C.J. Mahaney's view from the cheap seats & other stuff

A note to those in Sovereign Grace Ministries

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:00:00 GMT

By C.J. Mahaney

What follows is the letter I wrote in response to today's announcement from the Sovereign Grace Ministries Board.

Dear Friends,

The only appropriate place to begin this letter is by expressing my gratefulness. My heart is filled with gratitude to God for all who are involved in Sovereign Grace Ministries, who have trusted God and patiently endured a difficult season in our history. First, I want to thank the interim board. These men were handed a most unexpected and unappealing assignment, and for the past six months they have served and sacrificed on behalf of all of us in Sovereign Grace. I simply cannot thank these men enough. Many thanks are also due to the wives and children of the board members for supporting them during this challenging time. And I want to thank the panelists who accepted a most unenviable assignment requiring countless hours of complex and concentrated work. Finally, I want to thank each of the pastors and each of the members of Sovereign Grace churches for your patience and trust in God during this process. I know it has been a difficult and confusing time for many of you. And I am sorry for the challenge it has presented to our pastors—the men I respect the most—and the members of our churches—precious ones for whom Christ died and for whom we have the great privilege to serve. I deeply regret where my mistakes, leadership deficiencies, and sins contributed to the relational conflicts detailed in these reports. And I am truly grateful for your support throughout this trying time. So with all my heart I want to say thank you.

Over the last six months I’ve spent many hours reflecting upon Sovereign Grace, our history together, and our purpose and mission. I’ve also taken time to think and pray about my calling and how I might best serve Sovereign Grace in this new season before us. I have sought counsel from friends and leaders within SGM and in the broader evangelical church. There is much work for SGM to do in the years ahead, and I want to do all I can to make this work fruitful. The opportunities for church planting in this country and throughout the world are numerous. The requests we receive for help exceed our resources. And one can’t help but be excited about the immediate future given the present Pastors College class and the church planting ventures we have planned for the next few years.

In light of all of this, here is how I think I can best serve you in the days ahead: as I step back into the role as president, I will do so only temporarily. I think it would be wise for SGM to have a new president who has gifts better suited to serve Sovereign Grace in this next season. I love SGM and I want the best for SGM. Lord willing, I look forward to serving SGM more effectively in a different role. So my return will be temporary and with a few important intentions. Let me briefly explain what they are. First, I want to give immediate attention to helping the interim board transfer governance to their successors. In 2010 we began considering how to expand the SGM board and better define their role in evaluating and overseeing the president. Now that the interim board has served its purpose, it is time for us to complete the transition to a more permanent expanded board. I look forward to seeing this process through and benefitting from the leadership that an expanded board will provide for Sovereign Grace. Despite the many evidences of grace in our midst, I’m aware of a number of present weaknesses in SGM and some past failings; as our president, I take full responsibility for these and I am grateful that with a new board in place we can together continue to address these issues. Second, once the new board is formed I want to assist them however I can in identifying and installing my successor as president, although that decision will be for the board to make. There are a few other matters I want to address in my remaining time as president, all of which is subject to the priorities that the board establishes for me. But I hope these primary goals can be accomplished within the next few months.

After supporting the board through these important transitions, I hope to return to what I believe is my primary calling from God – pastoral ministry and the pulpit. This plays a significant role in why my return as president is temporary. Let me explain. I think preaching and pastoral ministry are where grace is most evident in my life and where my leadership is most effectively expressed. Others seem to agree. And I think I have neglected this call to preach for a number of years as I have endeavored to serve as president. Over the past five years many faithful friends have brought this concern to my attention and impressed upon me the importance of preaching as a primary means of my serving and leading. However moved I was by their concerns and encouragement, the many responsibilities of the presidential role would quickly preoccupy me again and the effect of their counsel would subside. Over the past six months I have seen more clearly than ever the wisdom of their counsel. So I think the most effective way I can serve Sovereign Grace is by planting a church and leading a local congregation through faithful expository preaching and teaching, as well as serving Sovereign Grace in other tasks and roles the board might recommend for me. I also hope to continue to serve the broader church where strategic opportunity and invitation present themselves, as I have with my good friends in Together for the Gospel. I simply can’t wait to get started. And I can proceed into this future confidently when our new board and president are in place. So that is what I am returning to do and why my return as president will be temporary. I would be most grateful for your support in prayer in this season of transition.

For the past 30 years God has been merciful to Sovereign Grace Ministries. This is the theological explanation for any fruitfulness in SGM. And He has not ceased to be merciful to us during this challenging season. His mercy has been evident in countless ways. I wish there was space to rehearse them for you. In God’s gracious providence I believe much good and growth will come from this season that will serve us as we move forward, as well as serve a future generation we won’t live to see. God is sovereign, good and wise, and His good purpose for His church and for our small contribution to the advance of the gospel cannot ultimately be frustrated. And now I look forward to a new season where we give ourselves to proclaiming the gospel, planting and supporting churches, and caring for pastors in the 22 countries where we presently serve, as well as the different parts of the world God may call us to serve in the days ahead. So let me conclude where I began, by expressing my gratefulness to you. Thank you for making this mission possible by the way you serve in your local church and support SGM. Thank you. It is an unspeakable honor and joy to serve the Savior with you and be numbered among you.

With my gratefulness for each of you,

C.J.

A Personal Update

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 20:59:00 GMT

By C.J. Mahaney

Many of you have kindly inquired about my leave of absence and how I will be spending my time during this season. Before I give you an update, I want to take this moment to thank each of you who have expressed your encouragement and your support in prayer.

Some of you have asked where I will be attending church during my leave. That’s a good question, as it’s not uncommon for pastors to take a leave in a church that is away from their home congregations, and this seems wise. During my leave of absence I will be attending Capitol Hill Baptist Church where Mark Dever is the senior pastor. After seeking counsel about this decision, I’ve concluded that this is the best place for Carolyn and me to receive care and counsel, to examine my life and leadership, and to consider my future during this season of reflection. I want to learn all I can during this season, and I pray that this time will benefit not only me but Sovereign Grace as well.

Mark and I have a rich history of friendship. I met Mark thirteen years ago and since then we have become very close friends. Mark has been not only a unique friend but also a mentor to me. I want to continue to take advantage of our friendship and his mentoring as much as possible during this time, benefiting from Mark’s unique pastoral wisdom and his gift of leadership. I am deeply grateful for his kindness and this opportunity. Actually, other than my wife Carolyn and those with whom I have served closely in Sovereign Grace Ministries, no one has had more influence on my life in the last ten years than Mark.

This leave of absence from my role as president of SGM will allow me the time necessary to process the valuable feedback I have received (and continue to receive), and to devote time to consider how I can best serve Sovereign Grace Ministries in the future. I’m seeking and benefiting from the advice of the SGM board and a number of leaders in the broader church—men I admire and who have become my friends over the years. I am approaching this task without making any assumptions or presuming upon any particular outcome. By God’s grace and the kindness of these men I am not lacking wise counsel as I seek to discern the will of God about how I might most effectively serve when this leave of absence concludes.

So for those who have kindly asked, I hope this information is helpful. I deeply appreciate the encouragement and support of so many at this time. I simply do not know how to adequately express this, but I trust you feel my deep gratefulness for your support. And I would appreciate your prayers, given the importance of the decisions before me and their impact on Sovereign Grace Ministries, the pastors I respect the most and the people of our churches for whom I have the deepest affection.

Finally, many of you know that this spring Dave Harvey, Jeff Purswell, and I were invited to speak at a pastors conference in the Dominican Republic. We are currently in Santo Domingo and the conference (Por Su Causa 2011) begins tomorrow morning. Please pray for us and for this very strategic conference. Earlier, during this same trip Jeff and I, along with Al Pino, visited the pastors that Sovereign Grace Ministries are honored to serve in Cuba. I was deeply humbled by the men and women I met, all of whom display remarkable joy and trust in God. I believe we will be sharing more about this trip on the Plant & Build blog later. In the meantime, please pray for our friends in Cuba and the Dominican Republic and for our friend Al Pino, who represents Sovereign Grace in our work with these remarkable saints. Please pray that Christ would be glorified in their midst and the gospel would go forth in these countries.

With gratefulness,

C.J.

[Updated] Why I'm taking a leave of absence

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 08:00:00 GMT

By C.J. Mahaney

From from Dave Harvey: Please see "A note about online confessions" for an explanation of why I removed the original content of this blog post.

Male and Female on Purpose

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:18:00 GMT

By C.J. Mahaney

As promised, here's an excerpt from Kevin DeYoung’s message “Who Am I? Humanity in the Eyes of the World and the Christian” from the 2011 Next conference. Here’s the first excerpt, on gender roles, personal identity, and why husbands must not be dictators or doormats:

The world says you are free to create yourself. God says, “You are created to reflect my image.”

What does it mean to be in God’s image? It means we have a certain resemblance to God with our intelligence, our appreciation for beauty, our rationality, and in our capacity for worship and language. It means we represent God, that we have dominion over creation as rulers, as stewards, as those called to cultivate. It means that we are relational beings, interacting with God and with each other so that the image of God consists in these relational virtues of knowledge and righteousness and holiness.

Listen to Colossians 3:9–10: “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” Likewise, Ephesians 4:24 says, “put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” So the restored image of God shows us what sort of image bearers we are. We are those who have the righteousness and holiness that is characteristic of God himself.

Now the world says, “You are not created for divine exaltation. You are here for self-exploration. You are not made to be stamped with a divine impression, but you are here to spend your life on self-expression.”

So we have all these commercials.

Cingular at least used to say, “Express yourself.”

Dr. Pepper, “Be you.”

I am thankful for the Army, but the Army got in on it with, “An army of one.” I don’t know a lot, but what I learned from playing Risk is that even if you have your army of one Kamchatka—you’re gone. You need more.

Our world tells us you are a blank slate. Whatever you choose to paint on the canvas of your life will be beautiful because you painted it. That is what the world says.

Now common sense tells us this does not work in any other area of life. Try it when you have a job selling refrigerators and you don’t sell a single one, and you get fired and you tell your boss, “But I believe in myself.” And he is going to tell you, “Believe in yourself and get somebody else to pay you for it.”

One of the most dangerous areas where we see this self-exploration and self-creation is in the area of gender. In the world’s eyes there is no male/female, masculine/feminine gender. Gender is just cultural, social constructs, antiquated concepts better to be just disregarded, relics of an oppressive, less enlightened past.

But I hope you see how patently unbiblical this is.

“From the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female’” (Mark 10:6).

And we see already in Genesis before the fall that there were distinct, yet complimentary, roles for men and women. Man was given as the name of the human race and he was the one to whom God gave the command. He was the one to be accountable.

Have you ever noticed that after Eve sins by taking a bite of the fruit, who does God first address? Adam. He was to be responsible. And yet he abdicated the very authority that he was supposed to lovingly exercise. And Eve, contrary to design, usurped her husband’s authority.

When you come to Ephesians 5:25 you find the overarching command for the husband to love his wife. The women may think, “Well, that is lame. The husband just gets kind of a freebie. I mean, we have all got to love. I have got to respect and submit.”

No, there is a reason that the husband is told to love in this unique way as the head of his household. It is because the male propensity to sin is to either be a dictator or a doormat. And both are abdications of our responsibility to love. And the woman, her overarching command is to submit to her husband or to respect her husband because, twisted by the fall, her point of sinful inclination is to usurp her husband’s authority.

God has designed us male and female and it is not simply God’s design as his image bearers, but it is actually the way in which the world works best.…

I must stop, but Kevin continues to develop this point in his message, which you can listen to here.

Who Am I?

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:25:00 GMT

By C.J. Mahaney

I appreciated and benefitted from all the messages at the Next 2011 conference in Orlando. I would encourage you to set aside some time to listen to all of the messages (you’ll find the main sessions here and the breakout sessions here). But if listening to all these messages is not possible, I would particularly commend Kevin DeYoung’s message, “Who Am I? Humanity in the Eyes of the World and the Christian.”

Kevin structured his message to answer five important questions about ourselves:

Are we here by chance or by design?
Are we free to create ourselves or to reflect God's image?
Are we basically good or fundamentally flawed?
Are we ethically excusable or morally culpable?
Are we destined for a happy heaven or a blessed extinction, or are we on the way to heaven or hell?

Kevin summarized his conclusions to these questions like this:

Here are two views of the human person:

According to the world we are here by chance, free to create our own self, basically good, ethically excusable, and destined for a happy heaven or a blessed extinction.

According to God we are here by design, created to reflect God’s image, fundamentally flawed, morally culpable, and destined to worship God in heaven or face his wrath in hell.

You can listen to the whole message here.

Over the next couple of days on the blog I plan to post a few choice excerpts from Kevin’s message.

A Vacationers’ View of the Ocean

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:32:00 GMT

By Tony Reinke

“I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,” wrote sailor and poet John Masefield. That is my motto. I love the ocean. In fact I am at the beach right now with my family. But I enjoy the sea as a novice, as one who is little more than an enthusiastic spectator from the seashore. Being a Nebraskan by birth and upbringing, my direct experience with the ocean is quite shallow.

John Newton’s knowledge of the ocean was deep. It was the ocean that provided Newton his early livelihood and it was the ocean that nearly took his life. Whether it was giving or trying to take away, the ocean was a central part of his life for several years.

Even more important to Newton was the gospel. Not surprisingly, in Newton’s writings the greatness of our Savior finds metaphorical expression in the far-reaching limits of ocean. I’m sure he would have agreed with Spurgeon’s often quoted statement: “In Christ’s finished work I see an ocean of merit; my plummet finds no bottom, my eye discovers no shore.”* The ocean in many ways is a suitable metaphor.

The gospel is unfathomable, and that of course means there is always a need for us to grow in our knowledge of the Savior. By grace this is possible—by observation this is necessary.

Newton writes,

Some knowledge of Christ indeed they [Christians] have, which is their differencing character from the world. How small a portion! That they know him a little, is plain, because they love him and trust him; but how little, is plain likewise, because their love is so faint, and their trust so feeble.

Newton elaborates on what these weaknesses expose.

Their doubts, fears, complaints, and backslidings, are so many mournful proofs that they are but poorly acquainted with him; and sufficiently evidence, that a great part of what we account our knowledge, is not real and experimental, but notional only.

The literal sense of what we read concerning Jesus, is attainable by study and human teaching; but the spiritual import can be received only from Him who teaches the heart, who increases it in us by the various exercises and dispensations we pass through; and the best have much more to learn than they have already attained.…

The knowledge of Christ, in the present life, may be compared to the knowledge that a shepherd has of the sea, from having viewed it at the top of a cliff. In a sense, it may be said he has seen the sea; but how little has he seen, in comparison of what lies beyond the reach of his eye! How inadequate is such a prospect to give him an idea answerable to the length, and breadth, and depth, of the immense ocean!**

Yes; or compared to a vacationing Nebraskan’s knowledge of the ocean. It is one thing to stand on the pebbled shore and to look out at a few miles of ocean, but another thing altogether to sail over the top of, or to dive down into the heart of, the wine-dark sea.

So it is with our knowledge of Christ in this life. Saving knowledge of Christ is not an exhaustive knowledge. Newton helps us see this point in two ways.

First, the more we learn the more we see how much more we have to learn. And our ignorance of Christ is behind our waverings, our doubts, our fears, our backslidings. Our propensity to sin reveals the shallowness of our knowledge of the Savior. We must press on not just for more learning, but for more of the experiential knowledge of the gospel, the knowledge that changes our attitudes, our thinking, and our behavior.

Second, a complete knowledge of Christ, like the majority of the ocean, remains beyond the reach of the eye. Right now our knowledge of the Savior is partial and fallible; one day our knowledge of Christ will be full and face-to-face (1 Corinthians 13:12).

A vacationer on the shore, a shepherd on the cliff—neither can see the breadth and length and height and depth of the ocean. Nor do we yet fully comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth of God’s love for us shown in the gospel (Ephesians 3:18–19). Like a wide-eyed shepherd looking out from a window seat on a clear day from 40,000 feet over the ocean, one day we will more fully comprehend the dimensions (1 John 3:2).

And we will be stunned.

Tony Reinke serves as the editorial and research assistant to C.J. Mahaney. Reading Newton’s Mail is a series of blog posts reflecting on various published letters written by John Newton (1725–1807), the onetime captain of a slave trading ship—a self-described apostate, blasphemer, and infidel, who was eventually converted by grace. Newton is most famous for authoring the hymn “Amazing Grace,” or maybe for helping William Wilberforce put an end to the African slave trade in Britain. Less legendarily, Newton faithfully pastored two churches for 43 years, a fruitful period of his life when a majority of his letters were written. Reading Newton’s Mail is published on Fridays here on the Cheap Seats blog.

* Charles Spurgeon, sermon: “Bread Enough and to Spare,” in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, vol. 17 (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1872), 389.

** John Newton, The Works of the Rev. John Newton, 3rd ed. (London: Hamilton, Adams, & Co., 1820; Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1985), 2:417–418.

Ordinary Pastors, part 12: “Well Done, Good and Faithful Ordinary Pastor”

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 11:07:00 GMT

By C.J. Mahaney

Part 12 in a 12-part series. For the series intro and index, click here.

On the last day there will be a parade of ordinary men, whose names you have never heard, who will hear the following from the Savior: “Well done, good and faithful pastor.”

This parade will include men like Tom Carson.

At the conclusion to the biography of his father, Don Carson writes these words:

Tom Carson never rose very far in denominational structures, but hundreds of people in the Outaouais and beyond testify how much he loved them. He never wrote a book, but he loved the Book. He was never wealthy or powerful, but he kept growing as a Christian: yesterday’s grace was never enough. He was not a far-sighted visionary, but he looked forward to eternity. He was not a gifted administrator, but there is no text that says, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you are good administrators.” His journals have many, many entries bathed in tears of contrition, but his children and grandchildren remember his laughter. Only rarely did he break through his pattern of reserve and speak deeply and intimately with his children, but he modeled Christian virtues to them. He much preferred to avoid controversy than to stir things up, but his own commitments to historic confessionalism were unyielding, and in ethics he was a man of principle. His own ecclesiastical circles were rather small and narrow, but his reading was correspondingly large and expansive. He was not very good at putting people down, except on his prayer lists.

When he died, there were no crowds outside the hospital, no editorial comments in the papers, no announcements on television, no mention in Parliament, no attention paid by the nation. In his hospital room there was no one by his bedside. There was only the quiet hiss of oxygen, vainly venting because he had stopped breathing and would never need it again.

But on the other side all the trumpets sounded. Dad won entrance to the only throne room that matters, not because he was a good man or a great man—he was, after all, a most ordinary pastor—but because he was a forgiven man. And he heard the voice of him whom he longed to hear saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of your Lord.*

Pastor, if you find yourself weary and discouraged, meditate on that day. Ponder Paul’s description of the day that is coming for all ordinary pastors who love Christ’s appearing. God himself, with countless reasons to condemn us, will instead commend us—all because of the perfect life and substitutionary death of Jesus Christ.

That is extraordinary grace for ordinary pastors.

The “Ordinary Pastors” blog series is adapted from C.J.’s unpublished chapter by the same title and is scheduled to appear in the Together for the Gospel compilation book, The Unadjusted Gospel (Crossway, 2012). C.J. has contributed chapters in two other similar compilation titles: Proclaiming a Cross-Centered Theology (Crossway, 2009) and Preaching the Cross (Crossway, 2007).

* Carson, Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor, 147–148.

Ordinary Pastors, part 11: Be Faithful to the Savior

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 11:13:00 GMT

By C.J. Mahaney

Part 11 in a 12-part series. For the series intro and index, click here.

At the outset of this passage (2 Timothy 4:1–5), Paul informs Timothy that he gives this charge in the presence of God (“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus”) and in light of the final Day of Judgment (“who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom”). Paul wants Timothy to be motivated by an eternal perspective.

During a recent NCAA college basketball tournament, I read the following excerpt from a press conference with Bob Huggins, coach of the West Virginia University basketball team:

Predictably, the first question Huggins was asked after his team’s victory had to do with how he felt about being one step from the Final Four so many years after his first—and only—trip to college basketball’s promised land.

“I never look back,” he said, deadpan as always. “I’ve just never been that way.”

Then he told a story. “When I was a kid growing up in West Virginia, I went to play one day,” he said. “I got in a pickup truck in Midvale with a guy and I noticed that he didn’t have a rearview mirror. I said to the guy, ‘Hey, there’s no rearview mirror.’ He looked at me and said, ‘Boy, we ain’t goin’ backwards.’ That’s the way I’ve lived my life."*

There is no rearview mirror in this passage, either. Paul draws Timothy’s attention to the future.

Paul had fulfilled this charge, and he eagerly anticipated his reward: “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day” (v. 8). Those are truly remarkable words. Paul is absolutely certain that he will receive a crown of righteousness.

The Last Day

Pastor, when you imagine the last day, what do you picture? When you contemplate a once-for-all evaluation of your life’s work, do you feel sufficient? Or as you imagine that day, do your failures rise up and accuse you?

It’s easy for us to imagine Paul being commended by the Savior. And it’s easy for us to imagine the extraordinary pastors we know of being commended on the last day. But for us ordinary pastors, what easily comes to mind is a long list of failures, shortcomings, and sin. So often I don’t expect to hear “Well done”—I expect to hear "Nice try."

Ordinary pastor, here’s what you can expect on the last day: a crown of righteousness. You—yes, you—can expect a commendation from the Savior.

Paul will undoubtedly receive commendation. But he writes, “There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” I am so glad he says “not only to me, but also to all.” If he had just said “I will receive a reward,” I would have understood that. Of course Paul will be commended by the Savior! But the good news for ordinary pastors is this: the reward is not unique to Paul. All who have been faithful to this charge will receive their reward. If we are faithful to preach the Word, faithful to fulfill our ministry, and faithful to the Savior, we too can look forward to receiving the Savior’s commendation on the last day.

How can this be? How is it possible that I—who have sinned and so often fallen short—will receive this crown? So much in my life is unworthy of him.

This is where the shadow of the cross falls across this passage. This reward is only possible because of the cross, where sins are forgiven and the service of ordinary pastors is sanctified.

Stop for a moment and think about that day. On that last day there will be a parade of ordinary men, whose names you have never heard, who will hear the following from the Savior: “Well done, good and faithful pastor.”

* John Feinstein, “Bob Huggins Leads West Virginia to a Big Victory in the Sweet 16,” Washington Post, March 26, 2010.

Ordinary Pastors, part 10: Be Faithful to Your Ministry

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:27:00 GMT

By C.J. Mahaney

Part 10 in a 12-part series. For the series intro and index, click here.

As Paul begins to summarize the pastoral call, he paints the picture this way: “As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5). The pastor’s biography should be a simple one:

he was sober-minded,
endured suffering,
did the work of an evangelist,
fulfilled his ministry.

He is sober-minded, not like those described in verses 3 and 4 who are vulnerable to fads and trends. He is not seduced by novelty or religious innovation.

He also endures suffering. He understands that suffering isn’t rare; it’s the norm. He is not going to avoid it. If you are a faithful pastor, it’s going to happen: you’ll be the target of criticism from within the church and slander from without. You’ll be opposed by the world when you preach the gospel. And you won’t be exempt from the personal suffering that’s part of living in a fallen world—suffering that God will use to accomplish his purposes in your life. God wants you to be confident that he is at work through your suffering, so that you can endure it with a solid, not superficial, joy.

The pastor is to do the work of an evangelist. Even though Timothy is serving in an area where evangelism and church planting are taking place, Paul wants evangelism to remain a passion in his life. This is all too easy for pastors to neglect in their preaching and personal life.

These imperatives combine to make one point: fulfill your ministry. Be faithful. Discharge the full range of your responsibilities. Persevere until the task is complete. Regardless of opposition or apathy, regardless of apparent success or lack thereof, regardless of church size, regardless of suffering—fulfill your ministry.

For the duration of our lives and ministries, we are called to relentless faithfulness. Today, be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. Tomorrow, be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. Do it today and do it all again tomorrow, and do it all again the day after tomorrow. Keep doing the same things.

In a culture where innovation is paramount, and the calls to produce something new seduce not just the world but also the church, this is wisdom from above: pastor, just keep doing the same thing. No innovation needed. This is what Paul is charging Timothy, and God is charging us, to do: be faithful. Do the same thing. Don’t be distracted by what’s new. Fulfill your charge. And do it all again tomorrow.

Ordinary Pastors, part 9: Be Amazed They Came Back!

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:46:00 GMT

By C.J. Mahaney

Part 9 in a 12-part series. For the series intro and index, click here.

So what are your expectations of those you serve?

Let me recommend a few realistic expectations.

First, I think you should be amazed that those who heard you preach last Sunday come back—and even at times bring guests. No one should be more amazed than the ordinary pastor when people return. Why should I be amazed? Because I preached last Sunday! “If some men were sentenced to hear their own sermons,” Spurgeon said, “it would be a righteous judgment upon them, and they would soon cry out with Cain, ‘My punishment is greater than I can bear.’”* Keep that in mind when you think about your church. We should be grateful they come back.

Second, we should be grateful they stay awake while we are preaching! Here’s something I find great encouragement in: Jonathan Edwards had to address people who were falling asleep in his church. J.I. Packer describes it this way:

In a sermon weightily titled “When the Spirit of God Has Been Remarkably Poured out on a People, a Thorough Reformation of Those Things That Were Before Amiss Amongst Them Ought to Be the Effect of It,” Edwards speaks against sleeping in church and urges that “persons would avoid laying down their bodies in their seats in the midst of public worship."**

I cannot imagine the sight. Edwards looks out during public worship and there is nothing subtle about it: people are stretched out. Edwards did not deserve this. I deserved Northampton; Edwards deserved Covenant Life Church. I can find more than sufficient reason for gratitude in the fact that those in my church—most of them, anyway—stay awake while I am preaching.

If I have realistic expectations of my church, it will be easy for me to be patient even when they (like me) grow slowly.

* C.H. Spurgeon, “The Necessity of Ministerial Progress,” in Lectures to My Students, vol. 2, Lectures, Second Series (London: Passmore and Alabaster, 1881; Pasadena, TX: Pilgrim Publications, 1990), 28.

** J.I. Packer, “The Glory of God and the Reviving of Religion: A Study in the Mind of Jonathan Edwards,” in A God Entranced Vision of All Things: The Legacy of Jonathan Edwards, ed. John Piper and Justin Taylor (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2004), 84n9.

Ordinary Pastors, part 8: Note to Self: Sanctification Is Slow

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 11:53:00 GMT

By C.J. Mahaney

Part 8 in a 12-part series. For the series intro and index, click here.

Sanctification is a process—an extremely slow process—for us all. Comprehending truth, applying truth, mortifying indwelling sin, cultivating the fruit of the Spirit—it’s a process that usually takes place by small increments over a lifetime. Normally, people don’t grow dramatically as the result of a single sermon or sermon series. And neither do you. Look at it this way: for ordinary pastors, the slow process of sanctification is a form of job security.

Too often I expect those I serve to comprehend and apply God’s Word quickly when it has taken me many years. I easily forget how much time my theological journey has taken. I am glad John Newton didn’t forget. As a wise and a patient pastor, he recognized this truth. He wrote,

I have been thirty years forming my own views; and, in the course of this time, some of my hills have sunk, and some of my valleys have risen: but, how unreasonable would it be to expect all this should take place in another person; and that, in the course of a year or two.*

So let me ask you: ordinary pastor, what are your expectations of those you serve? Are you patient with them? Or do you expect them to comprehend quickly what took you years to grasp? Understanding truth takes place slowly and gradually. And applying it takes place slowly and gradually. That is why our preaching must be accompanied with “complete patience” (2 Timothy 4:2).

* Richard Cecil, Memoirs of the Author: And General Remarks on His Life, Connections, and Character, in The Works of the Rev. John Newton, 3rd ed. (London: Hamilton, Adams, & Co., 1820; Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1985), 1:101.

Ordinary Pastors, part 7: Remember God’s Patience with You

Fri, 27 May 2011 13:43:00 GMT

By C.J. Mahaney

Part 7 in a 12-part series. For the series intro and index, click here.

So how does a pastor cultivate complete patience with those entrusted to his care over a period of many years? Here are a few suggestions.

When I am impatient with others, I have temporarily lost sight of God’s patience with me. At the root of my impatience is self-righteousness and pride. Daily remembering God’s patience with me protects my soul from sinful impatience with others.

I love this reminder from J.I. Packer:

Appreciate the patience of God. Think how he has borne with you, and still bears with you, when so much in your life is unworthy of him and you have so richly deserved his rejection. Learn to marvel at his patience, and seek grace to imitate it in your dealings with others; and try not to try his patience any more.*

“Think how has borne with you, and still bears with you, when so much in your life is unworthy of him.” When you’re 56, you appreciate a statement like this more than when you were 25. I appreciated God’s patience then; I just appreciate it more now. He has patiently borne with me for 31 more years. My wife, my children, and the men I serve with in ministry know how true it is: there is so much of my life that is unworthy of him.

“Learn to marvel at his patience.” You have got to marvel before you imitate. Have you marveled at it recently? If you haven’t, that is an early warning sign. Learn to marvel at his patience, and seek grace to imitate that patience in your dealings with others.

“And try not to try his patience anymore.” I love that little parting appeal from Dr. Packer. Immediately I think, “Ok, I will try. I am not sure how that is going to go, but I will try.”

Aren’t you grateful that, as Psalm 103 proclaims, God does not treat us as our sins deserve? As you contemplate God’s patience with you, your soul will be humbled, and you will begin to treat others with “complete patience” (2 Timothy 4:2).

Trust God’s Timetable

You may have noticed that the most common biblical metaphors for ministry are drawn from the world of agriculture: sowing, watering, harvesting. Agriculture is slow. God is patient. Most of the time, he works out his purposes gradually. He is comfortable with seasons, years, and generations. For me, a month is a long time. My time frame is days, minutes, seconds. I don’t like to be patient.

My pastoral ministry can be more informed by the world of technology than by the world of agriculture. I turn on my iPhone and I want a signal now. If I count one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi, three-Mississippi and there’s no signal, I want to know what is taking so long! But if I look up from my iPhone and bring that attitude to a conversation with a church member, someone for whom Jesus died, I am being unfaithful to the pastoral charge. My pastoral ministry cannot be informed by the world of technology; it must be informed by the world of agriculture.

God won’t be rushed.

So how about you? Does the way God normally works shape your view of your church? Are you completely patient? Here’s a recommendation: Don’t assume you are sufficiently patient. Ask around. Ask your wife, ask your children, ask your staff, ask your elders. Say to them, “I want to have an unhurried time when we can evaluate my soul in this area. I don’t just want my preaching evaluated; I want my heart evaluated. Am I pastoring you with complete patience?”

When I am impatient with others, I have usually lost sight of God’s patience with me. I have forgotten that sanctification is a process. I need to be reminded of God’s timetable.

So what is Paul’s charge—God’s charge—to ordinary pastors like you and me? Preach the gospel faithfully, in season and out of season, with pastoral discernment and complete patience (2 Timothy 4:1–2).

* J.I. Packer, Knowing God, 20th anniversary ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 165–166.

Ordinary Pastors, part 6: With Complete Patience

Thu, 26 May 2011 14:08:00 GMT

By C.J. Mahaney

Part 6 in a 12-part series. For the series intro and index, click here.

I am brought up short every time I read the phrase “with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). Every time. Pastoral ministry requires not just patience, but “complete patience.” “Complete patience” emphasizes the extent to which this quality must be present in our preaching and in our entire ministry. And it is essential, not optional.

Yes, we must be theologically accurate and exegetically precise. But if we fail to be patient with those we are addressing, we aren’t being faithful to fulfill this charge.

I’d argue that pastoral patience is more difficult than theological precision. For most of us, it’s easier to prepare and preach a sermon than to be patient with people. I think this is the most difficult challenge in this passage: “with complete patience.”

Every day of your pastoral ministry, you will face temptations to be impatient with people—or opportunities to cultivate patience with people. There is that guy you have counseled for months, possibly years, who just doesn’t seem to get it. He is sincere, but consistent growth in godliness seems to be lacking from his life. Counseling session after counseling session doesn’t seem to yield any noticeable change.

Or the people who are consistently critical about a minor point in your sermon, or who always notify you about what you failed to address. One time after I finished preaching, a guy approached me and said one thing: “You mispronounced a word.” That’s all he said—without any greeting or small talk. Now, I grew up reading MAD magazine, so I have all kind of snappy answers for what I think are stupid statements. That guy had no idea how evident the power of the Holy Spirit was in my life when I restrained myself from responding.

I was reading an article by a pastor who regularly received anonymous critical letters from someone who signed each note, “The Thorn.” Attached to the first note was an explanation that since the Apostle Paul had a thorn in the flesh, this writer felt that his pastor should have one, too. So he had appointed himself “The Thorn.” This pastor wanted to find out who The Thorn was and send him an anonymous letter signed, “The Hedge Trimmer.”

Or there’s the person who just wants to talk with you after the sermon and update you on his life—an update that is unrelated to your sermon. He just wants to talk, and it’s as if he didn’t even hear your sermon. You’ve finished preaching, you’re stepping down from the pulpit, you’re tired, and you can see him waiting for you.

I could give you a list of temptations. Your temptation is probably whomever you are thinking about right now.

If you don’t cultivate patience with those you serve and lead, your irritation and frustration will eventually surface. It will become evident in the tone and content of your sermons, your counseling, your conversation after a Sunday meeting. And when you no longer have faith that God is working in your people, and instead find yourself frustrated with your people, your soul will become weary.

In an article in Fast Company magazine, bestselling authors Dan Heath and Chip Heath reported on a surprising study of kids who dropped out of high school. Some Johns Hopkins University researchers discovered that they could predict which students wouldn’t graduate—as early as eighth grade. According to the article, “the school district could identify more than half of the students who would be likely to drop out before they even set foot in high school.”* I read that and immediately thought: what if you could identify the early warning signs of a weary and discouraged pastor?

Well, you can. One of the early warning signs is increasing frustration with people—the absence of complete patience.

* Dan Heath and Chip Heath, “Business Advice from Van Halen,” March 1, 2010, FastCompany.com.

Ordinary Pastors, part 5: Be Ready in Season and out of Season

Wed, 25 May 2011 14:52:00 GMT

By C.J. Mahaney

Part 5 in a 12-part series. For the series intro and index, click here.

Faithfulness to “preach the word” requires that you persevere in prosperity and adversity. Paul writes, “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2).

It’s not clear whether “in season and out of season” refers to Timothy and his varying temptations to timidity and fear, or to his audience, who could be either receptive or antagonistic. The smart guys who serve us with their commentaries differ on this. I’m persuaded by those who think it’s a reference to the audience, because verses 3 and 4 describe hearers who “will not endure sound teaching.”

Faithful preaching of the gospel isn’t broadly appealing. And when the message isn’t appealing, you can be tempted to compromise. John Stott writes, “Whenever the biblical faith becomes unpopular, ministers are sorely tempted to mute those elements which give the most offence.”*

But whatever the demographics and disposition of your locale, and regardless of numerical growth or lack thereof, your charge is to be faithful to preach the gospel in season and out of season. You must preach this word, whether your hearers are receptive, indifferent, or even antagonistic.

Being faithful to the message requires more than exegetical precision and homiletical skill. Faithfulness to the message requires pastoral wisdom and discernment: “reprove, rebuke and exhort” (2 Timothy 4:2).

We aren’t proclaiming a message in a vacuum. We are preaching the gospel to specific congregations, to people with names and faces. In these words—“reprove, rebuke, and exhort”—these people are in view. Each Sunday you preach to a group of hearers with varying perspectives, temptations, and levels of maturity. And pastoral discernment is required so you don’t rebuke someone you should exhort, or exhort someone you should reprove.

To reprove is to confront or to expose. As Timothy was to confront false teaching, we are to confront false ideas. To rebuke is to humbly and boldly address those who are not listening or responding to God’s Word, who have hard, proud hearts. To exhort is to encourage those who are teachable, attentive, and responsive, to explain to them how to live in light of the gospel. And any of these people could be in your church every Sunday.

Familiarity with the text is required, but not sufficient. We must also be familiar with our church. A pastor must spend time with those he serves. He must get to know them so he can wisely, appropriately, compassionately, and skillfully address them from the text, both through his preaching and in private conversation. Someone once said, “The pastor doesn’t get his message from his people, but he does get his message with his people.” There is wisdom in that. Don’t think you can craft effective sermons while isolated from those you serve.

Faithfulness to the message requires pastoral wisdom and discernment, which you gain by taking the time to know your people. The more you know them, the more skillfully and effectively you can reprove, rebuke, and exhort your church.

* Stott, The Message of 2 Timothy, 112.

Ordinary Pastors, part 4: Commitment to Unoriginality

Tue, 24 May 2011 12:29:00 GMT

By C.J. Mahaney

Part 4 in a 12-part series. For the series intro and index, click here.

Here’s something I’ve discovered: faithful proclamation of the message requires an unwavering commitment to unoriginality.

In his book Pastoral Theology, Thomas Oden writes this at the outset: “I hope this work will be as unoriginal as possible. This is the first time I have attempted to write an entire text with an absolutely clear commitment to unoriginality.”* Pastors, every sermon we preach must reflect the same thing: an absolutely clear commitment to unoriginality.

You see, if you don’t resolve to be unoriginal, you’ll be enamored by all that is new, trendy, popular, and supposedly original. If you don’t resolve to be unoriginal, you’ll be easily distracted by matters of secondary importance. Church structure and administration will trump gospel preaching. Your intelligence, rhetorical skill, or personality will take precedence over your faithfulness to the message of the gospel. If you don’t resolve to be unoriginal, you will lose sight of what matters the most.

So my friends, let’s maintain “an absolutely clear commitment to unoriginality.” Let’s be faithful to the charge to preach the gospel.

And here’s the thing: this is good news for ordinary pastors. You and I are ordinary, but by God’s grace we can do this!

Spurgeon once said, “Whitefield and Wesley might preach the gospel better than I do, but they could not preach a better gospel.”** Ligon Duncan and Mark Dever can preach the gospel better than I can, but they cannot preach a better gospel.

* Thomas C. Oden, Pastoral Theology: Essentials of Ministry (New York: HarperCollins, 1983), 7–8.

** Charles H. Spurgeon, “The Exceeding Riches of Grace,” sermon preached at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, June 18, 1882, in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, vol. 28, 1882 (Pasadena, TX: Pilgrim Publications, 1973, reprint), 339.

Ordinary Pastors, part 3: Be Faithful to the Message

Fri, 20 May 2011 11:51:00 GMT

By C.J. Mahaney

Part 3 in a 12-part series. For the series intro and index, click here.

Paul’s first charge is this: “Preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2).

As pastors, we are called to be faithful to preach—and not to preach just anything; the content of our preaching is “the word.”

Timothy would recognize this as yet another reference to Scripture in general (3:16–17) and the gospel in particular (1 Timothy 1:15; 2 Timothy 2:8). Paul does not need to further specify or clarify for Timothy. The “deposit,” “sound teaching,” “the truth,” or “the faith”—these are all references to the gospel: “the trustworthy saying, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).

The charge is be faithful to preach the gospel. The content of our teaching, of each sermon, should be informed by this specific charge.

We must never assume that those in our churches have sufficient knowledge of the gospel, or have exhausted their need for the gospel.
We must never address a topic isolated from the gospel.
We must never exhort anyone to obedience apart from the gospel.
We must never preach more passionately about any topic other than the gospel.

You and I have been entrusted with the old, old story. We must not alter, adjust, or add to that story. Instead, we must faithfully proclaim it.

You will be tempted to stray from this story.

If you haven’t been tempted already, you will before long. Straying from this story is sometimes an effective way to gain applause, or win personal approval, or satisfy those Paul describes in verses 3–4: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

But regardless of the temptations, you must be faithful to preach the Word!

Ordinary Pastors, part 2: A Biblical Definition of Ministry

Thu, 19 May 2011 12:14:00 GMT

By C.J. Mahaney

Part 2 in a 12-part series. For the series intro and index, click here.

I want to interrupt our tendency to unfavorable comparison, unattainable aspirations, and the resulting discouragement of soul. I want to ask a question: Why are we discouraged?

Often we are vulnerable to discouragement because we have forgotten what pastoral ministry truly is. We measure ourselves against unattainable standards, and inevitably we do not measure up.

So if you find yourself discouraged, you’re not alone. I’m familiar with this state of soul. And the most effective way I can encourage you is to remind you of the definition of genuine pastoral ministry, as revealed in Scripture.

In 2 Timothy 4:1–5, we find a biblical definition of ministry that will clarify our goals, purify our hearts, and liberate our souls. This passage can protect us from the temptation to compare ourselves with others. It can realign our motivations for ministry. It can protect ordinary pastors from discouragement. And it can sustain us through many years of joyful service to God’s people.

Paul writes to Timothy (and to all of us),

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Pastors, this is your definition of ministry.

Paul's Charge

Second Timothy 4:1–5 is more than a definition—it is a charge!

Paul, who is facing imminent execution, says to Timothy, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus” (v. 1). When reading it we should imagine Paul’s voice appropriately raised, infused with seriousness and urgency. In these words, Paul places Timothy—who, in comparison to the Apostle Paul, is an ordinary pastor—under a divinely inspired obligation.

And this divinely inspired letter is not just personal correspondence between Paul and Timothy. “These words,” John Stott writes, “are Paul’s legacy to the church….It is impossible to read them without being profoundly stirred.”* These words are Paul’s charge—and God’s—to every extraordinary pastor, and every ordinary one.

We all have differing gifts, influence, and even fruitfulness. Let’s be honest: I can’t match the gifting and influence of John Piper or Al Mohler. And neither can you. But regardless of our varying gifts, we all have the same charge: pastoral faithfulness.

Pastoral ministry that is pleasing to God is not ultimately about gifting, influence, or even fruitfulness. It is not about how many books you have written, which conferences invite you to speak, or how many of your sermons are downloaded on iTunes. It is not even about whether your church membership numbers grow or shrink. Pastoral ministry that is pleasing to God is about faithfulness to the charge of 2 Timothy 4. You and I are called to be faithful to this charge.

In the following posts we’ll look at the three areas in which Paul calls us to faithfulness:

faithfulness to the message,
faithfulness to the ministry, and
faithfulness to the Savior.

As we examine this passage, let’s allow Paul’s pastoral charge to address our motivation for ministry, shape our aspirations, and protect us from discouragement.

* John Stott, The Message of 2 Timothy (Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1973), 105.

Ordinary Pastors, part 1: Called, Gifted, and Discouraged

Wed, 18 May 2011 14:38:00 GMT

By C.J. Mahaney

Some pastors are extraordinary gifts to the church—Al Mohler, Mark Dever, Lig Duncan, R.C. Sproul, John MacArthur, John Piper, and Thabiti Anyabwile among them. It is a privilege to listen to and learn from these men. When I think about these men, I often think of the PGA tour motto: “These guys are good.” These guys are smart. These guys are unusually gifted. (Although that certainly isn’t how they see themselves.)

Chances are, if you’re a pastor, you think of yourself as somewhat ordinary.

If you are like me, you feel very ordinary indeed. Every so often I get the privilege of having lunch with Al, Mark, and Lig. At those meals the conversation is fast and furious, and I get dizzy trying to keep up with them. The discussion sweeps from century to century, dropping into a particular year then zooming out again, a whirlwind tour of history, philosophy, literature, theology, politics—everything except sports. They kindly assume I understand what they are talking about. I can assure you that most of the time I don’t.

These guys are smart. I am not. I am comforted, though, and here’s why: most of the smart guys I know have no athletic ability whatsoever. I’ve got an extraordinary jump shot, but I am an ordinary pastor.

Tom

I want to introduce you to another ordinary pastor. His name was Tom. Tom’s life began in 1911 and ended in 1992. During those 81 years, Tom was a faithful and loving husband, a kind and wise father, and the faithful pastor of a small church in Canada. I doubt you have heard of Tom Carson. If you have, it’s only because he had a remarkable son: Dr. Don Carson, the brilliant biblical scholar and prolific writer. Dr. Carson has written or edited more than 60 books, including one about his dad: Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor: The Life and Reflections of Tom Carson.

In his introduction, Don Carson explains the purpose for this memoir:

Some pastors, mightily endowed by God, are remarkable gifts to the church. They love their people, they handle Scripture well, they see many conversions, their ministries span generations, they understand their culture yet refuse to be domesticated by it, they are theologically robust and personally disciplined. I do not need to provide you with a list of names: you know some of these people, and you have been encouraged and challenged by them, as I have. Some of them, of course, carry enormous burdens that watching Christians do not readily see. Nevertheless, when we ourselves are not being tempted by the green-eyed monster, we thank God for such Christian leaders from the past and pray for the current ones.

Most of us, however, serve in more modest patches.…

Most of us—let us be frank—are ordinary pastors.

Dad was one of them. This little book is a modest attempt to let the voice and ministry of one ordinary pastor be heard, for such servants have much to teach us.*

Let’s be frank: most of us are ordinary pastors. We mean well. We work hard. But our sermons are average at best. Thousands of people all over the world are not downloading our sermons on iTunes. No, it’s just average stuff, with maybe an occasional good sermon in the mix (or so we think until we talk with a few church members and realize, yeah, maybe not). Most ordinary pastors will not write a bestselling book. Most ordinary pastors will not write a book at all.

Most of us are ordinary pastors. We are truly called, and we are genuinely gifted by God for our task, but we are not unusually gifted.

Too often ordinary pastors are discouraged pastors.

Discouraged Pastors

Tom Carson was an ordinary pastor, and often a discouraged one. His son Don Carson devotes an entire chapter to this (chapter 6: “Discouragement, Despair, and a Vow”). In that chapter we get a glimpse of Tom Carson’s private journals, entries like this one:

Sunday, Mar. 5, 1961

Rose 6:50 a.m. Prayer and study. Preached (poorly) from 2 Cor. 2. Twenty-four present.…Rested. Studied. Evening 19 present. Preached from Rom 1:1–17 (poorly).**

Tom Carson wasn’t writing this for anyone else. He had no idea this journal entry would one day be published. And he is obviously discouraged. His son Don Carson writes, “The reasons for such discouragement are many, but some of them, at least, overlap with Tom’s self-doubt, guilty conscience, sense of failure, long hours, and growing frustration with apparent fruitlessness.”***

Perhaps this describes you.

At some point in our lives, we can all relate to Tom Carson.

* D.A. Carson, Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor: The Life and Reflections of Tom Carson (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008), 9.

** Ibid., 82.

*** Ibid., 92.

Ordinary Pastors (series intro)

Tue, 17 May 2011 14:45:00 GMT

By Tony Reinke

We tend to overlook the “ordinary” things in life.

We don't watch a keynote speech live online to see the unveiling of a new model of an ordinary mobile phone.

We don't buy expensive stadium tickets to watch ordinary athletes compete.

And ordinary YouTube videos never “go viral.”

The common, the everyday, the routine, the uneventful, the garden-variety...none of it grabs headlines or our attention. We notice the extra-ordinary, and when it comes we will watch, buy, and spread it.

Yet the honest truth is that most pastors do not think of themselves as exceptional. Most pastors are ordinary pastors, and normally they are the first to admit it. These ordinary pastors often face particular struggles and temptations, especially the temptation to compare themselves unfavorably to extraordinarily gifted pastors and preachers.

In advance of C.J.’s chapter “Ordinary Pastors” to be published in the forthcoming Together for the Gospel book, we are reprinting the chapter in 12 parts (courtesy of Crossway). In this series C.J. addresses some of the common temptations ordinary pastors experience and sets for them a realistic vision for successful pastoral ministry that honors God and faithfully proclaims the Savior.

The ultimate goal of the series is to encourage ordinary pastors, men who are laboring faithfully in their ordinary churches and who seek to honor the extraordinary Savior. In the words of an older mentor to a young pastor, “What is important at the end of the day is the church—ordinary churches trying to live faithfully in a rapidly changing society. Ordinary churches pastored by ordinary people like you and me, knowing that we cannot do everything, but trying to do what we can and seeking God's face for His presence and blessing so that His dear Son might be honored and His people strengthened.”*

May this 12-part series, Ordinary Pastors, play a small role to that end.

Series index:

* D. A. Carson and John D. Woodbridge, Letters Along the Way: A Novel of the Christian Life (Crossway, 1993), 226-227.

The Worst Sinner in the Room

Fri, 13 May 2011 12:28:00 GMT

By Tony Reinke

John Newton went to prison in the fall of 1775. It wasn’t exactly a prison, more of a correctional institution for thieves and prostitutes. And he wasn’t sent there by force, he entered the facility voluntarily as a 50-year-old pastor.

The correctional facility in London was known as Westminster Bridewell. The inmates in the facility were subjected to hard labor and, in the spirit of behavior reform, to physical lashings for disobedience. Those floggings (of both men and women) were meted out in public and in full view of the good citizens of London. The social distance between the law-abiding citizens and the law-breaking miscreants was as obvious as the three-story prison walls.

Into Bridewell Newton entered with a Bible and a very personal story of God’s saving grace. He recounted his visit in a letter to a friend:

You would have liked to have been with me last Wednesday. I preached at Westminster Bridewell. It is a prison and house of correction. The bulk of my congregation were housebreakers [burglars], highwaymen [a highway robber on horseback], pickpockets, and poor unhappy women, such as infest the streets of this city, sunk in sin, and lost to shame [prostitutes]. I had a hundred or more of these before me.

I preached from 1 Timothy 1:15 [“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (KJV)]. I began with telling them my own story. This gained their attention more than I expected. I spoke to them near an hour and a half.

I shed many tears myself, and saw some of them shed tears likewise.

Ah! had you seen their present condition, and could you hear the history of some of them, it would make you sing, “O to grace how great a debtor!”

By nature they were no worse than the most sober and modest people; and there was doubtless a time when many of them little thought what they should live to do and suffer. I might have been, like them, in chains, and one of them have come to preach to me, had the Lord so pleased.*

The experience of prison life was striking to Newton. Given his pre-conversion life, it was not difficult for Newton to imagine a reversal of roles—himself wearing the chains, bearing public floggings, and needing another to proclaim to him the good news of the gospel.

By all accounts, the miscreants Newton addressed in the correctional facility were sinners. And they knew it. And the citizens of London knew it. Likely the surprise was in seeing a 50-year-old pastor walk into the prison to candidly share the story of his own sinfully wretched background.

In his visit two important points are clear.

First, Newton believed that the grace of God could reach anyone, no matter how dark or prevailing the sin.

Second, Newton found in 1 Timothy 1:15 a natural transition from his own life of sin to Paul’s claim of being the chief of sinners. Newton could make such a smooth transition because he genuinely believed that he was the worst sinner he knew—even in a room where he found himself encircled by 100 thieves and prostitutes.**

* John Newton, The Works of John Newton (London: 1820), 2:150.

** Newton explicitly refers to himself as the “chief of sinners” at several places in his writings (see for example his Works, 2:246, 5:570, and 6:58). And at one point in a sermon he explains the rationale behind his conviction: “It is probable, that all who are convinced and enlightened by the Holy Spirit, having a clearer knowledge of the nature, number, and aggravation of their own sins, than they can possibly have of those of any other person, account themselves among the chief of sinners, though many of them may have been preserved from gross enormities” (5:173).