ENVY OF MEGA-MINISTRY

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE MAGNETISM OF THE MESSAGE

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The old Gospel song put it:

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

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

Stephen Olford wrote this:

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

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

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

SALTY SERMONS

 

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

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

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

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

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

THE WINDOW OF THE SOUL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Be careful little eyes, what you see.

THE SUPERLATIVE NATURE OF WHAT WE SEE AND SAY

 

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

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

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

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

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

Malachi might denounce us with these words:

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

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

LIVING WITH SOME DIFFERENCES

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PREACHING TO THE POOR

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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