Tuesday, August 31, 2010
The Curse of Mundaneness
Continuing in my reading of David Gordon's Why Johnny Can't Preach, I encountered this paragraph:
(T. David Gordon, Why Johnny Can't Preach, approx p. 53*)
This is connected, I believe, with our modern tendency to fill every waking moment with activity and noise. We are afraid of silence; those who do not know God especially fear silence. Away from the activity of our lives, when outside under the stars, or in the quiet of the night, the knowledge of God is harder to suppress (Ecclesiastes 3:11; Romans 1:18-21).
Reading poetry and good literature may be part of the solution; reading our Bibles for uninterrupted stretches is perhaps a larger part of counteracting our obsession with constant activity that drowns out what may be far more important.
Note: I'm reading this book on my Kindle, so the page location is an estimate of its location in the print copy. The actual quote will be within a page or so of the number given.
Mundaneness is, I believe, part of the curse of Genesis 3. The earth no longer yields its bounty without toilsome labor and much frustration. Our routines make us more efficient, as we attempt to scratch out some form of survival in this cursed environment, but those same routines can make us more like cogs in a machine and less like humans. Life becomes a series of tasks, with few uninterrupted moments to pause, to reflect, to appreciate. Verse is a common-grace gift that enables us, through the fog of images and sounds, to again see ourselves and others as bearers of the image of God. When the poet stares at that which the rest of us merely glance at, he invites us to take a longer look along with him. It is precisely this longer look that is necessary to cultivate a sensibility for the significant.
(T. David Gordon, Why Johnny Can't Preach, approx p. 53*)
This is connected, I believe, with our modern tendency to fill every waking moment with activity and noise. We are afraid of silence; those who do not know God especially fear silence. Away from the activity of our lives, when outside under the stars, or in the quiet of the night, the knowledge of God is harder to suppress (Ecclesiastes 3:11; Romans 1:18-21).
Reading poetry and good literature may be part of the solution; reading our Bibles for uninterrupted stretches is perhaps a larger part of counteracting our obsession with constant activity that drowns out what may be far more important.
Note: I'm reading this book on my Kindle, so the page location is an estimate of its location in the print copy. The actual quote will be within a page or so of the number given.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Instructive Preaching
In Why Johnny Can't Preach, David Gordon references Dabney's Sacred Rhetoric, from which he draws seven essentials of good preaching. These were: 1) Textual Fidelity, 2) Unity, 3) Evangelical Tone, 4) Instructiveness, 5) Movement, 6) Point, and 7) Order. The one that caught my attention was Instructiveness, and specifically Gordon's comments:
(T. David Gordon, Why Johnny Can't Preach, P&R: Phillipsburg, NJ, 2009, p. 26)
I find I have to make a conscious effort when preparing sermons to be specific. It's much faster to give application generally: "And the point is that we should love one another." It's far more effective to say, "When your son wakes you up crying in the middle of the night, do you love your husband or wife by willingly and quickly getting up to take care of him?" The first is general and easy to ignore; the second is specific (and for those in that situation, perhaps uncomfortably so).
We must strive to have specific preaching.
Does the sermon significantly engage the mind, or is the sermon full of commonplace cliches, slogans, and general truths? Is the hearer genuinely likely to rethink his view of God, society, church, or self, or his reasons for holding his current views? Is the mind of the attentive listener engaged or repulsed?
(T. David Gordon, Why Johnny Can't Preach, P&R: Phillipsburg, NJ, 2009, p. 26)
I find I have to make a conscious effort when preparing sermons to be specific. It's much faster to give application generally: "And the point is that we should love one another." It's far more effective to say, "When your son wakes you up crying in the middle of the night, do you love your husband or wife by willingly and quickly getting up to take care of him?" The first is general and easy to ignore; the second is specific (and for those in that situation, perhaps uncomfortably so).
We must strive to have specific preaching.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
No Church Is Perfect
Tonight our pastor said something in an aside which caught my attention. His comment was along the lines of, "We should give Timothy more credit than he sometimes gets, because he had to deal with all the bad churches." Which is true - Timothy went to Corinth, and Ephesus, and various other places to deal with problems and get things organized.
Here's my conclusion flowing out of his comment: all of the churches had issues, sometimes serious ones. Corinth might be the most notable example, but most of the other churches mentioned in the New Testament had to be corrected doctrinally (ie the Galatian and Colossian false teacher incidents) or instructed further (the Ephesian elders in Acts 20).
What's the point? No local church is perfect, because churches are made up of sinners. So although we should strive congregationally toward holiness (1 Peter 1:17) and being perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48), we won't meet that goal here on earth. So there are also times when we need to cut each other some slack. Not ignoring sin, but letting love cover our pet peeves and personal annoyances with other believers.
Here's my conclusion flowing out of his comment: all of the churches had issues, sometimes serious ones. Corinth might be the most notable example, but most of the other churches mentioned in the New Testament had to be corrected doctrinally (ie the Galatian and Colossian false teacher incidents) or instructed further (the Ephesian elders in Acts 20).
What's the point? No local church is perfect, because churches are made up of sinners. So although we should strive congregationally toward holiness (1 Peter 1:17) and being perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48), we won't meet that goal here on earth. So there are also times when we need to cut each other some slack. Not ignoring sin, but letting love cover our pet peeves and personal annoyances with other believers.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Creeds Are Not Exhaustive
Bavinck makes an excellent point:
(Herman Bavinck, translated by John Bolt and John Vriend, Reformed Dogmatics, Volume 1: Prolegomena, p. 31)
So for those who assert we only need the Apostles' Creed or some similar statement, you're missing the point. They were never intended to cover everything, nor do they reflect the battles won and lost in theology since that time. Instead, the scope of what we must believe is much broader than basic mental assent to a few key facts about God, the Bible, Jesus, and the cross. Those things are essential, but there is much more in Scripture. Incidentally, this is the same sort of approach that sets out to ask, "What is the minimum I can believe and be a Christian?"
We need to beware theological minimalism.
In this connection it must also be kept in mind that the dogmas have never been fully incorporated in the church’s creedal statements and ecclesiastically fixed. The life and faith that the church possesses is much richer than what comes to expression in its creedal statements. The church’s confession is far from formulating the entire content of the Christian faith. To begin with, a confession generally comes into being in response to specific historical events and arranges its positive and antithetical content accordingly. Furthermore, a confession does not make clear the inner coherence that exists among the various dogmas nor does it ever fully articulate the truth which God has revealed in his Word.
(Herman Bavinck, translated by John Bolt and John Vriend, Reformed Dogmatics, Volume 1: Prolegomena, p. 31)
So for those who assert we only need the Apostles' Creed or some similar statement, you're missing the point. They were never intended to cover everything, nor do they reflect the battles won and lost in theology since that time. Instead, the scope of what we must believe is much broader than basic mental assent to a few key facts about God, the Bible, Jesus, and the cross. Those things are essential, but there is much more in Scripture. Incidentally, this is the same sort of approach that sets out to ask, "What is the minimum I can believe and be a Christian?"
We need to beware theological minimalism.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
What Is Most Important?
Last week we were driving through a nicer subdivision and noticing all the enormous houses and spacious yards with expensive cars parked out front. I began to imagine how many hours my wife and I would have to work to keep up payments on a house like that, let alone own it. I'm sure those who live there have very well-paying jobs; I don't begrudge them what God has blessed them with financially.
But leaving all that aside, most people spend a lot of time away from home working to afford the house, cars, TVs, clothes, and so on that are important to them. But what is really important in life? Enjoying labor and the food which is provided by it is good (Ecclesiastes 1:24; 3:22). Enjoying your spouse and family is also good (Proverbs 19:14; Song of Solomon 8:7). Most important is the condition of your soul (Matthew 16:26).
I don't want to come to the end of my life regretting that my children have wandered spiritually or my wife has been neglected because I failed to properly care for them. Balancing responsibilities can be difficult, and we will not always choose rightly. The choices of our children will someday go beyond our ability to direct. Sometimes work will demand time away from home. My point is that we ask ourselves whether our work is truly to provide for our needs or so we can serve other believers, or whether we work unnecessarily hard to accumulate stuff because our friends have it or we enjoy it or that's how we've always lived. Do we neglect our families and fail to train our children in godly discipline to the extent we are able (Ephesians 6:4)?
When it comes to money and how we order our lives, King Lemuel gave wise counsel. Pray to God that He gives you enough and no more (Proverbs 30:7-9). That is my prayer for my own life, and I trust for yours.
But leaving all that aside, most people spend a lot of time away from home working to afford the house, cars, TVs, clothes, and so on that are important to them. But what is really important in life? Enjoying labor and the food which is provided by it is good (Ecclesiastes 1:24; 3:22). Enjoying your spouse and family is also good (Proverbs 19:14; Song of Solomon 8:7). Most important is the condition of your soul (Matthew 16:26).
I don't want to come to the end of my life regretting that my children have wandered spiritually or my wife has been neglected because I failed to properly care for them. Balancing responsibilities can be difficult, and we will not always choose rightly. The choices of our children will someday go beyond our ability to direct. Sometimes work will demand time away from home. My point is that we ask ourselves whether our work is truly to provide for our needs or so we can serve other believers, or whether we work unnecessarily hard to accumulate stuff because our friends have it or we enjoy it or that's how we've always lived. Do we neglect our families and fail to train our children in godly discipline to the extent we are able (Ephesians 6:4)?
When it comes to money and how we order our lives, King Lemuel gave wise counsel. Pray to God that He gives you enough and no more (Proverbs 30:7-9). That is my prayer for my own life, and I trust for yours.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The Problem Is Within
We've been having a lot of construction here in Southeast Michigan. I've had to come up with about four different routes to get home because every few weeks another road is one-laned or blocked or severely backed up for some reason. As a result, I've been frustrated when driving on several occasions recently. My wife made a comment which caught my attention a few weeks ago. She saw I was getting frustrated, and said, "We should maybe move out the country someday." But then I began to think; the problem is not with the construction, or the traffic, or whatever else might be frustrating me. Moving to the country or far away from busy city streets wouldn't solve the problem; it would only make it less frequent.
The problem lies within (Luke 6:45). Just like the monks of the Middle Ages who tried to wall themselves up, but found their monasteries degenerating into pits of vice and greed and hypocrisy, each of us will fail if we attempt to solve our heart problems of anger, jealousy, greed, and so on by running from the external circumstances. In some cases, running is the appropriate response to temptation in order to avoid sin (Genesis 39:11-12). However, in many other cases, the right course of action is to ask forgiveness of God and those around you for your sinful reaction. You and I often do not have control over the situations we find ourselves in, but we can respond with patience when we find our frustrations peaking (contrast Galatians 5:20, "outbursts of anger", with Galatians 5:23, "self-control").
The problem lies within (Luke 6:45). Just like the monks of the Middle Ages who tried to wall themselves up, but found their monasteries degenerating into pits of vice and greed and hypocrisy, each of us will fail if we attempt to solve our heart problems of anger, jealousy, greed, and so on by running from the external circumstances. In some cases, running is the appropriate response to temptation in order to avoid sin (Genesis 39:11-12). However, in many other cases, the right course of action is to ask forgiveness of God and those around you for your sinful reaction. You and I often do not have control over the situations we find ourselves in, but we can respond with patience when we find our frustrations peaking (contrast Galatians 5:20, "outbursts of anger", with Galatians 5:23, "self-control").
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Calling and Vocation, Part 2: How Do I Know God's Will?
Returning to the topic from yesterday, one section of King Me in particular caught my attention. Farrar says, "God gives men the gifts that they need to accomplish His purpose in their lives" (p. 146). Reading that phrase, I began to wonder about the role that natural gifts or even spiritual gifts should have in my son's choice of vocation.
Taught by Dr. Greg Mazak, Counseling Techniques was one of the most helpful courses I took during my B.A. from Bob Jones University. A particularly useful lesson discussed discovering God's will, during which Dr. Mazak refuted several common and unbiblical approaches. The next few paragraphs are an adaptation of that section of class notes from Counseling Techniques.
Unbiblical Approaches to Decision Making
First, I can try to figure out what God wants me to do by looking at circumstances. There is the "open door" approach, based on a misunderstanding of Colossians 4:3. Paul is not trying to decide what to do based on his circumstances; he knows God wants him to preach, so he's asking the Colossians to ask God to give him opportunities to fulfill that ministry.
Related to the "open door" approach is the "putting out my fleece" or "testing God" method. I pray something like "God, I will witness to the next person who walks into Starbucks," or, "If the coin comes up tails, I'll go to prayer meeting tonight." The worst adaptation I recall hearing was a man who prayed, "Lord, I'll marry the next woman who walks through the door of this lobby." This comes dangerously close to violating Matthew 4:7 by putting God to the test - trying to make Him serve my whims and wishes, and blaming him for my poor choices and the resulting consequences.
Second, there is the subjective feelings-driven or results-driven approach. When making decisions based on feelings, I ask myself, "What do I feel like doing?" rather than "What pleases God?/What has God told me to do?" When making decisions based solely on results, I remember, "That worked last time. It must be the right thing to do." Applied to churches, we praise churches with large crowds or large numbers of apparent conversions: "God must be blessing; look at those results." It is dangerous to assume that temporary success measured by extra-biblical standards indicates God's blessing.
While there is merit in considering circumstances, feelings, and results at some point, these things cannot be the primary factor in our decision making, especially when it comes to deciding on a vocation.
A Biblical Pattern for Making Wise Choices
What, then, is a biblical pattern? We begin by realizing that the truth to guide us is found in the Bible (John 17:17). God is in control of all things (Daniel 4:35; Ephesians 1:11). He has made every true Christian into a new person (2 Corinthians 5:17). God will give us wisdom, not so much by giving us new knowledge, but by helping us remember the truth of the Bible (James 1:5-7).
I believe a biblical approach for determining God's will can be modeled after the pattern for the call to ministry, discussed yesterday. First, there is a God-given desire. Second, there are qualifications which ensure that the desire is pleasing to God rather than driven by selfish ambition or some other wrong motive. Third, there is some degree of confirmation.
The call to ministry is not identical to the call to a vocation. One significant difference is found in the specifics given in the Bible. There are clear requirements for what a pastor is to be and do; the expectations for an architect, engineer, or lawyer are not specifically outlined. But there are general principles which apply.
How does the choice of vocation look when following a similar pattern to that found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7?
Let's say your son who is a Christian has a desire to be a musician. Perhaps that is what God wants him to do, since God is at work to transform our desires to please Him. However, since our hearts are still deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9), it would be wise to proceed on that path cautiously. For example, suppose he is tone deaf, or unable to get the fingering right when playing an instrument. Obviously I'm on more tenuous ground here, since I'm applying a biblical principle, rather than describing a clear command. Still, I think you can take clear biblical principles (God gives us as Christians new desires, God equips us to serve Him, we ought to do all to God's glory) and arrive at a decision that would please Him. God will enable your son to do what He wants him to do, whether through natural abilities, or through spiritual gifts, and the development of both.
There is a further degree of confirmation when a child is following the advice of his parents, his pastor, and older, mature people in his church. They are not infallible, but God gives parents to children to lead them (Ephesians 6:4).
All of these factors taken together (biblical principles, practical skills/abilities, the advice of mature Christians) will help to guide your child into a God-pleasing vocation. Circumstances may alter those plans somewhat; feelings of accomplishment or frustration may test his resolve; results, both positive and negative, may spur him onward or cause him to stop and reconsider. But the ultimate starting point and guide must be Scriptural principle; all other sources of guidance are unreliable and cannot reach the same degree of authority.
I'm not describing anything profound, or asserting anything new here. Still, I hope I am setting forth a biblical pattern for how we figure out what is pleasing to the Lord, whether in our day to day decisions, or the more important questions of vocations that may last decades.
Taught by Dr. Greg Mazak, Counseling Techniques was one of the most helpful courses I took during my B.A. from Bob Jones University. A particularly useful lesson discussed discovering God's will, during which Dr. Mazak refuted several common and unbiblical approaches. The next few paragraphs are an adaptation of that section of class notes from Counseling Techniques.
Unbiblical Approaches to Decision Making
First, I can try to figure out what God wants me to do by looking at circumstances. There is the "open door" approach, based on a misunderstanding of Colossians 4:3. Paul is not trying to decide what to do based on his circumstances; he knows God wants him to preach, so he's asking the Colossians to ask God to give him opportunities to fulfill that ministry.
Related to the "open door" approach is the "putting out my fleece" or "testing God" method. I pray something like "God, I will witness to the next person who walks into Starbucks," or, "If the coin comes up tails, I'll go to prayer meeting tonight." The worst adaptation I recall hearing was a man who prayed, "Lord, I'll marry the next woman who walks through the door of this lobby." This comes dangerously close to violating Matthew 4:7 by putting God to the test - trying to make Him serve my whims and wishes, and blaming him for my poor choices and the resulting consequences.
Second, there is the subjective feelings-driven or results-driven approach. When making decisions based on feelings, I ask myself, "What do I feel like doing?" rather than "What pleases God?/What has God told me to do?" When making decisions based solely on results, I remember, "That worked last time. It must be the right thing to do." Applied to churches, we praise churches with large crowds or large numbers of apparent conversions: "God must be blessing; look at those results." It is dangerous to assume that temporary success measured by extra-biblical standards indicates God's blessing.
While there is merit in considering circumstances, feelings, and results at some point, these things cannot be the primary factor in our decision making, especially when it comes to deciding on a vocation.
A Biblical Pattern for Making Wise Choices
What, then, is a biblical pattern? We begin by realizing that the truth to guide us is found in the Bible (John 17:17). God is in control of all things (Daniel 4:35; Ephesians 1:11). He has made every true Christian into a new person (2 Corinthians 5:17). God will give us wisdom, not so much by giving us new knowledge, but by helping us remember the truth of the Bible (James 1:5-7).
I believe a biblical approach for determining God's will can be modeled after the pattern for the call to ministry, discussed yesterday. First, there is a God-given desire. Second, there are qualifications which ensure that the desire is pleasing to God rather than driven by selfish ambition or some other wrong motive. Third, there is some degree of confirmation.
The call to ministry is not identical to the call to a vocation. One significant difference is found in the specifics given in the Bible. There are clear requirements for what a pastor is to be and do; the expectations for an architect, engineer, or lawyer are not specifically outlined. But there are general principles which apply.
How does the choice of vocation look when following a similar pattern to that found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7?
Let's say your son who is a Christian has a desire to be a musician. Perhaps that is what God wants him to do, since God is at work to transform our desires to please Him. However, since our hearts are still deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9), it would be wise to proceed on that path cautiously. For example, suppose he is tone deaf, or unable to get the fingering right when playing an instrument. Obviously I'm on more tenuous ground here, since I'm applying a biblical principle, rather than describing a clear command. Still, I think you can take clear biblical principles (God gives us as Christians new desires, God equips us to serve Him, we ought to do all to God's glory) and arrive at a decision that would please Him. God will enable your son to do what He wants him to do, whether through natural abilities, or through spiritual gifts, and the development of both.
There is a further degree of confirmation when a child is following the advice of his parents, his pastor, and older, mature people in his church. They are not infallible, but God gives parents to children to lead them (Ephesians 6:4).
All of these factors taken together (biblical principles, practical skills/abilities, the advice of mature Christians) will help to guide your child into a God-pleasing vocation. Circumstances may alter those plans somewhat; feelings of accomplishment or frustration may test his resolve; results, both positive and negative, may spur him onward or cause him to stop and reconsider. But the ultimate starting point and guide must be Scriptural principle; all other sources of guidance are unreliable and cannot reach the same degree of authority.
I'm not describing anything profound, or asserting anything new here. Still, I hope I am setting forth a biblical pattern for how we figure out what is pleasing to the Lord, whether in our day to day decisions, or the more important questions of vocations that may last decades.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Calling and Vocation, Part 1
Recently, I've been reading through Steve Farrar's book, King Me, along with several other men from our Adult Bible Fellowship. Throughout Chapter 7, Farrar is discussing the role a father plays in guiding his son, neither forcing his son to fulfill his own unreached goals, nor letting his son wander in uncertainty. How does this idea work out practically?
I began to consider this topic more when my pastor, David Doran, preached on 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 this past Sunday. In that passage, Paul is praying for the Thessalonian believers, pleading with God that these Christians might be worthy of their calling. What was their calling? What is my calling? What is my son's calling?
Every Christian has the same calling, in one sense. All of us who are saved are irrevocably and effectually called to salvation by the work of God's Spirit (2 Thessalonians 2:14). But I think there is another sense in which we all have different callings. God directs each of us to serve Him in a particular way, by means of a specific vocation or job. How can I identify the vocation to which God is calling me? How can you?
I am convinced that God wants me to serve Him as a pastor. Why? Did I hear a voice? Did I experience a particularly moving message, followed by an emotional invitation? Did I open my Bible and point to a verse that persuaded me of this fact? No. Instead, I believe I am in the process of following a simple, yet biblical, pattern.
Consider 1 Timothy 3:1. Paul makes a simple assertion. "If you want to be a pastor/overseer, you desire a good thing." This is the subjective component of the calling to ministry. I have a desire to preach, to pastor, to serve in that capacity. This desire may well be God-given, since God initiated the work of salvation (Philippians 1:6, Philippians 2:12-13) and continues to work in the Christian's heart. If I don't want to pastor, or if I'm only doing it because my parents, friends, or seminary professors said it was a good idea, then I'm likely to quit when the task becomes difficult. But Paul urges that the desire alone is not enough; we can easily deceive ourselves, substituting what would please us for what would please God.
Paul continues in 1 Timothy 3:2-7 by outlining specific qualifications. This is the objective component, which confirms the desire is God-given. If I desire to be a pastor, but my life in no way matches Paul's criteria, then I need to soberly consider my own character. If I wanted to be a surgeon, but had a 2.0 GPA, I would need to consider another vocation. If my character doesn't match the criteria Paul lays out, I need to consider whether in time I can live up to those expectations. I want to be clear: Paul does not demand perfection; he himself admitted the need for continual growth in obedience (Philippians 3:12). Still, there must be growing conformity to these character qualities. How can the people in my church trust my intentions if I'm constantly trying to sell them some product instead of finding out their needs, their hopes, their hurts? How can I lead the church in an orderly way if my own son is a slob, or a troublemaker, or the class clown? I must be striving to live out 1 Timothy 3:2-7 each day by God's grace.
Assuming I have the subjective desire and I am meeting the objective qualifications, I'm still not ready. The decision of who should lead the church can't be made in isolation by the one who wants to be a pastor. For example, there is the pattern implied in 1 Timothy 4:14 where Timothy was commissioned by the church, specifically her leaders. In another instance, Paul and Barnabas didn't set out as missionaries on their own; they were sent out by the church at the direction of the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:1-5). While the Holy Spirit is not going to audibly direct a specific church to choose me as their pastor, there needs to be some measure of external confirmation of both my desire and qualifications for that role. God gifts all of us for specific roles, beyond merely natural abilities, and those gifts are to be used in the service of the local church (Ephesians 4:11-13).
So there are at least three components of the call to ministry, specifically that of being a pastor. There is a subjective desire, which I believe comes from God. There is a growing conformity to the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. Finally, the local church must confirm both the desire and the qualifications, so that the congregation can serve as a filter to exclude the man who is unfit in his doctrine or his character to serve in the role of their pastor. This is a simple pattern, but I believe a biblical path to recognize the call to ministry.
In the next post, I will explore a potential application of the biblical pattern for the call to ministry. I believe this pattern can be useful in determining a God-pleasing vocation for any person, not just for pastors or missionaries.
I began to consider this topic more when my pastor, David Doran, preached on 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 this past Sunday. In that passage, Paul is praying for the Thessalonian believers, pleading with God that these Christians might be worthy of their calling. What was their calling? What is my calling? What is my son's calling?
Every Christian has the same calling, in one sense. All of us who are saved are irrevocably and effectually called to salvation by the work of God's Spirit (2 Thessalonians 2:14). But I think there is another sense in which we all have different callings. God directs each of us to serve Him in a particular way, by means of a specific vocation or job. How can I identify the vocation to which God is calling me? How can you?
I am convinced that God wants me to serve Him as a pastor. Why? Did I hear a voice? Did I experience a particularly moving message, followed by an emotional invitation? Did I open my Bible and point to a verse that persuaded me of this fact? No. Instead, I believe I am in the process of following a simple, yet biblical, pattern.
Consider 1 Timothy 3:1. Paul makes a simple assertion. "If you want to be a pastor/overseer, you desire a good thing." This is the subjective component of the calling to ministry. I have a desire to preach, to pastor, to serve in that capacity. This desire may well be God-given, since God initiated the work of salvation (Philippians 1:6, Philippians 2:12-13) and continues to work in the Christian's heart. If I don't want to pastor, or if I'm only doing it because my parents, friends, or seminary professors said it was a good idea, then I'm likely to quit when the task becomes difficult. But Paul urges that the desire alone is not enough; we can easily deceive ourselves, substituting what would please us for what would please God.
Paul continues in 1 Timothy 3:2-7 by outlining specific qualifications. This is the objective component, which confirms the desire is God-given. If I desire to be a pastor, but my life in no way matches Paul's criteria, then I need to soberly consider my own character. If I wanted to be a surgeon, but had a 2.0 GPA, I would need to consider another vocation. If my character doesn't match the criteria Paul lays out, I need to consider whether in time I can live up to those expectations. I want to be clear: Paul does not demand perfection; he himself admitted the need for continual growth in obedience (Philippians 3:12). Still, there must be growing conformity to these character qualities. How can the people in my church trust my intentions if I'm constantly trying to sell them some product instead of finding out their needs, their hopes, their hurts? How can I lead the church in an orderly way if my own son is a slob, or a troublemaker, or the class clown? I must be striving to live out 1 Timothy 3:2-7 each day by God's grace.
Assuming I have the subjective desire and I am meeting the objective qualifications, I'm still not ready. The decision of who should lead the church can't be made in isolation by the one who wants to be a pastor. For example, there is the pattern implied in 1 Timothy 4:14 where Timothy was commissioned by the church, specifically her leaders. In another instance, Paul and Barnabas didn't set out as missionaries on their own; they were sent out by the church at the direction of the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:1-5). While the Holy Spirit is not going to audibly direct a specific church to choose me as their pastor, there needs to be some measure of external confirmation of both my desire and qualifications for that role. God gifts all of us for specific roles, beyond merely natural abilities, and those gifts are to be used in the service of the local church (Ephesians 4:11-13).
So there are at least three components of the call to ministry, specifically that of being a pastor. There is a subjective desire, which I believe comes from God. There is a growing conformity to the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. Finally, the local church must confirm both the desire and the qualifications, so that the congregation can serve as a filter to exclude the man who is unfit in his doctrine or his character to serve in the role of their pastor. This is a simple pattern, but I believe a biblical path to recognize the call to ministry.
In the next post, I will explore a potential application of the biblical pattern for the call to ministry. I believe this pattern can be useful in determining a God-pleasing vocation for any person, not just for pastors or missionaries.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
The Beginning
I realize I'm jumping into blogging fairly late in the game. Many blogs are already abandoned; many more will be in the near future. So why start now? I just finished seminary. For the first time since I began kindergarten, I don't have the regular discipline of schoolwork and related deadlines. So, I hope that both the discipline of writing regularly and the potential scrutiny of writing publicly will prove beneficial. I intend to record various reflections, primarily flowing out from the books that I'm reading.
Why the title of this blog? The title is inspired by a biography of Martin Luther I read a number of years ago, and then again more recently, entitled The Triumph of Truth: A Life of Martin Luther. This book, itself a translation of a much longer work by the Swiss historian Jean Henri Merle d'Aubigne', is closely connected in its title with a verse from Luther's famous hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. That verse reads:
And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God has willed
His truth to triumph through us.
God's truth will always triumph; therefore, truth will never die. This is the hope of the Christian, a hope which arises in the darkest moments of life and history. God is victorious and will establish His kingdom, overcoming all powers of darkness and evil to do so. Though we are weak jars of clay, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:7, God makes His power known even and especially through us.
It is my hope that if what I write points people to Christ, He will be honored, and in some small way, the triumph of truth will be furthered.
Why the title of this blog? The title is inspired by a biography of Martin Luther I read a number of years ago, and then again more recently, entitled The Triumph of Truth: A Life of Martin Luther. This book, itself a translation of a much longer work by the Swiss historian Jean Henri Merle d'Aubigne', is closely connected in its title with a verse from Luther's famous hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. That verse reads:
And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God has willed
His truth to triumph through us.
God's truth will always triumph; therefore, truth will never die. This is the hope of the Christian, a hope which arises in the darkest moments of life and history. God is victorious and will establish His kingdom, overcoming all powers of darkness and evil to do so. Though we are weak jars of clay, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:7, God makes His power known even and especially through us.
It is my hope that if what I write points people to Christ, He will be honored, and in some small way, the triumph of truth will be furthered.
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