Equipping the Saints for the work of the ministry

(By John MacArthur)

Quoted from FROM http://www.gracechurch.org/sfellowship/pulpitcm/front.asp?id=21

"I have often spoken out against all the pragmatic and "seeker-sensitive" approaches to contemporary worship because they tend to diminish the proper place of preaching and replace it with quasi-spiritual forms of sheer entertainment (music, comedy, drama, and whatnot). Any trend that threatens the centrality of God's Word in our corporate worship is a dangerous trend.

But one of the most disturbing side effects of the seeker-sensitive fad is something I haven't said as much about: When one of the main aims of a ministry philosophy is to keep people entertained, church members inevitably become mere spectators. The architects of the modern megachurches admit that they have deliberately redesigned the worship service in order to make as few demands as possible on the person in the pew. After all, they don't want the "unchurched" to be intimidated by appeals for personal involvement in ministry. That's the very opposite of "seeker sensitivity."

Such thinking is spiritually deadly. Christianity is not a spectator sport. Practically the worst thing any churchgoer can do is be a hearer but not a doer (James 1:22-25). Christ himself pronounced doom on religious people who want to be mere bystanders (Matthew 7:26-27).

Something is seriously wrong in a church where the staff does all the "ministry" and people are made to feel comfortable as mere observers. One of the pastor's main duties is to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:12). Every believer is called to be a minister of some sort, with each of us using the unique gifts given us by God for the edification of the whole church (Rom. 12:6-8).

That's why Scripture portrays the church as a body—an organism with many organs (1 Corinthians 12:14), where each member has a unique role (vv. 15-25), and all contribute something important to the life of the body. "And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it" (v. 26).

I can't read that verse without thinking of Dizzy Dean. He was a Hall-of-Fame baseball pitcher, whose career peaked in the 1930s. His 1934 season has never been excelled by any pitcher in history. Dean won thirty games that year, a feat that hasn't been repeated since (though Dizzy himself came close, winning 28 games the following year). But in the 1937 All-Star game, he took a hard line drive off his toe, and the toe was broken. It should not have been a career-ending injury, but Dean was rushed back into the lineup before the fracture was completely healed, and he pitched several games favoring the sore toe. That led to an unnatural delivery that seriously injured his pitching arm. The arm never fully recovered. Dizzy Dean's major-league career was essentially over in four years.

Something similar happens in any church where there are non-functioning members. The active members of the body become overextended, and the effectiveness of the whole body suffers greatly. Even the most insignificant member, like a toe, is designed to play a vital role.

That truth has been one of the main foundations of my approach to ministry for many years. When I first became pastor of Grace Community Church in 1969, I taught a series on Ephesians, and we spent a great deal of time studying the principle of Ephesians 4:11—that the pastor's duty is to equip the saints, and it is their duty to shoulder the work of the ministry.

Our people quickly embraced that simple idea, and it transformed our church in a remarkable way. For one thing, we began to see dramatic growth. Within a matter of months, attendance on Sundays had ballooned to almost 1,000. About that same time, a well-known evangelical magazine asked a reporter to write an article about the growth of our church. He visited our services for several weeks, carefully observed how the ministry functioned, interviewed scores of people, and then wrote an article titled "The Church with 900 Ministers."

That title perfectly summarized what has made Grace Church unique for all these years. Nowadays we have several thousand ministers, but the principle is still the same. Everyone is expected and encouraged to be involved in active ministry. Almost no one in our church would ever view ministry as the exclusive domain of professional clergy. If you want to be comfortable as a mere spectator, Grace Church is not the church for you.

I am not making a case for egalitarianism. Much less would I argue against the need for full-time vocational pastors who devote their whole lives to prayer, the study of the Word of God, and the training and equipping of the saints (cf. Acts 6:4; 1 Timothy 4:14-15; 5:17). The church needs leaders, and God has specifically called men to leadership and set them in places of authority in the church (cf. Hebrews 13:7, 17).

But the New Testament pattern is clear and inescapable: Every Christian is gifted and called to ministry. The spiritual gifts we are given are not for our own sake, but for the benefit of the whole body (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them" (Romans 12:6, emphasis added).

In my experience, it is not difficult to motivate gifted people to minister. The gift of mercy, for example, might practically be defined as the desire combined with the ability to show mercy. A person truly gifted to teach wants to teach. All the average person needs is encouragement and opportunities to employ his or her gifts. If faithful leaders properly train, equip, and guide people to the right ministry opportunities, the church will flourish.

If you are a church leader, I hope you have embraced your duty to equip people for ministry. It is, after all, one of your main duties—if not the single most important task for leaders in today's church.

If you're a lay person, I hope you'll find a place where you can use your gift in the work of the ministry. Maybe you'll be used by the Lord to start an epidemic of lay ministry in your congregation."

What are you currently reading?

Most of my reading time takes place at home after work/ministry. What are you currently reading (outside the Bible)? How have you enjoyed those books? What did you learn? etc...

Books I am currently reading:

1. No Place for the Truth (by David F. Wells).
2. The Cross and Christian Ministry (by D.A. Carson).
3. Women's Ministry in the Local Church (by Ligon Duncan)
4. Knowing God (By J.I. Packer)
5. The Holiness of God (by R.C. Sproul)
6. Growing Up Christian (by Paul Graustein)

My study through Knowing God has been VERY refreshing. Theology Proper is so crucial to maintaining a healthy relationship with the Father.

The Holiness of God (my first time reading it) has been really convicting. I bring God way down way too often. Thankfully He is not like me in SOO many ways.

No Place for Truth has been a long but very good read. If you love history and evangelical theology this is a must read. It has been very insightful as i seek to better understand the modern culture as well as the Church.

Women's Ministry in the Local Church has been ok. It is way too "Covenantal" (in really to many places)... Their are some really great thoughts scattered throughout the book but all in all it has not been one of my favorite books on the subject.

The Cross and Christian Ministry has been a good challange to me in many ways. Honestly i have not made my way very far in this book so more to come

New Member in Our Family

Friends,

Our beautiful daughter is now home with us. Andrea gave birth on Tuesday, May 23rd at 12:13am. Evelyn Marie Kolstad was 8 pounds 12 ounces and 21 1/2 inches long. She looks more like her mother (Thanks be to God) and is doing pretty well. She still thinks night is day and day is night so that is not very fun. Andrea is recovering from the C-section slowly but surely. Please praise God for this great gift.

Love in Him,

Caleb, Andrea, and Evelyn

T4TG (PT 4)

The Together for the Gospel conference was a great experience. Seven of Evangelicalisms brightest lights gathered together to encourage, admonish, motivate, and convict thousands of church leaders (and some future church leaders). Whenever you bring together Mark Dever, Al Mohler, C.J, Maheny, Ligon Duncan, John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, and John Piper it’s an occasion to rejoice in.

Pastor Mark Dever talked about “the pastor’s understanding of his role.” He did a quick exposition through 1 Corinthians 4 showing the “Three Marks of a Real-Minister.” Those marks were a cross-centered message (vv. 1-7), a cross-centered life (vv. 8-15), and a cross-centered follower (vv. 16-21). Mark reminded us that the cross is the center, but praise God it is not the end!

Ligon Duncan lectured on the importance of preaching from the Old Testament. He gave 8 major points during his lecture: 1. Please do not neglect the O.T. 2. Preach the O.T. expositionally. 3. Preach Christ from the O.T. 4. Preach one plan of Redemptive history from the O.T. 5. Preach grace from the O.T. 6. Preach the character of God from the O.T. 7. Preach experientially from the O.T. 8. Preach the Christian life from the O.T.

Dr. Al Mohler lectured on “preaching with the culture in view.” This was a very well balanced lecture, one that every Christian minister should listen to. Mohler pointed out 2 extremes we need to avoid: 1. Simply ignoring the culture altogether (e.g. Amish paradise). 2. Allowing culture to dominate our ministries (e.g. the Emergent church movement). Dr. Mohler reminded us that you can not withdraw entirely from culture even when you try. Culture allows human beings to relate to one another (so don’t view it as an entirely negative concept).

Like many other areas in the Christian walk this is all about balance friends; “Culture can’t be our main concern, but it can’t be avoided either.” Mohler suggested we read Augustine’s “City of God.” We must realize that people are part of culture. Therefore, “we can not withdraw from the people because THEY are the object of God’s love.”

Mohler ended his lecture explaining why culture (right now) presents some serious problems from the Christian preacher. Understanding these matters helps the preacher to be precise and more relevant (biblically speaking). Ultimately we have to respond according to whatever culture God places us in. We live in perilous times but we have the Holy Scriptures to protect and guide us on our way. The gospel is a transcultural message and it is essential for every person to embrace it in faith.

Pastor as theologian (PT 1)

Taken from Pastor Al Mohler's blog:

The Pastor As Theologian, Part One
A great read:

"Every pastor is called to be a theologian. This may come as a surprise to some pastors, who see theology as an academic discipline taken during seminary rather than as an ongoing and central part of the pastoral calling. Nevertheless, the health of the church depends upon its pastors functioning as faithful theologians--teaching, preaching, defending, and applying the great doctrines of the faith.

The transformation of theology into an academic discipline more associated with the university than the church has been one of the most lamentable developments of the last several centuries. In the earliest eras of the church, and through the annals of Christian history, the central theologians of the church were its pastors. This was certainly true of the great Reformation of the sixteenth century as well. From the patristic era, we associate the discipline and stewardship of theology with names such as Athanasius, Irenaeus, and Augustine. Similarly, the great theologians of the Reformation were, in the main, pastors such as John Calvin and Martin Luther. Of course, their responsibilities often ranged beyond those of the average pastor, but they could not have conceived of the pastoral role without the essential stewardship of theology.

The emergence of theology as an academic discipline coincides with the development of the modern university. Of course, theology was one of the three major disciplines taught in the medieval university. Yet, so long as the medieval synthesis was intact, the university was always understood to be in direct service to the church and its pastors.

The rise of the modern research university led to the development of theology as merely one academic discipline among others--and eventually to the redefinition of theology as "religious studies" separated from ecclesiastical control or concern. In most universities, the secularization of the academy has meant that the academic discipline of theology has no inherent connection to Christianity, much less to its central truth claims.

These developments have caused great harm to the church, separating ministries from theology, preaching from doctrine, and Christian care from conviction. In far too many cases, the pastor's ministry has been evacuated of serious doctrinal content and many pastors seem to have little connection to any sense of theological vocation.

All this must be reversed, if the church is to remain true to God's Word and the Gospel. Unless the pastor functions as a theologian, theology is left in the hands of those who, in many cases, have little or no connection or commitment to the local church.

The Pastor's Calling

The pastoral calling is inherently theological. Given the fact that the pastor is to be the teacher of the Word of God and the teacher of the Gospel, it cannot be otherwise. The idea of the pastorate as a non-theological office is inconceivable in light of the New Testament.

Though this truth is implicit throughout the scriptures, this emphasis is perhaps most apparent in Paul's letters to Timothy. In these letters, Paul affirms Timothy's role as a theologian--affirming that all of Timothy's fellow pastors are to share in the same calling. Paul emphatically encourages Timothy concerning his reading, teaching, preaching, and study of scripture. All of this is essentially theological, as is made clear when Paul commands Timothy to "Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you" [2 Timothy 1:13-14]. Timothy is to be a teacher of others who will also teach. "The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" [2 Timothy 2:2].

As Paul completes his second letter to Timothy, he reaches a crescendo of concern as he commands Timothy to preach the Word, specifically instructing him to "reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction" [2 Timothy 4:2]. Why? "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths" [2 Timothy 4:3-4].

As Paul makes clear, the pastoral theologian must be able to defend the faith even as he identifies false teachings and makes correction by the Word of God. There is no more theological calling than this--guard the flock of God for the sake of God's truth.

Clearly, this will require intense and self-conscious theological thinking, study, and consideration. Paul makes this abundantly clear in writing to Titus, when he defines the duty of the overseer or pastor as one who is "holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict" [Titus 1:9]. In this single verse, Paul simultaneously affirms the apologetical and polemical facets of the pastor-theologian's calling.

In reality, there is no dimension of the pastor's calling that is not deeply, inherently, and inescapably theological. There is no problem the pastor will encounter in counseling that is not specifically theological in character. There is no major question in ministry that does not come with deep theological dimensions and the need for careful theological application. The task of leading, feeding, and guiding the congregation is as theological as any other vocation conceivable.

Beyond all this, the preaching and teaching of the Word of God is theological from beginning to end. The preacher functions as a steward of the mysteries of God, explaining the deepest and most profound theological truths to a congregation which must be armed with the knowledge of these truths in order to grow as disciples and meet the challenge of faithfulness in the Christian life.

Evangelism is a theological calling as well, for the very act of sharing the Gospel is, in short, a theological argument presented with goal of seeing a sinner come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In order to be a faithful evangelist, the pastor must first understand the Gospel, and then understand the nature of the evangelist's calling. At every step of the way, the pastor is dealing with issues that are irrefutably theological.

As many observers have noted, today's pastors are often pulled in many directions simultaneously--and the theological vocation is often lost amidst the pressing concerns of a ministry that has been reconceived as something other than what Paul intended for Timothy. The managerial revolution has left many pastors feeling more like administrators than theologians, dealing with matters of organizational theory before ever turning to the deep truths of God's Word and the application of these truths to everyday life. The rise of therapeutic concerns within the culture means that many pastors, and many of their church members, believe that the pastoral calling is best understood as a "helping profession." As such, the pastor is seen as someone who functions in a therapeutic role in which theology is often seen as more of a problem than a solution.

All this is a betrayal of the pastoral calling as presented in the New Testament. Furthermore, it is a rejection of the apostolic teaching and of the biblical admonition concerning the role, and responsibilities of the pastor. Today's pastors must recover and reclaim the pastoral calling as inherently and cheerfully theological. Otherwise, pastors will be nothing more than communicators, counselors, and managers of congregations that have been emptied of the Gospel and of biblical truth."



This is Part One of a three-part series. Wednesday: The Pastor's Concentration

T4TG (pt 3)

The Together for the Gospel conference was a first time event that celebrated both the unity and the diversity of Christ’s church. 2800 church leaders united under the banner of one thing: the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. The diversity of this event was evident when listening to the panel discussions that took place throughout the main plenary sessions (5 panel sessions took place over 2 short days). Mark Dever (a Reformed S. Baptist), Al Mohler (a Southern Baptist), C.J. Mahaney (a Reformed Charismatic), and Ligon Duncan (a Presbyterian) were the principle leaders behind this gathering. They modeled for us how we as Evangelical gospel ministers can disagree on secondary matters yet come together and contend for what matters most (Jude 3). This conference was all about Biblical unity and Christ-exalting diversity.

C.J. Mahaney (in my mind) was clearly the most uneducated person among the “mighty men” (which included MacArthur, Sproul, and Piper); yet his sermon on 1 Timothy 4:16 had the greatest impact on my own soul. As D.A. Carson recently wrote, “The message of the cross proves that God’s folly has outsmarted human wisdom; His weakness has overpowered human strength.” The cross has saved many nobodies (1 Cor. 1:26-31), praise God for this! After a typical (strange) Mahaney intro, C.J. jumped into 1 Timothy 4:16, here he provided a number of excellent insights into the application of “watch your life.” C.J. said that it’s easier to study doctrine then to examine our heart, our motives, our attitudes, etc. Many pastors spend countless hours reading theology books, browsing theological blogs, and preparing biblical sermons. God calls us to watch our doctrine but not in isolation.

Mahaney reminded us that we cannot watch ourselves by ourselves. In other words, we need Christian accountability. He challenged Sr. Pastors to not set themselves above their fellow pastors and elders like Popes or Kings. Too many Sr. Pastors use their position as a shield to ward off any rebuke or criticism. Lay people or even fellow elders following Galatians 6 are accused of being unsupportive or worse yet insubordinate (by some "Sr." Pastors). This type of attitude is deadly to the soul.

I’m thankful an elder at my church recently confronted me over something I did in an unbiblical manner. He gently corrected me and then he held me accountable to do what was right. In my estimation he showed great courage (though I realize I’m only an Ast. Pastor). :)

Nonetheless, all of us would do well to meditate on 1 Timothy 4:16: Practically how are you applying the first part of verse 16? Do you even have a strategy? We don’t grow in doctrine by watching TV, surfing the internet, or by playing an excessive amount of golf. Similarly, we can not really watch our lives (our hearts), simply by reading exegetical commentaries and other good Christian books. We have to be deliberate in this battle for our own souls before we will ever rescue the souls of others.

We need to encourage others to wound our egos. We need to ask people to lovingly identify sins in our lives (that we may not clearly see). All of us are like automobiles folks, we all have blindspots! Personal mortification should take place before most anything else. That’s why the Apostle Paul wrote, “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things; for as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself an those who hear you.”

Books I've recently read/Book I'm currently reading

Most of my reading time takes place at home after work/ministry. What are you currently reading (outside the Bible)?

I don't read as much as i should or would like but here is what i've read in the past 6+ months:

1. The Church: One, Holy, Catholic, & Apostolic (by Dever, Ryken, Phillips).
2. Whatever Happened to the Truth (by Mohler, Kostenberg, etc).
3. Dear Timothy: Letters on Pastoral Ministry (edited by Tom Ascol).
4. Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church (by D.A. Carson).
5. TMS Journal on the New Perspective
6. The Old Evangelicalism (by Ian Murray).
7. From Pride to Humility (by S Scott).
8. Numerous "Jude commentaries" (authors vary)
9. Christian Counselor's Manuel (Jay Adams)

Books I am currently reading:

1. No Place for the Truth (by David F. Wells).
2. The Cross and Christian Ministry (by D.A. Carson).
3. Women's Ministry in the Local Church (by Ligon Duncan)
4. Knowing God (By J.I. Packer)
5. The Holiness of God (by R.C. Sproul)

T4TG (PT 2)

I had the privilege to represent my home church (www.fbccarmel.com) at the recent Together for the Gospel conference (T4TG). The event took place in Louisville about 10 minutes away from Southern Seminary. T4TG was hosted by Al Mohler, Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, and CJ Mahaney. They invited three of their heros (MacArthur, Sproul, and Piper) to join them for this conference. These leaders have an accurate understanding of the evangelical landscape. They know the gospel is constantly under attack from those outside the church and by some within the church as well.
John MacArthur encouraged these leaders to write an official statement affirming what they believe concerning the fundamentals of the faith. I’ve included the opening prologue below:

We are brothers in Christ united in one great cause - to stand together for the Gospel. We are convinced that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been misrepresented, misunderstood, and marginalized in many churches and among many who claim the name of Christ. Compromise of the Gospel has led to the preaching of false gospels, the seduction of many minds and movements, and the weakening of the church's Gospel witness.
As in previous moments of theological and spiritual crisis in the church, we believe that the answer to this confusion and compromise lies in a comprehensive recovery and reaffirmation of the Gospel - and in Christians banding together in Gospel churches that display God's glory in this fallen world.
We are also brothers united in deep concern for the church and the Gospel. This concern is specifically addressed to certain trends within the church today. We are concerned about the tendency of so many churches to substitute technique for truth, therapy for theology, and management for ministry.
We are also concerned that God's glorious purpose for Christ's church is often eclipsed in concern by so many other issues, programs, technologies, and priorities. Furthermore, confusion over crucial questions concerning the authority of the Bible, the meaning of the Gospel, and the nature of truth itself have gravely weakened the church in terms of its witness, its work, and its identity.
We stand together for the Gospel - and for a full and gladdening recovery of the Gospel in the church. We are convinced that such a recovery will be evident in the form of faithful Gospel churches, each bearing faithful witness to the glory of God and the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

2800 pastors and lay leaders joined together in this common affirmation of Christian unity. Of course their are many ungodly ecumenical movements that seek to downplay truth for the sake of so-called peace/unity; this is NOT one of those movements. Nate Busenitz posted some great thoughts on this very issue at http://faithandpractice.blogspot.com/ (see 4/25/06 post). It’s great to see Christians come together with a common faith and a common mission. Despite our disagreements over issues like tongues, believers baptism, eschatology, infant salvation, etc. we do stand together for the gospel.