[This entry follows a sermon titled "A Few Good Men: The Character of Church Leadership."]
Anytime I teach or preach on the biblical qualifications for pastors, found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9, I am challenged and convicted. To be honest, I don't have to be teaching it. All it takes is a thoughtful reading of these texts, and the Lord challenges and convicts me as a man and a pastor. Of course, these texts are not alone. I find myself regularly challenged and convicted by the Scriptures; however, these texts do stand out because they are directly related to my role as a pastor among God's people.
Don Carson once uttered a sentence about these qualifications for pastors that has stuck with me. In fact, I find some paraphrase of it in many sources (i.e.- articles, books, sermons, etc.), so I must not be alone in finding it memorable. Carson says of the qualifications for pastors: "The remarkable thing about the list is that it is unremarkable." It is simple but true, particularly when we think of the character qualifications.
One can look in other places in the New Testament to find that pastors are not alone in the call to live above reproach...to be blameless. All Christians should live in this way. Let me give some examples. First, it is not only pastors that should avoid being a drunkard but all Christians (cf. Ephesians 5:18). Also, pastors are not alone in the need to avoid the love of money (cf. Matthew 6:24; 1 Timothy 6:10). Next, it is all fathers, and not just pastors, who should be dignified in the way he keeps his children submissive (cf. Ephesians 6:4). Finally, humility should be the mark of Christians, not only Christian pastors (cf. Romans 12:3; 1 Peter 5:6). And the list could go on.
So, as we think about these qualifications, we rightly think of the men who should serve as pastors in the local church. However, we must not think that these qualifications are to be disregarded by "the rest of us." No, by the grace of God, all the people of God should seek to grow in these godly characteristics. So, now look at the list, and let's admit it...it can be intimidating, can't it? If you don't think so, you might have missed something. Go back and read the lists again (I'll wait).
Now, can you see how intimidating it might be? In these lists, there is no area of life untouched, no stone unturned. The pastor must be blameless, and Christians must live blameless lives. We must be blameless in our family lives, in our personal lives, and in our relationships. God calls us to be holy because He is holy (1 Peter 1:14-16). It is a high calling, and we must approach it correctly or we will surely be defeated by it. After all, anytime one is faced with a list of character qualities that must mark your life and those qualities encompass all of life, he/she can easily feel defeated. So, let me try to help.
There are a couple of wrong ways to approach living a blameless life. The first is to think that you must live a blameless life in order to earn the favor of God. The idea here is that if I live a good life, then God will be good to me. If I don't, He won't. There are two major problems with this way of thinking, and they are connected. This way of approaching God is (1) not biblical, and it is (2) impossible!
The Bible teaches that God's favor...God's approval...is not given in return for blameless living. If that were the way that God's approval worked, then nobody would be approved by God. Nobody would gain God's favor. All of us fall short of God's glory. Romans 8:7 says, "For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot." You see, submitting to God is not simply a matter of the will...it's a matter of ability. And on their own, nobody can do it!
The second wrong way to think about living a blameless life goes something like this: "Yes, God accepted me by His grace, but now, I must live a blameless life in order to keep His favor. If I will just stay committed to read my Bible, pray, serve, give, resist temptation, etc., then I will keep God's approval." Now, obviously, spiritual disciplines and resisting temptation are all good things...great things...God-glorifying things. However, sinless perfection in all (or any) of these areas is impossible in this life.
We must get this straight! Nobody can earn God's approval through blameless living, and nobody can keep God's approval through blameless living. Since our lives fall incredibly short of "blameless," then what is the solution? The Bible teaches that the only way a person is approved by God is on the basis of another Person's blamelessness...Jesus' blamelessness.
Through faith in Christ, we are justified (Romans 5:1). This means that God counts us righteous because of what Jesus has done for us. He lived a blameless life, and we are credited as blameless. He took our blame and died in our place, so that we would be released from the liability of our sin. In the words of Colossians 1:21-22 - "And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, [Jesus] has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him..."
Isn't that fantastic? Don't you just want to shout and scream "THANKS BE TO GOD FOR HIS INEXPRESSIBLE GIFT" (2 Cor. 9:15)! We cannot live blameless lives if we tried. We cannot earn or keep God's approval by doing so. However, because of what Christ has done, those who are trusting in Christ are counted as righteous, and they will be presented as holy and blameless and above reproach on the day when we see God face to face. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
It is when we realize this that the demand to live a blameless life is no longer defeating...it is delightful! We will no longer try to earn God's approval through blameless living; instead, we will live blameless lives resting in the knowledge that God already approves of us. We will no longer try to keep God's approval through blameless living; instead, we will live blameless lives resting in the knowledge that our approval was signed, sealed, and delivered through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
Now, read the list again. It still looks intimidating. It is still challenging. It is still convicting. But, because of Jesus Christ, it is not defeating. Look to Him as the only source of your blamelessness and approval with God, and then...live a blameless life!
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Wednesday, November 07, 2012
Keep Reading and Studying the Bible
When I was in high school, I attended the First Baptist Church of Concord in Knoxville, Tennessee. Each Sunday, our music minister, Dave Hyers, would stand up, tell us the page number of the hymn we would sing, and then he would conduct the congregation as a large choir of worshippers. Many people have a similar experience and love their memories of those kinds of services.
Now, even though we don't have hymnals in the pews at the church I serve, we still sing some congregational songs that would be found in a hymnal. Just this past Sunday, we sang "How Great Thou Art," and our congregational choir thundered out praise to God. Another song from the hymnal came to mind as I sat down to write this week's blog entry. So, in your mind, turn to page 406 of The Celebration Hymnal, and let me quote the first verse of "Wonderful Words of Life."
This is a common experience among Christians who are constantly reading and studying their Bibles. Let me begin by saying that seeing more beauty in God's Word does not mean that new truth has been infused into a given text, and we are not at liberty to make the text mean something different each time we read it. However, it could be that we have been missing part of the Bible's teaching until now. We may have missed how the context shapes the meaning of the verse. Or...we have the meaning right, but that same truth can intersect our lives at different times and in different circumstances, so that we find new implications of that truth for our lives.
There are two things I want to mention that are necessary to seeing new beauty in the Bible. The first is the title of this entry...keep reading and studying the Bible. We must be in the Bible consistently if we are to learn and grow and see its beauty. This means that we do not consider ourselves "done" once we have read all of the Bible. Also, in our daily reading, we do not skip those passages which seem most familiar to us...we thoughtfully and prayerfully read them again. And when the Bible is quoted in the books we read, we don't just gloss over them...we read them again, knowing they are the very words of God.
In addition, this means we don't tune out when our pastor is preaching on a text we have heard preached many times. We listen intently to hear what God says through the text, acknowledging that it may have greater, deeper, wider, or just different implications for our lives now...as opposed to the last time we studied it. We also listen anew because, in doing so, we acknowledge that we may have missed something in the text...or in the context...that now makes it shine with new beauty.
The second thing needed to see new beauty in the Word of God is humility. It takes humility to admit that we need the same passage to be taught to us again. It takes humility to recognize that we have not arrived and that we need to keep going back to what God has said again and again. It takes humility to acknowledge, "I should have learned this by now, but I haven't"; so, I go back to God's Word to learn again.
Pride lays down the Bible, but what we need to do is lay down our pride. We need to lay down the intellectual pride that says, "I know this already...what else could I possibly learn?" We have to lay down our spiritual pride that says, "I know how to apply this...it's so-and-so who really needs it." So, rather than get trapped in this kind of pride, let's humbly go the Bible over and over again. Let's humbly read the Bible over and over again. Let's study the Bible over and over again. Let's receive the teaching of the Word over and over again. Let's humbly ask the Lord to help us, by the Holy Spirit, to see in the Bible new beauty and to apply the Bible more fully.
Now, even though we don't have hymnals in the pews at the church I serve, we still sing some congregational songs that would be found in a hymnal. Just this past Sunday, we sang "How Great Thou Art," and our congregational choir thundered out praise to God. Another song from the hymnal came to mind as I sat down to write this week's blog entry. So, in your mind, turn to page 406 of The Celebration Hymnal, and let me quote the first verse of "Wonderful Words of Life."
Sing them over again to me; Wonderful words of lifeWere you humming the melody as you read the words? Did you break into song? Will it be stuck in your head for a while? Whatever the case may be...this really is a wonderful song, reminding us of the value of God's Word. In fact, the lyrics of the first two lines are the reason I began by quoting the hymn. "Sing them over again to me...Let me more of their beauty see." The idea is that through repeatedly hearing God's Word, the Holy Spirit can help us see clearer and deeper and greater truth than in previous hearings.
Let me more of their beauty see; Wonderful words of life
Words of life and beauty; Teach me faith and duty
Beautiful words, wonderful words; Wonderful words of life
Beautiful words, wonderful words; Wonderful words of life
This is a common experience among Christians who are constantly reading and studying their Bibles. Let me begin by saying that seeing more beauty in God's Word does not mean that new truth has been infused into a given text, and we are not at liberty to make the text mean something different each time we read it. However, it could be that we have been missing part of the Bible's teaching until now. We may have missed how the context shapes the meaning of the verse. Or...we have the meaning right, but that same truth can intersect our lives at different times and in different circumstances, so that we find new implications of that truth for our lives.
There are two things I want to mention that are necessary to seeing new beauty in the Bible. The first is the title of this entry...keep reading and studying the Bible. We must be in the Bible consistently if we are to learn and grow and see its beauty. This means that we do not consider ourselves "done" once we have read all of the Bible. Also, in our daily reading, we do not skip those passages which seem most familiar to us...we thoughtfully and prayerfully read them again. And when the Bible is quoted in the books we read, we don't just gloss over them...we read them again, knowing they are the very words of God.
In addition, this means we don't tune out when our pastor is preaching on a text we have heard preached many times. We listen intently to hear what God says through the text, acknowledging that it may have greater, deeper, wider, or just different implications for our lives now...as opposed to the last time we studied it. We also listen anew because, in doing so, we acknowledge that we may have missed something in the text...or in the context...that now makes it shine with new beauty.
The second thing needed to see new beauty in the Word of God is humility. It takes humility to admit that we need the same passage to be taught to us again. It takes humility to recognize that we have not arrived and that we need to keep going back to what God has said again and again. It takes humility to acknowledge, "I should have learned this by now, but I haven't"; so, I go back to God's Word to learn again.
Pride lays down the Bible, but what we need to do is lay down our pride. We need to lay down the intellectual pride that says, "I know this already...what else could I possibly learn?" We have to lay down our spiritual pride that says, "I know how to apply this...it's so-and-so who really needs it." So, rather than get trapped in this kind of pride, let's humbly go the Bible over and over again. Let's humbly read the Bible over and over again. Let's study the Bible over and over again. Let's receive the teaching of the Word over and over again. Let's humbly ask the Lord to help us, by the Holy Spirit, to see in the Bible new beauty and to apply the Bible more fully.
Sing them over again to me; Wonderful words of life
Let me more of their beauty see; Wonderful words of life
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
The Office of Pastor: Avoiding Extremes
[This entry follows a sermon entitled "The Longing to Lead."]
In Sunday's sermon, we looked at a man's aspiration and desire for the office of overseer/elder/pastor from 1 Timothy 3:1. Considering that text and its context, we thought about the nature of the desire, the object of the desire, and the limit of the desire. As we work through this series on church leadership, we are, by definition, thinking on the role of pastors/elders in the church. However, in thinking about this biblical office, two extremes must be avoided.
The first extreme is to diminish the role of pastors so that there is almost no distinction between them and the rest of the congregation. There is some truth to this. It is true that pastors are sheep in God's flock...purchased with the blood of Christ...as are all the other members of the church. It is also true that pastors are like the rest of the congregation in that they are still sinful men, continuing in their need to live lives of repentance and faith. They still battle temptation...they still sin and need to repent...they are still growing spiritually. So, there is some truth in the statement that "there is no distinction between pastor and people."
However, the Bible is clear that there is a distinction among this group of men who shepherd God's people. First, they are charged with distinct duties among God's people. They must feed the flock of God through the preaching and teaching of God's Word. They must protect the flock from erring in doctrine and in life. Also, pastors must lead the flock to function in ways that honor the Lord and advance His gospel and kingdom. Second, as they do this distinct work, they must live distinct lives. Pastors must set an example "in speech, in conduct, in faith, in purity" (1 Tim. 4:12). The nature of being an example is that one's life is more publicly known and examined, which is why it is critical that a pastor be "above reproach" (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:6-7). Of course, all Christians are to live lives distinct from the world, and all Christians should strive to live above reproach. But pastors should lead the way in doing so.
On to the second, and opposite, extreme. If one extreme is to diminish the role, then the other is to exalt the role. For sure, the role of the pastor is a noble one (1 Tim. 3:1), and God has ordained that pastors play a critical role in the life of the congregation (as described above). They are men invested with spiritual authority among the congregation, and the Bible says that the congregation should obey and submit to their godly leadership (Heb. 13:17). However, there is a danger when we exalt this office...thinking of it as a status to attain rather than an important work to do. Those who serve as pastors can be guilty of this, and the people they lead can be as well.
One of the ways that the role of pastor becomes a status is that it gets labelled a profession. Every month, I go get a haircut, and if the woman cutting my hair has never met me before, she will ask, "So, what do you do for a living?" Though I know what she means, I have not yet taken the time to explain that I don't do what I do "for a living." Rather, a congregation of God's people generously supports me and my family with finances and insurance so that I can pour out my life preaching, teaching, and leading them in serving the Lord. While this is my view of what has happened, I simply tell the stylist, "I'm a pastor."
The office of pastor/elder has certainly been affected by being labelled a "profession". I think it's part of the reason some balk at the idea of unpaid pastors serving alongside paid men in a plurality of pastors. Another implication of the professionalization of the pastorate is that it gives the false impression that the pastors are the only ones doing ministry. It makes such an exalted status of "THE ministry" that people feel it unnecessary to pour out their own lives in ministry.
I was reminded of this just this week as I attended a "Trellis and the Vine Workshop." Tony Payne, one of the authors of the book The Trellis and the Vine, emphasized the Bible's teaching that every Christian should be involved in a Word ministry of some kind. Yes, the pastor-elders of the church lead the way through guarding the good deposit of sound doctrine...through preaching and teaching...through equipping the saints for the work of ministry. And yes...every Christian cannot teach a class or preach a sermon. However, every Christian should be speaking the Word to others...seeking to lead non-Christians to faith in Christ, and seeking to build up fellow Christians in the faith.
In Acts 2, at Pentecost, Peter's sermon obviously stands out as the primary communication of the gospel in that chapter. In fact, the apostolic preaching takes precedent throughout the book of Acts. But the apostles aren't the only ones speaking the Word. For example, in Acts 2, we are told that they were all together...and that they were all filled with the Spirit such that they were given utterance (v. 1-4). And what were they uttering? They were uttering intelligible words in various languages, declaring "the mighty works of God" (v. 11). They all had the Spirit, and they all spoke the mighty works of God. Tony put it this way: "The democratization of the Spirit leads to the democratization of speech."
Look at these other texts that point to the fact that all Christians can and should be engaged in some form of Word ministry (added emphasis is mine):
What percentage of our conversations involved spiritual matters? Now, there's nothing inherently wrong with small talk, but if all our talk is "small talk," then it really doesn't amount to much at all, does it? It's just small. Engaging in Word ministry means (1) knowing the Word and (2) knowing those to whom you will speak the Word. Just wandering around citing the latest verse you memorized is not necessarily Word ministry. It is taking the biblical truths God has taught you and appropriately speaking them into the lives of others.
If you are not engaged in this kind of personal Word ministry, I pray that you will hear these texts and begin to live out their teaching in your own life. And do you know where it will likely begin? With you...seriously learning and applying God's truth to your own life. Then, as God helps, comforts, encourages, and teaches you, you will be better equipped to help, comfort, encourage, and teach others (2 Cor. 1:3-6).
So, we must not diminish the role of the pastor, failing to see pastors as a distinct group of men in the congregation who serve a particular purpose. Also, we must not exalt the pastor, making "pastor" a title or status to be attained...or professionalizing the role. When we do, we dismiss our shared responsibility to "proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness and into his marvelous light." May it not be so among us!
In Sunday's sermon, we looked at a man's aspiration and desire for the office of overseer/elder/pastor from 1 Timothy 3:1. Considering that text and its context, we thought about the nature of the desire, the object of the desire, and the limit of the desire. As we work through this series on church leadership, we are, by definition, thinking on the role of pastors/elders in the church. However, in thinking about this biblical office, two extremes must be avoided.
The first extreme is to diminish the role of pastors so that there is almost no distinction between them and the rest of the congregation. There is some truth to this. It is true that pastors are sheep in God's flock...purchased with the blood of Christ...as are all the other members of the church. It is also true that pastors are like the rest of the congregation in that they are still sinful men, continuing in their need to live lives of repentance and faith. They still battle temptation...they still sin and need to repent...they are still growing spiritually. So, there is some truth in the statement that "there is no distinction between pastor and people."
However, the Bible is clear that there is a distinction among this group of men who shepherd God's people. First, they are charged with distinct duties among God's people. They must feed the flock of God through the preaching and teaching of God's Word. They must protect the flock from erring in doctrine and in life. Also, pastors must lead the flock to function in ways that honor the Lord and advance His gospel and kingdom. Second, as they do this distinct work, they must live distinct lives. Pastors must set an example "in speech, in conduct, in faith, in purity" (1 Tim. 4:12). The nature of being an example is that one's life is more publicly known and examined, which is why it is critical that a pastor be "above reproach" (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:6-7). Of course, all Christians are to live lives distinct from the world, and all Christians should strive to live above reproach. But pastors should lead the way in doing so.
On to the second, and opposite, extreme. If one extreme is to diminish the role, then the other is to exalt the role. For sure, the role of the pastor is a noble one (1 Tim. 3:1), and God has ordained that pastors play a critical role in the life of the congregation (as described above). They are men invested with spiritual authority among the congregation, and the Bible says that the congregation should obey and submit to their godly leadership (Heb. 13:17). However, there is a danger when we exalt this office...thinking of it as a status to attain rather than an important work to do. Those who serve as pastors can be guilty of this, and the people they lead can be as well.
One of the ways that the role of pastor becomes a status is that it gets labelled a profession. Every month, I go get a haircut, and if the woman cutting my hair has never met me before, she will ask, "So, what do you do for a living?" Though I know what she means, I have not yet taken the time to explain that I don't do what I do "for a living." Rather, a congregation of God's people generously supports me and my family with finances and insurance so that I can pour out my life preaching, teaching, and leading them in serving the Lord. While this is my view of what has happened, I simply tell the stylist, "I'm a pastor."
The office of pastor/elder has certainly been affected by being labelled a "profession". I think it's part of the reason some balk at the idea of unpaid pastors serving alongside paid men in a plurality of pastors. Another implication of the professionalization of the pastorate is that it gives the false impression that the pastors are the only ones doing ministry. It makes such an exalted status of "THE ministry" that people feel it unnecessary to pour out their own lives in ministry.
I was reminded of this just this week as I attended a "Trellis and the Vine Workshop." Tony Payne, one of the authors of the book The Trellis and the Vine, emphasized the Bible's teaching that every Christian should be involved in a Word ministry of some kind. Yes, the pastor-elders of the church lead the way through guarding the good deposit of sound doctrine...through preaching and teaching...through equipping the saints for the work of ministry. And yes...every Christian cannot teach a class or preach a sermon. However, every Christian should be speaking the Word to others...seeking to lead non-Christians to faith in Christ, and seeking to build up fellow Christians in the faith.
In Acts 2, at Pentecost, Peter's sermon obviously stands out as the primary communication of the gospel in that chapter. In fact, the apostolic preaching takes precedent throughout the book of Acts. But the apostles aren't the only ones speaking the Word. For example, in Acts 2, we are told that they were all together...and that they were all filled with the Spirit such that they were given utterance (v. 1-4). And what were they uttering? They were uttering intelligible words in various languages, declaring "the mighty works of God" (v. 11). They all had the Spirit, and they all spoke the mighty works of God. Tony put it this way: "The democratization of the Spirit leads to the democratization of speech."
Look at these other texts that point to the fact that all Christians can and should be engaged in some form of Word ministry (added emphasis is mine):
- Colossians 3:16 - "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom..."
- Colossians 4:5-6 - "Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."
- Romans 15:14 - "I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another."
- 1 Thessalonians 5:14 - "And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all." (see the context...v. 12-13...the same brothers who should esteem their leaders should obey this verse)
- 1 Peter 2:9 - "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."
- Hebrews 3:13 - "But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."
What percentage of our conversations involved spiritual matters? Now, there's nothing inherently wrong with small talk, but if all our talk is "small talk," then it really doesn't amount to much at all, does it? It's just small. Engaging in Word ministry means (1) knowing the Word and (2) knowing those to whom you will speak the Word. Just wandering around citing the latest verse you memorized is not necessarily Word ministry. It is taking the biblical truths God has taught you and appropriately speaking them into the lives of others.
If you are not engaged in this kind of personal Word ministry, I pray that you will hear these texts and begin to live out their teaching in your own life. And do you know where it will likely begin? With you...seriously learning and applying God's truth to your own life. Then, as God helps, comforts, encourages, and teaches you, you will be better equipped to help, comfort, encourage, and teach others (2 Cor. 1:3-6).
So, we must not diminish the role of the pastor, failing to see pastors as a distinct group of men in the congregation who serve a particular purpose. Also, we must not exalt the pastor, making "pastor" a title or status to be attained...or professionalizing the role. When we do, we dismiss our shared responsibility to "proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness and into his marvelous light." May it not be so among us!
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