Read Part 1 Here and Part 2 Here.

2. Encourage the Calloused Hands Fallacy

New Englanders are known for hard work. Lobstermen, lumberjacks, farmers, and the like all have calloused hands and many are proud of it. Allow this cultural Idol to go undetected in the churches. If the fallacy is working you will note two distinguishing characteristics: prayerlessness and self-reliance.

First, calloused hands will keep people off their knees in prayer. Make them boast in their work, in their accomplishments, and in their Yankee ingenuity. If they do, then they will find their identity and approval in their efforts and accomplishments, not the accomplishments and excellence of Christ.

Remember, the fuel for the revivals of old was groaning prayer to almighty God precisely because they couldn’t do the work in their power. Strong people have weak prayer lives.   Try to motivate them by self-improvement, not double imputation. Keep the gospel smaller than a church mouse. Their affections for Christ are directly proportional to the size of their gospel. If they perceive the power of the cross to be small, they will try to fix the powerlessness by the engines of moralistic motivations and external obligations. A sure sign this is happening is when the sermons rest more on principles and persuasion rather than on the person and work of Christ.

Second, if they trust in their calloused hands they will never trust the pierced hands of Jesus. Make them rejoice in rugged individualism and self-reliance. Make them buy the idea that needing help is shameful, even sinful. This will make the churches look weak, womanly, and pathetic to ‘real’ men.

But I warn you of broken men! Beware of men full of shame, guilt, failure, and weakness. When suffering men are embraced by the Savior’s love, then bad things happen for our kingdom. Keep men as successful and respectful as you can.

Regarding women, tangle them in the dilemma of thinking that life is a choice between feminism and the 50’s mentality. Never let them see how the gospel frees them from both distortions. Beware of Gospel shaped women. They are devastating to our kingdom when they shake off the cultural baggage of worldly womanhood.

Read Part 1 Here.

Dear Abaddon,

Your last e-mail to us was unsettling. To be sure, the mention of revival in New England grabbed our attention. Your enormous success and vision in that region have merited tremendous respect. However, we feel your analysis and recommendations, although important, are perhaps hasty. We have carefully reviewed the numbers and, yes, the enemy has been doing a new work. Yet increasing the threat level to code revival is not warranted; at least not yet. Our team of consultants has looked at the data and has suggested the following courses of action to encourage irreligious affections:

1. Employ The Stonewall Technique:

As the stonewalls draw out boundaries across New England’s rolling hills, we encourage you to build fences to promote division and factions in the churches. This can be done in millions of ways. The simplest way is to keep them religious at any cost. Simply put, allow them to become obsessed with their constant work for God, instead of his finished work for them. This will keep pride undetected and operative. Studies have shown that morality is the fastest and most effective way to promote self-righteousness and spiritual exhaustion.

If you keep them religious they will demonize the world and culture around them and shun the very people there are called to reach. If we can get them to dislike ‘sinners’, or even other churches, then the stonewalls will be built by the churches themselves.

Let them grow in the knowledge of God’s Holiness and the stipulations of the law – without the cross it will terrorize them and suck the vitality out of their souls. Just keep the biblical Christ out of the picture at all costs. Jesus always ruins the party. Push the law and you will save yourself incalculable time and energy.

Another way cause them to construct religious boundaries is to mix the gospel with cultural warfare or preserving family values or prosperity. If you succeed, then they will continue to see themselves and the people around them strictly through the taxonomy of  worldliness. They will classify with speed and certainty according to unquestioned stonewalls of tribal stereotypes.

Beware of the books of Galatians and Romans. These particular books have been a thorn in our side for centuries. Try to make the congregations believe that those books are either too easy or too hard. Instead, encourage popular books on eschatology and self-help. This will mark them out as self-absorbed conspiracy theorists. Never underestimate the power of weird Christians for our kingdom. Lastly, keep them away from reading Jonathan Edwards on the grounds that he was too judgmental and legalistic.

The cost is just $15. For more info on the event, or to register, visit the Saturate website.

]]> http://gospelalliancene.com/acts-29-northeast-regional-3/feed/ 0 http://gospelalliancene.com/acts-29-northeast-regional-3/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GospelAlliance/~3/c4Ffk1rAK7g/ http://gospelalliancene.com/an-account-of-irreligious-affections-part-1/#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:00:23 +0000 Matt Wallace http://gospelalliancene.com/?p=1297 [This series is written in the satirical style of C. S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters]

Dearest Legion,

It’s been a long time since we have talked. I believe the last time was when we enjoyed a pint in Stockbridge conspiring against that Edwards chap. Thankfully, things have been under control, but I fear that our enemy is on the move once again in New England. Of course, I realize New England is still in a spiritual winter, but I fear spring is coming.

Sir, the extent of this new work is troubling. People, all manner of people mind you, are once again in the grip of the enemy. Young and old, male and female, rich and poor, country folk and urbanites, immigrants and locals have been visited by the work of the Spirit. Churches are being planted, others are being revitalized, and I have heard reports that many are feeling a deep burden for New England. Most troubling is that many small churches have exploded in attendance over the last decade.

The nature of the movement is equally troubling as some of the busybodies are trying to unify this movement to pray for, encourage and support each other – even across denominational lines. Yes, it’s that bad. It grieves me deeply to see Presbyterians and Pentecostals getting along. Yes, I know that unity in itself poses no threat, but the shaky movement is starting to stabilize on the foundation for true unity, namely the gospel.

Worse than that, my power of accusation is weakening. When I attack these people, they are talking back with the gospel. True assurance means the Spirit is bragging to them about Jesus again. It is so annoying when they understand that their adoption has nothing to do with their obedience. And you remember what that leads to…astonishment! Then astonishment breeds thankfulness which always spawns into worship.

Yes, I confess, I became over confident with my reputation. I think my success made me bored. I’ve even taken up golf. However, I resolve to smite this rebellion before it turns into a season of revival for our enemy. We must take action!

I’m willing to do anything or go to any lengths to protect my reputation and success in New England. So, would you authorize the use of the more ‘severe tools’ at my disposal to squash this rebellion? In addition, I think raising the threat level to code revival would keep my minions motivated. This foolishness needs to come to an end or we will lose the sacred ground to the enemy.

Anxiously Awaiting Your Reply,

Abaddon

Captain of Destruction, NE Division

The New England Center for Expository Preaching will be holding their annual pastor’s conference on May 7-8, 2012. Keynote speakers Al Mohler and Ligon Duncan will be carefully unpacking Second Timothy. Please consider joining with pastors from throughout the New England area at Island Pond Baptist Church in Hampstead, NH.

The doors will open at 9 AM on May 7th and the bookstore will close at 5 PM on May 8th.

Early Bird Registration, November 1 - December 31, 2011 – $65 per person.
January – February 15 Registration - $75 per person.

Register here.

For more information, click here.

Dear Single Pastor, Part 3
Part 1 | Part 2

Pastor Matt Gladd, FBC Kittery Point, ME

I know, I know: I digress. However, the concept of “professional pastor” should be anathema to any church and minister of the Gospel. I view myself as a missionary in my community. So I am very intentional with my time, who I hang out with, and seeking prayerful support from friends and loved ones. The moment you feel, as a pastor, that you alone are sufficient is the moment you have forgotten your calling, purpose, and the One you serve. That is why it is crucial for all ministers of the Gospel to submit themselves to God through daily devotion – reading Scripture and prayer. This is especially true for the single pastor. If your heart is cold and dead, then you are promoting a cold and dead church as well. If by God’s grace your spiritual state has not affected the church, then you are a hypocrite and you cannot avoid harming your church forever. Be careful! Remember that all teachers will be judged with greater strictness (James 3). Always remember that you are not sufficient. You need Jesus. You need the Gospel just as much as those in the church you serve and those outside the church. If you have lost your sense of the necessity of the Gospel of grace, then what separates you from those outside the church who also find the Gospel unnecessary? Therefore, remind yourself daily that you are nothing without the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is out of this brokenness that we serve God and others; and it is a potent brokenness; an honest brokenness that our world needs and our Lord requires.

There is one more thing. Being a single pastor is not necessarily or doesn’t have to be an impediment to ministry. You have a lot of free time to give to God and others. This time can be spiritually enriching or it can be draining. Be careful that you do find rest in your week and don’t overwork yourself. Rest doesn’t mean a day set aside to watch movies, play video games, or find any number of other ways to fill your time. I use my one day off a week to intentionally spend time “unplugged,” – I read, journal, have a longer devotion, go for a long walk outdoors or a day-trip, and try to devote the whole of my day to refueling myself before I start the next week. What I have just mentioned, along with minimizing time spent doing ministry every day, is hard because when you are single many people can pressure you to spend all your time doing ministry for the church. This is how pastors burnout and one reason that 1,000 pastors a year are leaving the church. Physical health is just as important as, and often reflects, spiritual health. Your time is God’s, but if you can’t take care of yourself, how can you take care of a church?

There are surely some things I’ve left out, so feel free to add to this. It is helpful for all young pastors (single or not) to have a mentor in ministry in whom they can confide and talk about ministry. I have left it out here because it isn’t something exclusive to being a single pastor. I hope this is an encouragement and help to all single ministers of the Gospel –  young and old, male and female, scholar and pastor. The truth is that none of us are really alone, but we are all working together for the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ; and the Spirit of our God is with us to help us accomplish our mission. May God bless you, encourage you, and give you strength as a single pastor or ministry leader as you seek to love God, love others, and fulfill the high calling in Christ to which you have been called.

Dear Single Pastor, Part 2. Read part 1 here.

Pastor Matt Gladd, FBC Kittery Point, ME

Where to begin?

First, as a single guy getting into ministry I anticipated some challenges, but met other challenges I could not have anticipated. One challenge I did anticipate is simply not having a wife with whom to talk and share my heart; someone to tell me when I’m right or wrong, and to challenge me in my personal spiritual life. That’s a lot, I know. I knew that this would make full-time pastoral ministry as a single man difficult because there simply isn’t that type of support in your life, apart from your relationship with Jesus Christ.

So, what to do?

I made it a priority to find people who could both support and challenge me in ministry and in my faith. I have one good brother in Christ that I talk to regularly, even though we live in different parts of the country. When we talk, we don’t talk about sports (even though we are both avid college basketball fans). Instead, we typically speak generally about how our work and ministries are going, and then we ask one another, “What is the state of your soul?” If there are people problems, we don’t gossip, but talk about how they affect us and only speak in general terms regarding the situation. If there are other problems, we try to speak to the root of the problem and draw out the sin at its source. Finally, we typically pray for one another: that the Spirit would put that sin in our life or someone else’s life to death, and thank God always for His grace and the joy of salvation.

I also have a couple of close friends whom I respect and consider especially wise that I talk to occasionally. I often seek them out for wisdom regarding various things, and we pray for one another continually.

I have another very close friend whom I talk with about deep theological convictions; and we mutually challenge one another in grace and truth by discussing the deep things of God. We also pray for one another.

I also have a close relationship with my parents, which is a great help to me. We disagree on some theological and ecclesiological points, but we love one another and are available to talk, simply listen, and remind each other of our love for one another. Sometimes, that can be a much needed thing in the life of the single pastor or ministry leader: simply having someone near to you who will tell you they love you. Ministry is not for the faint of heart and anyone who is in ministry knows that there will be times of frustration when you don’t feel loved.

Aside from those key friends and family, it is vital to have other Christian brothers in ministry to meet with for fellowship, encouragement, advice, and wisdom. I meet with pastors in the local association in my denomination once a month. I meet with pastors in the local community where I live and serve once a month. I introduced myself to many pastors in the area when I first began my ministry as a pastor, and I meet with some others for closer fellowship and encouragement frequently. I like meeting with other pastors in the area, despite our differences on many things, because there is a great ministry there and it is a reminder to me that local churches are not in competition; rather we’re all involved in the missional endeavor of the family of God. We are united in proclaiming the Gospel of God to our own congregations, our communities (our Jerusalem – Acts 1:8), and the world around us. This mission was inaugurated by God Himself when he sent Jesus on a rescue mission to earth, revealing Himself to save humanity from its problem of sin.

Last year Bryan Page hosted The Calling in Haverhill, and we had a blast working with him and his team. Things went so well that we again this year are planning on holding The Calling 2012: Mission New England in Haverhill Mass.

We would love you to welcome Bryan to the team, and wanted to share a little more about Bryan here -

Bryan Page | Bryan is the pastor of Momentum, the student community of Haverhill Alliance Church, serving in that position since September of 2009. A lifelong New Englander, God radically redeemed Bryan from a life of drugs and crime, and is a graduate of the ministry of Teen Challenge. With a heart for God’s gospel to bring renewal and transformation to lives, neighborhoods, and churches throughout New England, Bryan is passionate about preaching God’s Word and engaging the people and culture of New England. Bryan loves spending time with his beautiful wife, Danielle, and their son Dylan (born in 2010). Reading, writing, studying culture, and watching and playing hockey are amongst Bryan’s hobbies.

Connect with Bryan: facebook | twitter | blog | email | messages 

Dear Single Pastor, Part 1

Pastor Matt Gladd, FBC Kittery Point, ME

I have served the Lord as a pastor for nearly a year and one of the most common remarks I receive from other pastors isn’t concerned with my theology, my clothing attire, what is going on in ministry (what works, what doesn’t) or even, surprisingly, what is going on in my heart, but rather something about me being a single, male pastor. I don’t know what has happened in Christianity, or more narrowly Evangelicalism, but it seems that there is an expectation that one should be married in order to do ministry or be a pastor. There are a few Protestant denominations that actually require it, which is a far cry from the celibacy of the Roman Catholic Church from which Protestantism is derived.

I remember feeling a great deal of pressure at some moments in seminary as so many of my friends were married or on their way to being married. It can be a difficult and challenging thing to watch so many friends getting married while being single and not having even the prospect of a potential girlfriend. Then, there is that arduous task of seeking a ministry position in a church during and after that last year in seminary. At times it seems like you may be over-qualified for many positions, but don’t even make it through the early stages of the application process because your singleness has somehow given you the label of having a kind of “pastoral handicap.” When some of us are finally in full-time ministry, serving while single and are generally content, some people in the church and their pastors act like something is wrong with you. Needless to say, the single pastor and ministry leader don’t often get much of a voice in Christianity today, but they sure do hear a lot about their singleness.

Now, I have been speaking sympathetically of the difficulties that single people meet when trying to get into ministry. However, there are, no doubt, great dangers and potential pitfalls for that person, their ministry, and even their church. I will attempt to give a basic theology of singleness for the pastor and ministry leader. It is not my intent to leave out female ministry leaders, but my own experience obviously comes from a male perspective. It is my hope that although my thoughts may sound as if they are directed toward male ministry leaders, female ministry leaders may benefit as well.

[check back for the other 2 parts over the next week, thanks for reading and sharing.]