He Gave Pastors and Teachers
May 29, 2008
This Sunday we will begin a six-part sermon series entitled “He Gave Pastors and Teachers,” examining the role of pastors and teachers in building up the body of Christ through the local church. The title comes from Ephesians 4:11-14, which says, in part:
He gave the . . . pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Note that God gives pastors and teachers to the church. They are His gifts, His presents, tokens of His love for the church.
In what sense is this true? Why are pastors and teachers so important? What is their task? How do they help the church?
We’ll address these questions and others through this series. Indeed, the title of each sermon is a question:
1: What is Preaching and Why is it Central?
2: What are Elders and Why Do We Have Them?
3: What is Shepherding and Why Must Elders Do It?
4: What is a Senior Pastor, and Why Do We Have One?
5: Since We have Elders, What is the Role of the Congregation?
6: Why are my Pastors and Elders so Disappointing, and What Should I Do About It?
Today, let’s look briefly at the Ephesians passage. Consider these five observations:
1) Pastors and teachers are not given by God to DO the work of the ministry. Undoubtedly they will be involved in ministry of various types. But they are given by God to equip the saints – that is, all the believers (see Ephesians 1:1) – so that THEY might do the work of the ministry. Every member is a minister.
2) “Pastor” is a translation of the Greek word for “shepherd.” Shepherding and teaching are thus closely linked. Clearly a large part of the equipping of the saints for ministry is through teaching.
3) The building up of the body of Christ comes about both directly and indirectly through the work of the pastors and teachers. Directly, in that their teaching and shepherding builds up the body; indirectly, in that their equipping of the saints leads the saints themselves to build up the body through their ministries.
4) The building up of the body is not itself the goal, but a step along the way to a threefold end: Unity of faith and doctrine, maturity, and the “measure of Christ’s full stature” (as another translation puts it). That’s the goal: God’s people thinking like Him, acting like Him, displaying His character through their attitudes, their words, their relationships. Verses 15 and 16 elaborate on this goal, picturing the church as a healthy body, each organ and appendage doing its part under the authority of its head, Jesus Himself, each well able to contribute to growth in love.
5) Verse 14 tells us what happens if the pastors and teachers don’t teach fully and well: A new idea comes along, a new fad, a new way of “doing church” or thinking about who Jesus is, and many people are swept away from the truth. The people are then like children: Quick to follow the crowd, easily distracted, and easily deceived.
This sermon series attempts to help DGCC become more and more like this biblical picture we see in observation 4. In order to move that direction, we need to know and understand the role of leadership, and how we leaders can play that role effectively.
As I have prepared to preach this series, I have thought again and again, “I should have taught this years ago!” These are key principles for us today. So please pray for my preparation and preaching, please prepare your hearts, and join us over the next couple of months for this series, so that together we might come to “mature manhood” to the glory of our God and Savior.
Responding to Natural Disasters
May 24, 2008
On May 2, Tropical Cyclone Nargis hit Burma, leaving tens of thousands dead. Many more lost their homes and all their possessions. Today survivors remain in grave danger in the absence of shelter, clean water, and food.
Ten days later, a huge earthquake shook Sichuan Province in China, again leaving tens of thousands dead and many more homeless. In addition to lack of clean water and exposure to the elements, the aftereffects of the quake continue to threaten residents; dozens of would-be rescuers have died as buildings collapsed around them.
Yesterday morning, an aircraft laden with relief supplies worth over a million dollars took off from the Charlotte airport, bound for China. The supplies, purchased by donations to Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, include material for temporary shelters, water filtration systems, blankets, and medical supplies. I had the privilege of attending a gathering of local pastors prior to takeoff. I encourage you to give to these efforts, as we have done.
Why? Some might say, “Many, many others around the world give to help those who have suffered from natural disasters. Christians are the only ones who will give to spread the Gospel. Therefore, all our efforts should focus on the Gospel.”
What is wrong with this argument?
Certainly the premises of that argument are correct. We must focus on establishing churches in all the people groups in the world. This is the missionary task given to the Church; if we do not fulfill it, no one else will.
But biblically, the question is not either/or. The question is not should we give to one cause or the other. We clearly must be involved in both. Consider these principles from Scripture (the pdf version of this devotion contains the biblical texts):
1) Jesus felt compassion for the sick and the bereaved, and acted out of that compassion.
Luke 7:12-15, Matthew 14:14
2) We are to be like Christ in the world, mourning with those who mourn, weeping with those who weep.
1 John 4:17, Romans 12:15
3) We are to show special concern for the afflictions of our brothers and sisters in Christ, for in serving them we serve Jesus Himself.
Matthew 25:31-46, Hebrews 13:3
4) But we are to love all our neighbors as we love ourselves by the power of the Holy Spirit – and our neighbors include all those who cross our paths.
Luke 10:25-11:13; see also my sermon on this passage.
5) In this way, we glorify God in the world.
Matthew 5:16, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, 1 Peter 2:12, 4:11
Given these biblical truths, we surely should give to such relief efforts.
Furthermore, relief efforts may well open doors to spreading the Gospel to the unreached peoples of the world. Consider that one of the greatest barriers to evangelism is the myth of our immortality. We all, at some level, acknowledge that we are mortal; we know we will die. But we block out those thoughts most of the time. We say, “I’ll think about death some other time” – and we say that day after day after day. Many, many people never seriously contemplate their own mortality.
But natural disasters change that. Many come near to death. Many more lose loved ones who had no idea they would die that day. Such survivors need much more than a blanket, shelter, and food. They also need spiritual help. By weeping with these who weep and by providing for their material needs, we put ourselves in a position to provide for their spiritual needs too – even at their request.
So I encourage you: Give. Pray. And may God choose to glorify Himself through these disasters, as His people, moved with His compassion, use His resources, in dependence upon His power, to show His love to those in need.
Clean and Unclean
May 15, 2008
Last Sunday’s sermon dealt in part with the Law, the Torah, as a revelation of God’s character. Some in the congregation wondered how certain parts of the law, particularly the dietary laws, serve in this role. Ten years ago I was preaching through Leviticus at Community Bible Church in Williamstown, MA. Several of those sermons might be helpful: The overview, the sermon on the dietary laws and other issues of cleanness, and the first and second sermons on the “holiness code”. This week’s devotion is an excerpt - about 40% - of the sermon on cleanness and uncleanness. May we all see God’s character revealed in all His Word, and respond with wonder, awe, and love for the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Note that I preached this sermon on November 29, 1998, shortly after returning from a four-week trip to several African countries. - Coty
It’s a pleasure to be back after my long trip to Africa.
Whenever I return after a long trip, I am treated to a series of performances at home. Over the course of nearly a month, all of my six children develop new skills or new games that they want to share. So, last Wednesday evening about 6:15, the four youngest boys were presenting a show. The make-up was particularly interesting. All had some black marks on their faces, but the boy playing the Wild Man was the most extreme: dressed only in underwear and a loincloth, the Wild Man was covered from waist to hair with black face crayon. About 6:30, suddenly realizing that we had only twenty minutes to prepare for the Thanksgiving Eve service, I announced, “The show has to end in one minute. We’ve got to clean up and leave for the church by 6:50!” The Wild Man looked at me and said, “Can’t I go like this?”
Now, Community Bible Church has no dress code. Looking around this morning, I see some of us dressed in suits while others are dressed quite casually. But I think more than a few eyes would have turned had the Wild Man walked into church that evening.
Why did we tell the Wild Man to clean his face and arms and torso? Why shouldn’t my sons come to church dressed in loincloths?
Certainly the appearance of such a creature would have distracted some of you, and we don’t want to distract anyone’s attention from the service itself. But preparing one’s body and clothes for church is symbolic of the inner preparation that should go on prior to approaching God in worship. And all of us should be well-prepared in our hearts before coming to a worship service.
Chapters 11 to 15 of Leviticus are particularly challenging for modern readers, because they focus on the concepts of being clean and unclean.
The adjective, noun, and verb forms of the Hebrew word translated “unclean” appear about 250 times in the Bible. More than one-third of those occurrences are in the five chapters we consider today.
What are God’s purpose in making these distinctions. We will see that the central concept here is preparation for entering God’s presence. God is essentially holy. In the immediate context — chapters 9 and 10 — God has revealed himself to be like fire. At the end of chapter nine, fire shoots out from God’s presence and consumes the offering, showing His acceptance. Then, in chapter 10, fire comes from the presence of the Lord and kills two of his selected priests, right after their ordination, because they did not obey his prescribed method for burning incense. God is like fire: unapproachable, devouring — unless he grants us mercy.
Today’s section follows immediately after these events. What can we do to prepare ourselves to come into such a presence? That is the central message of Leviticus 11-15.
The theme of this section is found in 11:44-45:
For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. 45 For I am the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, to be your God; thus you shall be holy for I am holy.
The importance of the Israelites being clean when they come into God’s presence is detailed in 15:31:
Thus you shall keep the sons of Israel separated from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by their defiling My tabernacle that is among them.
God is holy, and had revealed himself as dwelling in his tabernacle. Entering the tabernacle symbolized approaching God’s very presence.
Recall the story of Moses and the burning bush, found in Exodus 3. Moses sees a bush burning but not consumed by the flames. He draws near to examine it, but hears God’s voice:
“Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” (3:5)
God was telling Moses that His presence made the ground itself holy. God met Moses to reveal His plan for saving the people of Israel — but Moses had to approach God on His terms. We cannot simply, lightheartedly traipse onto holy ground. We need to consider the holiness of God, the purity of God, and our own standing before him. Otherwise, we defile his holiness.
Do you have holy ground in your house? In our house, a newly scrubbed kitchen floor is holy ground. Many times I have heard Beth say, “Do not come near here; remove your shoes from your feet, for I have just scrubbed the kitchen floor.”
Actually, the idea in Exodus and Leviticus is similar: This place is clean. You, right now, are dirty. I may welcome you as a person, but I don’t welcome your dirt. If you honor me, if you recognize my purity, prepare yourself prior to coming into my presence.
This is the general idea: the need to cleanse ourselves by God’s standards prior to entering his presence.
What lessons for Christians today are included in Leviticus 11-15?
The importance of Leviticus 11-15 for us today is in the pictures these chapters provide for us of God’s holiness, and the need for preparation prior to entering His presence. Let’s look at some New Testament passages that clarify this. In Mark 7, the Pharisees are complaining that Jesus’ disciples are not engaging in ceremonial washing prior to eating. Jesus responds:
18 Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him; 19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.) 20 And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. 23 All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”
Jesus here says that the pictures of the unclean foods and the need for ceremonial washing were pictures of forms of defilement from within. The questions are not, what have you touched, or what food have you eaten? The question for us is, What is in your heart? What is inside you?
Look at Jesus’ list again. I think it is easy for us to skim over it and to say, “Well, that doesn’t apply to me. I don’t engage in such behavior.” But look again at what is included: Evil thoughts. Murder — and Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount that if we are angry with our brother we are guilty of murder. Fornication and adultery — and Jesus says that he who lusts after a woman in his heart has committed adultery. Coveting. Envy. Pride. Deceitfulness — such as telling small lies that make you look better. Slander — such as telling an untruth about someone else, or telling a truth in a way that makes another person look bad. Can any of us honestly say that we lived this entire week without exhibiting in our thoughts at least one of these defilements?
These inner thoughts defile us. These inner thoughts make us impure. These sins make us unclean, and detestable to God. When we come to worship him full of such impure thoughts, we defile our house of worship, and show contempt for God himself. When we go through religious rituals of prayer, bible studies, or services of any type, and our hearts are full of such defilements, we show contempt for God. That is the meaning of clean and unclean.
“But hold it!” you might say, “Aren’t we made righteous once and for all when we are saved? Aren’t we covered by the blood of Jesus? Aren’t we made clean forever?”
To answer this question we need to distinguish between our salvation and our cleanness. This parallels the distinction between the leper’s healing and his becoming clean in Leviticus 14. The leper could be healed of his disease, and he was still not ready to be admitted to the tabernacle.
Consider the interaction between Jesus and Peter in the upper room, the night of Jesus’ arrest. Jesus is washing his disciples feet. He comes to Peter, who says:
8 “No, you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” 10 Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean.
Now, when we teach on this passage, we frequently emphasize the last clause: our whole body is clean, meaning that we are saved. But Jesus is also saying we need to have our feet washed — in our walk through this world we become defiled in many ways, some intentionally, some unintentionally; some defilements can be avoided, others cannot. There are times when we need to have our feet washed. It is important that we seek cleansing for those defilements — and then we are prepared to enter God’s presence.
Paul elaborates on this thought in 1 Corinthians 11:27-32. He is discussing the inappropriate attitude prevalent in Corinth towards the communion meal.
Paul’s command is: Examine yourself! What is your attitude? How are you approaching this act of worship? Are you defiled? Are you suffering from selfishness? Are you filled with pride? Are you lustful? Judge yourself! Don’t be foolish — seek cleansing! Then you can worship rightly!
Furthermore, then you can have complete confidence of your standing before God. Leviticus 11-15 tells the Israelites what is unacceptable, but also shows them how to become acceptable. Just so, Jesus tells us what defiles us, but also tells us how to be cleansed from those defilements.
So do you have a clear conscience? Are you sprinkled clean? Are you preparing yourself day by day by day, feeding on God’s word, letting it wash you and cleanse you? Are you controlling your thoughts, so that you are dwelling on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy? Are you keeping short accounts with God, confessing your sins?
This is the message of Leviticus 11-15 to us today. Steer clear of the defilements of the heart that so easily enter our lives. Seek God’s cleansing forgiveness for those diseased emissions, those thoughtless words and cruel actions that we say or do even unintentionally; clear your heart of the infectious diseases of pride and hate and bitterness that, if unattended, will isolate you from God and man, leaving you excluded from the camp, isolated in your suffering.
God is holy, but this holy God invites you into his presence — on His terms. Won’t you accept those terms?
Scripture References on Money
May 10, 2008
Scripture references on money:
In the sermon on April 27, I read the following passages (and promised to post them on the web) in partial answer to the three questions:
- What good things do we deserve in this life?
- Where do we find security?
- What do we believe leads to happiness?
Here are the Scriptures. I encourage you to meditate further on them, and explore their context.
- The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Mt 13:44
- Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. Ps 73:25
- God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all contentment in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 2 Cor 9:8
- I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. Phil 3:8
- The world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Gal 6:14
- 8 if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. 1 Timothy 6:8-10
- 5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6
- Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. Mar 10:29-30
- Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! 2 Cor 9:15
- Reprove and rebuke those who are idle, undisciplined, and failing to follow the leaders, stirring up trouble whether they intend to or not;
- Console and encourage those who are discouraged and afraid;
- Be devoted to the weak and ill, finding practical ways to help them.
Other Sermons on Money and Giving
May 8, 2008
Over the years at DGCC I’ve preached a number of sermons related to money and giving. For those of you who would like to explore this issue further, here are links to some of those:
2 Corinthians 8:1-8, The Grace of Giving (Preached 1/11/04): text, pdf, audio (7Mb mp3)
2 Corinthians 8:9, The Rich Became Poor for You! (Preached 1/18/04): text, audio (7Mb mp3)
2 Corinthians 8:10-9:5, Giving God’s Way (Preached 1/25/04): text, audio (9Mb mp3)
2 Corinthians 9:5-8, The Joy of Giving (Preached 2/8/04): text, audio (7Mb mp3)
2 Corinthians 9:9-15, Will God Reward You for Giving? (Preached 2/22/04): text, audio (9Mb mp3)
1 Timothy 6:6-16 The Tragedy of Desiring Money (Preached 4/23/06): text
1 Timothy 6:13-19: How to Be Rich and Still Be Happy (Preached 6/22/03): text, audio (11Mb mp3)
Proverbs 22:1-23:11: Wealth and Poverty (Preached 7/9/06): audio (8Mb mp3)
Minister, Rejoice, and Pray
May 2, 2008
In our small group this week, we considered 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18. On first reading, this passage appears to be a laundry list of isolated commands, but as John Piper argues in When I Don’t Desire God, there is an underlying logic that ties them all together. Here is the passage, followed by an extended paraphrase that elaborates on each command and draws out the logic of Paul’s thought. Meditate on these verses – and minister as God’s agent by His power for His glory.
1 Thessalonians 5:14-18 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
We strongly exhort you, brothers and sisters, to be involved in each other’s lives, responding as each person needs. Here are three examples:
These conditions may last a long time. Your ministry may not appear to have any impact. Their lack of response – or their negative response – may provoke you. Nevertheless, you must continue to minister with patience and perseverance, knowing that God has shown you much more patience than you have shown them.
Some of these folks have been hurt or angered by others in the body. And they may have genuine claims. Indeed, these very folks may have hurt and angered you! But don’t allow them or yourself to seek revenge. This is one important way that you exhibit patience.
We can summarize all these commands: Pursue with all your energy what is good for one another in your local body – and, indeed, pursue what is good for everyone. Focus on others, rather than on your own hurts, your own discouragements, your own problems.
Such a ministry may seem draining. And it will drain you – if you try to fulfill it on your own. So here is the key to being effective Always rejoice! Don’t let the frustrations of dealing with people who don’t change for the better, or who get worse, rob you of joy. For your joy should not come from earthly accomplishments. Instead, it should be rooted in God Himself.
There is only one way to maintain that joy and to minister effectively: Pray, pray, pray. Indeed, pray without ceasing. Whenever you feel tempted to anger or impatience, pray; whenever you are at loose ends, and have no idea how to minister, pray; whenever you are tempted to self-pity or tiredness, pray. Cultivate an attitude of constant, active dependence on God, always.
That attitude includes gratitude for all God has done, is doing, and will do for you and for the people whom you serve – no matter what circumstances you may be facing at the time. Be thankful – especially when times are tough.
This type of effective ministry, carried out by the power of prayer with an attitude of thankful rejoicing, is God’s will for you. Remember: You are in Christ Jesus; you are transformed into His likeness. This is truth. This is fact. So become what you already are! Be like Christ! Display His character in your life, through your ministry!
