Ordinary Pastors

We watched the following video for our TriState Fellowship Ministerium meeting.

T4G 2010 -- Session 9 -- C.J. Mahaney from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

After the video, we also discussed the following questions:

1. How can a comfort with being called to the ordinary not lead to complacency or laziness in ministry?

2. Though CJ Mahaney refers to himself as an "ordinary pastor," none of us would probably refer to him as one. How do you think he maintains a genuine humility in regard to his ministry?

3. How can we keep from comparing ourselves (either favorably, or unfavorably) with other pastors/churches within our district?

4. Who do you have in your life who can assess whether you are being patient toward the sheep God has entrusted to you?

This timely article also came out on the Gospel Coalition.

Take a look, I think it will bless you.

Your Star is at Home!

Sporting News Magazine* provides a Profile Page (What you won't find on Facebook...even if you are approved as a friend, they claim) in each print magazine as well as in their daily e-zine. It's usually an interesting way to peek into the lives of a professional athlete and find out some of the daily things they do. They ask all kinds of things about favorite movies and music, to what's on your walls or what do you least like about yourself. Many of the answers say very little, but in each issue, there is usually an answer or two that provides a little bit of unique insight.

However, one question usually leaves me disappointed: Dream Date

I'm amazed how many of these athletes will mention they have a wife and kids, and then will turn right around and mention some celebrity as their dream date. (An ink covered transforming lady seems to be the choice du jour.) Occasionally, a person will choose a celebrity and then name a feature other than appearance as their motivation, but even that is usually rather weak (Such as, "Miss USA, because I'd like to hear how she really plans to accomplish world peace through winning her crown.") Their motivation is almost always visual, make that lustful, and the concept of it being a dream date clearly suggests an evening alone together...I don't need to say more.


This has been bothering me for a while, and then I see today's feature (note, this article is written days before it is published on my blog...it is not actually today's). In this feature, the athlete gives the following answers:

Status: Married
What I'm reading: Bible and Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado (He lists his Bible as part of his game day superstition too, but that's for another post.)
Dream Date: My wife, I'm living the dream

I was thrilled to read his answer so I went ahead and read the rest of his profile. Unfortunately, he also stated:

Love to trade places for a day with... Jay-Z, so I could kick it with Beyonce. My wife understands. LOL.

Beloved, it just does not make sense to play these sort of games. Surely, this man probably thinks this is a harmless exercise, for what are the odds Beyonce is ever going to come knocking on his door? However, the battle does not begin when he's unexpectedly approached by the starlet, the battle is already lost when the man allowed himself to entertain thoughts about someone other than his own wife.

"You have heard that it was said, `YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY'; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.--Matthew 5:27-28

It may seem like harmless fun, but the battle for purity requires a steadfast devotion. (Check out the verses which immediately follow to see this point!) And remember, the standard is not for you to avoid intercourse with some other woman, your call is to model Christ's love for the church.

Seriously, can you ever imagine the Savior playing whimsical games of fantasy about another bride. (And remember, His devotion is not based upon the Bride's faithfulness, for if it were, Christ would have a valid excuse to look elsewhere.) No, Christ's love is an exclusive, faithful, jealous love. He will not entertain even the slightest fancy, but remains wholly focused and devoted to His bride.

If you've fallen into this unfaithful trap, what is a person to do to get out?

1. Focus on the Love of Christ. Meditate of passages like Ephesians 5:22-33. Then act upon it. Confess your unfaithfulness to the Lord and rest in the forgiveness granted you by the work of Christ on the cross. Repent of your unfaithfulness and ask God to develop in you a heart which is faithful unto Him and your spouse.

2. Begin speaking of your spouse as your dream date. Ah, you say, that's hypocritical if I don't really mean it. Actually, the hypocrite is one who knows what he ought to do but claims self-righteous reasons for not obeying. Instead, speak and act with the faithfulness you know your spouse deserves. You'll be amazed that as you quit entertaining these unfaithful lusts, the battle will actually diminish and you will see your spouse as your Dream Date.

3. Confess to your spouse. If you've ever played a stupid "List of 5 celebrities you'd be allowed to cheat on me for" type game (or any variant) with your spouse, you should confess that as sinful and wrong. If you ever playfully speak of another person as being a temptation you would not be able to resist, that is sinful and should be confessed. You begin the process of being faithful to your spouse when you confess the ways in which you have not and allow your spouse to know that by God's grace, you are turning from those ways.

4. Quit viewing that celebrity for a period of time. Even the celebrity is one made in God's image, so with growth, you should be able to sit at a table and talk with the person without thinking lustful thoughts. However, if you've entertained impure thoughts about someone for a period of time, and it is now difficult to think/see the person without naturally going to the impure, quit looking for a period of time. Are you really going to claim your "right/freedom" to entertainment over your desire to be faithful to your spouse and Savior? Be smart. Give your heart a break for a while while you work on refocussing your affections where they belong.

For it's not enough that your spouse become your dream date, but God is glorified when you see your spouse as a gift from God that exceeds your dreams!

A Matter of Trajectory

Take a look at the following (fictional) church signs (Sorry if you attend a "New Hope Baptist Church. I couldn't change that part of the sign), and ask yourself the following:

1. Is this sign appropriate, or has it crossed a line?
2. Can God use it?






Let's tackle the questions in reverse order:

2. Can God use it?

The correct answer is "yes." Not for some, not for all but the last, but for every sign. Yes, God can use such strategies to bring a person to repentance! We serve a Sovereign God who accomplishes salvation through jealous brothers, wicked pharaohs and kisses of betrayal. He can use all things for His glory and to accomplish His purposes. Could someone get saved at a youth group activity that is centered around wickedness? Provided the gospel is communicated (which will probably seem odd and out of place), we have to answer in the affirmative. For salvation is not up to our strategies or even our purity, but is up to a Sovereign God powerfully working through the proclamation of the gospel. This should remind us of two truths:

1. The results do not justify the action.
2. A gospel proclamation does not mean the event is suddenly pure.

It doesn't matter how many people came or how many people got saved. These are not indicators that the Lord was pleased with our activities. Jesus said that some will say, "Did we not prophesy in your name?" and yet they will be confined to hell, for they never knew Him. Certainly, the believer can also disobey the Lord and yet the Lord will allow others to be ministered to in the midst. Neither does the fact that the gospel was proclaimed "white wash" the activity/strategy. Yes, Paul was pleased that the gospel was proclaimed, even if with ill motive. However, we should not assume that also means the Lord was pleased with their ill motive. He will judge and they will stand before Him for it. I fear for many pastors who seem to ignore the fact that they will stand before God for more than just the numbers they attracted or even the number of people who got saved. They will stand before God for their faithfulness to Him, faithfulness in character and proclamation.

1. Is this sign appropriate, or has it crossed the line?

If your your screen is small enough that every sign did not appear at first, you were probably shocked to scroll down and see the last sign. Of course, that's wrong! you probably thought. You maybe even felt the same way about sign three. Actually, once you saw sign three, it may have impacted how you felt about sign two. This is the point of trajectory.

Sign four has crossed a definite line. If you don't believe so, you should resign from ministry and repent immediately. You've obviously drunk the "win them at all costs" koolaide and unless you see the error of this method, the cost may be your own soul. Any youth pastor who held this kind of event should not only be fired, but should be arrested. (I have no idea if a youth group has ever tried this, but I wouldn't be surprised. However, I do not think this is really any different than a pastor standing in front of his congregation and seeking to connect with his audience by speaking gleefully about a poster of a famous actress in a swimsuit. [Which happened in a church on Resurrection Sunday!] This pastor is also using sinful lust as a way to "win over" his audience.)

Sign three becomes problematic as well. What would be the purpose of pointing out cheerleaders in your youth group? Does this contribute to the popularity garbage of the jr/sr high caste system? Are you not trying to attract pagans to your youth group through their sinful desires? Isn't this using the girls of your church as an object? What does this say to the girls who aren't cheerleaders, or the cheerleader who thinks she's the exception because "she's really not that pretty?" And no amount of "verbal wizardry" can sanctify this situation. You can't say to yourself, Ah, but I mean beautiful in a 1 Peter 3 sort of way. These girls have beautiful character. I'm speaking of true beauty! No, when you know the reader will misunderstand your statement (or it comes to your attention that it is easily misunderstood) it is not appropriate to keep it. (Many pastors today seem to love playful use of innuendo and double meaning. When this is used to arouse sinful passion, this is wrong.) Sign three is evidence of wrong thinking (at the least) and such strategies should not be employed. (I have never seen this sign either, but I have been at a restaurant with another youth pastor [not ours!] who told a local boy he should come to his youth group because he has a lot of pretty girls. Now, why would a youth pastor, who should be seeking to preserve the purity of his girls and should be speaking against being unequally yoked, ever sick a pagan boy on his girls?)

Sign two could probably be answered either way. It's one thing if the pastor simply knows that Sally is Ryan's acquaintance and her presence may allay his fears of not knowing anyone. This could be an innocent statement from the youth pastor. However, if he is aware that Ryan has a "crush" on Sally and he is trying to manipulate that desire to get the kid to come, he is once again objectifying a member of his youth group. He also sends a double message, for it appears that he would approve of the boy having a relationship with Sally. The answer is not to be double tongued either. He should not have the option of making this boy think he should pursue a relationship with the girl, and then run over to the girl and encourage her not to pursue a relationship with the boy. In fact, if the youth pastor later becomes aware of the fact that Ryan has a greater appreciation for Sally than just acquaintances, he should abandon such a strategy to attract the young man to the youth group.

But I first started coming to a youth group because I was attracted to a girl, you may protest. That's not what I'm talking about. In fact, during a recent communion service, several men in our church shared they were motivated to pursue Christ by their attraction to a Christian woman. As they pursued the woman, they met her Savior and were won over to the Lord. This fact gets us back to question two, God can use any means to bring a person to faith. However, this does not mean it is right for a pastor to use whatever means available to do the same. Might a young man come to a youth group because of lustful passion for a girl and yet he encounters Christ? Praise be to God, it happens all the time. Should a pastor knowingly manipulate these passions to try to get the young man in the door? Never.

Sign one seems innocent enough. Teens are insecure and self-conscious already. There's nothing wrong with easing someone's fear of being alone and scared by appealing to relationships they already have. To say, Hey, we have a lot of kids from your high school in our youth group. You probably recognize a lot of them is a pretty innocent statement in it's own. However, even this statement could be said with wrong motive. Are you trying to win the kid over that other members of his cliche come to your youth group and find it cool? Are you trying to appeal to his social status and convince him that his pursuit of popularity can be enhanced by joining your group? You see, the words are not isolated in a vacuum. They are connected to a motive and that motive is connected to the speaker's heart. If the motive is not pure, neither is the statement.

And here comes the question of trajectory...

If the maker of sign four is also the maker of sign one, do you have less confidence in the innocence of sign one?

If a youth pastor employs sign four as a strategy to win people, this is not the beginning of his indiscretion. Yet often a church (and more tragically, the youth pastor, himself) will only look to the obvious error and not look toward the root. If a pastor gets to the point where he is using sex (or greed or gossip or any other sinful lust) in such a way to appeal to his audience, the root is sick, not just the fruit. So often, however, we are tempted to simply draw a line around certain behavior and slap the pastor's wrist when he crosses such behavior. The problem is, if the root desire is still the same, you haven't addressed the heart problem.

For instance, suppose a pastor is really dumb enough to issue a youth group wet t-shirt contest. Hopefully, his church (and parents!) are offended by this and sit down to speak with him. The youth pastor "repents" and issues an apology (usually just a generic "sorry" instead of a confession of sin...but I digress). He promises not to do that again. However, because no one has helped him search the heart issue, he might continue to employ the strategies in the first three signs. He may still be appealing to sinful lusts as an attraction strategy, he just may not be as blatant and explicit.

Once the shock of his error passes by, the church will probably relax and think the problem was taken care of...until it returns.

And it will return, because you haven't severed the root.

This is where trajectory can tell us a lot. And should remind us all, pastor or not, that we must deal with the underlying heart problem, not just the manifestations. When a pastor exhibits such blatantly sinful strategies, the church is not serving herself, her pastor or her community when she just confronts the actions. For the sake of his soul and his witness, she should love him enough to examine the trajectory and get to the heart.

(If you attend Grace, I praise God for your faithful work to seek my sanctification as well. Keep it up!)

Using Baseball for My Humility

I love being a sports antagonist, and quite frankly, it has worked out pretty well for me. My Pittsburgh Steelers prove to be a great alternative to any NFL team this state offers. I was the only kid I knew who was not a Michael Jordan fan, and instead to support the team that developed "Jordan rules," the Detroit Pistons (who have seen moderate success in my lifetime). Even my Duke Blue Devils (again, born out of not liking Jordan, though this affiliation may cost me the ability to ever have a conversation with CJ Mahaney) are always a competitive team.

But there is one team that seems to break this mold. Since my two favorite baseball players of all time (Nolan Ryan and Ivan Rodriguez) played for the Texas Rangers, I have found myself a fan for years. Not only does this cease to be an antagonist fan interest (Reds/Indians fans neither consider Texas a rival, though the Rangers have beaten the Indians every time I've seen them at the Jake), but they don't seem to bring the same level of success either.

Case in Point: Just 10 games into the season, Texas is clawing their way back up to two games below .500 and are already 3.5 games back.

The real humility came this last November while I was in the Dominican Republic. I was visiting Bob & Anna Nilsen (missionaries from our church, Tim and Evelyn were stateside) during the week of a baseball outreach. There were baseball players (former and future) all over the place, and me. I've never stood out as a baseball player (or any sport for that matter), but I have always been a fan. Therefore, I thought I'd speak and act as one who "knew the game."

The Lord used this to humble me greatly.

The first night of the trip, I shared a room with a total stranger who was there for the baseball clinic. He asked where I was from and then naturally assumed I must be a Reds or Indians fan. I corrected him and told him I actually follow the Texas Ranger. "The Rangers," he laughed.

"I know, I know," I replied. "I'm a glutton for punishment. At least I'm not a [another franchise that struggles to be competitive] fan." The man--who was behind a half closed door of our bathroom brushing his teeth--nearly choked. He then started to laugh harder than I thought would be normal. When I asked why, he informed me that he now works as the chaplain for the major league team I just named. STRIKE ONE!

Trying to regain some credibility by displaying my vast baseball knowledge, I quickly tried to recover. "Well, I think our future is bright. I really think getting Nolan Ryan as a GM will help." I then proceeded to explain that I thought a former GM had put our team in difficult shape to which the team will need years to recover from. "He was just a lousy GM," I concluded. Again, the guy nearly choked [he was just finishing up]. When I asked why, he explained that the GM I had just derided was a good friend of his. STRIKE TWO!

Trying to recover, I clarified, "Well, he seemed to be a good guy and he definitely could spot good hitters. He just had no eye for pitching talent." The man simply nodded and I thought I recovered well. He stepped back into our room, so I thought it was time to turn the conversation back to him. "So what got you into baseball," I asked. The man wryly smiled as he explained that years ago he was drafted [by the GM I had derided] as a pitcher [which I said he had no eye for]. STRIKE THREE!

Two days later, I stood before a group of pastors and church leaders. I began to share with them freshly reminded that I am an idiot and do not stand before them by any qualification of my own. The Lord used the week as such a tremendous blessing, and He continued to use baseball as a tool of humility for me. I had the privilege of helping with a couple of baseball clinics. While at the clinics, I watched instructors teach "basic fundamentals" of the game which I had never learned. I watched many nine and ten year old boys who could already field and throw better than me! I am so prone to thinking more highly of myself than I ought to...and baseball was just one manifestation.

I can tell you this. The Rangers could finish this season 4-158 and I will not refer to any of them as bums. I will not be deceived into thinking I have a better eye for talent than their front office staff either. I know that my beloved Rangers (no matter who is running the organization) are in better hands than mine.

Now, if I could just remember the same principles in others areas of life. If only I wasn't so proud, maybe the humility could come without the humiliation!

The Success of Noah's Sermons

Before entering the naval sector, there isn't a lot of information about Noah's occupation. Lamech's exposition of Noah's name certainly implies the family worked the ground. Likewise, his embarrassing post-flood condition showed he certainly knew how to cultivate a vineyard. Whatever Noah did to put matza on the table, we know he was also a preacher:

and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;--2 Peter 2:5

"Preacher of Righteousness." Two words (in the Greek) provide the only explanation. What else do we know about Noah's preaching? Was he good at it? Could we call him successful? Did people listen? Did he see results?

How do we assess a preacher?

By most modern calculations, Noah's preaching would be considered average at best. No sermon transcripts remain; his sermons seem to have died with him. We have no record of future generations emulating his style. If we're generous, his "conversions" total seven...and those were all family, possibly converted beforehand. The man did not even seem able to gather a crowd.

Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.--1 Timothy 4:16

Paul reminds Timothy that a preacher's responsibility is two-fold; Life and Teaching

Character & Doctrine--These are the two items Timothy is called to guard. Paul has mentored his son in the faith, placed him in a church, and is now giving him instructions. These are not two segregated items, for true doctrine will effect your living and your life will either confirm or deny your doctrine. Paul does not instruct Timothy to guard the "buzz factor" around the church, or to even hone his oratory skill. His key will not be in his management skills, nor in his civic connections. He is called to watch his conduct and guard his teaching. It is to be guarded, persevered in, marking that it is not just something established at the front...but it should remain foundational through his ministry.

Similarly, Noah guarded these things as well. He was set apart from the violence and sin of his society. He acted in faith, preached righteousness and walked with God (see: Genesis 6:8-9; Hebrews 11:7)

See Salvation--Just how can life and teaching draw others to salvation if it is not centered upon the gospel message? Paul reminds us: Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). Clearly, for our lives to remain focussed on the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, we must walk with Christ. However, such obedience can quickly turn to life sucking legalism if not constantly accompanied with the life altering declaration of the gospel. He did not give Timothy a two point action step--preach the gospel then pursue obedience--but calls for perseverance. We are to continue to guard our life and doctrine.

It is interesting here to note that Paul is not giving Timothy a method. He is not saying to Timothy, "My disciple, let me encourage you that a way to reach people for Christ is by guarding your life and teaching." No, Paul offers no alternative. His instruction is that salvation comes through the practice of guarding one's character and doctrine. Often, I hear other pastors present evangelists as theologically shallow by nature. To many, it is almost a requirement; for the evangelist cannot get himself bogged down with doctrinal issues. But Paul not only says that compromising one character or side-stepping some doctrinal truth is not to be preferred...he states it is nonproductive. Salvation is ensured by continuing in these things.

Grading Noah

I recently sat in a meeting where men were willing to deem something a "movement of God" simply by crowd size. (This man's church is growing, it has new people. Clearly God is blessing!) But if this were the case, every large church (including the one who boasts being the largest) would have to be deemed blessed by God. If this were the case, every Protestant pastor in a Catholic community would have to acknowledge the blessing of God lies with the church of Rome. Globally, we'd have to claim that God is doing some amazing things within the Moslem community. Brothers, we know these things to be false.

But often, we refuse to see it working the other direction. Is the faithful pastor of the small, insignificant (in the eyes of men) congregation unsuccessful? Is the pastor who is mocked by other community clergy for his refusal to accept their universalist ecumenical agenda failing to be kingdom minded? Can we really call the pastor of a persecuted church whose numbers have dropped due to martyrdom a failure? Are we ready to call one preacher, with only his family as followers, a failure?

So Great a Salvation!

Noah saw seven others saved from the flood. It is not wrong to desire more converts than that. Clearly, every gospel pastor should desire to see every soul saved they encounter! However, if we think Noah only brought salvation to eight people, we have miscalculated.

While the creationist acknowledges that we are all Adam's descendants, we sometimes neglect to note we are all Noah's as well. Had Noah been unfaithful, our life and breath could not trace through his DNA. As Hebrews 11 points out, that message of faith that was passed down by the patriarchs passed right through the blood of Noah. In the generation of the flood, this faith message only passed through one man. At that particular time, the rope of the gospel was down to one singular thread. And lest we forget, it was not just the message of the coming Messiah that carried through Noah, but the lineage of the Messiah as well. Jesus Christ's arrival on earth, enabling Himself to lay down His life as our ransom, came through the family of Noah and was thus made possible through Noah's faith and obedience. As the world turned a deaf ear to Noah's message and his ministry almost appear fruitless, God sovereignly works to accomplish the salvation of all His elect through the life and teaching of Noah.

How sad if Noah would have changed his message to reach more masses. What a tragedy if Noah decided to participate in the violence of his culture so he could connect better and foster relationships. Oh the great loss if he had simply become fatigued and quit due to the lack of visible response! Ironically, if he had adapted so that he could reach more than seven, he would have failed to bring salvation to all. However, by walking in faith, trusting that God creates the increase, Noah guarded his life and teaching and carried that salvation to all. (In a more recent example, the continent of Africa would look different if James Gribble had focussed on immediate results instead of his life and doctrine.)

Certainly, we desire to see all men saved. But this is not accomplished by doing whatever we can to reach as many as we can. This is done by paying close attention to our life and doctrine, and trusting God that through it He will reach far more than we could ever imagine!

Brothers, preach the Word.