Being a Young Pastor (Part 1)

If you care to read my blog, I want to forewarn you that my next several posts will be mostly self-focused, yet done in an ecclesiastically-relevant and biblical manner.

I recently came across a short online article entitled "To the Young Pastor" by Dr. Ron Gleason (Grace Presbyterian Church and rongleason.org) from Ligonier Ministries and it summarizes the faithful pastor that I both should strive to be and long to be. So, if you are reading this, I covet your intercessory prayers. Please pray for me that I will be the type of pastor that Dr. Gleason describes in his article, which I will be posting in my blog part by part.

First, a pastor must...

Preach expository sermons from both the Old and New Testaments. The preacher’s foremost task is to preach the Gospel. Many voices in Christianity today tempt us to forget this. They encourage us to do what will attract the unsaved. Nevertheless, the pastor is primarily called to proclaim the riches of Christ through the preaching of the Word and the clear exposition of Scripture. In this manner, he both equips the saints and prepares them to present the true, pure Gospel to the lost. Expository preaching has three decided advantages for any pastor: First, it takes the congregation through a book of the Bible so that they are able to observe and understand the various covenantal themes contained in it. Second, this type of “series” preaching protects the congregation from the pastor’s “hobby horses.” Therefore, rather than preaching on a number of his favorite topics, he is bound by the text to preach and teach the variety of doctrines found in the Word of God. Moreover, in the history of preaching it has been this expository approach that has proven to be the most spiritually beneficial to God’s covenant communities. Third, this will solve the problem for the younger pastor of choosing a text every week. Being guided by the text and your exegesis, you know what you’re preaching on next week.

He Will Save His People from Their Sins!

"She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

-Matthew 1:21 (ESV)

These Things Ought Not to be So

This video is from Desiring God. It is entitled "James 3: A Story." Read the actual James 3 below. I am convicted.

Taming the Tongue
3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

Wisdom from Above
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

See Yourself a Sinner and You Will be Thankful!

Here is Thomas Watson's suggestion on how believers can exercise thankfulness (The Godly Man's Picture, p.138:

"Question: What shall we do to be thankful?

Answer I: If you wish to be thankful, get a heart deeply humbled with the sense of your own vileness. A broken heart is the best pipe to sound forth God's praise. He who studies his sins wonders that he has anything and that God should shine in such a dunghill: 'Who was before blasphemer, and a persecutor, but I obtained mercy' (I Tim. 1:13). How thankful Paul was! How he trumpeted forth free grace! A proud man will never be thankful. He looks on all his mercies as either of his own procuring or deserving. If he has an estate, this he has got by his wits and industry, not considering that scripture, 'Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth' (Deut. 8:18). Pride stops the current of gratitude. O Christian, think of your unworthiness; see yourself the least of saints and the chief of sinners, and then you will be thankful.

Unity and Diversity in the Community of the Trinity

I recall years ago (B.M.="Before Marriage") when on occasions I would listen to Ravi Zecharias as I was getting ready to go to church. Well, I just recently began listening to him more regularly. The more I listen to him, the more I am (really) impressed by him. Honestly, I "envy" the man's intellectual capacity and he is quickly becoming one of my favorite modern-Christian figures. Thank God for His grace in gifting such men.

The video above is a very good apologetic for the sensibility of the doctrine of Trinity. In fact, it is one of the best I've come across in awhile.

Christ Longsuffering Satan's Evil for Greater Honor

Here is how John Piper answers the question, "Why does not God just wipe out Satan?"

"Why, then, does God not simply wipe Satan out? He has the right and power to do this. And Revelation 20:10 says he is going to do it some day. Why didn’t he cast him into the Lake of Fire the day after he rebelled? Why let him rampage through humanity for centuries?

The ultimate answer, as we saw last week, is that “all things were created through Christ and for Christ” (Colossians 1:16). The Son of God, Jesus Christ, will be more highly honored in the end because he defeats Satan through longsuffering, patience, humility, servanthood, suffering, and death, rather than through raw power. And the more highly honored the Son is, the greater the joy of those who love him."

Source: "The Fall of Satan and the Victory of Christ"

He Is the Head of the Body

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

-Colossians 1:15-20

George Gallup, Jr, in his article entitled, “Who is Jesus?,” based on a survey taken years and years ago writes that Americans viewed Jesus as one who loves humankind, is willing to forgive, kind, and compassionate.

They also viewed Him as someone with a strong personality, who was warm, brave, emotionally stable, without sin, and perfect.

Smaller margins of people thought that He was easy to understand, practical, physically attractive, physically strong, divine (rather than human), and accepting (rather than demanding).

Some would probably picture Him as a baby in a manger, a child living in a carpenter’s home, a healer and miracle worker, a fiery preacher, a masterful leader, and/or a holy man.

Today, some think of Him as their homeboy (have you ever seen the “Jesus Is My Homeboy” t-shirt?). Some sing of Him as if He is their boyfriend. Some perceive Him as if He is a Disney character who will fulfill all our wishes (only if we believe hard enough).

Some would affirm Him as the Second person of the Trinity, the Son of God, the New Adam, the Lamb of God, the Lion of Judah, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Savior God!

I can go on and on and on and on, but as you can tell there are various ways people recognize Jesus Christ.

Yet, there is one particular-additional way in which we must recognize Jesus Christ, which will affect how we preach, how we do missions, how we do praise, how we do ministry, even how we live and die. Namely, we must recognize the sovereign lordship of Jesus Christ.

1. JESUS Christ is the sovereign Lord of Creation (vv.15-17).

[15] He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. Before His incarnation, He was in the image of God. In His incarnation, He was in the image of God. After His resurrection, He was in the image of God. Currently in His throne, He is in the image of God. From everlasting to everlasting, He is in the image of God. He is in the image of the invisible God. He is the manifestation of the invisible God, for He is God. See Christ—See God! Know Christ—Know God! Follow Christ—Follow God!

And He is “the firstborn of all creation.” “Firstborn” not chronologically, but “Firstborn” in dignity, preeminence, rank. In other words, He is sovereign over all creation.

[16] For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. Christ who is God, Christ who is sovereign over all creation, is the very agent who created all creation.

All things material; all things spiritual; all that you see (i.e., visible); all that you cannot see (i.e., invisible); all the starry hosts; all the galaxies; all the angelic hosts; all the supernatural powers; the totality of existence; Christ not only is the agent who created them, but He is the goal of all creation. That is, for His glory and honor and praise He created them. So, all things exist for Him.

[17] And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Christ, who is God, having always existed and having created the universe, preserves and sustains his very universe.

As one scholar puts it, Christ is “the principle of cohesion” who makes the universe a cosmos instead of a chaos. That is why there is harmony and order and purpose and unity in the world. There is cosmos not chaos because Christ is the sovereign Lord of creation—over all creation.

2. Jesus Christ is the sovereign Lord of the church (vv.18-20).

[18] And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. Now, that sentence in the beginning of v.18, “And He is the head of the body, the church,” is what I wish to emphasize (what the rest of the passage [vv.18b-20] is simply saying is this: just as Christ is the origin of His universe, He is also the origin of His Church; just as Christ is the preserver and sustainer of His creation, He is the preserver and sustainer of His Church; just as Christ is the preeminent one among all His creation, He is the preeminent one among all who have been raised from the dead).

God’s Word refers to the church as a bride, a building, a family, a flock, a kingdom, and a vineyard. But in v.18 the apostle Paul refers to it as the body. The church is the body and the body is the church. And it is with Christ as its head.

In other words, just as Christ is the sovereign Lord over all His creation, Christ is the sovereign Lord over His body, the church. And we who by God’s saving grace have repented of our sins and embraced Christ as our Lord and Savior, for us He is our chief and our leader. For us He is our provider and our preserver and our sustainer. Hence, the church will be triumphant solely because of Christ the head. He is the sovereign Lord of the church and He will be faithful. The head will not disappoint!

Then what of us the body? He is our chief. He is our leader. He is our sovereign. So, what of us the body?

Here is my answer: The body must be a Christ-centered body! The church must be a Christ-centered church! Ultimately, it’s all about Christ. It’s all about the head.

Do you know what this means for everyday Christian life and ministry? It means that our preaching must be Christ-centered. It means that missions must be Christ-centered. It means that our praises must be Christ-centered. It means that even as we seek to love one another, we must love Christ even more. We must elevate Christ not men. We must please Christ not men. We must die for Christ (if need be).

We must rather have Jesus than silver or gold. We must rather be His than have riches untold. We must rather have Jesus than houses or lands. We must rather be led by His nail-pierced hand. We must rather have Jesus than men’s applause. We must rather be faithful to His dear cause. We must rather have Jesus than worldwide fame. We must rather be true to His holy name than to be the king of a vast domain or be held in sin’s dread sway. We must rather have Jesus than anything
this world affords today. It’s all about Christ!

It is about Christ—Christ who is the sovereign Lord of both the creation and the church. May we never lose sight of that!