The Work of the Pastor

From Ligon Duncan, from Sinclair Ferguson, from John Owen:

When you boil it all down, the work of the pastor can be summed up as follows. Our endeavor is, insofar as we are able, to make those who are not united to Jesus Christ realize that they are not united to Jesus Christ. And to make those who are united to Jesus Christ realize that they are united to Jesus Christ.

Read the rest of the post at Reformation 21.

Pastoring or Parenting?

First read the dilemma posted at Institute for Global Ethics.

Then I hope you'll come back here and explain what you would do, and why.

Saturday Night Preparation

From Reformation 21 on How to Listen to a Sermon:

The soul needs special preparation the night before worship. By Saturday evening our thoughts should begin turning towards the Lord’s Day. If possible, we should read through the Bible passage that is scheduled for preaching. We should also be sure to get enough sleep. Then in the morning our first prayers should be directed to public worship, and especially to the preaching of God’s Word.

Pastors and Studying

A former professor of mine insists that we should not use the term "pastor's office" but "pastor's study."

Along that line, Ligon Duncan did a 7-part series at Together for the Gospel on Pastors - Studying and Reading. HT to Justin Taylor at Reformation 21 for collecting the links in one place. One quote:

But precisely because our people are bathed in trivial information in this day and age, they need a shepherd with real knowledge, much discernment and a nose for truth.

The series is written from the perspective of the traditional pastoral position in the church. What would be different if it was written from the perspective of a house church pastor/elder? It should have an equally strong emphasis on the importance of studying and reading. But it would also reflect some of the practical realities of not being paid to study 20-30 hours a week (which is what I do right now). Maybe someone out there can give a house church perspective. Or maybe in a year's time I'll be able to share my experience.

Pastoral Burnout

Over the past few days I've been posting on Scott Hafemann's article about pastoral suffering. You might say he's talking about ministry by "death" (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:10-12).

Some will read what Hafemann says and conclude that suffering = spirituality (even though he warns that is not the case). Their achievement-oriented personality will push them to work harder (hence suffer more) in order to feel good about their relationship with God.

The result will be what Mark Driscoll blogged about a couple of months ago: Death by Ministry. The statistics are frightening, such as:

Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.

I don't have it figured out - how you do ministry by "death" without becoming a victim of death by ministry.

Perhaps part of it is knowing the warning signs of burnout. Driscoll mentions quite a few. I've also found these from a blogger named Rev Sam:

When pastors are under stress, they lose things in the following order:
1st Their wider reading;
2nd Their prayer life;
3rd Their sense of humour;
4th Their humanity.

Driscoll offers several insights on how to prevent "dying a death by ministry." I would add that a huge part of it is being a servant of Christ first, and then a servant of others. In other words, if my relationship with God flows out of my ministry to people, I'm headed to disaster. I have to keep guarding my heart, and making sure that my ministry flows out of my relationship with Christ.

S. Hafemann's "A Call to Pastoral Suffering" Part 4

At the conclusion of his article Hafemann draws several implications from Paul's suffering as an apostle, and applies it to the character of a pastor. In a day where pastors are sometimes reconfigured as professional therapists, business managers, or “coaches in the game of life," Paul's example points us in another direction. Here are some quotes from Hafemann:

1. "Paul’s understanding of the nature of Christian ministry ... strikes a piercing blow against all attempts, whether in Paul’s day or our own, to fashion ministries and messages around techniques and technology."

2. "From Paul’s perspective, the dominant characteristic of those in whom God is mightily at work is their confident endurance in the midst of adversity. Our pastors are to model perseverance, not personality; morality, not miracles."

3. "Sheep go where their shepherds lead. Congregations take on the vision and values of their pastors. Paul’s argument in 2 Corinthians is that his own suffering as an apostle therefore provides the antidote to the Church’s 'this-worldly' shortsightedness. In the same way today, rather than portraying the persona of the 'successful leader,' pastors are to take the lead in suffering for the sake of the gospel because of their confidence in the surpassing worth of the glory that 'outweighs our light and momentary troubles' (4:18)."

4. "There is no evidence that Paul sought suffering or encouraged others to do so as if it were a sign of special spirituality. He suffered because of God’s leading and because of his own seeking of the kingdom, not because he tried to suffer."

5. "The movement in [2 Corinthians] 1:3-11 from God to Paul to the Corinthians illustrates that God calls those in ministry to be an example to the church in a way that cannot be said of the church as a whole. The suffering of the pastor or missionary functions as a primary vehicle through which the truth of the gospel is mediated to God’s people (cf. 2:14-3:3; 4:7-12; 6:3-10; 12:9-10)."

6. "The life and proclamation of the pastor, replicated in the faith of his people in the midst of their own sufferings, is the primary way God grows his church. One of the central messages of 2 Corinthians is the centrality and significance of the pastoral office. And at the heart of the pastoral office is the suffering of the pastor, even as Christ came as the suffering servant who was obedient to the point of death."

S. Hafemann's "A Call to Pastoral Suffering" Part 3

Hafemann contends that Paul's suffering as an apostle is a model for the kind of pastoral suffering today that will challenge the prevailing religious context of sentimentality, "success," and status-seeking. We've seen that one of the ways in which God used Paul's suffering was to reveal the message of the gospel in the life of the apostle.

Paul models pastoral suffering in two other ways. First, his suffering is a response to Jesus' call to take up the cross. Hafemann points out that "'taking up one’s cross' does not mean putting up with hassles and suffering in life. It refers to following in Jesus’ footsteps by considering the needs of others more important than one’s own." Thus, for Paul, the needs of people for the gospel was more important than his own physical comfort and personal reputation.

As a result, Paul’s greatest sufferings were not the illnesses he suffered or the dangers he encountered on his worldwide missionary travels. Rather, Paul’s greatest afflictions, like those of Christ, were voluntary. He endured the hardships and scorn because of his willingness to give up his right to financial support for the sake of his churches (1 Cor 4:12; 9:15-23; 15:10; 2 Cor 2:17; 11:7-9, 23, 27; 12:14; 1 Thess 2:9; 2 Thess 3:8). He received persecution because of his commitment to preach the gospel to Jews and Gentiles alike.... Worst of all (!), he was plagued by anxiety daily because of his concern for his churches (11:28).

Another way in which Paul modeled pastoral suffering was by his boasting in weakness. This is most clearly set against the backdrop of an incredible revelation that was given to him, the kind of vision that his opponents considered the mark of true spirituality (I can imagine how widely such a revelation would be trumpeted in our day!) - see 2 Corinthians 12.

Because of the great magnitude and magnificence of his revelations, Paul knew that to boast in his visions, like his opponents were doing, would lead to exalting himself in a way that would cut the very heart itself out of the gospel (12:7a). Nevertheless, Paul’s restraint was not the result of his own moral willpower. In 2 Corinthians 12:7b, Paul makes it clear that God himself kept Paul from such conceit by granting him “a thorn in (or against) his flesh,” i.e., “a messenger of Satan” that was sent to batter or torment him.

This famous thorn in the flesh taught Paul that his weakness was actually the place for God's power to be revealed. Thus his boasting in his weakness was actually a boasting in what the Lord was doing by his grace and power.

Tomorrow, I'll finish these posts on Hafemann's article by looking at his conclusions for pastoral suffering. Here, however, is part of a quote from David Hansen’s work, The Art of Pastoring, Ministry without All the Answers at the end of the article, that speaks to the need for pastors to take up their cross and follow Christ:

Lest we object to bearing the cross as pietistic nonsense in a world of “scientific” management principles and psychological method, simply observe that virtually all the trouble that the best, and most talented pastors get into comes from not following the Way of the Cross. The best and most talented in the pastoral ministry and in denominational hierarchies harm themselves and harm the church most through their unrestrained ego and unwillingness to step off the high places. Sexual sin gets the press, but ego sin kills the church. Jesus told us exactly what direction our lives are to take: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34). The power to do pastoral ministry and its central focus . . . lies specifically in the everyday, concrete following of Jesus, led by him on the Way of the Cross. . . .

S. Hafemann's "A Call to Pastoral Suffering" Part 2

Hafemann quotes Hauerwas and Willimon's insight on the present religious culture:

One can readily understand why pastors are so ready to take up the general description of being one of the “helping professions.” After all, most of us professing Christians, from the liberals to the fundamentalists, remain practical atheists in most of our lives. This is so because we think the church is sustained by the “services” it provides or the amount of “fellowship” and “good feeling” in the congregation. Of course there is nothing wrong with “services” and “good feeling”; what is wrong is that they have become ends in themselves. When that happens the church and the ministry cannot avoid sentimentality, which we believe is the most detrimental corruption of the church today.

What is the antidote to this practical atheism? Hafemann contends that our situation is much like that of the 1st-century Corinthian church. God's antidote to the practical atheism of their day was a suffering apostle. Instead of a ministry with great displays of rhetorical power, or political savvy, or financial prestige, or personal strength, God used Paul's suffering to reveal the powerful message of the cross.

Paul’s call to suffer as an apostle is the very means by which God makes his love and power known in the world for the proclamation and praise of his glory.

Thus, the cross was not only the content of Paul's message, it was also the manner of his life. Hafemann shows that Paul's testimony in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 illustrates how the message of the cross was revealed in his life.

In spite of Paul’s being “hard pressed,” nevertheless he is not “crushed;” he is “perplexed, but not in despair,” etc. Paul attributes his ability to withstand suffering and persecution to God’s ability or “power” to sustain him in the midst of adversity. These four contrasts confirm that the “power” manifested in the “treasure” of the gospel ministry belongs to God. Given Paul’s weakness, his perseverance can only be attributed to God. Paul’s suffering provides the platform for the display of God’s power.... The contrasts of 4:8-9 underscore that during this evil age it is endurance in the midst of adversity, not immediate, miraculous deliverance from it, that reveals most profoundly the power of God.

If we are sucked into the belief that pastoring is merely one of the "helping professions" and our job is to "cure" people, then no wonder we want to distance ourselves as far as possible from suffering in our own lives. Who wants to go for help from someone who is weak and hurting? How different is Paul's approach to ministry. His suffering was part of his call to mission:

It is crucial to keep in mind, therefore, that Paul’s call to suffer as an apostle was not a call to a joyless, second-rate existence marked by having to “give up things” for God. The call to suffer for Paul is not a call to a self-pitying sacrifice, but a call to enter into the joy and glory of Christ and his kingdom. Those whom God calls to suffer on behalf of others as an extension of Christ’s love are not being called to masochism, but to a mission. What distinguishes the suffering of the righteous from the suffering rampant in the world is the transforming power of God’s sustaining presence in their lives. They are not summoned to be miserable for God (God transforms their suffering into a platform for profound joy!), but to be a mediator for the world.

Hafemann offers two other insights on Paul's suffering as an apostle, which we'll look at in the next post.

S. Hafemann's "A Call to Pastoral Suffering" Part 1

Scott Hafemann's article, which I linked to on Friday, looks at Paul's model of ministry in 2 Corinthians as a paradigm for pastoral ministry today. He starts by going back to the Corinthian situation to show that in many ways "We Are Corinthians." After describing the Greco-Roman world, Hafemann shows what the resulting religious climate was like:

In such a milieu, the vast majority of religious people had no interest in theology. Their religion had little content, apart from the rituals needed to influence the deity. Consequently, the various cults and temples seldom clashed, since experience, not ideas, drove religion. Since all religious experience was fundamentally the same, toleration was practiced. Most people, regardless of what religion they practiced, sought salvation from suffering, power in daily life, and entertainment. As a group, first century worshippers, regardless of their religious affiliation, wanted “health, wealth, protection and sustenance, not moral transformation.”

In this setting, one can see how a church might fall prey to a false gospel that plays on the themes of the culture:

[Paul's] opponents came with flashy and entertaining rhetorical power, a track record of “success” in other churches testified to by letters of recommendation, and a stress on signs and wonders. Moreover, they promised “more” of the Spirit to those who would show their sincerity by giving them money!

Is our religious context the same? Do pastors and churches feel the pressure to entertain? Do we look for pastors who are "gifted" speakers? Do we evaluate pastors by their track record of "success"? Are we always looking for something "more," whether more of the miraculous or more spirituality? It would be easy here to point fingers at other groups (by which I mean other evangelical groups) and express how they are guilty of these things. But let's take a look at ourselves to see how the culture has shaped our view of pastoral ministry.

Saturday Night Preparation

Something I started a few weeks ago: I'm linking to articles on Saturday night that I hope will help us prepare for gathering with the church on Sundays. I don't know how long I'll keep this up ... I guess as long as I find articles to link to.

This week's post is for fathers. If churches had "man laws," I would suggest this as one of them: Fathers should teach their children how to "bring the fire with them" when they gather with the church.

Toward that end, C. J. Mahaney has some practical thoughts on Fathers and Sons and Sundays. An excerpt:

I build anticipation for Sunday by statements I make about Sunday. For many years I have referred to Sunday as my favorite day of the week. And I love Spurgeon’s description of the church as “the dearest place on earth.” That’s how I feel about CLC. So, as Sunday approaches, and finally arrives, I talk to Chad (and everyone else I come in contact with) about how Sunday is the best day of the week, when we go to the dearest place on earth.

When I read this, I see how much more I could and should have done with my children. It's God's mercy that they have as strong a connection and involvement with the church as they do.

Pastors and Suffering

A few years ago I preached through 2 Corinthians. It was one of the most challenging series to my own pastoral ministry. In a culture of comfort, it was hard for me (and still is) to embrace the view of the apostle, namely that suffering is the means by which others will see the life of Jesus in me. Out of that time I wrote a philosophy of ministry based on 2 Corinthians 4 (you can see a short version at my personal Bible reading blog). I'm still learning to live it out.

Anyway, one of the most helpful commentaries for me in studying through 2 Corinthians was Scott Hafemann's in the NIV Application Commentary series.

Now, thanks to Oversight of Souls, I've found an article that adapts some of the material in the commentary, A Call to Pastoral Suffering: The Need for Recovering Paul’s Model of Ministry in 2 Corinthians. If you get a chance, read the article this weekend. I'm going to discuss it next week. To whet your appetite, here's an excerpt from the introduction:

In place of the biblical portrait of the shepherd who embodies the gospel by laying down his life for God’s people, we have substituted a teddy bear, CEO, or therapist model of the pastor. The pastor has become someone who dispenses comfort without the cross, who “manages” the church rather than models Christ, and who helps us feel good about ourselves rather than mediating the glory of God revealed in his Word.

I don't want to beat up on pastors more than they already experience. But I hope some of the thoughts from Hafeman will help us to appreciate Paul's pastoral heart, when he wrote,"If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort..." (2 Cor. 1:6).

Pastors Who Love the Church

One more post from Ray Van Neste: It's an ordination charge to Love the Church. He says "love for the church ought to be a key source from which our ministry arises." Then this challenge (emphasis mine):

We need men who love the church universal, whose hearts race and the thought of joining in labor with those who have gone before, who feel the connection with brothers and sisters around the world. We need men who value the communion of the saints.

However, loving people in general can at times be an excuse for loving no one in particular. We need men who love the particular, local church they serve.

Read Van Neste's post to see what love for the church looks like.

Jesus the Pastor

Last month Scot McKnight posted on John Frye's book Jesus the Pastor.

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6
• Part 7
• Part 8

I haven't read the book but it seems worth a look. There are a few things that McKnight mentions from the book which concern me, but I'd have to read the context. There are also emphases that are helpful and needed.

This is Frye's definition of pastoring: “bringing God to people by imparting the Word of God out of the reality of his or her life, which is undergoing authentic and continuous Christlike transformation” (48-49).

Pastoral Care

Ray Van Neste at Oversight of Souls has a post titled, Pastoral Care Essential.

I am increasingly concerned that guys who are earnest to reclaim the importance of biblical proclamation are losing sight of the importance of pastoral care. Increasingly I hear of guys who think their only role is to fill the pulpit and that they should not be bothered with other things. This is simply not the biblical model. How can we adequately oversee the souls of our people - in preparation for God holding us accountable (Heb 13:17) - if we are not involved in their lives on a regular basis?

I don't travel in wide circles. The pastors I know - for the most part - appear to exercise good pastoral care. That's not to say we don't need this exhortation and reminder.

Peterson on Pastoring

Here's just two sentences of the extended quote you'll find at Gospel Driven Life: The pastor's responsibility is to keep the community attentive to God. It is this responsibility that is being abandoned in spades.

A Philosophy of Pastoral Ministry

I've benefited from some of the reflections on pastoral ministry by Ray Van Neste at Oversight of Souls. I plan to link to a few of his posts over the next week or so. But here is his Philosophy of Pastoral Ministry from his website at Union University. His opening paragraph:

I am convinced that the chief metaphor for pastoral ministry in the scripture is oversight/guarding of souls (e.g., Heb 13:17; Acts 20:28; the imagery contained in the words ‘pastor’ and ‘overseer’). All the other tasks of pastors come under this aim and are controlled by it. The overseer is one called by God and set aside by the church to give himself to watching over the souls of the congregation as they make their pilgrimage to the Celestial City. As part of guarding souls, pastors are also involved, personally and by leading the congregation, in evangelism, bringing more souls to safety in Christ.

Saturday Night Preparation

This is a new segment that I started last week in the hope that it will help Christians prepare for Sunday gatherings with their church.

The post for this week is something I've linked to before (maybe even a couple of times). But I think it's worth repeating for this new segment. The article is called How to Prepare for Simple Church. It looks at Hebrews 10:24-25.

I should point out this is written from the perspective of house churches. But I think what is said can be adapted to any church setting (my comments are added in bold italics).

As you consider the instruction in [Hebrews 10:24], note that it is given in the context of the church "meeting together" in v. 25.

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-- and all the more as you see the Day approaching."(NIV)

Here are a few notes to help understand the passage:

1. "Let us..." Note what this doesn't say. It doesn't say "Let the pastor consider..." or "Let the house church leader consider..." The key word is "us". Every member of the church. The priesthood of all believers. The mark of a mature church is that every member understands and fulfills their role in "preparing for church". No spectators in New Testament church!
2. "Let us consider...": from katanoeo. noeo = to think + kata = an intensifier. To think deeply about, consider, contemplate, observe.
   
3. NIV says "Let us consider how ...". The Greek really says "Let us consider one another..." We are to be observing and thinking deeply about the others in our simple church in order to be able to effectively "stir them up to love and good works".... [The article points out that we can't do this in a church of 1000 or 100. But I don't think you individually have to consider every person in the church. Rather, when the church functions together like this, then everybody will be considered].
4. "Let us consider one another to spur (them) on." "Spur on" comes from a root word that means "to make sharp" as with a sword.... It means "to stir up, incite, provoke, motivate"....This is the focus and goal of the New Testament church meeting - every member involved in lovingly and effectively motivating the others.... [This doesn't preclude one person involved in a specific ministry such as preaching; that is one of the gifts in the church. But there are also other ways for "spurring on" to happen].
   
5. "Let us consider one another to spur (them) on to love and good deeds." How do we know if our meeting has accomplished what God wanted? We know if people leave being motivated and spurred on to love (God and others) and to express that love in good works throughout the week....

Church prepares us for the rest of the week (24/7). And the rest of the week (24/7) is where we (all of us!) prepare for church.

Criticism and Accountability in Pastoring

Carl Trueman wrote a short article last year at the Reformation21 blog on Two Things They Don't Teach You at Seminary. Well, whether or not you've been to seminary, if you're in leadership, learn these lessons well.

1. How to cope with criticism.
2. How to be accountable.

Trueman offers this counsel: "There is a way of at least putting in place structures to help with these issues. Find someone, preferably a pastor friend or an elder, to whom you can go to and talk about anything, and who will hold you accountable for your actions, and offer words of advice and encouragement when the usual rubbish is hurled your way, either by your own heart or by the vicious behaviour of others."

Elder Government in a Church Plant

Mark Driscoll has posted his notes Establishing Elder Government in a Church Plant, from a Acts 29 church planters meeting earlier this year.

If you don't get hung up by his repeated use of the word "dude" there are some helpful insights on forming elder teams in new churches.

One of his principles is that the process of becoming an elder in a church plant should take a few years and include the following elements:

• The man must have been faithfully involved in the church for at least a year so that he is known.
• The man must have proven himself loyal, mature, theologically astute, teachable, generous with his service of others, and generous with his financial giving to even be considered.
• The man must already be doing some pastoral work in the church with people looking to him for leadership not because he holds an official position but rather because he naturally leads through holiness and gifting.
• The man must be a functional fit in ministry philosophy, personal style, and relational connection with the lead pastor and any other potential elders.
• The man must desire to be an elder and make his desire known to the lead elder.
• The lead elder must interview him and his wife to see if they qualify for elder training.
• The lead pastor must be able to consider the candidate a peer, someone he wants his sons to be like and his daughters to marry, with a marriage and family that he wants replicated throughout the church.
• The lead elder must provide a six-month to one-year formal training process that includes leadership, teaching, reading, homework, etc., to test and approve the elder candidate.
• If an elder candidate passes the testing and training period he should be brought before the church body and introduced. The church should have a few weeks to ask him any questions and raise any concerns to the lead pastor.
• If the elder candidate is found worthy of the position, he and his family should be brought before the church and installed with the laying on of hands.
• Once someone is appointed as an elder/pastor they should be referred to with their title to preserve the respect of the man and the office. The lead pastor should set that example.

Of course, when Paul established churches in the book of Acts he didn't have that much time to train elders.

Eldership Booklet

Here is a booklet on Biblical Eldership by John Piper.

The table of contents:

1. What Does “Church” Refer to in the New Testament?

2. The Importance and Preciousness and Purpose of the Church of Jesus Christ in the World

3. All New Testament Churches Had Elders

4. Eleven Biblical Principles Of Local Church Governance

5. Other Names For Elders in the New Testament

6. The Function Of Elders in the New Testament: Governing And Teaching

7. Biblical Qualifications for Elders

Appendix 1: Baptist Church Government Illustrated From Historic Baptist Confessions

Appendix 2: Deacons

As I've already mentioned, there are other materials by Piper at Desiring God on pastoral leadership, including what appears to be a few articles that were the basis for chapters in his book Brothers, We Are Not Professionals.

Pastoring When You Don't Have the Answer

Another of John Piper's materials on leadership is How to Minister When You Don't Know the Answer. I like this short outline for the simple fact that it acknowledges there are times when pastors/elders simply don't have the answer.

It's a dangerous thing when we feel the pressure to be the "answer man." If everybody is looking to us and we can't let them down, then we end up pretending to know more than we do. Or we begin to think of ourselves as indeed having all the answers. Then pride takes over.

I'm told that Eugene Peterson once said that pastoral ministry is about "care not cure." Or as Piper puts it, "An explicit, 'I love you,' is always wise and relevant and often powerful."

Pastoral Leadership

John Piper has several messages and materials on Leadership (Pastors and Elders). Over the next few days I want to highlight three of his writings. First, there is a paper on The Marks of a Spiritual Leader. Piper writes,

Biblical spiritual leadership contains an inner circle and an outer circle. The inner circle of spiritual leadership is that sequence of events in the human soul that must happen if anyone is to get to first base in spiritual leadership. These are the absolute bare essentials. They are things that all Christians must attain in some degree, and when they are attained with high fervor and deep conviction they very often lead one into strong leadership. In the outer circle are qualities that characterize both spiritual and non-spiritual leaders.

He describes the inner circle of leadership like this:

1. That Others Will Glorify God
2. Love both Friend and Foe by Trusting in God and Hoping in His Promises
3. Meditate On and Pray Over His Word
4. Acknowledge Your Helplessness

The outer circle of leadership looks like this: 1. Restless; 2. Optimistic; 3. Intense; 4. Self-controlled; 5. Thick-skinned; 6. Energetic; 7. A hard thinker; 8. Articulate; 9. Able to teach; 10. A good judge of character; 11. Tactful; 12. Theologically-oriented; 13. A dreamer; 14. Organized and efficient; 15. Decisive; 16. Perseverant; 17. Lover; 18. Restful.

What do you think of these marks? Did the leaders in the Bible necessarily have these qualities? Can you be an effective leader without all the outer circle qualities?

Pastoring That Is Motivated by Love not Fear

John Frame warns about a temptation for pastors: Covering Ourselves. He talks about pastors acting out of fear rather than faith. He says that it is easy for "a kind of 'minimalism' to creep into our thinking- the idea of doing the minimum we think we can get away with, rather than what will honor Christ and build up his people." His challenge:

Think about God as the father of Jesus Christ, who gave his son for us. Think of him as the one who loves us with a love unmeasurable. Think of him as the one who wants to bless us far more than we want to receive his blessing. Think of him as the one who indeed sometimes withholds his blessings for mysterious reasons, as he did with Job, but who even in the valley of the shadow of death is leading you inexorably toward the eternal glory. That kind of love will motivate you out of sheer gratitude to begin a good shepherd ministry- a ministry where you forget about covering your tracks and lay your life on the line for God's people. It does happen. I believe that is the secret of New Life, and of all those churches which God is blessing today. May God give you the joy of such a ministry, and may you all hear, on the last day, the master's word, "Well done, good and faithful servant... Come and share your master's happiness."

Saturday Night Preparation

I don't know if this will become a regular feature, but I'm thinking of linking to articles on Saturday night that will be a kind of preparation for gathering with God's people on Sundays.

To start, there are some good thoughts on listening to preaching at Faith and Theology. The first point is this (with apologies to those offended by "language"):

1. Preparing. You must prepare because you may prepare. God is about to gift you with the gospel! Although you can do nothing to be ready for it, you must do everything you can to get ready for it. You rightly expect the preacher to prepare before he preaches – and he rightly expects you to prepare before you listen. No lazy bastards in pulpit or in pew!

There are 8.5 other theses after this worth reading as well.

A Platform for Pastoring

One of the books on pastoring that I've found helpful is Joseph Stowell's Shepherding the Church into the 21st Century. It is also titled simply Shepherding the Church.

The book deals with the subject of pastoring using 1 Timothy 4:12-17 as its foundation. I appreciate Stowell's emphasis on character - who a pastor is and not just what a pastor does.

A highlight for me is this: After presenting shaky platforms for pastoral leadership such as personal charm, popularity, programs, self-promotion, politics, etc., Stowell writes,

What then is the platform from which a shepherd can effectively break down the encasements of resistance, capture hearts and minds, and effectively infuse the biblical functions of ministry to affect lives and develop a community of belief that resounds to God's glory?

It is the platform of RESPECT. Granted, this foundation for ministry is not a spectacular, engaging, or compelling thought at first. In our fast-paced, fast growth, big-bang ministry environment, the platform of respect seems to be a rather mundane foundation. Yet, Paul's admonition to Timothy makes this platform his precise point when he exhorts Timothy to "let no man look down upon your youthfulness ... show yourself an example of those who believe" (1 Tim. 4:12).... While "respect"is not trendy, it is the element that can keep a shepherd leading over the long haul. Even when people disagree, they can still respect their leader. Leaders who engender respect draw people's attention to their character and stimulate a hunger in those who follow to replicate that character in their lives. When followers respect their leader, even though he calls them from their comfort zones and challenges them to deeper levels of commitment that require personal sacrifice, the fact that they respect him will keep their hearts open to the challenge... (p. 89-90).

This applies whether you shepherd a church of 1000s or a house church of a dozen, but each setting has its own challenges.

Pastors as Ministers of the Gospel

Last September, Scot McKnight at Jesus Creed did a series of posts on "Pastoral Life: Ministers of the Gospel," based on Colossians 1:24-29.

• Part 1: The origin of ministering the gospel
• Part 2: The focal points of ministering the gospel (the people of God and the word of God)
• Part 3: The manner of ministering the gospel
• Part 4: The hard work of ministering the gospel
• Part 5: The goal and source of ministering the gospel

Here's one quote from the series:

Paul speaks rather pregnantly of the source of ministry. Whatever we are called to do — and it can go right through the list of our relationships to family and to anyone — is to be a struggling “with the all the energy God so powerfully works in us” (Col 1:29). The source of gospel ministry is the energy of God at work in us through the Spirit.

Qualifications of Pastors

9Marks has a lightly edited talk given by D. A. Carson on Defining Elders. For the most part it is an exposition of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.

Of the qualifications for an elder in those chapters, one item stood out to me in Carson's talk because I've not heard it defended before: He takes the view that "husband of but one wife" is a prohibition against elders being polygamists. Carson is probably one of a few people who can make that view seem plausible. But I still think it means that an elder is to be a faithful husband (if married), that is, he is to be a "one-woman man."

A few quotes to highlight (emphases added):

And more generally yet, in 2 Timothy 2, 3, and 4, leaders in the church must expect serious difficulties and be persistent in the face of them, remaining utterly committed. If you think this is going to be an easy ride, go be an astronaut, do something easy in life; don’t become a Christian pastor.


The ministry is not an end in itself. The ministry is committed to preparing the whole church of God for Christ’s return. Moreover, ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ – elders/pastors/overseers – should not be in this business in order to garner praise for themselves, but to bring glory to God.


In the New Testament, there is a running tension between the authority that rests with the church and the authority bound up with the elders/pastors/overseers. There’s a running tension because, quite frankly, either side can go bad.

Articles on Pastoring in July

The new topic for this month is on being a pastor or elder. I won't be linking much to articles about preaching (maybe another month) - although I think that is the main task of a pastor or elder. Instead I want to consider the entire ministry of pastoring the church.

I suspect most of the articles I'll find will be written from the perspective of traditional pastoral roles in churches. I will try to show some ways in which the materials can be adapted for house churches.

I'll begin with a post by Jim Hamilton on The Greatest Danger Facing the Church. Included in the article are some questions churches might ask of prospective pastors.

a. Is pastoral ministry about “the ministry of the Word and prayer” (Acts 6:4), or is it about building a massive corporation that is successful by worldly standards?

b. Is pastoral ministry about the power of the Spirit of God through the Word of God, or is it about “persuasive speech” and slick presentations? (cf. 1 Cor 2:1–5).

c. Is the great commission (Matt 28:18–20) about notching decisions on our belts or about making disciples who have been taught all that Jesus commanded?

d. Are Jesus’ instructions about church discipline (Matt 18:15–18) to be taken seriously or is he not going to practice church discipline since it might be bad for business?

e. Is church membership mainly about a big number for us to report, or should church members really take the “one another’s” in the New Testament seriously?

f. Are the main tasks of pastoral ministry prayer, teaching, and shepherding souls, or is pastoral ministry more about growing the business and managing a conglomerate of campuses?

g. What are his plans for doing evangelism?

h. What are his plans for doing discipleship?

i. What are his plans for praying for the members of the church?

Unfortunately, some of these questions in their present form will not be of much help. After all, who is going to answer, "I believe pastoral ministry is about building a massive corporation that is successful by worldly standards." However, these are the issues that churches should try and discern in calling a pastor. And these are issues that pastors should ask themselves about their own ministry.

In a house church setting, I can see these questions being part of the training process for elders, and criteria that are used in selecting elders/pastors.