The Parkway Standpoint

Preaching As The Central Feature Of Christian Worship

2020-03-17T14:54:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Having as one’s objective, better, biblical preaching, will necessitate a certain analytical, discerning spirit. To some, any analysis smacks of “critical.” They are concerned that young preachers might be disheartened by condemnation aimed at weak preaching. It matters not how general you are when calling for the best possible effort in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Those who feel queasy about the integrity of the preaching specie they espouse will resent the challenge regardless. The mere suggestion that we improve is resented. Preaching is too important for thin-skinned resentment and stubborn pride. We all can and should strive to do better. Any young preacher discouraged by such an assertion, may not be cut out for the rigors of ministry in the first place.

Since preaching is the central feature of Christian worship, these things should be said:

Preaching is the primary means for exalting God in worship.

The simple form and function of the Baptist church, is intended to communicate the fact that God is still speaking to man through His word. The central location of the pulpit and the active speaking component of the weekly preaching experience suggests this. Preaching is the primary means for exalting God in worship. Preaching that is biblical, communicates accurate theology about God and His word with proportionality, will to that degree honor God. It will inform and edify the listener in their understanding of the Godhead and thereby, produce worship-inducing faith (Rom. 10:17). The height of our worship is determined by the depth of our spiritual understanding and effecting this is the goal of preaching.

There is far too much that goes on in the pulpit that magnifies men and their agendas instead of God’s. Preachers are quite adept at sanctifying their personal interests and featuring them in their sermons. This is a potential pitfall all preachers face. I wish I could re-preach a lot of sermons, but I cannot. Those accidents of ignorance and hubris, happened. Now, I labor to avoid repeating the same mistakes. If the preacher seeks to worship God as a part of his study process, it will help to infuse his preaching with God-enthralled expressions of truth that will require no editing or apologies.

Preaching is important because of its necessary content.

There is no question as to the necessary content of preaching. We are commanded to “Preach the word..” (2 Tim. 4:2). What the Bible says is our message. It is not what we use to undergird our message. The Bible is in total, in context - every word, phrase and teaching - our message. Biblical preaching is not accomplished with clever twisting and spiritualizing of texts in order to say what we think is important. Biblical preaching involves conveying what the Bible actually says and means to a group of people. The words of God…they are our message. The context in which it was given and originally intended, is how a text is to be understood and that is what we preach.

A basic theology of preaching and its priority would be as follows: We are made Christians by faith (Ep. 2:8-9). Faith is what enables the Christian walk (2 Cor. 5:7; He. 11:6). Faith comes directly from God’s word (Rom. 10:17). Consequently, it is God’s word that we preach in order to see people saved by faith and walking by faith. Paul told Titus, that God “…hath in due times manifested his word through preaching.” (Tit. 1:3). If our preaching is manifesting things other than His word, it ceases to be preaching. It is important to note that reading a passage or a verse before launching into an agenda-driven, anecdote-laden tirade or pep talk is not preaching. The content of the scripture in context actually needs to make it into the sermon. There is nothing wrong with lectures, speeches and talks that deal with things other than scripture. Just do not call it preaching.

The significance of the message and ministry of preaching must shape how we undertake the work.

Preaching is the means that God uses to save sinners (1 Cor. 1:17-18). This is serious, eternal business. When I hear people taking shots at those who “read a lot of books and use big theological words,” I know I am hearing from someone who has a diminished view of preaching. While simplicity is useful, ignorance and banality is tragic. Furthermore, genuine simplicity requires a greater comprehension in order to be achieved than a superficial handling of doctrine can produce. The challenge to be “better” is not criticism, nor does it come from a critical spirit (at least not from this source). Some appear to be offended by the slightest suggestion that better preaching is needed and possible. Many who are the most exercised in fighting modern styles in ministry are off-put…”alarmed”… by the challenge to preach with greater degrees of commitment. Styles of pulpits, clothing, lighting, music, grooming, seating and technology are all VITALLY important to some, but preaching “styles” are nothing to be worked up about. For the record, I am old-fashioned. I am King James Only (I believe the word of God is perfectly preserved in the King James Bible. I trust every single word). I am a Baptist, believe in hymn singing and I oppose entertainment-driven, worship services. I am not appealing for compromise. I am saying, in bold declaration, that it most certainly matters how you preach and what you preach. Preaching is MUCH MORE than a mere style issue. Instead of resenting the suggestion that our preaching is lame, why not dig in and insure that we stop preaching doctrine-free sermons that are overloaded with sensationalism and humanistic philosophy?

The substance and delivery of every sermon indicates what is important to the preacher and the church.

Years ago I took all of my sermons, many of them hand-written at the time, and laid them out on a table in stacks according to topic. As you might imagine, the size of the piles was revealing. As a young pastor, I preached three times the sermons exhorting the congregation to “do something for God” than sermons on encouragement or doctrinal edification. Many vital subjects were not touched. I simply “followed God’s leading in preaching what my people needed” (translation: I followed my selfish, often paranoid, internal impulses in my search for a “message” every week).

I did not realize (at least not in a mature sense) that I held the message in my hands. All I had to do was labor in a passage, organize the thoughts and preach the clear truth of scripture to the church. This is how God’s work gets done. The people would hear divine truth, the subject matter would be doled out in godly proportions and the congregation would learn how to understand a passage in context. Instead, I preached sermons that were shaped and motivated by my own presumption to diagnose the church’s spiritual condition. It always amuses me to hear the advocates for certain “styles” of preaching, say, “I want to preach what my people need.” The first thing that is objectionable here is the suggestion that any pastor knows what “his people” need. We do not even know what we need. The second is the implication that thorough, biblical preaching would fail somehow to meet that need. There is a marked difference between using the Bible to undergird a dissertation or rant on a subject that is accepted as “biblical,” and actually preaching the content of a text at hand.

The value of the congregants should be reflected in the quality and meaningfulness of every single sermon.

The older I get, the more precious the people are to me that come to hear me preach. What I once saw as an “opportunity,” I now see as a grave responsibility. God’s people are important and valuable. They submit their children to my influence weekly. They invite their friends to worship with us. They support the church financially. For me to go into the pulpit and “phone it in” is unthinkable. To replace Bible preaching with comedy routines, story time, motivational speaking, leadership talks, political tirades and pop psychology is near blasphemous. To whine incessantly about the 3% who are not supporting my fainting ego and ignore the faithful saints that are always plugged in is weak. As I am more aware of this charge, I labor with greater heart and less petty, self-interest. God’s people, the sheep under my charge, deserve my very best.

Every program, celebration, themed event and promotion has the potential to detract from the preaching and what it is about.

The eagerness with which some go about programing the church into an entertainment center, or as some would say, “turning the church into a circus,” has incurred a backlash of prohibition. Many have gone beyond opposing abuses and extremes, labeling any attendance push or special day as humanistic and pragmatic. Fair enough. God’s people could assemble in a barn, sing hymns, pray and have preaching from the word of God and do just fine. Many have. We might say anything beyond that is a departure from “the old paths.” Primitivism is a natural refuge for those deeply opposed to all things progressive. I cannot sort all this out, because I swing wildly myself at times between a passion for souls that moves me to “do something big” and my conviction that New Testament principles are sufficient without worldly adornment and distraction. Getting it right is not easy, but it deserves our best effort. When we are careful, both an active burden for souls and a faithfulness to sound doctrine and practice may flourish concurrently.

In contrast to a radical primitivism, many things can and should be done in order to relate to the people we are trying to reach with the gospel. Someone said kindness is treating people the way they want to be treated. Feeding people, enjoying good music and fellowship with special themes and promotions do not have to detract from the biblical thrust of the church…but often, they do. It is a curious thing to examine some church calendars and wonder where, between, a New Year’s stewardship push, the annual marriage series, Easter festivities, mother’s and father’s day, three patriotic Sundays, first responder’s day, baby dedication, Faith Promise month, back-to-school week, Trunk-or-treat and four weeks of Christmas sermons, the garden-variety, Bible preaching will get done. This little article will chaff some and it is not intended to. I am only suggesting that there might be a reason why John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said, “My little children, keep yourselves from idols (1 Jn. 5:21).”

Preaching must follow the divine order of the two great commandments: love God and love your neighbor.

Harry Emerson Fosdick, the 20th century’s leading liberal, was famous for promoting a modern approach to the Bible and a kind of preaching referred to as pulpit counseling. Evidently, many of us independent Baptists have been so busy rooting out hobgoblins of Hybels and Warren, that we have missed the creeping influence of Fosdick. It is common to hear preachers refer to their search for “a message” as part of their effort to “preach what their people need.”

What people need is no mystery, nor is it determined by our ability as “leaders” to diagnose. People need an enhanced, heightened view of God that only comes from a high view of scripture. The value with which we esteem scripture will be manifested in our preaching. We have a responsibility to preach the Bible, to hold the Godhead high before our congregations. Massive amounts of humanistic “how to” sermons could be replaced with doctrine and believers would be stronger for it (*Doctrine - what is taught, God’s truth in God’s words). Preaching is an act of worship. It is a central feature of Christian faith and practice. To reduce it to “rallying the troops” is a travesty.

The qualified pastor will be apt to teach.

One of the qualifications of the pastor is that he be “apt to teach” (1 Tim. 3:2). Jesus “…went about all Galilea, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom…” (Mt. 4:23). Again, doctrine involves, things taught, which is the central emphasis of New Testament church life. Teaching involves the transfer of knowledge with attention to detail; preaching is communicating God’s word with explanation and application. While preaching is distinct, it will include teaching. The teaching role of the pastor is fundamental to his work. “Building the church” is not. When we organize and lead in multitudes of functions and administrative duties and fail to teach people the word of God, we are failing as pastors. Feeding sheep the word of God is what being a pastor is about (Acts 6:1-4; 17:1-3; 20:20, 28; 28:31; 1 Tim. 5:17; 2 Tim. 2:15; et al.). If we attend every party, ball game and surgical procedure and fail to teach people the word of God, we are not doing the work of the pastorate.

If our agenda is biblical, Bible preaching will encourage it; if not, the agenda should be discarded.

Preaching the Bible, by passage and book, influenced in theme by what scripture emphasizes, repeating what scripture repeats, will produce holiness and proper theological perspective. Tantrums, tirades, demonstrations of rage, mockery, ridicule and sensationalism will not (Jm. 1:19-21). Authoritative, direct rebuke that excoriates all that is sinful and dishonoring to God is needful and will be called for as the scripture requires it. Sound exposition that explains the Bible and seeks to sermonize from that explanation will grow the listener in the faith. Agenda-driven, control tactics will not. The difference between a preacher searching around for a “thought” from a verse or passage that fits what he thinks his people need and laboring in a text to give the people what is there is night and day. No one needs to worry about Bible preaching. It will always meet the spiritual needs of people of faith. It never, ever misses.

Nothing will improve our preaching quicker than improving the preacher.

I always thought a mid-life crisis was superficial; the efforts of an aging man to maintain some element of “cool” for as long as possible. I remember the eighties when forty-five to fifty-year-old men would get perms and sports cars. I did not understand the depth of the struggle. Now I get it. I know what it is like to go through the day, numbering short-comings, failures and unrealized dreams like marbles in a bag. After awhile, you can no longer manage the marbles, nor can you start over.

Unfortunately, there are no do-overs. Most of our regrets; however, are overblown. The good we do is always in spite of ourselves and because of the grace of God. The best chance we have for preaching well with whatever time God has given us is to improve ourselves. Better food, exercise, rest, recreation, good books, systematic sermon preparation, reasonable self-analysis, strong relationships with the key people in our lives and honest effort to help people through evangelism and discipleship are all things that will help us. By helping ourselves, we help our preaching.

Better Preaching: A Matter of Faithfulness

2019-08-19T15:28:00.000-07:00

Preaching is the primary business of the church. It remains front-and-center in Christian worship because it demonstrates that God still speaks through His word. The act of preaching the Bible points the congregation to the only authoritative source for knowing God. Unfortunately, the grand nature of communicating truth is not always reflected in the content of the sermons and the behavior of the preachers. Often, humanistic philosophy, personal anecdotes, and fraternal qualifiers replace scripture for content, and shocking examples of sensationalism and gimmickry masquerade as the power of God.

Our belief in the inspiration and preservation of the scripture should keep us committed to the practice of expounding the word of God faithfully. The conviction that we have God’s words written down (scripture) should demand that we always seek to preach them (2 Tim. 3:14-17). In doing so, we succeed in our efforts to preach faithfully and to fail to do so, we fail to preach at all.

Better preaching requires faithfulness. Great preaching can be accomplished without intellectualism, entertaining personalities, and highly developed delivery techniques. However, great preaching will remain an endangered species without faithfulness. One of the salient verses in scripture concerning ministerial faithfulness is found in Paul’s dissertation to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:24:

But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

This kind of faithfulness was described by John Gill, as, “to testify the gospel of the grace of God, to profess and preach it, to bear a constant and public testimony to it at death, as in life, and faithfully to declare it, and assert it to the last.” Concerning Paul’s commitment to preaching with faithfulness, John Phillips said, “Paul…looked at life from a higher perspective than most of us. Self-preservation was not high on his list of priorities (Exploring Acts, p. 403).” If one is willing to be faithful unto death, certainly nothing will deter him from preaching faithfully. In contrast, who would die for humanistic anecdotes and syllogisms?

THREE FACTORS FOR FAITHFULNESS FROM ACTS 20

Humility

Humility is the opposite of pride (Pr. 6:3; 16:19; 29:23) and consists of lowliness of mind - a proper self-assessment. Pride is haughty, high-minded self-interest, which is a sure killer of faithfulness in preaching. J. I. Packer, called pride the number-one occupational hazard for the preacher. When we begin to preach and promote self, the biblical perspective will be lost and the power gone, or, as Spurgeon said, “You will never glory in God till first of all God has killed your glorying in yourself.” Acts 20 is clear - Paul lived for God and others, not himself. He served “the Lord with all humility of mind” (v. 19), he did not count his life dear unto himself (v. 24), and he frequently warned “with tears” (v. 31). It is difficult to imagine Paul discouraged because the church forgot his birthday. Paul was satisfied by the truth that God alone stood with him (2 Tim. 4:17).

Historically, humility has been considered an obvious prerequisite to ministerial success. Lowliness of mind is expected in a man of God. While we all have encountered those top-heavy, self-ascribed dignitaries who are proud of their virtue, we must not allow their oft’ intimidating pretense to dissuade us from pursuing humility. In spite of clear scriptural rebukes for pride such as, “the Lord will destroy the proud,” and “every one that is of a proud heart is an abomination to the Lord” (Prov. 16:5; 16:25), preachers are often more peacock that plow mule. Many would rather strut than serve. Hubris, even bullying, and belligerence is preferred by some over sound exposition and charitable application. It is so bad in certain circles that preachers even boast of their willingness to fight other preachers. It would be funny if it were not so humiliating. The obvious pitfall is to assume that fruitfulness in preaching is predicated upon the exaltation of the preacher. This colossal error has caused many to take refuge in the misinterpretation of verses such as…

“The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord’s anointed…” (1 Sam. 26:11).

“…I magnify mine office.” (Rom. 11:13).

“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” (1 Cor. 11:1)

…To the exclusion of verses like…

“…that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. For who maketh thee to differ from another?” (1 Cor. 4:6, 7).

“For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves…” (2 Cor. 10:12).

“…lest I should be exalted above measure.” (2 Cor. 12:7).

“And I will gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.” (2 Cor. 12:15).

“…for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me.” (Gal. 2:6).

Being humble, for the preacher, necessitates submission to a text of scripture. This trajectory precludes arrogance. This kind of genuine humility in the heart of a preacher is essential to faithfulness. Without it, authentic ministry suffers insurmountable blows to reputation and usefulness. Subtle forms of pride will show up in the preaching experience in two ways: the notion that the preacher must be considered “great” in order to do big things and in the aggrandizement of personal agenda. The antidote to each respectively is self-awareness and self-denial, the combination of both is de facto, humility.

Commitment to People

To the elders of Ephesus, Paul rehearsed his commitment to the people God called him to serve. He said, “Ye know…after what manner I have been with you at all seasons” (v. 18) and “I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you” (v. 20), “I am pure from the blood of all men” (v. 26), “I ceased not to warn every one” (v. 31), and “I coveted no man’s silver, or gold or apparel” (v. 33). A lack of humility will lend itself to an ego-centric, preaching ministry. Contrariwise, the humble man of God will prioritize people - their needs, burdens, and concerns - above his own. Paul’s profound love for those to whom he ministered is a matter of record (Rom. 1:7-12; 9:1-3; 10:1; 2 Cor. 1:24; 1 Thess. 2; et al.). As this kind of love is produced in our hearts for the people to whom we preach, we will experience fruitfulness in kind. The glorious gospel is worthy of this consistency.

Paul’s care for of the saints at Thessalonica provides an insightful guide for how to treat the people to whom we preach. Here’s a simple, observational rundown of the characteristics of faithful preaching from 1 Thessalonians 2. Look for…

Boldness (v. 1), not belligerence. Paul’s boldness was not displayed in his willingness to challenge other preachers to a brawl (re: nutty social media accounts), but his determination to speak unto them the gospel of God with much contention. Paul was defensive of the gospel, not his silly, personal opinions about every matter on earth from Lebron James to Donald Trump.

Honest exhortation (vv. 3-4), not manipulative, intimidating diatribes (a bitter and abusive speech or piece of writing). Paul had no personal agenda to perpetuate, nor fraternal loyalties to highlight, thus, deceit was not a temptation. His aim was to please God by preaching the gospel. He was not trying to raise money or get ahead (v. 5); he was living and dying for the gospel.

Gentle affection (vv. 6-8), not glory-seeking, self-promotion. A nurse does not enter the nursery, hoping the children will see how great she is. A nurse comes to cherish the children, to feed and protect them. The nurse provides an example of what the pastor is supposed to do through his preaching ministry - love his people by preaching the gospel and expounding its exigencies. This, and this alone is faithful preaching.

The backdrop against which this amazing example of service is set is Paul’s steadfast belief in the effectuality of God’s word (2 Thess. 2:13). He believed in the sufficiency of scripture and that conviction drove him. Faith in God’s word and its efficacy will lead us to preach it. Weak faith leads to weak preaching.

The Content of the Message

There was no doubt about Paul’s message. He preached “repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 21). He testified “the gospel of the grace of God” (v. 24), preached “the gospel of the kingdom of God…all the counsel of God,” (v. 25, 27), and “the word of his grace” (v. 32). He laid down the most lucid and comprehensive order for the work of preaching found in scripture - “Preach the word” (2 Tim. 4:1-8). While this should be obvious, it is not; for much time is spent in the pulpit on things that are not in the Bible, do not relate to anything in the Bible and indeed do not illustrate biblical truth. The energy expended in many sermons on subject matter not supported by the text or any other passage of scripture is stunning.

THE fundamental truth of Christianity is that God has spoken and continues to speak through His word. God…wrote…a book. We must preach that book. The Bible is our agenda. We do not “get our message” from the text; the text is the message. We labor to understand it in study, work to communicate what we understand in the preparation of the sermon and we deliver it faithfully by communicating just that - the content of scripture as God has revealed it.

Imagine the tragedy of an ordinary man getting up on Sunday morning, often his only day off, and going to church. He is a lost man, but he can sense his need for something more in life. He awakens his family; they get dressed and rush out the door with little more than a donut for breakfast. They pull onto the property of a local church to which they have been invited and navigate the off-putting currents of awkwardly, happy people. They are greeted and herded into place. They take in the music, sing some hymns (hopefully), stare at the decor, people and preacher. The moment of “truth” arrives and the pastor ascends the steps to the platform and preaches a sermon that is part Rush Limbaugh and part Jerry Seinfeld with a little religious jargon sprinkled in. The text of scripture is like the national anthem at a ball game. Once read, it is hardly referenced again. The pastor preaches patriotism, old-fashioned values, morals, work ethic and an assortment of things that may be amenable to whatever degree, but there is very little gospel, no Bible expounded in context and applied faithfully. What is said might be the truth, but it is not God’s truth. This scenario is dreadful. Every preacher of the word of God should fear their potential for this tragedy above all else.

Better preaching requires faithfulness and faithfulness involves humility, a commitment to people, and the right message. When we strive for these things, the difference will be self-evident. The difference will be faithfulness and in the these three areas, we can all do better.

Preaching And Practical Disciplines

2019-05-01T16:01:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Doing things well and continuing to do so requires the kind of self-maintenance conducive to excellence. Given the ordinary course of degenerative tendencies in unchecked human behavior, we do ourselves a favor by caring for, not only our need for improvement but our propensity for demise as well. We should expect our preaching habits, especially in the area of preparation, to drift into disrepair when unscrutinized. The practicality of systematic discipline becomes a servant to better preaching in this regard.

In a useful little book, entitled, The Disciplined Life, Richard Taylor said, “Disciplined character belongs to the person who achieves balance in bringing all his faculties and powers under control.” He said, “The difference is habit and habit is character.” These thoughts lead us to consider, how could our preaching improve if we applied systematic discipline to our approach to preparation?

Suggesting to preachers that our preaching could be better is similar to offering child-rearing advice to parents or telling your wife how to improve her looks. It is precarious; however, that does not mean that many parents do not need the advice, and wives…well, you get the point. I remind my readers, for whom I am grateful that I share these thoughts out of the overflow of research on the subject of Biblical preaching. I do not consider myself an expert, nor am I beyond the point of improvement - quite the contrary. It is difficult to image a preacher so haughty or hyper-sensitive that challenges to improve would be met with resentment.

By discipline, I mean to recommend the routine application of three practices that would help polish the finished product for any preacher from novice to veteran. By improving our preparation, we are sure to elevate the entire experience of preaching.

3 Disciplines For Improving Our Preparation

Reading

In his second letter to Timothy, pleading for assistance in his last days of service on earth, the apostle Paul told him to bring, “the books, but especially the parchments” (2 Tim. 4:13). Concerning this verse, “Spurgeon said, Paul was an inspired apostle; yet, he wanted his books, He had been preaching for at least thirty years; yet, he wanted his books. He had seen the Lord; yet, he wanted his books. He had heard things untranslatable; yet, he wanted his books. He had written a major part of the New Testament; yet, he wanted his books. ‘Bring the books,’ he said” (Exploring 2 Timothy, John Phillips). When preaching in Athens, Paul included, “…as certain also of your own poets have said,” (Acts 17:28), demonstrating the usefulness of an intentionally-developed, cultural sophistication.

William Cathcart, in his fantastic publication, The Baptist Encyclopedia, gave six-and-a-half pages of information under the entry, Baptist Literature. The amount of material that faithful Baptists of the past have written is staggering. While Alexander Whyte famously said, “Sell your shirt and buy a book,” we know that many of the great works of the past are available online, free of charge. There is no excuse for the small amount of reading accomplished by the average preacher. A cursory glance at social media would indicate that we have time for parties, dining out, ball games, concerts, travel, hunting, fishing, golf, and endless activities intended to please and entertain, but mention the need to read and it is amazing how busy everyone becomes.

It has been noted that if one reads slowly (250 words per minute), he could read 5,000 words in twenty minutes. The average book has about four hundred words per page, meaning you could read twelve-and-a-half pages in twenty minutes. At this pace, for just twenty minutes per day, you could read fifteen books a year on one subject, or you could plow through larger, classic works, in brief, nightly readings. The busiest of preachers can read, and if they do not, their listeners will know. A good goal for the extra reading required for front-loading for future preaching tasks or self-education in particular areas of theology or history is to set aside one hour daily, a morning, afternoon or evening weekly, a full day each month and a week annually.

Merely taking in words from the pages of a book does not constitute wisdom. Mortimer Adler said, “To be informed is to know simply that something is the case. To be enlightened is to know, in addition, what it is all about.” Montaigne spoke of “an abecedarian ignorance that precedes knowledge and a doctoral ignorance that comes after it” (How To Read A Book, Mortimer Adler, pp. 11, 12). I am not saying that knowledge, eloquence, and polish make a preacher, but neither does ignorance, incoherence, and crudity. How the fact of God’s powerful, effectual working through His word somehow negates the sense in our striving to be the best we can be is unclear. Improving our preparation through careful research and aggressive reading is no danger to faithfulness, though it may present certain hindrances for those who wish to confine us with convoluted philosophies and humanistic traditions.

Thinking

Through the study of scripture and laborious efforts to read one’s self full of good books, we find ourselves in consequent need of careful thought. The old advice is to “query the text” - to “beat importunately upon it.” As we question every word, phrase and statement in relation to context and sound theology, we are essentially thinking through the truth. We are referring to meditation (Jos. 1:8), which slows us down and takes us deeper into our subject. Thinking enables better understanding, and therefore, clearer elocution.

Jesse Burton Weatherspoon, said, “‘The only way to learn to preach is to preach’ - yet mere practice will never bring the highest skill; it must be heedful, thoughtful practice, with close observation of others and sharp watching of ourselves, and controlled by good sense and good taste” (On the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, John Broadus, New and Revised Edition, 1944, p. 8). What we think shapes who we are and our authenticity determines the nature of our preaching. Thoughtfulness produces a rich thoroughness of soul - the kind that comes out in great preaching. Paul said to Timothy, in 1 Timothy 4:13-16:

Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect, not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

A good rule for measuring doctrinal comprehension is, if you cannot teach it simply to someone else, you do not know it yourself. Thomas Armitage said, “A great gulf is fixed between a preacher who has something which he must say and one who puts words together that he may say something” (Preaching: Its Ideal and Inner Life, Thomas Armitage, 1880, p. 166). The preacher who “has something he must say,” is one who has read thoroughly and thought carefully about what he has read. Armitage, warning about “shallow performances,” likened it unto “the farmer who scratches a thousand acres an inch deep, and then calls it plowing. I prefer his neighbor, who tills a hundred acres by subsoiling it. He puts the plowshare in to the beam and turns up the rich soil, for a harvest rank in its golden wealth. You cannot cultivate gospel truth by the square rod. Thorough work calls for an exhaustive process in that which you do till” (Armitage, pp. 246-247). Along these lines, Broadus said, in reference to exposition, “He who begins it as an easy thing will find expository preaching surpassingly difficult, but he who manfully takes hold of it as difficult, will find it grows easier and more pleasant with every year of his experience” (Broadus, p. 153).

Thinking, in sermon preparation, should include when possible, some element of rehearsal or “thinking out loud.” I recommend this not for the pursuit of theatrical sensationalism (for this is unimportant, and should be avoided) but to discover the best possible way to communicate the passage. Saying it to yourself before you say it to others can be invaluable in helping to develop big-picture concepts and smooth transitions.

3. Writing

Few things would improve our ability to communicate like learning to write well. I am not suggesting that preachers employ florid articulation or become sanctified Ernest Hemingways. I mean to recommend better writing as a means for developing the ability to speak with appealing clarity. The purpose here is to be understood. Broadus said, “The chief means of improvement in style is careful practice in writing and speaking - not mere practice without care, for this will develop and confirm what is faulty as well as what is good” (Broadus, p. 236). A great sculptor loves to chip the marble. A good preacher must learn to enjoy the language employed in the work of preaching.

One of the best helps available on this subject is The Elements of Style, by William Strunk and E. B. White. In this indispensable little book, White quotes his beloved professor, Strunk:

Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that a writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subject only in outline, but in every word tell (p. xiv).

Nothing that is suggested in this article is on the level with knowing God and scripture and striving to confront sinners and saints alike with the charge of divine authority. Instead, I offer simple, practical disciplines that could make good, Bible preaching better. If a preacher made a habit of reading with systematic toil, thinking carefully about what he has read and endeavoring to convey his convictions with boldness, clarity, and zeal, his preaching would most certainly improve.

Preaching well does not necessitate the “wisdom of words” (1 Cor. 1:17), but it does require wisdom (Jm. 3:17). It is not entertainment but can be engaging (Lk. 24:25-32). It is diminished by sensationalism, but not by excitement (Acts 2:14; 15:13; 17:1-5, 22; et al.). Gimmickry in preaching is off-putting while clever applications are memorable (Acts 20:28-30; 24:14-16; et al.). Mysticism is misleading, but truth embraced by the heart will lead to profound, emotional sermons (Acts 2:37; 7:54; et al.). Every preacher would be helped by the disciplines of reading systematically, thinking through the material and writing out his thoughts to develop clarity and force. When these extras are added to routine sermon preparation, improvements will be noticeable.

Better Preaching = Work!

2019-03-15T17:38:00.001-07:00

Friday, March 15, 2019

In pursuit of better preaching, I began to research the subject over a year ago. The observations are noteworthy, and I felt it might be encouraging to some if I shared them. While challenging preachers to preach better sermons is as precarious as having lunch with Emily Post, the potential for good is staggering. One encouraged preacher can be used of God to shape eternity.

Once the preacher is immersed in the effects of having remobilized the axioms of biblical authority, better preaching will demand…work. It is life-work. Preaching that pulls back the shades of ordinary misapprehension and enables people to see the riches of God’s grace, will only be developed with hard work - daily, relentless work. One could not find a better example of pastoral labor than the oft’ quoted, ubiquitous, Charles Spurgeon. The English Baptist pastor preached thousands of sermons, published in 63 volumes - the largest set of books by anyone in Christian history. Spurgeon’s son said, “There was no one who could preach like my father. In inexhaustible variety, witty wisdom, vigorous proclamation, loving entreaty and lucid teaching, with a multitude of other qualities, he must, at least in my opinion, be ever regarded as the prince of preachers” (C. H. Spurgeon Autobiography, Vol. 2, p. 278).

One biographer said that Spurgeon read six books a week, wrote over 140 of his own and often worked eighteen hours a day. This from the man who said, “Brethren, do something; do something; DO SOMETHING. While committees waste their time over resolutions, do something. While societies and unions are making constitutions, let us win souls. Too often we discuss and discuss and discuss, while Satan only laughs in his sleeve. It is time we had done planning and sought something to plan. I pray you, be men of action all of you. Get to work and quit yourselves like men” (An All-Round Ministry, p. 55). This work, this commitment to doing, must value preaching as the pastor’s ultimate priority. Spurgeon certainly did, and Paul required it (1 Tim. 4:13-16; 5:17; 2 Tim. 2:15). Spurgeon said, “Emotion, doubtless, is a very proper thing in the pulpit, and the feeling, the pathos, the power of heart, are good and great things in the right place; but do also use your brains a little, do tell us something when you stand up to preach the everlasting gospel. The sermons that are the most likely to convert people seem to me to be those that are full of truth…Tell your hearers something, dear brethren, whenever you preach, tell them something, tell them something” (The Soul Winner, p. 99).

It is easy for the sundry demands of ministry to crowd out the vital work that goes into good preaching. The inimitable, Brown University President and Baptist leader, Francis Wayland, lamented his struggles with the conflicting concerns of the pastorate:

When a man’s mind is thus occupied, his interest in his people will gradually diminish. His outside work seems to be religious; it must be done today: his work for his people may be done tomorrow or next week, and in the end it is not done at all. At last his real work, the work for which he is paid - labor for the souls committed to his care - receives only the chippings and leavings of his time; and even those chippings and leavings have in them no vitality (A Memoir of the Life and Labors of Francis Wayland, Vol. 2, p. 196).

The tangling effects of the pastor’s potential involvements may lead, not only to preaching that is less than good, but personal and moral crises as well. Wayland continued:

Another effect of this multiplication of business is, to break up all habits of devotion, till a man’s religion becomes often a dry skeleton of orthodox doctrine, rather than a living fountain within him, quickening his own soul, and refreshing the souls of others. But the minister has the same liability to sin as other people, and some temptations peculiar to himself. If his religion has become inoperative, the power of temptation is redoubled, and nothing but the especial grace of God can preserve him from falling into sin (Wayland, pp. 196, 197).

What an unspeakable tragedy it is for the man of God to give only the “chippings and leavings” of his time to the work of preaching. It is worth more and requires more. Could we not give more to this great work? Granted, every pastor faces variations of scheduling imposition. Each situation allows for fluctuating combinations of time, talent and toil. Some men have the privilege (Lk. 12:48) of giving “full-time” to the work of edifying the body of Christ while necessity requires others to serve bi-vocationally (something many men of God have done with great usefulness throughout the years). Some have vast resources for building libraries and collecting material without end, while others, as Alexander Whyte suggested, sell their shirts to buy books. Some are vehicles of near peerless, God-given talent for moving people with persuasiveness and charm; others plod beneath the weight of their inherent limitations. Regardless, let us take the time and talent that God has given us and work! God can take the hands-full of meal that we can gather from the bottom of the barrels of our human resources and feed His people well.

A simple, two-fold admonition is in order:

Let us seize our opportunities by faith and work hard!

Could it be that the potential for better preaching among us dies, not for lack of ability, but the absence of vigorous faith? If we believe that God will bless His word, then our efforts should be proportionately applied to the significance of the duty before us. Because we believe, because we expect God to work - we work! Every opportunity is big. Every Lord’s day sermon is monumental. Every open door is meaningful. May we prepare accordingly. May we seize our opportunities by faith and work hard!

Faith that expects God to work that believes what God said because He said it in His word has sustained centuries of preaching from the darkest of places and through the severest of trials. One American example of rare, faith-based fortitude in preaching and ministerial labor is Isaac Backus. Born in 1724 in Norwich, Connecticut, Backus grew, by slow degree, into a Baptist by conviction and an ardent defender of religious liberty. Alvah Hovey described the labors of this “firm, consistent, earnest and charitable Baptist” in this way:

Without turning back to rail at those whom he had left, his energies were faithfully applied to the great work of preaching Christ at home and by the way. From year to year the little church under his care grew in numbers and strength; neglected districts were made glad as heretofore by his occasional but zealous proclamation of the gospel; and feeble interests were kept alive by his wise counsels and stout-hearted faith (The Life and Times of Isaac Backus, Alvah Hovey, p. 129).

During a space of eleven years (1756-1767), Backus preached 2,412 sermons (avg. 4 per week) and traveled 14,691 miles on horseback, not counting the travel and labor within the immediate reach of his local church labor. Cathcart recorded that Backus traveled, in a six-month stretch in 1789, through Virginia and North Carolina to strengthen the churches. He traveled 3,000 miles and preached 126 sermons. He accomplished, according to Cathcart, an immense amount of work during his ministerial life.

Alvah Hovey wrote of the journeys of Backus:

These were frequent and laborious until the end of life. Over the hills, across the valleys, and beside the streams of New England, he pursued his rugged and toilsome way, and accomplished his useful mission…Once he was thrown from his horse and severely injured; at another time was near losing his life by the cold; and very often he rode from morning till night in the chill and drenching rain (Hovey, pp. 312, 313).

Backus set the example for seizing the God-given opportunities by faith and working hard! His labor involved more than enduring the difficulties of eighteenth-century travel; he gave himself to study. Hovey said, “He applied himself with deep earnestness to the study of God’s word, with the best helps accessible and examined with great care the chief works in his own language upon systematic theology, ecclesiastical history and church polity.” Backus, a prolific author and powerful influence with the pen, “keenly watched the shifting forms of error and assiduously qualified himself to withstand their approaches,” a commitment that necessitated reading “the fugitive writings of the day.”

What would be the fruit of the Backus brand of ministerial commitment? Would we not all desire to see souls converted by the grace of God? Besides the passion for God’s glory, what longing could legitimately overshadow the burden for souls in the heart of the preacher? Backus said this:

(March 28, 1756) Preached twice to this people, and the Lord did draw near of a truth and give my soul sweet enlargement. Such bowels of compassion for sinners I haven’t felt for a long while. Oh, that the Lord would appear for the deliverance of these precious souls!

(March 30, 1756) After meeting in the evening, I spoke with a young woman who gave me a clear account of her conversion. I hear that some others have been recently converted in this place. How blessed a thing it is to see a new-born soul!

(April 3, 1756) Upon returning home and finding his family in good health, Backus wrote: The divine favors have been distinguishing here; and while I have been gone, the assistance which I have enjoyed in preaching and the conversions which I have seen among sinners, together with the language of new-born souls, have made it the most comfortable journey to me that I have taken this winter.

Maybe, those of us who enjoy comfortable, heated and air-conditioned vehicles with advanced audio technology; warm, dry homes and hotel rooms; a near-endless restaurant selection in every single town; comfort-oriented wardrobes, offices, and libraries; affordable laptops, iPads, smartphones, internet and all the advancements resulting from scientific and medical progress, the industrial revolution and the subsequent information age…could work a little harder at preaching good sermons. May God help us to seize each opportunity by faith and work hard at the work of preaching!

Better Preaching and Biblical Authority

2019-02-27T15:02:00.000-08:00

Monday, February 25, 2019

In a recent blog, I declared, since preaching is our priority trust, a commitment to improvement therein would be in order. The work of feeding the sheep by preaching God’s word is a labor worthy of our most arduous industry. As New Testament believers, we are continuing in “the apostles’ doctrine (Acts 2:42), and as they, contending for the faith once delivered unto the saints (Jude 3). The apostles are our examples of how to minister. They were the original preachers of the New Testament message. Thomas Armitage called them “comprehensive expositors of Him and His gospel.” Preaching is lofty, challenging work. Doing it well - better than ever - is worthy of our deliberate effort.

What does better preaching involve? We are commanded to “Preach the word” (2 Tim. 4:2) because it is “able to make thee wise unto salvation” (2 Tim. 3:15), it is “profitable for doctrine” (2 Tim. 3:16), and it is, to state the distinctive principle of the Baptists, the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. It appears; consequently, the first necessity for better preaching is:

Routine remobilization of the axioms of biblical authority.

Often, the influence of extreme challenges to our ideological norms, move us imperceptibly toward positions once unthinkable. This digression happened to preaching in the 20th century. Many charge Harry Emerson Fosdick as a prominent influence in this regard.

Fosdick, the leading 20th-century liberal, famous for the sermon, “Shall the Fundamentalist Win?” and the book, The Modern Use of the Bible, brought a modernistic philosophy to sermonizing. In his frustration with the difficulties of preaching, Fosdick “came to the conclusion that a new approach to preaching was needed.” In an analysis of Fosdick’s methods, found in the book entitled Preaching As Counseling, Edmund Holt Linn said:

The highly regarded expository method seemed to him fraught with weakness. It gave unwarranted importance to some passage in the Bible instead of to the business of living…”

Fosdick himself said, “Only the preacher proceeds still upon the idea that folk come to church desperately anxious to discover what happened to the Jebusites.” It is this kind of dismissiveness for God’s word that led an admirer of Fosdick to say, “If any young man wished to learn what to preach, he might look elsewhere; but if he would learn how to preach, let him tarry here.” Separating the how from the what is precisely how preaching took a downward trajectory in the last century. Preaching that is pithy, inspiring and informative and yet without biblical content…is not preaching.

Fosdick’s humanistic, liberal approach was described as “personal counseling on a large scale” where “the scriptures seemed to afford a source of interesting materials other than any kind of authority for Fosdick.” Sadly, some very influential fundamentalists, while rejecting Fosdick’s modernism, adopted an approach to preaching that is strikingly similar and theologically vapid. It hardly matters what one professes to believe doctrinally if it never makes it into his sermons.

If our preaching is to improve, the authority of the scripture must be our overarching, regulatory principle. When our preaching is shaped and informed by this conviction, that is, when we have remobilized the axioms of biblical authority in our preaching, some things will surface:

We will submit our own personal and fraternal agendas to the will of God.

The will of God is not, like some strategically located Easter egg, intended to be kept from us. His will is clearly communicated in His word. It is the plain thing that is the main thing, most of the time. By striving to preach God’s word and only His word, to never be wise above what is written, we will find ourselves limited to a more sanctified message. This determination keeps us trained on the goal of speaking what God has said, not so much what we want to say. God’s agenda does not accommodate ours. We are obligated to submit to His.

The solution is not to say that in our avoidance of personal crusades, we should seek unity at all costs. E. Y. Mullins said, “If denominationalism ever ceases to exist and all Christians become one it will be not by artificial schemes of union, but through the gradual growth of unity of view, that is, through the operation of the voluntary principle.” The gradual development of this "unity of view" will only be produced through the preaching and teaching of the word of God. Biblical persuasion is what produces the “voluntary element" upon which all genuine Christian profession depends. Intimidation, ridicule and backroom politics will not do.

The chaffing effect of God’s applied authority is not just for those who are ideologically divergent. His Providence and convicting work will resist our carnal impulses as well. Through the years, I have found some of my own most cherished plans and ideas to be wholly personal and not of God. Remobilization of the axioms of biblical authority will cause us to submit our will to His, in preaching, teaching, leadership, and ministry in general.

The content of the word of God will be the message.

I wish I could recover the time and energy I burned each week in the first ten years of my pastoral work, searching for a “message,” or what I called, “something to preach.” While I was aware of the command to “Preach the word,” I had my own ideas of how to do that. It took years for it to sink in that whatever passage I studied laboriously and delivered faithfully on any given Sunday, would be light years better than the clever sermonizing I might produce. I was commanded to preach the word with “longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Tim. 4:2), to hold “forth the words of life” (Phil. 2:16), but I was motivated by the desire to be sensational. I valued emotional contrivances over communicating truth clearly and sensibly. There is no correlation between constancy to biblical study and spiritual deadness. There is; however, a direct line between doctrinal ignorance and powerless, wild-eyed mysticism.

It is common for some to make a distinction between a classroom and the pulpit. They love to say, “Get out of the library and back to the pea patch.” While I am not exactly sure what that means, I do know that the word of God commands the preacher to work hard in the field of study (2 Tim. 2:15). Paul requested, not only the parchments but the books as well. Bible preaching (the bold proclamation of God’s word that demands a response) cannot exist without the component of teaching (the transfer of knowledge with attention to detail). Doctrine is what is taught. To “continue in the apostles’ doctrine” is to be devoted to strong, informative, theological preaching, teaching, and learning. A commitment to the scripture as “the final authority in all matters of faith and practice” will, without a doubt, result in the distribution of God’s truth as our primary ministry commitment.

Salient doctrines will not be trivialized by absurdity.

I have become increasingly alarmed by the distasteful, irreverent, undignified way in which God’s highest truth is being delivered. I must say, I have been guilty myself. I have preached about hell and resorted to sensational anecdotes to provide the “power.” I have preached about holiness and utilized the ridicule of others as a means for challenging God’s people. I have preached the gospel and relied upon gut-wrenching stories to bring people to a decision instead of exercising faith in His word and sending it out with painstaking clarity.

False ideas abound concerning the Godhead, eternity and the gospel. How necessary it is for God’s men to preach every sermon with faithfulness! We must preach, knowing that lost, confused, ignorant people will formulate their impressions of Christianity by how we handle the truth. “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God,” (Rom. 10:17), not by stories, tantrums, tirades, comedy routines, mysticism and guilt trips.

I offer these thoughts, not as a high-toned criticism of others, but as an expression of my painful realization that I have failed here myself. While I am abundantly thankful for God’s merciful demonstrations of grace in using me to the extent that He has, I am loath to continue without careful examination of my own heart and habits. With God’s help, I must preach better.

Why Theology?

2019-02-15T11:43:00.002-08:00

Friday, February 15, 2019

Albert Einstein is credited with saying, “I do not believe in the God of theology who rewards good and punishes evil.” What he misunderstood is that whether good or bad, all people have some form of theology. They have an understanding of God that is shaped by truth, their imaginations, someone else’s imaginations, or some unfortunate mixture of the three. An individual’s theology is either sound or fractured with error. The only standard for unassailable theology is scripture. David said, “Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way” (Ps. 119:128). God’s word alone is sufficient for shaping our views of Him and therefore our approach to worship. Psalm 19:7-10 informs our highest possible estimate of scripture which says:

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Scripture is the source of sound theology for the believer.

Recognizing that our doctrine comes directly from scripture is not to say that we cannot be taught theology by men. We are commanded to “teach all nations” (Mt. 28:19). The need to continue “in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:41) certainly involves teaching, which is what doctrine is - “things taught.” Apollos, though “an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures,” had the way of God expounded (explained, exposited) unto him more perfectly (Acts 18:24-26). The work of the New Testament involves, as its core operation, people teaching people (2 Tim. 2:2). Writing and publishing theology is part of this work - a work that is abundantly useful for edifying the body of Christ. While the concern about bad theology is valid, the dread for potentially stumbling over some objectionable teaching is poor justification for not reading the treasures that endure. As Spurgeon reportedly said, “He who will not use the brains of others, proves he has no brains of his own.” The answer to the encroachments of liberal intellectualism is not demonizing theology and theologians as a whole.

Theology is not merely for seminarians and ecclesiastical professionals. It is for every believer. Theology should not be viewed as the stodgy expression of college professors or the high-minded drivel of pompous intellectuals. Theology is the passionate pursuit of God in truth. It involves the desire of the seeker to study God in a way that brings their faith to bear upon their daily living and hopeful expectations. In 1742, early American Baptists stated in the Philadelphia Confession that the:

… doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God, and comfortable dependence on Him.

Our communion with God…our comfortable dependence on Him is conditioned by the soundness of our theology! Many believers are tossed to and fro because they are not grounded doctrinally (Ep. 4:14). Their ideas of God are flawed, and therefore their faith is frequently disappointed. What we believe about God is what enables us to stand, to persevere, not the humanistic slogans and syllogisms found on bumper-stickers and Facebook quotes.

Theology has fallen on hard times. Modern churches are religious entertainment halls and pop-psychology centers. Many conservative churches are hardly better, leaving aside genuine, biblical preaching and teaching for agenda-driven tirades and political activism. Lewis Sperry Chafer said (circa 1947):

Systematic theology, the greatest of the sciences, has fallen upon evil days. Between the rejection and ridicule of it by the so-called progressives and the neglect and abridgment of it by the orthodox, it, as a potent influence, is approaching the point of extinction.

Why should every believer make an effort to learn theology?

There is no genuine worship apart from sound theology.

Worship involves paying divine honors to the Supreme Being (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary). Paying proper and proportionate honor to God demands an equivalent knowledge of who God has revealed Himself to be and what He is known for doing. Deficiencies in the knowledge of God produce deficient worship. This is what Christ meant when He said, “God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:24). We do not have the option to nurture unbiblical thoughts and opinions of God and worship accordingly. A. W. Pink said that “God is solitary in His Excellency.” To ascribe worth and communicate adoration to God for His Excellency, one needs a measure of understanding of what this excellence entails. The study of God produces this awareness. “Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” (Ps. 29:2).

Faithfulness suffers without theology.

Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” A faithful life that pleases God is predicated upon what we believe about Him. If our theology is flawed, our approach to pleasing God will be flawed, and our faithfulness hindered. Sound doctrine clears the mind of unnecessary misapprehensions and replaces those hang-ups with holy ideas and sanctified aspirations.

The hope that sustains us is rooted in theology.

Waiting is difficult. Much of what we are promised as believers and therefore have come to expect, is yet future. It is hope that enables us to wait (Rom. 8:18-28). By enduring what God requires of us and taking comfort from the scriptures (there’s the theology), we can have hope (Rom. 15:4). This kind of hope is the result of believing what God has said, understanding it as He meant it, not leaning on our mystical contrivances (Rom. 15:5-13).

The only antidote for doctrinal error is biblical theology.

Error is no trifle. “…Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (1 Cor. 5:6)? When the scripture is treated as an institutional rule book that involves little more than a collection of disconnected proof texts or as a resource for accomplishing some incidental agenda, there is little hope of developing a sound, theology. This kind of surface-oriented sermonizing has left most of today’s Christians frighteningly vulnerable to a host of heresies. These errors slip in most of the time without notice, because as long as the ship is sailing on a steady course, few people care that it is taking on water.

It is so prevalent today to hear the din of outcry against preaching that is too long, dry, “deep,” or “above the heads of the listeners.” I sometimes wonder how unintelligent these “experts” think the average congregant must be. “Illustrate!” they say. “Tell stories!” You will reach more people this way! In his classic textbook, On the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, John Broadus said, “To ‘illustrate,’ according to etymology, is to throw light (or lustre) upon a subject.” I say, great. Illustrating is needed, so long as the illustration does not become the subject and the story the sermon! It will be a great day in our churches when we return to theological preaching, doctrinal teaching, and God-obsessed worship that shapes the thinking and living of the saints. Theology is a good thing. Should we need to defend “the study of God” to people who profess to worship and serve Him?

A Priority Trust: Committed To Better Preaching In 2019

2019-01-22T18:34:00.001-08:00

Institutions become dilapidated when discontinuity between their importance and our commitment to them is allowed to exist. Few enterprises are marked with more pervasive mediocrity than preaching. This is dreadful. The apostle Paul told Titus that God has “manifested his word through preaching which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour” (Tit. 1:3). The incomprehensibly important truth of “eternal life” which God promised before the world began, is made known to the world, through preaching.

It is hardly possible to overrate the priority of preaching God’s word. It is God’s plan for saving sinners (1 Cor. 1:17-21; Rom. 10:14-17), the means for equipping the saints (Ep. 4:11-12; 2 Tim. 4:1-3), and the centerpiece of corporate worship in this age (Acts 2:41-42; 1 Cor. 14:1-3, 23-25). John Broadus said, “But alas! How difficult it is to preach well! How small a proportion of the sermons heard weekly throughout the world are really good.” While the assessment of John Broadus rings true, it is unnecessary. Erasmus famously said, “If elephants can be trained to dance, lions to play and leopards to hunt, surely preachers can be taught to preach!” If it is true that good preaching is so scarce and yet so achievable, why the scarcity?

Good preaching is work.

The pastor’s responsibility is more demanding than what may be accomplished in a few brief hours, polishing an assortment of stories and syllogisms. Preaching that lays open the word of God is laborious. It involves more than clever wordplay and creative alliteration. Ecclesiastes 12:12 says, “…much study is a weariness of the flesh” and 2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Honest self-analysis is painful.

What preacher wants to discover egregious flaws in his content and delivery? Some truths are just too much to bear. Perhaps a better way of seeing this would be to rejoice that as long as we are alive, we have the opportunity to improve our craft. We can dig deeper, work harder, learn more and increase our passion for doing so. When we are honest with ourselves, we can see many ways that our preaching could improve.

The altered the objective and therefore the process.

It is so easy to get lost in the effort to please men. While attendance numbers and statistical metrics should not be what motivates the preacher of God’s word, it is almost impossible to avoid the temptation to measure one’s success with numbers. The natural response to this struggle is to preach to entertain and woo instead of edify, exhort and warn. To preach the word of God is our primary duty as pastors. Without biblical preaching, whatever we are winning people “to” is not what we are called to extol.

Bad examples prevail.

In a little book entitled, How to Improve Your Preaching (1945), Bob Jones, Jr. said, “People who write books on etiquette have my sympathy. They must - poor creatures - find little pleasure at a dinner party…When one presumes to set down rules of practice in any art…he immediately becomes the object of observation when he, himself, attempts to practice it…” No one should seek to become so critical of epidemic insipidity in the pulpit that he cannot be encouraged by the simplest and most sincere exhortations from good men. Even in our most gracious analysis, there is an abundance of absolute nonsense in preaching these days. Foolishness in the pulpit is no new thing, for Spurgeon said, “I have frequently said of myself that I would not go across the road to hear myself preach, but I will venture to say of certain brethren that I would even go across the road in the other direction not to hear them preach. Some sermons and prayers lend a color of support to the theory of Dr. William Hammond, that the brain is not absolutely essential to life” (An All-Around Ministry, by Charles Spurgeon, pp. 316-317).

We prioritize practical application over sound doctrine and thorough exposition.

Application is helpful as far as it goes; however, a passage carefully explained (exposit = explain; expound = explain) will contain much implicit application. When the meat and meaning of a text is overlooked for agenda-driven practicality, the discourse has become something other than biblical preaching. Coaching, counseling, advising, cajoling or motivating it may be, but biblical preaching it is not when we have failed to communicate the word of God.

Preaching demonstrates in its form and function the vital truth that God has spoken and is speaking to man. God speaks through scripture, and; the medium of preaching reminds us of this when accomplished faithfully. Consequently, to stand with God’s word open and preach could be the most urgent of all Christian responsibilities. It is an irreplaceable act of the highest order.

To preach; therefore, is something specific. It is clear what preaching is and is not. To preach is to speak God’s word to an individual or group of listeners so that they understand it in the way in which God intended. Sounds simple, but it is not. It is laborious always, frequently complex and seldom without a direct challenge to our presuppositions.

In 2019, with God’s help, I would love to preach with a more meaningful commitment to the trust that God has bestowed upon me. I want to improve. I long to preach well. Here are two ways that I intend to approach this objective:

By laboring in a text of scripture every week. Imagine the profit a local church would enjoy if their pastor toiled weekly to expound scripture to them with care. It can be shocking to examine what we are doing in the pulpit. Analyze some of your sermons. Remove the jokes, long stories, rants, politics, and personal opinions and notice how short the sermons become. Take some of the time back and preach God’s word to the people. In a decade you could effectively cover large portions of God’s word where families will be influenced by truth instead of belligerence and silliness.

Preach with the glory of God and the good of others in mind - a much nobler motive than performing for laughs or admiration. God is exalted when His word is communicated in clarion presentations of boldness and conviction. Speak the truth in love. Know that when the hearers of God’s word believe it, His word will change them. What an amazing privilege! What a vital trust!

Goodbye Dad: Thoughts Upon The Loss Of A Great Father

2017-06-26T13:53:00.003-07:00

Monday, June 26, 2017

I am one of those fortunate souls, blessed with the legacy of a great father. My dad, Dolton Wayne Robertson I, according to me and my brother’s estimation, was the apotheosis of Christian Fatherhood. He was the benchmark. He was as compassionate as he was strong, as funny as he was stern and as wise as he was common and accessible.

After a three-week battle with the aftermath of two heart attacks, Dad went home to be with the Lord from Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. For me, the experience of his passing brought unprecedented exposure to the realities of mortal limitations and the important complexities of life. Saying goodbye to loved-ones that you value so has a way of imposing the priorities of wisdom, causing the fog of frivolity and self-interest to dissipate.

While I feel less than adequate to sort out my own perspective with clarity, Allow me to share a few thoughts - thoughts that I hope could encourage the reader to apply the lessons of future loss to the important commitments of the present. In other words, may you begin to do some of the things today that you will wish you had done when your loved-ones are gone.

Thoughts…

Regrets are real.

I had a fantastic relationship with my father. I have no bad memories - just for the record. I do; however, regret a ton of little things. Maybe some have lived so well that they can stand at the bedside of dying loved-ones and not feel the compulsion to count the missteps along the way. I have not.

I did not call enough. I did not visit enough. I did not ask enough questions (and then listen to the answers). I spent too much time trying to demonstrate my strengths to my father, instead of admiring and learning from his. I should have been the personification of submission, honor and gratitude. He deserved that.

I have no deep self-loathing, but once your loved-ones are gone, there is nothing else you can do. This is why Lester Flatt said to send the flowers while they are living! Dad knew I loved him, but I wish I could tell him once more with feeling.

The point? Get busy loving the ones you love. Seriously, get at it.

2. Doing the right things cannot be over-valued.

I cannot imagine how difficult those last days at Vanderbilt and especially the final moments would have been, were my father not the man that he was. How painful would it have been to say goodbye to an abusive, uncaring, unChristian man?

The way Dad lived made it so much easier to say goodbye. From Mom to the youngest grandchild, we all had fond memories of a man that we knew loved us with all his heart. His family was always more important to him than his golf buddies or business partners. He was faithful at his post at the end of the pew, three times a week. His near excessive favor for his sons only pushed us to buy into the truth that he was preaching (in life, that is, Dad was not a preacher).

Dads, moms, husbands, wives…do the right things. Put the big stuff in and let the rest fill in the spaces that are left. If you truly, actively love the people in your life, they will know it, and it will make a difference.

3. Knowing God is the chief pursuit.

I will never forget the day that I realized my dad was a genuine, dedicated Christian. We were all working in the yard and it was hot! As a young sixth grader, I asked Dad if he wanted me to get him a beer. He said, “No son, there’s not going to be any more beer around here.” I watched him come home at night and study his Bible. I was thrilled on Sunday mornings to get up and ride the church bus that he drove. I was often amazed at his testimonies of answered prayer.

My Dad was a great provider. He was a hands-on coach, a drill-instructor, a sales manager, meaning, he taught us by being with us. He was fun and always positive. He was never, not ever, hateful to his family, but the most important thing about Dad was his faith. He knew God. I have to believe that was the primary reason for the other strengths that he modeled every day.

Allow me to challenge you with these three thoughts: (1) Get busy loving your family now - you will not always have them with you, (2) Live the kind of life that will allow your children to rejoice at your bedside when the Lord calls you home, and finally, (3) Get to know God. Pursue Him. Draw nigh unto Him. Consequently, death will simply be, going home.

Thank you, God for Dad.

The Trajectory of Worship

2017-03-02T11:47:00.001-08:00

Thursday, March 2, 2017

As Webster tells us that worship involves “paying divine honors to the Supreme Being,” and as we attempt to justly reverence God whom A. W. Pink described as being “solitary in His excellency,” we find that the world, the flesh and the Devil are formidable impediments to said worship. Satan and his minions are busy seeing to this, while our own flesh is incapable of resisting the steady appeal the world system makes against it. The normal trajectory of our soul is given to failure. This is what led the hymn writer to say, “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.”

We are too often ruffled by the frenetic nature of our lives when we should “Be still and know…” that God is God (Ps. 46:10). We struggle to maintain a happy spirit in a very frustrating world, when Psalm 149:5 says, “Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.” We run about with a frantic fearfulness at times, when we ought to “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage…” (Ps. 27:14). Because of God’s statutes, our hearts should be sound and unashamed instead of shaken, downcast and desperate (Ps. 119:80).

At the root of this problem with the Christian’s struggle to maintain a life of genuine worship and enjoy the benefits therein, is what I refer to as “soul trajectory.” The path that we take in our mind and heart on a daily basis will determine the quality of our daily journey. Psalm 25:1 says, “Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.” This idea is also stated in great detail in Psalm 86:4-7:

4 Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

6 Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.

7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.

David said in Psalm 5:3, “…in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.” This is intentional. You have to turn your thoughts toward God on purpose. If you wait for inspiration to drive you to worship, you will seldom experience the full blessing of God’s goodness. This is a challenge for us all. May we determine to tune our hearts, lift up our souls, set our affections on the Lord of Glory and the many wonders of His word and works.

A final thought: the kind of prayer that makes this happen involves two things. David said, “Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation” (Ps. 5:1). When we approach God in prayer, there should be words - these are the pieces that make up the mosaic of prayer. There should also be meditation. Thoughtfulness should characterize every prayer, as John Gill said, “Meditation is requisite to prayer and should go before it.” Thinking carefully and crying out to God as a result is the right trajectory for establishing a spirit of worship in our everyday lives.

Valentine’s Day Musings

2017-02-14T15:33:00.000-08:00

Lisa & I at Hyles-Anderson College circa '86

February 14, 2017

The Boston Baptist preacher, Francis Wayland, used the phrase “unreserved affection” to describe the kind of love that married people are to have for one another. In a love-stunted world, I have had the pleasure of knowing 29 years of unrestrained, unselfish, romantic love from the wife that God gave me. I met Lisa Schaap at Hyles-Anderson College in 1985, and we started dating that fall. She has been my closest friend ever since.

While this blog does not provide the space for an exhaustive treatment of the subject of marriage and romantic love, nor would I be the one to write such a piece, I would like to offer a few simple thoughts concerning the good times that we have shared. There are big-picture principles and suggestions galore - I simply chose a few that were on my heart.

If I were to summarize my life with Lisa, I would say that it has been easy. Life has not always been easy, but life with Lisa - always easy. What we have together makes every dream bigger, the joys sweeter and each burden more bearable. I contend that marriage does not have to be difficult. Ours has been easy for several reasons.

Singing in Chapel at College in '89

The first reason is that Lisa and I share a mutual attraction. While you may question her judgment (and I do not blame you for that), it is nonetheless true. I am frequently stunned to hear preachers imply that the physical appeal is not important. I even heard one pastor say he married his wife, not because his wife was attractive but because it was God’s will. That is mystical nonsense. The Bible does not tell anyone who to marry and your impulses, however strong, are not to be construed as a divine mandate. Clearly, Sarah was “very fair [beautiful],” a reality not lost on Abraham (Ge. 12:11, 14). Like his father, Isaac found a woman that was “very fair to look upon” (Ge. 24:16). Rachel was preferred by Jacob because she was “beautiful and well favoured” (Ge. 29:17). While Proverbs 31:30 warns us of attractiveness without character, saying, “Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain…” we still get the impression that the virtuous woman maintains her appearance, for “she maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple” (v. 22). Song of Solomon speaks repeatedly about the attraction that comes with romantic love. Who could deny the sensibility of such a thing?

A Blessed Old Couple Still In Love

The second reason that our marriage has been so easy is that Lisa and I have always held compatible views - we agree on everything that is important. While I cannot imagine my life without her, I believe that our good times are to be contributed to our unity of faith and character, rather than some soul-mate concept from a Disney movie. Both of our parents are hard-working, faithful Christians. We grew up in Baptist churches where the Bible was believed and preached and we both had a strong desire to be used of God at a young age. All I needed to do was get her to pull for the Crimson Tide instead of the Michigan Wolverines and all would be right. Mission accomplished!

Let me encourage you single Christians, have long, substantive conversations before you move toward marriage. Discovering this kind of compatibility is essential. If you are already married, work to develop shared views of life through faith in God and the knowledge of the scripture.

The third reason that marriage has been easy is that we have enjoyed life together! We have always had our time from weekly dates to romantic get-aways. We never used the kids or financial difficulties as excuses to keep us from finding ways to be together. It has always been a priority.

Yes, walking with God, a good church, careful financial practices, proper child-discipline and many other issues factor into the dynamics of married life; but, if you are attracted to one another, you agree on all the big stuff and you have a good time together, you can face the routine obstacles of life with a rewarding resolve.

The Christian and “the Good Life” - Final Thoughts

2017-01-25T16:15:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Thoughts of profound gratitude, prompted by a wonderful Christmas vacation with my family in Chicago, led me to write these few blogs on the questions concerning the Christian and pleasure, leisure and enjoyment. Should the Christian pursue experiences simply for the enjoyment of them? How much is too much? We have concluded that God is interested in our enjoyment of the benefits that He provides (1 Tim. 6:17; Jm. 1:17, 18; Ecc. 5:18-19; Ps. 34:8; et al.). As in Keach’s Catechism of 1677, “Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” Enjoying God would certainly include a grateful celebration of those things which He provides.

We could not conclude a discussion of this nature; however, without pointing out the peril of pursuing, living for, pleasure. Proverbs 21:17 says, “He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man…” Luke 8:14 speaks of those who “…are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life…” 1 Timothy warns of the woman who “liveth in pleasure” as being “dead while she liveth,” and in 2 Timothy 3:4 are those who are found to be “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.” Living in and serving pleasure is identified as the lifestyle of the unconverted (Tit. 3:3-5; Jm. 5:5), not the redeemed. The key to the conundrum would seem to be a matter of priority. Those who love pleasures more than they love God, will allow the pursuit of pleasure to lure beyond the boundaries of Christian propriety. All pleasures; however, are not worldly (1 Jn. 2:15-17). Thus, if rightly ordered, these pleasures are perfectly acceptable to enjoy as a gift from God. Remember Psalm 35:27, “Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant” (emphasis mine). Favor God’s cause, magnify Him, prioritize worship over pleasure and you are on the right path to enjoying “the good life” without regret.

Final Observations From Our Family Vacation

While the architecture, avenues and art galleries of a world city are elevating in their ability to inspire, there’s no place like home.

The Lord has allowed me to live in beautiful Lawrence County, Alabama, within sight of the Bankhead National Forest. We love this quiet community and its people. The memories we have already made in our renovated single-wide on two acres of majestic oaks and a red barn, are priceless. This small town of Moulton is a special blessing to us. Parkway Baptist Church is our life and our heart is here. It is good to be home.

While the rare extravagances we allow ourselves in the special moments of life are gratifying, it is hard to beat life’s everyday blessings.

In this world in which we live, there is no shortage of wonders and amusements. I enjoy life. I think we should. I enjoy traveling and taking in the sundry scenes and cultural variety that it affords. I love the cities, the buildings, the neighborhoods, the food and the people. I love the big woods and coastlines of Maine, the vastness and variety of New York City, the brawny, determination of Chicago, the vivid character of the midwest, the rugged soul of the south, the independence of Texas and the “cool factor” of southern California. I enjoy a great chop house, rich sauce and pastas, fresh breads, Wiener Schnitzel, pizza in Chicago AND New York, beef on weck in Buffalo and the list goes on.

I enjoy used bookstores, small towns, coffee shops, mountain streams, and shopping from the Smoky Mountain Knife Works to the Beverly Hills Barney’s. I am inspired by the music halls, symphonies, museums, art galleries, historic sites and parks all over America, but when it is all said and done, let me go home.

I am always happy at home. I am abundantly grateful for my wife who makes it the place to be, my kids who make it worth it and the memories that live there. I love my chair, my television, my coffee, my remote control, my front porch and my bed. These things all make home…sweet - the place where the good stuff is found. A fresh tomato sandwich on white bread and a cold Diet Coke will often rival aged beef and creamed spinach. I love my old truck, a canoe, a good book, a sharp Case knife, a well-tuned guitar, cotton fields, trees in bloom or turning in the fall, wooden bridges on gravel roads - all the simple pleasures that make home a place of thanksgiving. Thank you, Lord. You have been so good to me.

Conclusion

A vacation is enhanced when it is not something that you “live for.” When you know that going home and getting back to work will be a blessing, your time away is that much better. Dream of better things, set some goals, work toward them, but rejoice in what you have today. Enjoy the simple pleasures, the presence of family, the blessing of a local church and the work that God has given you to do. When you are afforded the opportunity, enjoy some of the finer things of life, “the good life” that is. Do so with gratitude, knowing that everyday-fare is pretty special.

The Christian and “the Good Life” - Part 2

2017-01-11T13:00:00.002-08:00

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

As in The Christian and “the Good Life” - Part 1, I harken back to our family, Christmas vacation with delight, and with high hopes that we might do it again some day. The familial conversation was rich and rewarding, the hotel was delightfully nostalgic, the architectural images and artistic encounters were elevating, the shopping was thrilling and the food, well, that was just too good to begin to describe. From the big city breakfasts with corned beef hash, rye toast and orange marmalade to the aged, chop house beef and Chicago style pizza, the verdict was a unanimous “wow.”

Those pleasures that we enjoyed were what put me on this path of consideration. It caused me to contrast the daily provision at home with the more extravagant presentations of comfort and cuisine on a metropolitan vacation. It begged the question - How much is too much? Is it a sin, a carnal indulgence to ingest simply for the pleasure of it? Should we feel guilty when enjoying the leisure of an off-day or a nice car or clothes that we find suitable to our tastes?

While some of our more legalistic brethren seem to find ways to marginalize even the most benign amusements and conveniences (like belittling people for drinking quality coffee because they could give that money to missions), others seem to think the body of Christ exists for their benefit (like the evangelist who berated the young pastor because the love offering he received from the church was meager). As always, we have to ask ourselves, “What does the Bible say?”

Enjoyment

It is abundantly clear that God wants us to enjoy things. Paul told Timothy to “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17). The word enjoy provides us with a cognitive construct that implies meaning. For instance, joy is found for the first time in the King James Bible in Deuteronomy 28:41 where it is clearly identified with gladness of heart (WEB1828 - “gladness”). According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the prefix en, in French and English are the same as in in Latin and mean, “to bring into a certain condition.” To enjoy something is to be brought into a state of delight, joy or gladness because of that something. It means, to possess, use or experience with delight (OED).

According to Paul, God intends for us to be brought into joyfulness and delight by the riches that He gives us. We are to enjoy them. Now we are warned about the potential dangers - two of which stand out. (1) Arrogance - “be not high-minded;” and, (2) False confidence - “nor trust in uncertain riches” (1 Tim. 6:17). As long as we are humble and careful to trust God who gave them (Jm. 1:17, 18), then we are free to enjoy our privileges. John Gill said, “He gives all things richly, largely and plenteously; what is necessary and convenient, and abundantly more than men deserve: and that to enjoy; not to lay up, but to use for support, refreshment, and pleasure, though not to abuse.”

The extremes of materialism and asceticism should both be avoided by the Christian. When the apostle Paul said “I know how to abound,” (Phil. 4:12), it was clear that he did not feel the need to decline every opportunity to enjoy life’s special moments. The world’s greatest philosopher, King Solomon, said in Ecclesiastes 5:18-19:

Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.

There is no reason for the conscientious Christian to feel guilty for enjoying the blessings that God gives him. There is; however, a very important guideline for maintaining spiritual perspective when enjoying abundance. It is simple. Share. Paul charged Timothy that the rich were to “do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate.” Guy King said the world is made up of “getters and givers.” David Dunn, author of the 1947 classic, Try Giving Yourself Away, said, “Almost anything in the world can be bought for money - except the warm impulses of the human heart. They have to be given.”

The clinched fists of greed and jealousy have never brought joy to anyone’s heart. However, the glad willingness to share our blessings with others brings with it an inexplicable satisfaction - the richest kind of joy.

The Christian and “the Good Life” - Part 1

2017-01-05T13:35:00.002-08:00

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

I have a close friend who’s motto is, “I am easily satisfied with the very best.” While this is funny, he is, actually. Aren’t we all? I do not know about you, but I would rather delight in quality than strive to convince myself that what I am enjoying is “just as good.”

This Christmas I travelled with my wife and adult children to Chicago. We celebrated the season in a nice hotel, eating well and shopping for a few days - a dream come true for us all. We are not rich. We saved for an entire year, shopped for deals for the hotel and plane tickets and lived “the good life” for five days.

This wonderful experience, for which I am grateful to God, caused me to consider the ramifications of leisure, vacations, comfort, pleasure, rest and the Christian life. These considerations forced me to see both excess and want, grateful enjoyment of God’s goodness and the love of pleasure to surfeit. I saw homelessness and high society on display daily. As I enjoyed Chicago’s Magnificent Mile and the Gold Coast, I heard the groans of poverty and the rhapsody of materialism sounding forth in one cacophonous appeal for recognition.

Rest

The sensory overload of it all set me to thinking of “the good life” and what that entails in light of scripture. We know that rest is a good thing. From the beginning, God set an example for man to work for six days and rest for one, to cease from his labor for a season, weekly (Ge. 2:1-3; Ex. 16:22-26; 20:8-11). Jesus invited all those who are “heavy laden” to come to him and find rest (Mt. 11:28-30). Rest is a good thing, a needed thing. In Genesis 18, three men - one of which is the Lord Himself - pay Abraham a visit. In a near frantic effort to be hospitable to them, Abraham said, “Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. And I will fetch a morsel of bread and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on…” (vv. 4, 5).

Exodus 23:12 associates rest with being “refreshed.” Rest in the Webster’s 1828 Dictionary includes some fourteen variations, the most notable being, (1) Cessation of movement or action of any kind; (2) Quiet repose; a state free from motion or disturbance; and the contextual alternative, (3) That which is left (i.e. the rest). Mark 6:31 identifies rest with leisure (the one time leisure is found in the KJB), which means, “freedom from occupation; convenience of time.”

So, we understand that to rest in the sense of taking time for one’s self might include stillness, quietness, cessation of effort, leisure, eating, drinking as well as many other common comforts. The important factor to bear in mind; however, is that we rest that we might be refreshed, that we might carry on with our work. Rest enables us to “comfort” our hearts (Gen. 18:4-8), comfort meaning, “to strengthen; to invigorate.” Charles Spurgeon said, “Rest time is not waste time. It is economy to gather fresh strength…it is wisdom to take occasional furlough. In the long run we shall do more by sometimes doing less.” He said, “They who work most must rest most.”

So many of our struggles could be remedied, or at least ameliorated by taking some time to rest. Much of our discouragements and depressions could be chalked up to fatigue. Again, Spurgeon said, “Depression is a leak through which the soul’s force wastes itself drop by drop.” Find some time to sleep. Eat some good food. Take a walk in the park or down a forrest trail. But most of all, remember, “No man ever rested too long upon the bosom of Jesus” (Spurgeon).

Theology ~ The Science of God

2016-09-15T10:23:00.000-07:00

At Parkway Baptist Church, we have started a journey through systematic theology in our Wednesday night Bible studies, each week at 6:30pm. A study of theology is nothing more than a life-long investigation into the science of God - a determination to learn of God and His ways.

It will by necessity, remove us from the din of the post-modern diversity cult and submerge us into the distinct, melodic, harmonious music of God’s truth.

Right theology is a symphony of grace - Divine music to rouse the sinner from the cacophony of his self-determination and set him within the splendid crescendo of transcendent worship.

Biblical, systematic theology is not mystical, but revelatory. It is not philosophical, but propositional. It is the timeless revelation of God which transforms us from glory to glory.

The quality of one’s theology is not measured by the popularity of its ideas or the practicality of its application, but rather, its consistency with the clear teachings of God’s word. The sine qua non of Baptist doctrine is our foundational belief in the final authority of scripture in all matters of faith and practice.

“Biblical theology consists in the facts of the Bible, harmonized by scriptural comparison, generalized by scriptural theories, crystalized into scriptural doctrines, and so systematized as to show the system of truth taught, to the full extent that it is a system, and no farther.” (James Pettigru Boyce, one of the original founders of Southern Seminary in 1859).

Concerning his compendium on Christian Doctrines, J. M. Pendleton said, “…it has been my purpose to present the views of theologians so far as those views accord with the teachings of the scriptures. The Bible is the only authoritative standard of faith and practice. The questions in the writing of every chapter have been, “What saith the scripture?”

We have begun our study in systematic theology. It is our desire that you will join us and that these studies will bring you closer to God.

Simple, Summer Suggestions For The Family

2016-05-28T15:05:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Summer is here. It is time for travel ball, bream fishing, swimming, water skiing, Vacation Bible School, summer revivals, homemade ice cream, vacations, broken-down air conditioners, sun burns, snakes, bugs and heat. Lots of heat. While opinions about the pleasures and discomforts of summer abound, it is certainly a time when we seem to be busier than anticipated. What we hoped would be a welcomed change in schedule and activity is often frustrating instead of stress-free; a fact demonstrated by the frequently overheard statement, “I cannot wait until school starts and things get back to normal.”

Frustrations are usually the result of drifting into life’s predictable circumstances with little forethought. We tend to trust that things will be different; and therefore, we make no preparation to alter the predictable or prevent the inevitable.

Please allow me to share a few very simple suggestions for a better summer. These thoughts are a not deep and they have nothing to do with saving money for your vacation or cooking the best possible steaks on the 4th of July. I want to encourage you to determine to get one thing right if you miss all else - turn your heart toward home.

The Happy Christian Home Needs…

1. Faith that transcends the disturbances of life.

Job said, “…man is born unto trouble…” (Job 5:7). James said, “count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations,” and “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried…” (Jm. 1:2, 12). Peter said, “…if need be, ye are in heaviness…the trial of your faith being much more precious than gold that perisheth…” (1 Pe. 1:6, 7). Obviously, trouble is part of life. It is unavoidable. If you live long enough, you will experience heartache, grief, pain and disappointment. Some endure less trouble than others, but all will suffer difficulties that try the faith.

Our families need to know the quality of faith that sees one through the trials of life, refined as gold (Job 23:10). Our children need to know God and not just some things that they are told about God. Only if our kids are routinely pointed to high thoughts of God and a high view of scripture, in the sense that ALL of man’s vanity is seen for what it is, can we expect them to navigate through the moral vicissitudes of this godless culture.

God and His word must be greater to us all than ourselves, our preachers, our politics or the pleasures that consume us. At some point, a child will grow to see the inconsistencies that surround them, in spite of our voluminous apologetics. When they see the flaws in their parents, the blind-spots in their preachers and the innumerable pitfalls of a godless culture, may they know to take refuge in God and His word.

2. Men that care about the emotional well-being of their families.

“Husbands, love your wives… (Ep. 5:25). “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies (Ep. 5:28). “..fathers, provoke not your children to wrath:” (Ep. 6:4). “Husbands, love your wives and be not bitter against them…provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged” (Col. 3:19, 21). “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel…” (1 Pet. 3:7).

If men would strive to live out these simple admonitions from God’s word, it would transform most homes! Imagine the influence of, a man who actively loved his wife, honored her in special ways, so that her value to him was obvious! Imagine if he brought up his children in a way that never drove them to anger but encouraged them!

What if the many other simple commands about relating well to others was practiced at home? Would it help our families if the man of the house was careful to “Rejoice with them that do rejoice and weep with them that weep,” (Rom. 12:15), or to, “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another, (Rom. 12:10), or to, “…be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:” (1 Pet. 3:8). There are many other like commands.

The need is for fathers to care about the feelings of their family members. Now, of course we care, but do we take action in such a way that our families know that? That’s the important thing. Talk to, listen to and serve your family. They're worth it.

3. Women who are not ashamed to love home.

Paul said, “I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully” (1 Tim. 5:14). Clearly, the woman has a responsibility at home that is especially hers. It cannot be farmed out to the man or the nanny if God’s best is to be enjoyed. Titus 2:5 says that they are to be “…keepers at home.” While that would mortify the average feminist, it is scriptural nonetheless.

It is no secret that for a woman to actually love her home, to have a heart for the affairs of the home is considered a weakness by many today. Especially of she is essentially identified with home; that is, if home is what she is “about.” Wisdom; however, tells us in Proverbs 31:28, 29 that the virtuous woman’s “…children will arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.”

When a woman loves her home and labors to make that home a place where the family can thrive in a peaceful, God-honoring atmosphere, greatness seems to flourish, marriages are stronger and kids have better character. While it is certainly wonderful for any woman to reach her potential in ways that will be fulfilling in a personal sense, nothing is more important, noble or eternally significant than her role at home.

4. Kids who live for their futures, now.

Proverbs, which was written in order to “give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion” (1:4), is a treasure trove of Divine principles for life. They are preserved to help the simple become wise. The benefits of wisdom are myriad, including, length of days, long life, peace, favour, direction, happiness, riches, honour and pleasantness, to name a few (Prov. 3). These are the things that a young person should desire for himself. The key; however, is not pursuing these benefits directly, but pursuing knowledge, understanding and wisdom. The benefits of wisdom will follow.

I cannot think of any principle more important for our children to grasp, outside of saving faith and genuine worship, than the idea of living today for a better tomorrow. Somehow, very few young people manage to grasp this important truth. Most young people have no idea what their potential might include. How often do you ask a high school student what he wants “to do,” only to hear, if you can discern it through the one-syllable grunts, “I don’t know.”

If a young person can combine his desire to achieve with his own innate ability, he can build a life for himself that will be both God-honoring and rewarding. By worshipping God, pursuing greatness by focusing on one’s own special gifts, avoiding the life-altering pitfalls of sin, and continuing to persevere, any young person can build a good life. Every kid needs to discover his talents, dream big, work hard and never quit.

Let this summer be a time where God’s people turn their hearts toward home. Maybe the school year will arrive with well-adjusted families, ready to take on what life will require of them.

Is Happiness For The Christian?

2016-04-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

Thursday, April 14, 2016

The idea of happiness as a laudable objective for Christian pursuit is a frequent matter of question among theologians, philosophers, preachers and arm-chair ideologues. While it is as natural as breathing for a person to desire the sensations and appeasements that come with what we call “being happy,” it is most certainly not natural. Happiness does not come easily. Some would even suggest that it is less than spiritual somehow to seek happiness. I disagree. Though seasons of unhappy circumstances may plague us as believers, we can and should desire to be happy. I cannot imagine that a Christian who is never happy is spiritually healthy. Spurgeon said, “Depression is a leak through which the soul’s force wastes itself drop by drop,” and, “He is but half a man who is a downcast man.” We should make it our business to help people toward happiness as often as possible.

While Charles Spurgeon said, “It is not how much we have but how much we enjoy that makes us happy,” consistent dearth in areas of importance can make happiness difficult to maintain. Experience tell us that abundance is no guarantee that mirth will be our companion. Although depression is not always a spiritual matter and thus cannot always be rectified with spiritual solutions, happiness is not always the result of one “having it all.”

Expositors almost always low-rate happiness. It goes something like this: “Joy is an internal satisfaction that is the result of our relationship with God. It is constant and based upon the promises of God. Happiness; on the other hand, is based upon ‘happenings’ - fleeting, circumstantial matters that are temporary and external.”

I do not completely disagree. One commentator put it this way, “Spiritual joy is not an attitude dependent upon change or circumstances. It is the deep and abiding confidence that, regardless of one’s circumstances in life, all is well between the believer and the Lord.” That’s a good explanation.

However, if you believe the English text of the King James Bible, you will not find so great a distinction between happiness and joy. Consider the word joy in Deuteronomy 28:47:

Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;

Clearly, God was rebuking Israel for not having joy over all the blessings (circumstantial) that they had been given. God’s blessings do most certainly bring joy. Joy is not only to be had in spite of things, it can also be had because of things.

Happiness; however, is a word that seems to mean more in the scripture than many want to recognize. For instance, “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom” (Pr. 3:13), or “happy is that people whose God is the Lord,” (Ps. 144:15). Each of these verses and others (Pr. 16:20; 28:14; Jn. 13:17; Jm. 5:11), seem to suggest that the kind of happiness that comes from being right with God is a happiness of a different sort, of a higher quality than that which comes from ordinary, though favorable circumstances.

So, let’s review and expand these observations:

Joy is a kind of deep and abiding satisfaction that is based upon our being right with God and submissive to His will.

This joy, which comes from having the mind of Christ (Phil. 2:5), will lead to a daily blessedness…a happy life.

Happiness, which is the delight that comes from the good fortune of being blessed by God, will come to those who have this deep and abiding joy. Why? Because people who are right with God and submissive to His will, that is, they have the mind of Christ and live accordingly, will experience a different kind of circumstances!

A man who has “found wisdom,” will live differently. He will make better decisions, form godly relationships and alliances and he will be led by the Lord daily. The result will be a superior set of circumstances than those encountered by people who live self-centered, self-destructive lives.

Are you happy? You can be and you should be, but it will take some careful consideration of God’s will, some wise changes and commitment. Eventually, you find that happiness will…happen.

Regardless Of Who Wins The Election - Part 2

2016-03-23T18:17:00.003-07:00

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Patriotism is a good thing, defined by Webster as, love of one’s country. It’s fitting for a believer to love his country and be grateful for it, just as he might be grateful to God for any number of blessings and benefits (Ps. 103; 1 Tim. 2:1-3; 1 Tim. 6:17; et al.). It is a problem; however, when patriotism becomes entwined with one’s faith in such a way that the two are indistinguishable. When you have wrapped the cross in the flag, you have gone too far. While your faith should make you a better citizen, your citizenship should never take priority over the dictates of faith.

Many have lost sight of the fact that America is a godless, Gentile nation. America has no eschatological, exception clauses. She will be swallowed up in the antichrist system of the end times and judged with the nations upon Christ’s return (Mt. 25:31-46; Rev. 11:15). This program of antichrist is already at work and has been for centuries (Ps. 2; 2 Thess. 2:7).

As the fulfillment of all Old Testament prophecies concerning a coming Messiah (Messiah: the one anointed to be Israel’s promised King), the Lord Jesus Christ came to establish an earthly, visible, Jewish, Messianic Kingdom on this earth (Ps. 50; Dan. 4:26; Is. 2; Zech. 14; Mt. 6:10; et al.). The entire book of Matthew was written in order to demonstrate this truth for the Jew. The phrase, kingdom of heaven, is found only in the book of Matthew and is found 32 times in 31 verses. A few quick facts about this kingdom that Christ came to establish on the earth:

It is not synonymous with the church.
It was rejected by Israel (Jn. 1:11-12; Mt. 11-12)
It has been postponed for a future time (Ro. 11:25-36; Acts 15:14-18; Mt. 25:31-34; et al.).

In this era, the church has been established in place of the kingdom. While the kingdom agenda had and will one day again have to do with nations, the church has to do with individuals. “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13); “…his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God” (Jn. 1:11-12). God is not dealing with nations today…his program is with the church which is comprised of individual, born-again believers.

This brings us to the point under consideration. Regardless of who wins the election, the church’s mission stays the same!

The church’s mission in the world is not social justice, political revolution, world peace or economic parity. Luminary, 19th century Baptist pastor, I. M. Haldeman of New York City, identified one of the false concepts of the church as the belief that:

The church is the kingdom of Christ; that Christ is the unseen and spiritual King; that the church is to go forth, preach in His name, and seek to extend this kingdom till the whole world shall come under His moral and spiritual power; and thus Christ shall be the King of kings, ruling over a world filled with His peace and righteousness. This concept has led the professing church to join hands with the civilization of the world in an endeavor to build the world in the way of righteousness. It has led preachers, a multitude of earnest Christians and, indeed, the church as a whole into social reform, into the endeavor to purify legislation and civil government.…this concept of the church and the work of the church is wholly false and without the shadow of scriptural foundation (The Mission of the Church in the World, by I. M. Haldeman, reprinted by Oliver B. Green, p. 31).

The church’s mission has nothing whatsoever to do with political agendas. We are not trying to make the world “a better place to go to hell from.” Haldeman said, “The church is not here to make the world better. On the contrary, the church is here to testify the world cannot be made better; that so far from being made better it will go from bad to worse” (The Mission of the Church in the World, by I. M. Haldeman, reprinted by Oliver B. Green, pp. 14-15 The cross of Christ is a message of personal redemption, not political reformation. To attempt to join or mingle the causes of civil government and the New Testament church is to do damage to both. We must remember that it was our Savior, Jesus Christ, “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of the Father” (Gal. 1:4). One can deduce quite simply from that verse: No politician, party or effective legislature can deliver us from our sins or change this present evil world. It will be evil when Christ returns (Tit. 2:11-15).

I have heard it trumpeted a thousand times, even said it myself in ignorance, “If we want to change the world we do it one soul at a time.” That sounds great and I am for reaching sinners with the gospel, but not for the purpose of saving America. It is done for the purposes of bringing glory to God and saving the soul.

I. M. Haldeman said, “The church is here to save men out of the world. It is here to save them out of that system which is called the world” (The Mission of the Church in the World, by I. M. Haldeman, reprinted by Oliver B. Green, p. 35-36). This is what James was saying in Acts 15:14 when he said, “Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.”

Our mission, the church’s mission in the world is the same as it was when Christ gave it. Go, preach the gospel, baptize the believers, organize churches and teach them to follow Christ. The result of this is the spread of spiritual societies called churches that are separate from the world, not entangled with it. While we as individuals have every right to vote and participate in government according our consciences, we must never confuse political agendas with the mission of the New Testament church.

Regardless Of Who Wins The Election - Part 1

2016-03-04T19:33:00.000-08:00

Like moths to a flame, the election season tends to bring out the most interesting, sometimes shocking, and even crazy behavior and beliefs in people who are otherwise sane. The speeches, debates and promises of progress, pit the populace against one another at home, work and sadly, sometimes church. As long as civility prevails, it can be healthy and intellectually invigorating. When our baser instincts take over; however, you find yourself wondering how America makes it from week to week.

This is equally true among the Christians who are politically active. Just as you have a variety of denominations, a multiplicity of Bible versions and a potpourri of ideological obsessions among the Christian profession, you will also have some diverse political opinions. The more passionate a group is about their views, the more stringent their expectations can be.

I am routinely dumbstruck by the willingness of Bible-believing pastors to campaign for specific candidates. All a candidate needs to do, evidently, is proclaim his allegiance to Christ, meet with evangelical groups requesting prayer and talk a lot about faith and hope. Throw in some bellicose diatribes and some anti-Obama rhetoric and you have a viable presidential candidate. It is almost as if Christians have not considered that this politician has focus groups teaching him how to appeal to the evangelicals, without which he could never get elected as a conservative.

Probably, the most irritating thing about the election season is the torrent of insipid platitudes and slogans from which believers are prone to drink. There is constant rhetoric about “the answer for America” as if America is even on the biblical radar. To assume that you can change the culture through “political muscle and electing the right people into office” is not only naive, it is glaring unscriptural. You will search the writings of Paul in vain for examples of or admonitions for revolutionary uprisings or political power-plays. 1 Timothy 2 seems to suggest that we all pray for those in leadership (even the ones whose politics we loathe), hoping for a quiet and peaceable life. Why? Because “He will have all men to be saved… and Paul said, “Whereunto I am ordained a preacher…” A PREACHER…The point being, we need the government to leave us alone so that we can minister the gospel to the world. The government, it’s laws and regulations, agencies and programs will never, never has and cannot possibly facilitate or assist in God’s work. We just need…freedom.

Remember, regardless of who wins the election…

This world is still not my home.

Those who love to sing the old spiritual song, This World is Not My Home, seem seldom to believe it. They totally miss the location of the body of Christ, which is in “heavenly places” (Ep. 1:3; 2:6; Phil. 3:20; et al.). The religious expectations of the Old Testament saint included the idea of land…promised land. Abram was sent to “…a land that I will shew thee” (Ge. 12:1). The covenant between Abram and God said, “…Unto thy seed have I given this land” (Ge. 15:8). The first mention of the word holy in the Bible referred to…land (Ex. 3:5). Clearly, throughout the Old Testament, the Israelite is connected with his nation and its land. God’s blessings are promised for them in relation to the land because Israel is God’s people, God’s chosen people who “…shall not be reckoned among the nations” (Nu. 23:9; also see Ps. 37:3, 29, 34; 85; et al.).

We understand that God dealt with nations in the Old Testament. This is why we find the promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people (Israel, period. Not America, not the church…no not in any sense), which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land (The church has no land…this is the nation of Israel receiving her land back, healed and productive after the tribulation. See Ps. 67; Is. 35 cf. Rev. 8; Zech. 12-14).”

Now, we fast-forward to the New Testament where we are told that “He came unto his own and his own received him not” (Jn. 1:11). That refers to Israel’s rejection of Christ, their Messiah. Then we are told, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (Jn. 1:12). Once the Old Testament was past, God began to deal with individuals, not nations. The church is made up of born again individuals, one soul at a time … whosoever will. Israel is experiencing partial blindness and will be dealt with again in the future tribulation period (Rom. 11:25-27; Dan. 9:20-27).

So, this talk about America experiencing some “revival” and returning to God as a Christian nation is nonsense. There is no such thing as a Christian nation. God is calling OUT a people for His name in this age, He is not nation building (Acts 15:14). Revival is an Old Testament doctrine that relates to God’s people Israel. It is not so much as mentioned in the New Testament. The fact of the matter is, the nation can go straight to hell morally, legislatively and politically (well, yeah, it already has), and the church can still be as vibrant as it chooses to be, right up until the rapture.

It is a very irresponsible thing to try and wrap the cross in the flag. Preachers do it routinely. They fancy themselves little Limbaughs, Levins or Fox News correspondents and they use their pulpits to flex their political muscles. To them this seems like a worthy cause - God Bless America! - when all the while the gospel they are called to preach and its glorious exigencies are laid aside for this drivel. The cross of Calvary is not a political message, it is one of personal redemption. Remember? Paul? “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:17, 18).

As Bible-believing Christians, we are certainly welcome to have our say in the political process. We must not; however, allow ourselves to become party sycophants, for as we do, we become obligated to endorse an assortment of evils. The thinking Christian who begins his political meditations with truth and balanced research will most assuredly find himself frustrated with the juxtaposition of choosing between “the lesser of two evils.” This, according to my friend and libertarian scholar, Laurence Vance, is most certainly, “still a vote for evil,” and as Mark Twain quipped, “If voting made a difference, they wouldn’t let us do it.” To borrow from, Vance, again, one wonders if Christians would think that an election between Hitler and Stalin would still justify our voting. While a vote for the lesser of two evils might seem quite necessary at times, this unsettling reality should drive every Christian back to where we must all abide in this age, resting in the scripture and looking for Christ’s return.

Asa and Doris

2016-01-15T14:23:00.000-08:00

The weekly work of a pastor keeps him in constant contact with the stark realities of life. You will rejoice with those who are enjoying the victories that make life worth living, and you will assist in bearing the burdens that come with loss and disappointment (Rom. 12:15). The holidays brought me face to face with the contrasts of life and death, once again.

We celebrated the birth of a new life at Parkway. Little Asa Reuel Graham was born into the Graham family on December 28 at 6:33am at 8 lbs. and 4 oz. He is a lucky (or blessed) little guy, with a wonderful family to care for him and a lifetime of opportunities ahead of him. It is our desire here at Parkway Baptist Church to do our part in assisting his parents as they strive to bring him up in this world in a productive, happy and well-adjusted way. We pray for him to know and serve the Lord with joy all of his life.

Just after the new year of 2016 arrived, we buried a dear saint named Doris Compton. Doris was born on September 6, 1925 and went home to be with the Lord on December 30, 2015. She was ninety years old! Doris was a mother to seven, grandmother to eighteen and great-grandmother to a whopping thirty-six! Mrs. Doris Compton was the mother of the founding pastor of Parkway Baptist Church, Alan Compton. The joy of Asa’s birth was accented by the contrasting grief from this loss of our beloved Doris.

This picture of life’s extremes reminds us of the dash between the dates of a person’s birth and death. Doris Compton lived from 1925-2016. The dash represents the life that she lived. It represents ninety years of a life lived well. In those ninety years she experienced the great depression at five, World War II at twenty, Elvis at thirty, Vietnam and the sixties at forty, Watergate at fifty, Reagan and the rise of conservatism at sixty and the rest you know. Through all those years of delight and desperation, happiness and horror, faith and fear, Doris served the Lord. As a wife, a mother, a grandmother and a friend, she was faithful. It is our prayer that Asa will do the same.

A few questions concerning the time between birth and death…

1. What do you want your life to be about?

You only have one life, what are you going to do with it? What do you want to have said about you at your memorial service? Most important, who will have most benefited from your life once it is done? You? Redbox? Netflix? How about your family … neighbors … friends?

There is a study that suggests that 85% of all people suffer from low self-esteem. They do not like the person they see in the mirror. Consequently, they have no dreams, no goals and no motivation. They do not expect to achieve anything or be anything. The solution? Our motivation should be rooted in the scriptural teaching of the purposes of God (Rom. 8:28, 29), not in the humanistic concept of “self-esteem.” God loves us (Ep. 3:17-21), has a plan for us (Ep. 2:10), and will continue that plan until it is completed with glorious success (Col. 1:27; Phil. 1:6).

The greatest day of your life will be when you begin to long for what God has planned for you, instead of striving to get God to endorse what you have planned for yourself.

2. If we mark our lives in decades, how are you doing so far?

I once heard a preacher say that greatness is not measured in years but in decades. Our parents play a big role in managing our first two decades of life. I surrendered to preach at thirteen years of age and my parents did a wonderful job seeing to my spiritual well-being, education and social development. At that point, it was up to me to begin taking some big-time responsibility for my own future. My twenties, thirties and now almost all of my forties have been spent preaching. How well have I done? Some good I hope, some not so good. I would change some things, but I cannot go back. Instead, I want to determine that these last decades be streamlined with godly purpose and infused with an indomitable passion for ministry.

What about you? Are you satisfied with the decades that lie behind you? What do you plan for those decades that lie ahead? Satisfying achievements and wonderful memories will not just happen. You have to plan for them and work toward them.

3. Will 2016 mark a new beginning of meaningful living for you?

Great decades of achievement begin a year at a time. Amazing things can be accomplished in ten years but it will never happen without a stranglehold on the individual years at your disposal. If you are unhappy with some or all of the outcomes of your life, you must determine whether or not you will continue losing or get serious about change.

I promise, you can have a great life for God and His glory. If you think that your life is too far gone and you are too far down to recover, go to this link and listen to my brother’s amazing story https://youtu.be/HXNVf23OD58.

4. What will you do TODAY to move you toward a good year, a great decade and a meaningful life?

Are you dissatisfied with your life? Immediately, write down what you would like your life to look like in one year. Get on your knees and ask God to help you turn your life into something that will bring Him glory. Put that note where you will see it tomorrow and begin seeking God and putting together an action plan for success. Get counsel, read books, talk to experts, but most of all, seek God.

Doris Compton was a rich lady. She knew the Lord. She had a wonderful marriage. She reared seven impressive, successful children. She had a beautiful home, cooked amazing food, enjoyed travel and good times and trusted God all her life. We want something like this for Asa.

You could have that as well.

The Pressure to Please People

2015-12-16T19:40:00.001-08:00

For the average person, the list of people to please gets longer by the year. A baby is just concerned with pleasing self. That is what babies do. The young person learns that pleasing one’s peers can be very rewarding in terms of self esteem and social status, but it often contradicts the demands of parents and teachers. By the time you reach college, you are trying to please yourself, parents, peers, professors, bosses and the parents of your significant other. Get married and the spouse jumps up the priority chain, bringing the in-laws with them. Enter the ministry or your career and you can add to the growing list, your pastor, church members, preachers with whom you fellowship and your neighbors. If you enter a secular career, the demands are similar with different industry nomenclature. By the age of thirty you can become exhausted with people-pleasing. Or, bitter with resentment. Or, tormented with anxiety. Or, addicted to any number of desensitizing influences. Or, just ticked off.

Enough with these unnecessary frustrations. I do not mean, enough with being nice to people. Or, enough with obligations to people that are important to you. Or, enough with compassion and kindness. Of course not. I mean, time to grow up by understanding who and what comes first and arranging your own self-expectations accordingly.

In Galatians 1, the apostle Paul was writing the churches that were organized throughout the large area known as Galatia, just north of the Mediterranean Sea. Most of the believers in this area were Gentiles who were being intimidated by the Jews to abandon their faith. Paul was writing to strengthen them to “stand fast” (Gal. 5:1). In doing so, it was necessary for Paul to answer some attacks against his own apostleship, the very thing that gave his message authority.

Paul took a great stand against these traditionalists of his day and as he did, his sanctified motives came shining through! It was Paul’s desire to please God, not man. Paul asked, rhetorically, in Galatians 1:10, “...do I seek to please men?”

People who seek to please God and not men:

1. Seek to be servants, not celebrities.

Paul said, “...for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10). In his effort to defend his apostleship, he refrained from exalting himself as a “big deal.” Instead, he identified as a servant. If we are oppressed with the pressure to please people, it is always intensified when we go about it by puffing ourselves up. We build up our image and correspondingly, expect others to be impressed with it. You will help people more by serving them than by sending them your latest press release. Carry their bags, shine their shoes, remember their special days, match their emotions by weeping when they weep and rejoicing when they rejoice and they will notice. You will not have to point to your reserved parking space or refer to yourself with your title in front of your name. Just wash someone’s feet.

2. Seek to be serious theologians, not sycophants.

In verse 11, Paul makes it clear that the word that he preached, the gospel, came from God and not man. He said, “For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (v. 12). While no one would recommend being disagreeable and argumentative; to exchange your allegiance to Christ as Lord, for a lock-step compliance with men, denominations, fellowship groups, faith or family traditions, is tantamount to idolatry.

I am often amused by people who declare their commitment to the word of God, and then champion some fraternal ideology that is not biblical. Too many Christians are willing to make room for any impulse that comes dressed in religious garb. By learning what God expects of you from scripture, you can eliminate a host of crippling expectations, and emancipate yourself from a long list of legalistic demands. In summary, “...let God be true, but every man a liar...” (Rom. 3:4).

3. Seek to be submissive to truth, not stuck in tradition.

Sometimes, “what you’ve always been taught” can be your problem. Paul understood that in order to follow Christ, he would have to forget “...those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, ... press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 13,14). He said, “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ” (Phil. 3:7). He was leaving behind the unreasonable and incorrect teachings of his past, so that he might follow Christ. Many Christians will never move forward in pleasing God because they are bound by error, by things “they always believed.” Many preachers will never grow because they have drunk the Kool-aide of pride which says that change is compromise. Sometimes, change is repentance. Sometimes, we have to admit that we have clung to error for too long.

People who want to please God will often be forced to depart from their most cherished traditions because those traditions are wrong. In a perfect world, we would all grow up believing and understanding truth with a perfect knowledge. Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world and we all see through a glass darkly (1 Cor. 13:12). Paul was willing to leave behind what he called “...the zealous traditions of my fathers” (Gal. 1:14).

People find themselves stuck in tradition because it is hard to admit that you have been wrong, and wrong so passionately. As Paul said, “beyond measure I persecuted the church of God and wasted it” (Gal. 1:13). How do you think Paul felt when he thought back on the people that he had hurt in his ignorant passion? Do not live the rest of your life in error because you cannot bear to face the pain of admitting you were wrong. Also, realize that many of the people you are striving to please could be wrong as well.

You might also notice that Paul said that he “...profited in the Jews’ religion...” (Gal. 1:14) above his equals. He was giving up all the advancement, opportunity, prosperity and prestige that came with his position. He did so because he was submissive to truth first.

There may be some dominant person in your life that is demanding that you do, believe or feel something that is wrong. It may be time to stand up for what you know is right and leave the consequences to God. You can learn to live freely, delivered from the unscriptural expectations of man.

4. Are consequently stupefied by the gospel priority.

Paul said:

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood” (Gal. 1:15,16).

All of the loss, the sacrifice, the marginalization, the resentment of those who expect you to live life their way will vaporize amid the inexpressible, stupefying wonder of living for the gospel priority! That priority will effect your schedule, alter your budget, consume your heart and mind, challenge your theology and enrich your future by helping others.

This is much better than running around trying to please people. Love them? Sure. Serve them? Absolutely. Suffer long with them? Without a doubt. Allow them to push you to distraction with conflicting expectations and contradictory ideas? Not a chance.

Remember Ecclesiastes 12:13...

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Who Cares?

2015-12-10T13:45:00.001-08:00

America, if no longer glorious, is certainly passionate. We care. We are flag-waivers and cause-fighters, always beating the drum for some issue that is important to us. We refer to ourselves as “red-blooded,” a signification of our hot passions in areas of important, if not aggrandized concernment.

Because we care, we are taking our stands these days in “all the old familiar places,” and some new. We are ranting from pulpits, classrooms, dinner tables, conference lecterns, board meetings, town halls, locker rooms, neighborhood bars and theaters. We sound off on billboards, newspaper adds, articles, bumper stickers, t-shirts, tattoos, hats, banners, posters, signs, marquees and a near innumerable assortment of marketing applications. We use internet forums, Facebook posts, Tweets, texts and blogs to get our point across. It seems that everyone is clamoring to make their voices heard.

Lost in this frothy current of expression are the sensible outcries of meaningful, prophetic voices. I am not saying that these voices do not exist, I am saying they are often hard to hear over the din of madness that prevails. Nothing is needed more than the voices of genuine prophets, visionaries and thinkers; people who care and care about the right things.

I am talking about men like, John Milton, who said, “Give me liberty to know, to utter and to argue freely according to my conscience, above all other liberties.”

Or, men like John Leland, who said, “...it is not possible, in the nature of things, to establish religion by human laws, without perverting the design of civil law and oppressing the people.”

Or, men like Francis Wayland, who said, “We...have ever believed that the state has no authority to legislate in matters pertaining to the conscience. When man violates the rights of man, the state may interfere, and prevent or punish the wrong. But, in matters which concern our relations to God, the state has no jurisdiction.”

Or, men like Leonard Busher, who said in 1614, “It is not only unmerciful, but unnatural and abominable - yea, monstrous - for one Christian to vex and destroy another for difference and questions of religion.”

These men cared, and they cared about right things. They were champions of freedom because tyranny precludes authentic expressions of faith. Liberty allows for persuasion to do its work. These kinds of men of which we speak, hazarded their lives for the sake of the gospel. They crusaded and argued for truth, not fashion, football, politics and pride.

You can tell what people care about by what they say, yes, but more so by what they do. John Clark, Missouri, pioneer preacher, was one such man. Clark was saved and united with the Methodists at a young age. He was commissioned to ride and preach on the Richmond circuit in 1791, placed on trial as a preacher and ordained by Asbury himself in 1795. Shortly after, in disagreement with the Methodist episcopacy, he became a Baptist.

According to Duncan, “His mode of traveling was on foot. There were no railroads and steamboats in those days. In fact, horses were a scarce article.”

Cathcart tells us that he walked to Kentucky from Georgia, then he went on to St. Louis.

He was once given a horse by concerned believers but found the care of the horse to be more of a burden than walking and gave the horse back. Duncan said, “He traveled thus as far west as Bluffton, which was then the extreme frontier; south to St. Clair County, and north as far as Monroe County.”

At the age of seventy, still traveling extensively and preaching, Clarke had an appointment on the other side of the Missouri River. A flood had destroyed the ferry so he travelled well out of the way, south to St. Louis, where he could cross safely. After crossing, he continued on, down muddy paths in the thick darkness, stopping to rest as needed. He reached the home of a Presbyterian family at breakfast time and was admonished to rest to no avail. He reached his appointment and preached the gospel after walking sixty-six miles!

Why would an old preacher demand so much of his feeble body? He cared. Clark answered the question this way, “...souls are precious, and God sometimes uses very feeble and insignificant means for their salvation.”

Yes, he cared, and he cared about right things.

While believers have every right to express themselves in the public forums and even the responsibility to do so, let us take care, to care, about the right things! When conveying our doctrinal position, let us be clear, but kind. When discussing politics, may we ever be reminded that this world is no friend of grace and any out-right endorsement or alliance is potential for embarrassment. As we analyze men, ministries, movements and their monuments, may we “in the spirit of meekness” consider ourselves lest we also be tempted” (Gal. 6:1).

Find a gospel cause through your local, Bible-believing, Baptist church. Volunteer. Commit to it and see what God teaches you and uses you to do. This is how you care.

Life Matters

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Let me be clear, all lives matter. The poignant question of the Psalmist, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him,” (Ps. 8:4) forces us to recognize the profound meaning of God, the Creator, considering us. This, my friends, is meaning. This should be enough for anyone to conclude, life matters. God is interested in us.

Unfortunately, our tendency to idolize the material, to aggrandize the superficial and to memorialize baser things causes us to lose perspective. Our obsession with celebrity leads us to dismiss the importance of ordinary contributions. Our success-driven philosophies cause us to measure our efforts by worldly standards. As a result, the husband who is not rich, feels like a failure. The wife who is not a super-model feels insecure. The teenage boy who is not the star athlete at the high school feels like a disappointment. The pastor who is not building the fastest growing church in his state and receiving honorary doctorates at his alma mater feels like he has missed something.

While this may seem like too much talk about “feelings” for some, it is a reality nonetheless. And, though Christian living is about selfless service, it is also true that it is rooted in the kind of worship that is a response to the realization that a holy and wonderful God created us and loves us. This kind of worship provides the ultimate meaning. Once we see this, we can then move toward the life that is less self-aware. The command to “...love thy neighbor as thyself,” (Mt. 22:39), is predicated upon a proper love for self. To despise yourself is strange. To love yourself is normal. To love others as you love yourself is Christian service.

Living a life that matters requires some perspective. Understanding that everyone cannot pastor the biggest church or make the most money or run the fastest is only the beginning. Realizing the potential that ordinary people have for great things is the key to living your life with meaning. Solomon told us:

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. (Ecc. 9:10-11)

Here are a few helps for living your life with meaning:

1. Be aware of and grateful for the time that you have.

“...time and chance...” As you should already know, life is short (Jm. 4:14). We only have one life to live and it seems almost predictably axiomatic to suggest that we should want to live it with meaning. While one year can pass with hardly anything accomplished at all, a great deal can be achieved in a decade of time by anyone who tries. Every day that you wake up, you have a God-given opportunity to do something. I have read that a person can give an hour a day, five days a week for five years to anything and become an expert. Time happeneth to all - what will you do with your time?

2. Look for opportunities to do something.

“...chance happeneth to them all.” Opportunities abound! You have people under your own roof that need to be encouraged. You have friends that you have neglected. Nursing homes are filled with forgotten people. The needs and opportunities are endless. You have talent and ability, gifts that God has given you that you have never developed. Add meaning to your life by mastering some opportunity to serve others in a meaningful way. Commit for the long-haul. You may not pastor a large church but that couple that you win to the Lord and strengthen in the faith does not care about your connections. They are thankful that you ministered (served) to them. You may not write books but you can write a note or an email to someone who needs to know that you prayed for them.

3. Whatever God gives you to do, do it and do your best.

“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might...” This is how you find meaning! Find what God has gifted you to do, develop it over time and never stop trying to get better, and then begin doing something for God to help others and do it with all your might. You might wake up one day and realize that God has used you. At that point, what difference does it make if your name is on a building at some college?

I do not remember who won the ’72 world series or the ’81 Super Bowl or the NCAAF National Championship in 1998. I do; however, remember every school teacher, Sunday school teacher and coach that I ever had. Every small success that I have I owe to my parents, my pastor, my youth director, my in-laws, my wife and my friends of a lifetime. Who do I need to impress? My life matters, and so does yours.

Relevant?

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Relevance is the edge for which everybody’s looking. Merchandisers want their products to pop with relevance. Advertisers strive to drape their clients’ products with the perception of relevance. Authors covet the effect of relevance from the very impact of the titles of their books. Even ministries are told that they must communicate relevance. Relevance sells. Relevance gets and keeps you in the game.

Relevance is defined as pertinent, applicable. Something is pertinent when it relates to the subject at hand in a way that matters. It applies. When a book is relevant, it relates to some subject or circumstance in a way that will make a difference for the person reading it. Thus, they cannot walk past the shelf in the book store. They stop, peruse and eventually purchase and read the book because for them it is relevant.

Relevance makes a person or their product interesting. People want to actually hear what is being discussed or promoted because they are intrigued. A book entitled How To Save Money When You Can’t Make Ends Meet, would be more immediately interesting to most than a book that tells the self-made millionaire how to make his first billion.

Relevance makes a person or their product important. When a counsellor actually has something to say that changes how a patient thinks and lives in a meaningful way, he becomes important to the patient. His prices seem more reasonable and the wait for an appointment, worth it.

Relevance makes a person or their product seem imperative. Many do not think they can live without the new iPhone upgrade the second it becomes available. All that the phone provides them has become something they cannot live without.

Imperative.

Important.

Interesting.

Relevant!

As a result, every visionary pastor and his church longs to communicate relevance. Are we relevant? Are our services relevant - do people actually benefit from being here? Are the sermons relevant - is it actually important that someone hear them…or could they easily live without them?

Here is where the conflict enters. Who determines what is actually relevant? The consumer will make this determination in a free market, but do sinners know what their spiritual needs are? Does anybody actually know what it is that they need and how to get it? Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

The gospel will only seem relevant to those who know that they are sinners and understand how this effects their relationship with God.

Grace does not seem like grace until you realize you deserve to go to hell! Romans 5:8 says “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” Once a person realizes the gravity of his own guilt before God, the picture of Christ on the cross becomes much more relevant!

The clear teaching (doctrine) of God’s word will only seem relevant to the child of God who is feeding his appetite for truth (He. 5:13, 14). The more junk you eat, the less interest you have in healthy food. It destroys your desire for the good stuff. When a believer begins to attend church and Bible study and reads, meditates and studies at home, he will begin to change and doctrine will become increasingly relevant to him.

Genuine worship will only seem relevant to someone who actually loves God (1 Jn. 4:8-10).

Take special care as you judge what is relevant for you and what is not. It can be easy to confuse. What you want may not always be what you need. I assure you, the gospel, the teaching of God’s word and worshipping with God’s people collectively is relevant!

Truth For The Times

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Truth For The Times

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Headlines, Twitter feeds, Facebook posts, talk show topics and breaking news stories are routinely shocking these days. Regardless of where you get your news, the need for clarity and trustworthy counsel on matters that range from faith to politics, education or family, is significant. Maybe that’s what led Thomas Jefferson to say, “I do not take a single newspaper, nor read one a month, and I feel myself infinitely the happier for it.”

Alarming items in the news of late have included the same-sex marriage ruling of SCOTUS, the strange (and oft’ lauded) transformation of Bruce Jenner, race riots, shootings of and by the police, inflate gate, the impending Presidential election and the recent terrorist attacks in France. Besides all this, one wrestles with the economy, their careers, marriage, childrearing, health and an endless list of problems and irritations. Some are even profoundly alarmed by the holiday cup designs at Starbucks.

How can and should a Bible-believing Christian navigate these treacherous waters? A few suggestions...

First, pray often for leadership, regardless of their political persuasion, that we might live well and preach the gospel.

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim. 2:1-4)

Second, while recognizing and opposing evil in the world, be careful not to allow your spirit to be controlled by the “bad news.” Do not become surly and characterized by an angry attitude. Never make and enemy out of the mission field.

“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” (Col. 4:5,6)

Finally, understand that the world, its leaders and their agenda (America included), are against God. We should not be shocked when the world hates God and His way. Our mission is to reach people out of this world (Acts 15:14). We will never change the world (2 Tim. 3:13; 2 Thess. 2:6-8). Only the judgment of God will accomplish that (see all of Revelation).

“The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” (Ps. 2:2,3)

So in summary, while it seems the world is “going up in smoke around us,” be careful to pray through it, maintain a kind and positive spirit and do not be spiritually naive. Remember, this world is no friend of grace - nor is it our home. My prayer for you is that “...the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ” (2 Thess. 3:5).