  Here are his words:

Death-beds are grand schools for us. They are intended to act as tonics to brace us to our work. I have come down from the bed-chambers of the dying, and thought that everybody was mad, and myself most of all. I have grudged the earnestness which men devoted to earthly things, and half said to myself,–Why was that man driving along so hastily? Why was that woman walking out in such finery? Since they were all to die so soon, I thought nothing worth their doing but preparing to meet their God. To be often where men die will help us to teach them both to die and to live.  

M'Cheyne was wont to visit his sick or dying hearers on the Saturday afternoon, for, as he told Dr. James Hamilton, "Before preaching he liked to look over the verge."  

I pray you, moreover, measure your work in the light of God. Are you God's servant or not? If you are, how can your heart be cold? Are you sent by a dying Savior to proclaim his love and win the reward of his wounds, or are you not? If you are, how can you flag? Is the Spirit of God upon you? Has the Lord anointed you to preach glad tidings to the poor? If he has not, do not pretend to it. If he has, go in this thy might, and the Lord shall be thy strength. Yours is not a trade, or a profession. Assuredly if you measure it by the tradesman's measure it is the poorest business on the face of the earth. Consider it as a profession: who would not prefer any other, so far as golden gains or worldly honors are concerned? But if it be a divine calling, and you a miracle-worker, dwelling in the supernatural, and working not for time but for eternity, then you belong to a nobler guild, and to a higher fraternity than any that spring of earth and deal with time.  

Look at it aright, and you will own that it is a grand thing to be as poor as your Lord, if, like him, you may make many rich; you will feel that it is a glorious thing to be as unknown and despised as were your Lord's first followers, because you are making him known, whom to know is life eternal. You will be satisfied to be anything or to be nothing, and the thought of self will not enter your mind, or only cross it to be scouted as a meanness not to be tolerated by a consecrated man. There is the point.  

Measure your work as it should be measured, and I am not afraid that your earnestness will be diminished. Gaze upon it by the light of the judgment day, and in view of the eternal rewards of faithfulness. Oh, brethren, the present joy of having saved a soul is overwhelmingly delightful; you have felt it, I trust, and know it now. To save a soul from going down to perdition brings to us a little heaven below, but what must it be at the day of judgment to meet spirits redeemed by Christ, who learned the news of their redemption from our lips! We look forward to a blissful heaven in communion with our Master, but we shall also know the added joy of meeting those loved ones whom we led to Jesus by our ministry. Let us endure every cross, and despise all shame, for the joy which Jesus sets before us of winning men for him.  

One more thought may help to keep up our earnestness. Consider the great evil which will certainly come upon us and upon our hearers if we be negligent in our work. "They shall perish"–is not that a dreadful sentence? It is to me quite as awful as that which follows it,–"but their blood will I require at the watchman's hand." How shall we describe the doom of an unfaithful minister? And every unearnest minister is unfaithful.  

I would infinitely prefer to be consigned to Tophet as a murderer of men's bodies than as a destroyer of men's souls; neither do I know of any condition in which a man can perish so fatally, so infinitely, as in that of the man who preaches a gospel which he does not believe, and assumes the office of pastor over a people whose good he does not intensely desire. Let us pray to be found faithful always, and ever. God grant that the Holy Spirit may make and keep us so. (Lectures to My Students, pp. 319-320, Kindle Version)

That is my sincere prayer for myself and those preachers who read these words. Let us get alone with God and not come out until the fire of God for the perishing burns with holy zeal in our soul!  When we stand to preach, the people will know, and they will come to watch us burn.  

AFTER GOD’S HEART

 

There was a Marine slogan I saw on TV years ago, “We’re looking for a few good men.”  So is God. He is a seeking God—from Genesis to Revelation, we witness His search. God called Abraham, Jesus called Simon, and the Spirit and the Bride communicate the pursuit of God in saying, “Come,” (Rev. 22:16). The Lord is still after men who will respond and be “after My own heart,” as David was. We focus on Paul’s sermon illustration in Acts 13:22, as he quotes 1 Samuel 13:14. 

Consider, THE PERSON, “a man.” David was a real man—the son of Jesse. He was not Superman, but a spiritual man. We know he was a sinner saved by grace and set apart by God for God. We are aware that he was a man who sometimes stumbled—and once egregiously so—yet, the orientation of his soul was for God’s heart and the direction of his steps was toward God’s heart. 

God is not after perfection, but progression. If being a perfect man is required then we are all disqualified. There has only been One Perfect Man—Jesus Christ. This is not an excuse for sin. David paid a price for his failure—and others suffered also. Yet, God called the “chief” of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15) and made him the great Apostle Paul, who said, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,” (1 Tim. 1‬:‭12‬‬). Paul, like David, was a man—but a man after God’s own heart. 

Thus, there is THE PASSION, “after My own heart.” To be “after” the heart of God is to exhibit a relentless pursuit. Think of a dog in the hunt, who has picked up the scent of the prey and exerts all that is in it to seize that quarry. Is there a passionate fire burning in you?  Is that pursuit to find the heart of God?

This is important. Don’t bark up the wrong tree!  Success in ministry is not the goal. If you want headlines—status and significance—then even if you get it, you will find it hollow and slippery to hold.  How many church “heroes,” have a pride producing fall and become “zeroes”?

It is the heart of God we are after—to know Him, to love Him, to glorify Him, and to enjoy Him, forever. As we read David’s story and listen to David’s songs, we cannot fail to see his passion for God and God alone. Here is one such expression in Psalm 63:1-8:

O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts  for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land  Where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the  sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. Because Your  lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You.  Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your  name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,  And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. When I  remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night  watches. Because You have been my help, Therefore in the  shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul follows close  behind You; Your right hand upholds me.

Does your heart pound, “Amen” when you read that?

We conclude by considering THE PATTERN, “who will do all My will.”  To be “after the heart of God” is to walk in the will of God. Such a man has Christ as the pattern and seeks to conform to His heart. Our Master is our model and His mission is our mandate. Jesus described it this way in His call to disciples to follow Him, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matt.‬ ‭20‬:‭28‬‬)

This is a servant mentality, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.”  Do we demand, “serve us,” or engage in “service”?  The servant’s heart is revealed by how we respond when someone treats us like a servant!  The King of Glory stooped to wash dirty feet!

It is also a sacrificial ministry, “and to give His life a ransom for many.”  As John Maxwell’s leadership principle states, “you have to give up to go up.”  We are to be poured out as living sacrifices, (Rom. 12:1). Paul saw his ministry as being “poured out as a drink offering”—a sacrifice to God for men, (ref. 2 Tim. 4:6a). 

May God find in this imperfect man that I am, “a man after [God’s] own heart”!

PREACHER, HOW IS YOUR LOVE LIFE?

When I ask, “How is your love life?” I am not referring to the romantic relationship with your wife—important as that is. My question is drawn from our Lord’s accusation against the church at Ephesus, “you have left your first love” (Rev.2:4).   While it was addressed to the church as a whole, the first one to see it and need to apply it was the “angelos,” (Rev.2:1a), the messenger and pastor of that local assembly.  While he would not bear sole responsibility for the degree of the church’s passion for Christ, he would carry a significant role in it.

Jesus is vitally interested in His pastors—the stars He holds in His hand—and vigilantly involved with His churches—the lampstands He walks among (Rev.2:1b).  His focus with Ephesus—beginning with her pastor—was not what they believed in their heads, or did with their hands, but what they lacked in their hearts.  

There was CHRIST’S COMMENDATION. The church—and I would assume the preacher—had many commendable qualities. Jesus acknowledges their dedicated activity and doctrinal fidelity (Rev.2:2-3,6).  We must attend to those.

But, then came CHRIST’S CONFRONTATION. They left their first love. It does not say they lost it, but left it. It was not accidental, but willful. Life is full of choices. Little by little we can immerse ourselves in church business and forget our primary duty, to love God with all our being and our neighbor as ourself.  Labor without love leads to haughtiness: “Look what I have done compared to you!”  Doctrine without devotion leads to harshness: “You do not believe like I do!”  It is not a question of either/or but both/and.  Old Vance Havner said, “You can be straight as a gun barrel theologically and empty as one spiritually!”

We conclude with CHRIST’S CALL (Rev.2:5,7).  “Remember,” the first love and recall those early days when the romance of redemption was a fire inside you. “Repent,” and rekindle that flame. Do it, “or else,” Christ will come and turn the lights out in the church house. If but one member of the church will respond, then Christ can bring revival to that church—and the foremost person in need of repentance could be the man in the pulpit!  May God use this text as a spiritual x-ray to disclose our heart condition!  Now, if you will excuse me, I have something to do—to tend to my soul!

“He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

IN THE MASTER’S SERVICE

Paul writes in a day when men and women were bought and sold in the marketplace. So, there is the literal application of this truth to those were saved and yet still slaves. Yet, there is a spiritual implication for the preacher of the Gospel, too. Paul frequently referred to Himself as a bondservant in his labor for the Lord.  God’s preachers are bought by the precious blood of Christ. We are held by shackles of love. We are in the service of the Master. As such, there are some lessons for church leaders here.

Consider our FOCUS (v.22). We are to serve the Master pointedly. Our focus is to please the Master and not men. We do not work for a church board, some church bosses, the congregation, but for Christ.  The hypocrisy of people-pleasing will lead you sooner or later to failure and frustration. The sincerity of God-pleasing will bring you to success and satisfaction. You cannot please people all the time, but you can please God every time. The reality is that sometimes you will displease people by pleasing God. Always focus on Who you work for—the Boss is watching.  It is the fear of the Lord and not the fear of the people that should be our pointed intent.

Note our FERVENCY (v.23). We are to serve the Master passionately. Not only do we serve the Lord sincerely (v.22), but heartily. There should be a zeal that drives us. The preacher is not merely doing a job, but honoring the Lord. Think of the difference between someone who cooks for a living, and one who grills steaks for his lover.  The former is a job, while the latter is a joy. God looks on the heart and weighs the motivation behind the ministry. Going through the motions will drain you and you will eventually burn out. Serving with loving motivation will energize you and you will faithfully burn on. It does not mean you never get physically weary in well-doing, but you will not become spiritually weary of well-doing.  This is the way we serve with passionate insistence.

Weigh our FUTURE (v.24-25). We are to serve the Master persistently. As previously seen, ministry is not about pleasing people, but God. It is not about performing a job, but fulfilling a joy.  Now, we see it is not about temporal reimbursement, but eternal reward. If you work for a paycheck you will find yourself consumed with covetousness. You will be corrupted by vanity if you have a lot and consumed with envy if you have a little. What the preacher needs is just enough to provide for his family—even, if he must be a tent-maker like Paul to do so. Do not forget, “godliness with contentment is great gain,” (1 Tim.6:6). Our payday will be in heaven. God is keeping account and we will secure a reward or suffer a loss accordingly (see 1 Cor,3:10-15). This is why we serve as our persistent incentive.

FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHURCH

“I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:24-29‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The church will not rise above the level of commitment expressed by her leaders.  Paul was passionate and productive, “for the sake of His body, which is the church” (Col.1:24).  I want to challenge every leader—myself included—to elevate their effort for the sake of Christ’s body, the church.  I want to challenge those who are not in positions of leadership to pray for and encourage those who are—and to consider getting busy yourself!

There are several imperatives for us to follow in Colossians 1:24-29.

1. SUFFERING FOR THE CAUSE (v.24)   Why did Paul joyfully suffer?  It was for the cause of Christ; for “you,” he says—meaning the church.  We are familiar with the physical fitness mantra, “No pain; no gain.”  That is true spiritually, as well.  Every leader God uses has been forged in the fire of difficulty.  This wasn’t theoretical to Paul.  Note the word, “now,” and be reminded that as he was writing it was from a prison.  He was suffering in jail—his only crime being faithfulness to Christ.  But, he rejoiced!

2. STEWARDSHIP OF THE CAUSE (v.25-27)   Mark the word, “stewardship.”  It’s about more than money.  Paul was called to be a “minister.”  That word has to do with service.  Each of us has a work to do for God.  A steward was a household manager who took care of his master’s assets.  That’s what we do in the House of God.  Paul was a minister of the Word—a mystery he was unveiling.  The Apostle was part of a great movement to spread the Gospel around the world.

3. SUCCESS IN THE CAUSE (v.28)   Paul was a man of focus!  Benjamin Disraeli said, “The secret of success is constancy of purpose.”  D.L. Moody stated, “Give me a man that says, ‘This one thing I do,’ not ‘these fifty things I dabble in.’”  Paul had a laser-like intensity in his mission—to proclaim Jesus!  This is the church’s mission and is to be the leaders’ passion.  We cannot allow anything to distract us.

4. STRENGTH FOR THE CAUSE (v.29) Spiritual responsibilities demand supernatural resources. We are not smart enough to lead the church properly. We are not strong enough to lead the church productively. God wants to work in us and through us. This work is the work of God and He alone can do it, but remember this lesson I heard from John Maxwell years ago, “Apart from God, we cannot, and apart from us, God will not.”

GET REAL

I read this quote from Spiros Zodhiates in, "A Richer Life for You in Christ," his commentary on 1 Corinthians 1:

Said an archbishop to the manager of an acting group, "Tell me, how is it that you actors hold the attention of your audience so vividly that you cause them to think of things imaginary as if they were real, while we of the church speak of things that are real but our congregations take them as imaginary?"

"The reason is plain," answered the actor.  "We actors speak of things imaginary as if they were real; while too many in the pulpit speak of things real as if they were imaginary."  No wonder much preaching is both uninteresting and worthless. It was said of one famous old preacher, "He showed us the fires of hell, and then he swept our souls up to the gates of heaven."  When you talk about Christ, you have to believe in the transforming power of the Gospel if you expect to convince anyone else of its power to save. (p.17)   

Gentlemen, let us get real in our preaching or get out of the pulpit!

FOR THE YOUNG MAN IN MINISTRY (OLD-TIMERS MIGHT PROFIT TOO)

 

Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus.  (Acts 18:24)

If an arrow is aimed in the right direction, it is more likely to hit its target.  A good beginning as a young man in ministry does not insure a great ending, but it surely helps.  Apollos was one who was aimed the right way, and what a difference it made in him and those he served.  There are a few brief helps drawn from his story in Acts 18 which can guide the young preacher.

Develop your communication skills.  Apollos was “an eloquent man.”  While it might be a few exceptional preachers that are worthy of the description, “eloquent,” we must aim at least at being effective!  Pronouncing words clearly, the cadence of the voice, eye contact, and such may not come naturally to us, but we can work at it and improve.  The best sermon poorly delivered will be a waste of your time in preparation and the congregation’s in attendance.

Immerse yourself in Scripture and expound it.  Apollos was “mighty in the Scripture…instructed in the way of the Lord… he spoke and taught accurately….”  Believe it and apply it every day.  Feed your soul or you will not be able to feed your sheep.  This is more than preparing a sermon; it is preparing the servant—being strong in Scripture in our own personal life, so we can speak with authority in the pulpit.  The mandate is to, “Preach the Word!”  (2 Tim.4:2)   We are not to impose our opinions on the text.  That is pastoral malpractice!  Impressive communication can never substitute for inspired content.

Preach passionately.  Apollos was, “fervent in spirit.”  Why should our audience be excited about the sermon if we are not?  This isn’t just about volume, but we are not giving a classroom lecture on Bible history or theology.  We are enthusiastically proclaiming the truth that will transport one from darkness into light, and transform sinners into saints!  That is something to get stirred up about!

Preach courageously.  Apollos spoke, “boldly,” because he spoke Biblically. The temptation these days is to skirt the tough issues and make the message palatable to the culture.  Open the Book and open your mouth, speaking with clarity and conviction.

Listen and learn all your life.  A godly old couple, Aquila and Priscilla “took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.”  Apollos knew a lot, but he did not know it all.  He was not an arrogant man, but a teachable preacher.  He knew how to talk, but he also knew how to listen.  You cannot teach someone who knows it all!  One thing a young preacher assuredly does not have is experience.  There are lessons learned in the laboratory of life that older, wiser lay people and elderly pastors can teach us.  Our peers are important, but our elders are indispensable.  The white-headed men in suits need to help the spikey-haired men in jeans!  The church needs both.

Exhort the saints and exalt the Savior.  Apollos “greatly helped those who had believed.”  Exhortation is giving people a pat on the back or a kick in the rear, depending on which is needed to move them along, with the discernment to know which is applicable.  Above all keep the focus on Jesus, “showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.”  Apollos set that standard for us to emulate.  The ministry is about Jesus and not about us!

 

 

 

ONE HOLY PASSION

 

And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  ‎But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42)

 

It is easy to let the demands of doing ministry overwhelm the delights in being ministers.  Our schedules become dominated by the tyranny of the urgent rather than being directed by the authority of the Lord.  Seeking to please Christ can be supplanted by a desire to please people.  We may do the same things we ever did, but inside we are hollow—just going through the motions.  Many good things have moved us from the one great thing—a heart for God!

 

“We have as much of God as we actually want.”  The late A.W. Tozer said that.  Tozer was a man who practiced what he preached.  He had a great zeal for God.  Tozer wrote one of the Christian classics on this subject called, “The Pursuit of God.”  Honestly, on a scale of one to ten, with one being unconcern and 10 being obsession, where would you rank your heart for God?  In Luke 10:38-42, do you identify more with Martha or Mary? 

 

Martha was DISTRACTED IN SERVICE (v.38-40a)   We recognize that service is a vital part of the Christian life.  The Christian ministry is no place for slackers!  We should commend Martha for her service, and not condemn her.  She saw a need and met it.  But, the danger is that we can easily lose our focus—and become more concerned about what we are doing than why we are doing it—and to God motives matter much.  Martha was distracted from Christ.  It is easy to do.  There are so many demands on us.  Life can be frantic.  Many pastors confess to schedules that crowd out time alone with God.  That is a dangerous place for the pastor to be.

 

Martha was DISGRUNTLED BY SELF-CENTEREDNESS (v.40b-41)   Martha was madder than a wet hen.  She shifted from concern about Jesus to concern about herself.  It is bad enough that she is angry with her sister, but she dares to attack Jesus also.  She says, “Do you not care?”  Nobody seemed to notice the effort she was making—not even Christ.  Do you become disgruntled when you don’t receive recognition for your hard work?  Then you aren’t doing it for Christ anymore—you are doing it for yourself.  Do you ever feel that way? 

 

In contrast, Mary was DEVOTED TO SEEKING (v.42)   Christ must be central in all of life and ministry.  It is about knowing Him so we may make Him known.  The great Bible heroes understood this.  Enoch and Noah, “walked with God.”  Abraham was called, “The friend of God.”  Moses communed with God face to face.  David was a man after God’s own heart.  Paul had one magnificent obsession (see Phil.3:7-14).  Is Christ your one holy passion?

 

Weigh the promise of 2 Chronicles 16:9a, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” Jesus warned that apart from an abiding, intimate connection with Him, we can do nothing (read John 15:5-11).  Our fruitfulness depends on it.  His Word must abide in us.  This will be marked by His joy flowing from us—not the frustration Martha exhibited.  Man of God, sit at the feet of Jesus, and you will have much forcefulness in your messages and much fruitfulness in your ministry!