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Preacher's Magazine Church of the Nazarene

6-1-1995 Preacher's Magazine Volume 70 Number 04 Randal E. Denny (Editor) Olivet Nazarene University

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This Journal Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the Church of the Nazarene at Digital Commons @ Olivet. It has been accepted for inclusion in Preacher's Magazine by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Olivet. For more information, please contact [email protected]. JUNE / JULY / AUGUST 1995 THE

MAGAZINE

THE COMING HOLINESS REVIVAL

PREVENTING CHILD ABUSE IN CHURCH

CELEBATE SINGLES?

LAW AS GRACE?

“ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word ot truth.” 2 Tim. 2:15 i? Preacher's MAGAZINE

Volume 70 June/July/August 1995 Number 4

Cover Photo by Oscar C. Williams

EDITORIAL Encourage One Another 2 Randal E. Denny REVIVAL The Coming Holiness Revival 3 Editor Robert E. Coleman Randal E. Denny Come Home, Rat! 5 Assistant Editor Cindy Osso Ruth Friesen Consulting Editors CHRISTIAN MINISTRY Bill M. Sullivan Director o f the ■ Just Call Me Pastor 6 Division of Church Growth Church of the Nazarene Gene Williams Wilbur W. Brannon Director of CHURCH ADMINISTRATION Pastoral Ministries Church of the Nazarene Preventing Child Abuse in Church 8 Norman G. Wilson Al Miles General Editor The Wesleyan Church PASTORAL CARE Contributing Editors General Superintendents W ho’s Caring for the Caregivers? 11 Church of the Nazarene Betty B. Robertson Jerald D. Johnson John A. Knight William J. Prince CHURCH GROWTH Donald D. Owens James H. Diehl The Seismic Church 12 Paul G. Cunningham Jo h n E. Moore General Superintendents The Wesleyan Church Earle L. Wilson PASTOR, BE ENCOURAGED Lee Haines H. C. Wilson When It’s Time to Change Channels 16 Superintendents C. Neil Strait Evangelical Friends Church Stanley Perisho Maurice Roberts MULTIPLE STAFF MINISTRIES John P Williams, Jr. Howard E. Harmon Strengthening Staff Relationships 17 General Superintendent Bill O’Connor C hu rch e s o f Christ in Christian Union Cool Philosophy 19 Dan Tipton Fred W H inrichs General Conference Secretary Brethren in Christ Church PASTOR’S PERSONAL GROWTH R. Donald Shafer Restoring the Stolen Faith 20 B ernard A. LoPinto Search Committee Report 21 PASTOR’S PROFESSIONAL GROWTH How to Get Along with Your Church Board 22 Woodie J. Stevens All unidentified Scripture quotations are taken from the PREACHING Holy Bible, New International Version® (NIV®). Copyright © 1973,1978,1984 by International Bible Society. Used by per­ If You’re in the Ministry Today, You Need a Sense of Humor 24 mission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. K. Wayne King Quotations from the following versions are used by permission: Pastor, Don’t Give Up 25 The Bible: A New Translation (Moffatt). Copyright 1922, 1924, 1925, 1935 by Harper & Row, Publishers, In­ Jill Jones corporated. Copyright 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954 by James A. R. Moffatt. The Sermon That Bites 26 The New American Standard Bible (NASB), © The Lockm an Foundation, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, J. Grant Swank, Jr. 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. New King James Version (NKJV), copyright © 1979, Make It Clear—Give the Meaning 27 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers. The Living Bible (TLB), © 1971 by Tyndale House Pub­ Robert L. Tauber lishers, Wheaton, III. No Room at the Top 29 King James Version (KJV). The Preacher's Magazine is published quarterly by Bea­ Carlton Hughes con Hill Press of Kansas City, 2923 Troost Ave., Kansas City, MO 64109. Editorial offices a t 6401 The Paseo, WORSHIP Kansas City, MO 64131. Address all correspondence concerning subscriptions to your denominational pub­ Broadening the Vision Through Worship 30 lishing house. Copyright 1995 by Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City. Canadian GST No. R129017471. Christi-An Bennett A Prayer for Renewal 32 Doug McVay MISSIONS Those Sure Were Nice Slides 33 Ol Todd Eric Forrest SPECIAL FEATURES What in the World Is Happening to the Church? Converging Toward Significance 34 David J. Felter Celibate Singles? 36 Rusty Hurst THE MINISTER’S RESOURCE LIBRARY 39 David Grosse MINISTER’S MATE Remeasuring Our First Mile 41 Betty Thompson PICTURE WINDOWS FOR PREACHING 43 Deri G. Keefer THEOLOGY Law as Grace? 44 Gary L. Durham STEWARDSHIP Defensive and Offensive Financial Strategies for the Minister 48 Don Walter TODAY’S BOOKS FOR TODAY’S PREACHERS 50 PREACHER’S EXCHANGE 51 Authors should address all articles and ARK ROCKER correspondence to Editor, The Preacher’s Tradition Versus Change 52 Magazine, 10814 E. Broadway, Spokane, WA 99206. Self-addressed, stamped en­ WORSHIP AND PREACHING HELPS velopes should accompany all manu­ 53 scripts. Paul Barber

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 1 il EDITORIAL Encourage One Another

he pastor seemed discouraged: years a neighboring pastor, visited my “At my church, the members home this week. For reasons beyond don’t have any deep relation­ my knowledge, he has felt it neces­ Tships with each other. They take no sary to resign under some pressure by responsibility for helping one anoth­ his church board. In two more Sun­ er. I guess they think that’s what I’m days, he and his family will be fin­ paid to do. There’s no support or en­ ished in that assignment, though he couragement between them. How does not yet have a call elsewhere. I can I communicate that they belong sensed his discouragement, the feel­ to each other as well as to Jesus?” ing that his work had been cut off Paul said, “Encourage one another by Randal E. Denny prematurely. Taking him by the arm, and build each other up” (1 Thess. Spokane, Washington we walked to my window-lined fami­ 5:11). ly room. I said, “I want to show you a We can encourage one another special tree that God saved for me.” with our example. Paul gives a Behind my back fence stands a tall powerful principle: “Therefore let us We can encourage one another pine in a grove of trees. I had lived in stop passing judgment on one anoth­ with our love. Paul wrote, “Knowl­ this house for 12 years before I de­ er. Instead, make up your mind not to edge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 tected its uniqueness. That pine tree put any stumbling block or obstacle Cor. 8:1). Preaching finds a powerful had received a powerful blow—ei­ in your brother’s way” (Rom. 14:13). definition in “speaking the truth in ther by lightning or man. About 40 Give a clear example to your people love” (Eph. 4:15). I have discovered feet from the ground, it had been cut and fellow pastors. By an example of that when my people know that I off. But God placed in its heart a pow­ generosity, we release people to en­ love them, they are usually receptive erful drive to live and to grow beyond courage one another by acts of gener­ to anything I need to tell them. That the tragedy. That tree sent out limbs ous love. That attitude is highly conta­ helps keep me preaching from inspi­ in three or four directions, growing gious. Congregations will eventually ration instead of frustration. I may fall vertically a dozen feet or more from follow a pastor’s love in action. short in many areas, but I do love my the trunk. Then it grew a beautiful We can encourage one another people—and I think they know it. crown on each of the limbs. with our speech. Paul wrote: “Do Thus, we find mutual encouragement. Pointing to that tree from God, I not let any unwholesome talk come We can learn something from explained, “Almost 13 years ago, I out of your mouths, but only what is geese. Studies reveal that by flying in thought my career as a pastor had helpful for building others up” (Eph. that V formation, wind resistance is been cut off. But God brought me to 4:29). Words can tear down or build cut down by 71%. When the lead Spokane. He put in my heart a desire up. Pastors have an opportunity to goose gets tired, he drops back, and to keep growing and reaching up­ build people up every week. Words another goose moves to the head of ward. By the grace of God I am grow­ given in love lift a person. the formation. ing as a pastor, as an editor, as a Isaiah said, “The Lord G o d hath giv­ Honking by the geese in the back preacher of the Word, as a friend to en me the tongue of the learned, that encourages the geese in front. If one all in my circle of influence. God I should know how to speak a word goose gets injured and falls, two geese showed me this tree from my own in season to him that is weary” (50:4, drop back with it to help. If it lands, backyard as an encouragement to KJV). the two companions stay through the keep on and never give up. I am en­ We can encourage one another night, huddling around it to keep it joying 13 of my best years as a pastor with our ministry. Paul wrote, warm until it can go again. Then they right here in Spokane Valley Church.” “Since you are eager to have spiritual catch up with the flock. That picture Then I put my hand on my friend’s gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up needs to be applied by our congrega­ shoulder and assured him, “God has a the church” (1 Cor. 14:12). God gives tions. Let’s help one another get to place for you to grow and reach up us spiritual gifts only in order to build our eternal destination! The Bible once again. Out of your hurt will up one another. Pastor, aim your min­ urges us all: “Let us consider how we grow your greatest ministry!” istry to encourage your people—as may spur one another on toward love My friend will stand tall once again. Neil Wiseman suggested, “An Encour­ and good deeds. Let us not give up He will grow in more ways than he can agement Revolution.” “All. . . must be meeting together . . . but let us en­ imagine. I hope that I encouraged him done for the strengthening of the courage one another” (Heb. 10:24-25). as he waits upon the Lord for his bright church” (v. 26). A longtime friend, and in recent tomorrows. After all, we are family! $

2 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE Revival

The Coming Holiness Revival

Our Future Destiny selves. This finally is the fulfillment of When the Congress on Evangelism everything written in the law and the at the Nazarene Theological Seminary prophets (Matt. 22:37-40; Mark 12:29- asked me to speak on the coming holi­ 31). This is holiness—the manifesta­ ness revival, at first I thought that I tion of God’s nature of holy love in should address the expectations of the the hearts of His obedient people. church in traditional revival services. Revival brings this personal reality Certainly that is a worthy program, into focus. If we were living as God one that I heartily support. But as I intended, revival would be the nor­ thought more upon the subject, I mal experience of the Church. That it wanted to see revival in a much larger by Robert E. Coleman so often does not characterize our life context, to anticipate it in terms of Director of the School of World Mission is no reflection upon God’s desire, the ultimate destiny of God’s people and Evangelism, Trinity Evangelical Divinity but rather upon our own unwilling­ when the saints shall be gathered School, Deerfield, Illinois ness to let the Holy Spirit have His from every tongue, every tribe, every way. people, and every nation to praise dying fire (2 Tim. 1:6) or to a plant Thankfully, through divine grace, Him forever. The movement of history that has put forth fresh shoots and there are those blessed ones who toward this coming holiness revival “flourished again” (Phil. 4:10, NKJV). seemingly breathe the air of revival in should make us walk on tiptoes.* The basic idea is always the return of their souls every day. They are the Revival in the Bible means to come something to its true nature and pur­ salt and light of the gospel witness in alive to God. In the Old Testament, pose. the world. In the course of church the word “revival” comes from a root In terms of redemption, then, re­ history, there have been times when meaning “to live” (e.g., Ezek. 37:5, 6; vival is the return of God’s people to multitudes of people have come alive Job 33:4; 1 Kings 17:22). The compa­ the purpose for which we were made to the love and power of God, some­ rable New Testament word means “to in the divine image—to love the Lord, times moving whole nations to follow live again” (e.g., Luke 15:24, 32; Rev. our Creator and Redeemer, with all the Lord. Unfortunately, these great 20:5; Rom. 14:9). Other words liken our mind and soul and strength, and awakenings have been short-lived and revival to the rekindling of a slowly to love our fellowmen as we love our­ have never fully captivated the church. Is there coming a day when finally God’s design for all His people will be realized? Will a true holiness revival ever sweep the whole earth? A Universal Outpouring of the Spirit There are scriptures that point in this direction, though the time and extent of this coming revival can be variously understood. Most of the bib­ lical allusions to it are bound up with other historical events, like the return of the Jews from captivity and the restoration of their nation, thus mak­ ing any interpretation tentative. Yet, recognizing that we only see through the glass darkly, it is possible to discern an outline of a coming holi­ ness revival that will grow to a mighty conflagration of Spirit-empowered evangelism and will usher in the re­ turn of the Lord of glory. In this future day, the Church in all

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 3 parts of the world will know God’s precedented tribulation in the world. How it will all end is not clear. Pos­ presence. No one will be excluded, as Joel foretells “wonders in the heavens sibly the revival will cease, and there Joel prophesied: “And it shall come to and in the earth: blood and fire and will be a “falling away” before the pass afterward that I will pour out My pillars of smoke. The sun shall be Lord returns (2 Thess. 2:3, NKJV). Spirit on all flesh” (2:28, NKJV). Peter turned into darkness, and the moon Some Bible students believe that the associated this promise with the out­ into blood, before the coming of the worst Tribulation will come after the pouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost great and terrible day of the L o r d ” Rapture of the Church. Others think (Acts 2:16-17). Yet the universal appli­ (Joel 2:30-31, NKJV; cf. Acts 2:19-20). that Christians will be taken out of cation of Joel’s prophecy was not These phenomena are not mentioned the world midway through this dread­ then experienced by everyone, in that as happening in the account of the ful period. the Spirit’s visitation was confined to first Pentecost; so apparently they are However viewed, Scripture gives Jerusalem. Of course, potentially the yet to occur. no reason to think that the last great first Pentecostal outpouring reached Jesus spoke of days immediately revival will avert the coming catastro­ to “all flesh,” even to them that “are “after the tribulation” in similar terms, phe. The line of “no return” will have afar off” (Acts 2:17, 39, NKJV), but adding that “the stars will fall from already been passed. Judgment is cer­ complete fulfillment of the prophecy heaven, and the powers of the heav­ tain. Revival may delay, but will not awaits a glorious day to come. ens will be shaken” (Matt. 24:29, prevent, the final day of reckoning. NKJV). It seems that God will sum­ mon the forces of nature to bear wit­ Holiness Evangelism ness to what is happening on the What is most significant about this Will a true earth. era is that through the sufferings, holiness revival Satan, of course, will do what he God’s people will be brought to the can to counteract the true work of true beauty of holiness. The trials of ever sweep the the Spirit. We are warned of “false the last days will serve as fires to refine Christs” and “false prophets” of this the gold of Christian character. Out of whole earth? time who will “show great signs and them, the Bride of Christ, “arrayed in wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, fine linen, clean and bright,” will even the elect” (Matt. 24:24, NKJV). emerge, ready for “the marriage sup­ Anytime revival comes, especially in per of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:7-9, NKJV; Certainly a spiritual rejuvenation cf. Dan. 12:10). Our Lord intends to around the world would be in keep­ manifestations of supernational pow­ er, the devil will try to divert people present His Bride unto himself a “glori­ ing with the all-embracing love of ous church, not having spot or wrin­ God. In a dramatic way, it would give by counterfeiting the real thing. Those fearful conditions of the last kle or any such thing, but that it notice of the gospel mandate to reach should be holy and without blemish” “the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8, days described in Matt. 24 and inter­ (Eph. 5:27, NKJV; cf. 1 John 3:2-3). NKJV), fulfilling, at last, the promise mittently in Rev. 6 to 17 seem to char­ to Abraham that in him all peoples on acterize this period. And things get the earth will be blessed (Gen. 12:3; worse as the end approaches. Famines, 22:18). The worship of God by all pestilence, and earthquakes of stagger­ The devil will families of the nations, so long fore­ ing proportions will occur. Wars and told in Scripture, would then be a re­ intrigue will fill the earth. Hate will try to divert ality (e.g., Pss. 22:27; 86:9; Isa. 49:6; bind the hearts of men and women. Dan. 7:14), and God’s name would be No one will feel secure. great among the Gentiles, “from the As moral integrity breaks down, people by rising of the sun, even to its going apostasy in the church will increase. counterfeiting down” (Mai. 1:11, NKJV). Believers who do not conform to the According to this reasoning, the spirit of the age will be hard-pressed, the real thing. Church Age began and will end in a and many will be martyred. Clearly mighty spiritual baptism. What hap­ the cost of discipleship will be high. pened at the first Pentecost may be The adversities, however, will not seen as the “early” display of the re­ hinder the work of the Holy Spirit. A purified church will be able to re­ freshing rain from heaven, while the When God’s “judgments are in the ceive unhindered the power of the closing epic is the “latter rain” (Joel earth,” people “will learn righteous­ outpoured Spirit and thereby more 2:23; Hos. 6:3; Zech. 10:1; James 5:7, ness” (Isa. 26:9, NKJV). Calamities boldly enter into the mission of all NKJV). Water or rain is often sym­ mingle with cries for mercy—the ter­ Christ. It is also reasonable to believe bolic of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37- rors actually create an environment that this greater concurrence with 39). for earnest heart-searching. God’s program will multiply workers Not everyone will turn to God, of for a great harvest of souls. People Catastrophic Upheaval in the course. Some persons will remain un­ who are full of the Spirit want to ex­ World repentant and become even more press God’s love to the world. Perse­ The spiritual outpouring across the brazen in their sin. But the world will cution is no impediment to evange­ church will be accompanied by awe­ be made to face as never before the lism. Significantly, Jesus said that some displays of power amid un­ cross of Jesus Christ. during the terrible trials of this peri­

4 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE od, the “gospel of the kingdom will world, there is no reason why each of be preached in all the world as a wit­ us cannot live now in the reality of ness to all the nations, and then the personal holiness—to love God with end will come” (Matt. 24:14, NKJV). all our being, and to love our neigh­ Doubtless, the passion to get out bors as we love ourselves. God wants the gospel while there is still time His people always to be holy as He is will increase with the revival, even as holy (1 Pet. 1:16). However limited witnesses multiply. As Joel said of this our capacity to experience His na­ day, “Your sons and your daughters ture, at least our desire to be like Him Come shall prophesy . . . And . . . whoever can be without self-imposed limita­ calls on the name of the L o r d shall be tions. Evangelism is the natural over­ saved” (Joel 2:28, 32, NKJV; Acts 2:17, flow of that love when hearts are full. 21, NKJV). Home, Certainly the greatest day of evan­ gelism is before us. The harvesting season may be short in duration, but Terrors actually it will be the most far-reaching move­ Rat! ment toward the Savior that this create an world has ever seen. That the gospel will eventually environment for reach the ends of the earth is clear from the description of that Blood- earnest heart- washed multitude gathered around the throne of heaven. We are told searching. they come from “all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues” (Rev. 7:9, NKJV). The Great Commission is ful­ Where we are convicted by the filled! Spirit of any blockage of that flow of This massive turning to Christ by holiness, we must confess our sin. by Ruth Friesen people from the four corners of the Thanks be to God, He is faithful and globe will prepare the way for the Freelance writer, just to forgive the broken and con­ Hague, Saskatchewan coming of the King. Our Lord’s re­ trite heart (1 Pet. 5:5; James 4:6; 1 turn may be waiting now on this rev­ John 1:9). The promise is that “If we olution of outgoing love. As James walk in the light as He is in the light, wrote: “Therefore be patient, we have fellowship with one another, brethren, until the coming of the and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son A rural minister visit­ Lord. See how the farmer waits for cleanses us from all sin”(v. 7, NKJV). ed a family in his con­ the precious fruit of the earth, wait­ This is the bond of perfection in ing patiently for it until it receives the which we go forth to proclaim the gregation. Suddenly early and latter rain. You also be pa­ gospel, even as we pray for the day to their 10-year-old son tient. Establish your hearts, for the hasten when the Spirit will be poured coming of the Lord is at hand” (5:7-8, out upon all flesh. In this experience rushed in, holding a NKJV). of revival, though the times are evil, bloody rat by the tail. Living Now in Revival we can witness without fear of men “I clobbered him!” The fact that Christ has not already or demons. Come what may, in Christ returned to establish His kingdom we are “more than conquerors” (Rom. he shouted proudly to gives evidence of His desire to see the 8:37). his mother. “And I Something great is on the horizon. Church perfected and the gospel pre­ jumped on him till sented to every person for whom He While the particulars are not clear, died. God is “longsuffering toward us, we know that the King is coming. In . . .” Noticing the the consummation of His kingdom, not willing that any should perish but preacher, his voice that all should come to repentance” we know that “we shall be like Him”; (2 Pet. 3:8-9, NKJV). at last “we shall see Him as He is” (1 dropped to a reverent But we dare not presume upon John 3:2, NKJV). Faith shall turn to whisper, “God called God’s patience. None of us can be so sight; and every knee shall bow be­ sure of our understanding of prophe­ fore Him and every tongue confess to him home.” cy as to preclude Jesus’ return at any the glory of God that Jesus Christ is moment. Every day we should be Lord (Phil. 2:10-11). * ready to meet the Lord, the more so as the night approaches! *For a description of revival, especially as discussed Whatever may be the prospect of a in this paper, see my book The Spark That Ignites coming great revival around the (Minneapolis: World Wide Publications, 1989).

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 5 Christian Ministry

Just Call Me Pastor

by Gene Williams Senior pastor, First Church of the Nazarene, Wichita, Kansas

y first inkling that something ty. For, to me, being a God-called pas­ 1. The sensual lure of something was wrong was the flash­ tor is the most exciting option avail­ better tomorrow robs us of M ing red lights in my rearview able! the joys offered today. mirror. I knew that I had been driving I find it easy to identify with the 2. The personal temptation to safely but a little strangely as I came joy that Esther must have felt when escape is always stronger than around the courthouse square. The God chose to work through her to the realization of its conse­ horn on my ’41 Chevrolet coupe kept bring freedom to the Jews who were quences. shorting out. In order to keep it from under the penalty of death. Esther 3. The final destination if God is blowing, I had to make wide, sweeping was also “arrested” by God. But this absent from the scene will turns. I had been preaching all day at a capture provided the greatest experi­ not satisfy little country church in Hohenwhald, ence of her life—signing the decree He further observes, “The good Tennessee, and was headed home to that brought freedom to “all the life, the one that truly satisfies, exists Nashville. But there he was—blue uni­ Jew s—young and old, women and lit­ form, gun, and badge—asking me if I tle children” (Esther 3:13). What joy had been drinking. she must have experienced when Imagine my chagrin when he said, King Xerxes gave her the signet ring “You’re driving like a drunk man!" My to send out the decree of freedom to friends in the car who had come from her people! Trevecca Nazarene College to help It has been over 40 years now me minister in this small church were since God gave me His signet ring having the time of their lives laughing with the authority to proclaim free­ at my imminent arrest. dom to all who would listen and re­ Snatches of newspaper headlines ceive it. What an incredible assign­ began to race through my mind as I ment! envisioned, “Preacher arrested for In spite of the awesome adventure drunk driving in courthouse square!” that is offered to us, many pastors feel After the humiliating process of discouraged, defeated, even despon­ convincing the officer that I had dent. Much is said about the pressure spent the day preaching, not drink­ of the ministry. There is pressure in ing, he said, “All right, Reverend, being a pastor. But what job doesn’t you’ve convinced me. I’m sorry for have stress of some kind? I have four the inconvenience.” Imagine my re­ sons who work in various profession­ lief—no ticket, no arrest; I was free to al areas; three work in sales, and the go on my way. other one is a policeman. Talk about That was the second time I had felt pressure—all four of them really work the hand of authority placed on me. in pressure cookers! Goals, quotas, re­ But the first time I was arrested—and ports, long work hours, customers to I’m glad! please, and bosses to be satisfied! On the last Sunday night of May These are the same types of things 1949, I was apprehended by God! I that seem to plunge so many pastors had no idea what was in store, no into distress. concept of where the journey would I believe that a great part of a pas­ lead, no vision of the outcome. All I tor’s problems originates in his men­ knew was that the divine hand of au­ tal attitude as he approaches his as­ thority had been placed on me. I had signment. Many have allowed the been arrested for an awesome adven­ battle of their minds to exhaust them. ture—that of being a partner with Charles Swindoll, in his book Liv­ God in building His kingdom. ing on the Ragged Edge, speaks to a Had I known then what I know major source of pressure and makes now, I would have gladly volunteered three observations concerning man’s to “do time” for the arresting Authori­ inability to enjoy what he has: Oscar C. Williams

6 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE only when we stop wanting a better God that in His grace He called me in­ physician in the emergency room of a one. It is the condition of savoring to the ministry.” hospital. Occasionally, one of his pa­ what is rather than longing for what So, we’re back to the basic issue. tients will come back to thank him for might be.” Finally, he states, “Satisfac­ When the divine hand of God is helping. It is a very special time for tion comes when we step off the es­ placed on us to arrest us, what does Randy when that happens. calator of the desire and say, ‘This is that comprise? Is it an arrest for an It is incredibly rewarding when enough. What I have will do. What I adventure, or a sentence to a concen­ those to whom I have ministered re­ make of it is up to me and my vital tration camp existence? spond with statements like, “You may union with the living Lord.’” Oh, what a joy it is to agree with not remember me, but you helped me Choosing to “step off the escalator James Stuart who says, “Every Sunday find the Lord and get my life togeth­ of the desire” in order to savor the in­ morning when it comes ought to find er.” I have a very rewarding “warm credible opportunity will go a long you awed and thrilled by the reflec­ fuzzy file” filled with such letters. way toward keeping me focused on tion. God is to be in action today Some time ago I was preaching at a the great adventure rather than on through me for these people. This Sunday School convention in Ohio. A the pressures. day may be crucial, this service deci­ nice-looking young minister came up A positive mental attitude in any sive for someone now ripe for the vi­ to me and asked, “Do you remember area of endeavor has a tremendous ef­ sion of Jesus.”* preaching at the Ohio Youth Camp in fect on the outcome. This is true of The concept of adventure in the 1967?” sports, business—in fact, in all arenas ministry doesn’t stop in the pulpit. I responded, “I sure do. I’ll never of life. I am convinced that it is espe­ It’s the awesome privilege of being forget that wonderful week.” cially true of the ministry. used by God to bring salvation, com­ He then said, “That was the time In his book Man’s Search for fort, strength, hope, and consolation when I settled the issues of my life, Meaning, Viktor Frankl comments on to those at the point of need. It’s and I now pastor near here.” why some people died in the death Truly, such testimonials are rewards camps of World War II while others for w hich I was arrested that May survived. He wrote, “Man cannot con­ night 40-plus years ago! trol his circumstances, but he can I understand the need for pacing control his attitude. This is the key to The good life, oneself so that burnout does not oc­ survival.” He went on to say, “If you cur. No motor can run at full throttle can come up with the ‘why’ of suffer­ the one that constantly without blowing the en­ I ing, you can come up with the how’ gine. We cannot keep up a continu­ to live.” truly satisfies, ous pace without blowing something. Yes, pastors have some tough Yet our attitude will take us a long times, but their attitudes make all the exists only way toward coping with all facets of difference in whether they are suc­ ministry. cesses or failures. when we stop Recently, my wife, Joyce, and I Gary Collins points out, in his book spent a couple of days at The Barn, a The Magnificent Mind, the awesome wanting a bed-and-breakfast inn near Valley power of the mind to work for us or Falls, Kansas. At breakfast we asked against us. My mind works for me better one. Tom Ryan, the proprietor, what he when I contemplate the pure joy of did to get away from the pressure. His working with God. response was interesting. He said, I feel like John Donne, who stated “When you love what you are doing, in a message in London in 1620, sharing the greatest news of the ages you don’t have to get away.” Tom is ! “Who but myself can conceive of the with a lost, hurting, and dying world! enjoying the adventure. He doesn’t sweetness of that salutation when the How often we have heard of some­ consider it an incarceration to be “on Spirit of God says to me in the morn­ one rescuing and arresting a person in duty” there every day. ing, ‘Go forth today and preach and a life-threatening situation. I men­ Again, pastors must pace them­ preach consolation, preach peace, tioned earlier that one of my sons is a selves and take time for vacations preach mercy.’” policeman. Brent has received many with their families. The adventure be­ Also, Samuel Chadwick is quoted citations of merit that hang on his gins with our mental attitudes. by Dr. W. T. Purkiser in his book Im­ wall. These include one that he re­ When we move from the frame of age of the Ministry. He stated, “I ceived when he saved an elderly man’s mind of “Woe is me, I have to be a would rather preach than eat my din­ life by administering cardiopulmonary pastor” to, “Thank God, I get to be a ner or have a holiday. I would rather resuscitation (CPR). He would be pastor,” then the joy of this awesome pay to preach than be paid not to quick to say that he was simply doing adventure becomes amazingly arrest­ preach. It has its place in the agony of his job. However, he would acknowl­ ing! 1 sweat and tears. No calling has such edge that it was rewarding to realize joy and heartbreak, but it is a calling that a life had been salvaged through ’James Stuart, Heralds of God (New York: Charles an archangel might covet, and I thank his efforts. My son-in-law, Randy, is a Scribner and Sons, 1946), 5-

.____ JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 7 Church Administration

Preventing Child Abuse in Church

veryone at First Church loved one there. She continued her search. Andrew. This talented, hand­ Both the kitchen and two adjacent E some man in his mid-20s had classrooms were unoccupied. Her first walked through the doors of the anxiety began to build. parish nine months earlier. He Noticing the door to the rear stor­ seemed like an angel sent by God to age room ajar, the woman peeked in­ fulfill the church’s need for a chil­ side. To her horror, she saw her dren’s minister. Andrew loved chil­ nephew standing in a comer looking dren, and they loved being with him. terrified. His pants were below his He had a unique way of sharing the knees. Andrew was kissing the boy’s gospel through stories, magic tricks, by Al Miles genitals. and music. He composed original Hospital minister, How could this have happened? songs that the children performed on The Queen’s Medical Center, Honolulu Why wasn’t Andrew’s background Sunday evenings to piano and guitar checked? What kind of church would accompaniment that he had arranged. the basement of the parish to check so readily, so naively, give an un­ Andrew gave of his time, talents, and on her three-year-old nephew. This known adult power over so many vul­ money. was where Andrew always conducted nerable children? Four months after he first began to children’s church. Had they made even one call to An­ attend the church, the congregation The woman noticed the older chil­ drew’s previous employers, the mem­ voted unanimously to call Andrew to dren working on crafts in one area bers of First Church would have the position of children’s minister. and the younger ones being attended learned that he had been convicted of This gave him responsibility for more to on the other side of the room by a child molestation in three states. One than 25 children, ages 1 through 12. teenage assistant. She did not, howev­ call, and a three-year-old boy would About five months later, during the er, see her nephew or Andrew. not have become another in a series Sunday morning worship service, a The woman asked one of the boys of child victims of sexual abuse. member of the congregation went to to check the rest room. He found no In the United States, national statis­ tics tell us that one out of every three girls and one out of every five boys under 18 will be victimized sexually by an adult. Most often, the perpetra­ tor of this crime will be someone whom the child has every reason to trust: a parent, grandparent, sibling, baby-sitter, neighbor, doctor, teacher, or church worker. Phyllis Roe, a pastoral counselor and ordained clergywoman, is the ex­ ecutive director of the Samaritan Counseling Center of Hawaii. During the past 17 years, she has worked with many adults who were sexually abused as children. She lists three dif­ ferent classifications of people who might sexually molest children. One includes those who might be at a vul­ nerable place in their lives. Many in this category are men going through a divorce, unemployment, or who are suffering other losses. This trauma

8 THE PREACHER S MAGAZINE could lead a man over boundaries causes it. It is not always evident in with children? Is there a way that we that he would not normally cross. In public behavior. In-depth interviews, can reduce and, perhaps, totally elimi­ this case, the abuse could be a one­ in which a person discloses his pat­ nate child sexual abuse from our time event. terns of sexual attractions, fantasies, midst? A second classification of sexual or actual behavior, may reveal it. Un­ We cannot screen out all child mo­ abusers of children are those who like fathers who sexually abuse their lesters from our ranks. True, in An­ take advantage of their power. Sexual own children, many pedophiles do drew’s case, a single police back­ abuse, Roe says, is not only a sexual not feel sexual arousal toward their ground check would have revealed act but also a show of power. own children. his criminal past. But unless someone “A male in the fam­ has been convicted ily, particularly the fa­ of pedophilia or ther, may be feeling some other crime, a deprived of his own police background needs by his wife, or check will tell us lit­ he might feel that he tle or nothing. has a right to what­ W hen a church ever he wants. In any representative calls a case, he is sexually job candidate’s previ­ aroused by the vul­ ous church to obtain nerability and depen­ a background check, dency of the child, he or she usually re­ and the feeling of ceives the worker’s power that this gives dates of employment him. He rationalizes or church atten­ it as somehow being dance. True, some a sign of closeness suspicions may arise, with his children. but often churches There is also a lot of are so hungry for denial going on. people willing to “Often,” Roe continues, “this form All three classifications dem on­ work with children that they suppress of sexual abuse doesn’t spread be­ strate that perpetrators cannot be their doubts. Trina Zelle, a pastor in El yond the family. It is a particular kind spotted simply by looks. They could Paso, Texas, suggests the following of family dynamic in which there is a appear, like Andrew, seemingly out of rules for screening children’s workers: lot of rationalization and feelings of nowhere. They could have been at- A church should check the back­ entitlement and justification.” ground of all staff and volunteers. The third classification of people Know, however, that this process who may sexually abuse children are cannot determine for certain those whose own sexual orientation One phone whether a person might abuse chil­ have been formed around children. In dren. If former supervisors offer psychological terms, this is called pe­ call, and a vague or conflicting responses, dophilia. Phyllis Roe recommends erring on “The actual pedophile,” says Roe, three-year-old the side of caution. “tends to be a male. He is sexually at­ Screeners need to be educated tracted to children in almost an addic­ boy would not and trained. They must realize that tive way. It could be male or female people who molest children are children. Usually it is one or the oth­ have become not immediately recognizable; they er. look just like us. “This is a particular sexual disorder another in a Zelle recommends these further that often starts in late adolescence. steps to protect children: In fact, a couple of the churches that series of child Churches need well-defined poli­ have come to me for consultation cies and procedures regarding child have had concerns about an older victims of abuse. Most denominational offices high-school or younger college-aged can help congregations develop youth who is beginning to spend a lot sexual abuse. such policies. of time with younger children. In one Churches should structure chil­ case, a clinical interview with the dren’s programs so that one person young man revealed a pedophiliac tending our churches for a few does not have unlimited, unhin­ orientation.” months, or they could be that faithful dered access to children. Though the disorder of pedophilia member or church leader who has Parents need to realize that they starts in adolescence, it may not re­ been in our parish for years. have to stay active in their chil­ veal itself until a person is 30 or 40 How can churches better screen dren’s lives. years old. Experts do not know what the people who will have contact There are no guarantees; we may

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 9 not be able completely to prevent In a case where abuse is suspected, child abuse. However, Zelle offers a Phyllis Roe recommends that church­ challenge: “Church leaders have to es consult with a clinically trained create as much safety as possible. A chaplain or pastoral counselor. “It is plan must also be in place in case the important not only that the situation worst happens. This is very impor­ be dealt with effectively,” she states, tant so that not everyone can deny, “but also that everyone involved has out of fear or horror, that the abuse an opportunity to examine his or her happened.” feelings and reactions.” Jim Harper III, director of chil­ dren’s ministry at one of the largest churches in Honolulu, suggests fur­ ther cautions: Be suspicious of people who are Churches need overeager or overanxious to work with children. well-defined Volunteers should work along­ side trusted professionals. policies and Ask for and check references of new people wanting to volunteer. procedures Even if their references speak well of them, place new people with regarding trusted workers. child abuse. Rev. A1 Miles serves as coor­ The church must face the issue of dinator of hospital ministry child abuse head-on. “Allegations with Interfaith Ministries of must be investigated,’’ Harper says. Hawaii at The Queen’s Medical “We must not sweep this issue under What further complicates this issue Center in Honolulu. A frequent the carpet. If churches are going to contributor in numerous na­ cover up these matters, it becomes is that our churches, like many secular organizations, fear being sued. Even if tional and international publi­ easier for someone else to try to cations, Miles has counseled abuse our children.” we win our legal battles with a staff member or volunteer, the bad press many survivors of childhood that we might receive could damage sexual abuse. He is also a con­ our image within the community. sultant on this subject to clergy Thus, church leaders often might from various faith groups. Perpetrators prefer a legal settlement with offend­ Miles is a Certified Chaplain ing employees. In such a settlement, Fellow with the College of cannot be the church leaders might allow the Chaplains. He has been an or­ staff member or volunteer to resign dained minister with the spotted simply and promise not to discuss the cir­ Church of God (Anderson, In­ cumstances with anyone. In turn, the diana) since 1983. by looks. individual also pledges not to discuss the matter nor bring litigation against the church or its leaders. Most people who provide guidance Even volunteer youth workers, es­ and support to our children in church­ pecially those who are parents, un­ es are both loving and responsible. derstand the need for careful screen­ But we must not ignore the fact that ing. Ann and Ray, parents of a some people, even likable churchgo­ nine-year-old son and three-year-old ers, misuse authority over children for daughter, have been faithful church­ their own psychological, spiritual, and goers the entire 16 years of their mar­ sexual gratification. Child sexual riage. Both have served as volunteer abuse occurs in churches as it does in youth counselors at churches. They every other corner of our world. It is could not, however, recall undergo­ an epidemic that has no vaccination. ing any screening process. Ray is It is a nightmare that will not disap­ filled with terror as he looks back. “In pear upon our awakening. Though we hindsight, we can recognize several will never be able to rid ourselves of situations where some of the youth this problem completely, church lead­ counselors were abusing their author­ ers must do everything possible to ity with kids in one way or another,” protect children from being sexually he remarks. abused in the parish. f

10 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE Pastoral Care ______. Mi—

Who’s Caring for the Caregivers?

by Betty B. Robertson Freelance writer, Roanoke, Virginia

onnie’s mother lived in a nurs­ be aware of available resources. 5. Establish a caregivers’ sup­ ing home. One day Bonnie One minister said, “I am not involved portive fellowship group. read 1 Tim. 5:8, “If anyone in parent care myself. However, I feel Caregivers have learned that peo­ Bdoes not provide for his relatives, and I should be prepared to reach out to ple do not want to hear about their especially for his immediate family, he those who are distressed because of elderly parents. If someone does lis­ has denied the faith and is worse than the heavy burden that is inherent ten, they hesitate to talk, fearing oth­ an unbeliever.” She clearly under­ with this added responsibility.” ers will think they are critical or com­ stood the Lord asking her to do some­ 2. Schedule a one-day seminar plaining. Yet they desperately need to thing she had once thought impossi­ or provide ongoing training. unload their feelings. ble: move her mother in with her T*L *C for Aging Parents (Beacon Hill A fellowship group is helpful for family. Press of Kansas City, PA083-411-4569, networking with others in the con­ Melba cares for her mother, age 79; $9.95) is a new Christian book de­ gregation who have similar experi­ her mother-in-law, age 85; and an 82- signed for seminars or elective Sun­ ences. Such a group needs to revolve year-old aunt. She and her husband day School classes. It contains end-of- around the definition of a supportive assist with home and car repairs, in­ chapter discussion questions and is fellowship found in Gal. 6:2, 9-10. surance forms, and business affairs. the only parent care book on the mar­ You as pastor, or someone not in­ Iris, 76, cares for her 99-year-old ket with an appendix of reproducible volved with caregiving, should serve mother. There are no family members charts. as group leader. Ample time should to help except her husband. 3- Send notes of encourage­ be given for prayer and seeking God’s In her mid-30s, Dianne and her hus­ ment to people in your congrega­ answers to specific problems. band have been married 10 years and tion who are caring for aging par­ 6. Find individuals within your have three young children. Dianne’s ents. congregation willing to minister 70-year-old mother-in-law has moved 4. Organize a “Prayer Partner to caregivers by providing respite in with them. Program.” (periodic relief). An estimated 7 million Americans Enlist individuals in your church Caring for the frail elderly at home are caring for elderly or ill parents at who are not caregivers but would be is often possible only with round-the- home. Parent care, often unexpected willing to serve as prayer partners. clock attention. Most caregivers con­ and unplanned, causes bewilderment. Make assignments for one year at a sider this a labor of love, but being re­ There are caregivers in your church time. sponsible for an aging parent takes a who feel isolated and alone. Family Provide suggestions for prayer part­ heavy toll in fatigue, health problems, and friends often don’t understand ners: frustration, and disrupted family rela­ what the caregivers are going • Take the initiative to contact tions. No one can work 24 hours a through. Most people are not com­ your caregiver. day with no time off. fortable talking about old age and • Ask if there are any specific re­ Caregivers are often reluctant to death. quests for which you can pray. ask for help. A respite program A lady wrote me recently saying, should be organized through the local • Record prayer needs and inter­ “About a year ago my husband and I church whereby caregivers are given cede daily. became active in the sandwich gen­ regular, scheduled time away by pro­ eration,’ following my father’s death • Contact weekly for answers and viding adult companions. and moving my mother here to be new requests. Make a list of people in your church close to us. Maybe it’s just because • All information shared with you caring for aging parents. Locate persons we’re in this stage in our lives now must be kept in strict confi­ who would be willing to minister by and I’m more aware of it, but it seems dence. serving as a companion one day a week. like this is sort of a neglected area of • If it is possible for you to pro­ Have caregivers and companions sched­ ministry.” vide periodic relief for your care­ ule the time. Companions should be giv­ Pastor, how can you minister to giver, by taking him or her to en ideas of what to do with the senior those persons in your congregation lunch or watching an aging par­ adult such as: read aloud, play games, who are caring for aging parents? ent to allow time away, be sure do craft activities, watch Christian 1. Read parent care books and to take the initiative. videos, and write letters. 4

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 11 Church Growth j The Seismic Church

eismic tremors as jarring as any After surveying this ecclesiastical geological quake are surging landscape, George Barna concludes, through today’s Church. The “We currently develop churches S“socioquakes” of the ’90s promise to based on a model that was developed remap the Church of the 21st centu­ several hundred years ago, rejecting ry, leaving an observer of the once- the fact that the cry of the stable institution to write, “We are at unchurched—‘the church is irrele­ the front edges of the greatest trans­ vant to the way I live’—cannot be ad­ formation of the church that has oc­ dressed until the model itself is re­ curred for 1,600 years. It is by far the newed to acknowledge that the times greatest change that the church has by John E. Moore have changed.”4 ever experienced. . . . It may eventu­ Pastor, Concord Church of the Nazarene, If the Church of the 20th century is ally make the transformation of the Concord, California to connect with society and its new Reformation look like a ripple in a realities, it must experience five pond.”1 Church consultant Carl forces that are reshaping the Church’s colossal paradigm shifts. George warns, “I believe that the landscape: “Many have become disil­ choices challenging Christians today lusioned with the institutional 1. The emerging model of are so great that, for many local church, and even those who have not the Church must be one in churches, their very existence is, or shared this loss of optimism have which all the people of God will soon be, at stake.”2 been puzzled over the failure of the are viewed as ministers. Judged to be boring and irrelevant, church to manifest significant success While new to the contemporary the Church has been abandoned by in its relation to the world, either Church, this model is firmly rooted in many who have opted for other in­ evangelistically or in influencing soci­ both the Old and New Testaments. volvement. Theologian H. Ray Dun­ ety toward justice and righteous­ God originally commissioned the en­ ning reflects on the subterranean ness.”3 tire nation of Israel as “a kingdom of priests” (Exod. 19:5-6). Tragically God’s people rejected their calling and urged Moses to represent them on Mount Sinai. Consequently, simul­ taneous to the development of Israel as a nation, there developed an elite and cumbersome priesthood. “By the time of Jesus, the authority of the priestly caste had become intolerably oppressive. 5 The tragedy of Israel’s refusal to be a “kingdom of priests” is reflected in the contemporary Church’s failure to be the same. Peter the apostle makes it clear that even the Gentile believers serve as “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may de­ clare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonder­ ful light” (1 Pet. 2:9). While Israel and the Church differ, Peter shows that through the ages the people of God follow the same pur­ pose. In referring to the continuity of priesthood that exists between Exod. 19:5-6 and 1 Pet. 2:9, Walter Kaiser comments, “In both Testaments we

12 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE are all intended by God to participate day, at the church, under the direct Good News everywhere they trav­ in that priesthood who would be supervision of the clergy. For eled. Today laity have access to the agents of blessing to all the nations of decades, we have refined the art of marketplace, community, and neigh­ the earth.”6 getting people to come. Today we borhood that clergy do not have. When searching for a term that must learn again how to go. Jesus sent Laity are streetwise, taking into their would convey the idea found in the His first-century fledgling disciples in­ everyday arenas a contextual under­ Old Testament word am, Greek trans­ to the world. He said, “As the Father standing and language, by virtue of lators adopted the word laos for the has sent me, I am sending you” (John their exposure and ministry, that cler­ Septuagint. Laos appears over 2,000 20:21). gy lack. Laity are unencumbered by times in the Old Testament and over Christians must once again view the hidden motives of which clergy 140 in the New.7 Throughout the Bi­ themselves as ministers, sent out by are often suspect: e.g., “He must ble laos refers to “all the people of the Holy Spirit and Christ’s Church to want my money.” To the person on God.” It has always been God’s inten­ do the work of God in their everyday the street, clergy are often intimidat­ tion for all of His people to view world. The same God who called the ing, while Spirit-led laypeople are not. themselves as priests and ministers. Church out nearly 2,000 years ago Because we live on a new frontier, A priest is a mediator or a bridge calls her out again—out of her clois­ both in terms of ethnic diversity and builder. As such, every Christian has tered subculture into face-to-face en­ the impact of modernity, the shapes been strategically placed in fields of counters with human pain and disillu­ ministry will take are yet to be de­ mission, gifted and empowered by sionment. The mission frontier can fined. The potential is as great as the the Holy Spirit to construct bridges, no longer be seen as existing solely number of Christians who gain a vi­ allowing those disconnected from across an ocean, but at our front sion, develop their spiritual gifts, and God to meet Him. Every believer is door. Jerry Appleby has pointed out, follow the Spirit. Loren Mead, uniquely gifted to perform particular “Many of those who live in our neigh­ founder and president of the Alban functions of ministry (1 Cor. 12:7, borhood, whose customs, ways, and Institute, writes, “We badly need in­ 11). For the apostle Paul, the Holy color may be different than ours, novators, people and groups who will Spirit within the individual believer could be the same as those to whom take a stab at a new way with free­ summons each one to “serve in new­ we sent missionaries just a few years dom to fail. . . . Churches must learn ness of the Spirit” (Rom. 7:6, NASB). ago.”9 to encourage innovators and even Imprisoned in a German camp dur­ fund it rather than handicap and pun­ ing World War II, Dietrich Bonhoeffer ish it. We must encourage innovation promoted the priesthood of every be­ to find some new paths and to get liever through his writings: “The models of innovation widely most experienced psychologist or ob­ Judged to be known.”10 Today it is apparent that server of human nature knows infi­ the Church at large “has yet to learn nitely less of the human heart than boring and what it means to be God’s people the simplest Christian who lives be­ sown in the world, alongside the sons neath the cross of Jesus. . . . In the irrelevant, the of the Evil One.”11 We are still trying presence of a psychiatrist, I can only to determine what innovation in our be a sick man; in the presence of a Church has been day means. We are still trying to de­ Christian brother, I can dare to be a termine what some of the questions sinner.”8 The New Testament pro­ abandoned are. However, we must not get dis­ motes the weakest and seemingly couraged or cynical. The life-giving most insignificant parts of the Body by many. Spirit is at work to bring people to to a place of value and importance. the Father. This day’s challenge re­ The Church of this century has sembles that of the Early Church, grown far too dependent on an elite In this new mission environment, which struggled to know what it few—pastors, evangelists, and mis­ canned answers or quoting Scripture meant to “make disciples of all na­ sionaries. If the Church is to regain will not be effective. Faced with non­ tions” (Matt. 28:19). contact with an increasingly diver­ believers who do not accept the Bible gent and distant society, it must re­ as ultimate truth, we must learn what 3. The emerging model turn to an all-inclusive ministry where they believe, where reference points of the Church will make all the people of God minister exist for communication, and how to primary the equipping role through their spiritual gifts. present the Good News without dis­ of the pastor. torting it. The new mission frontier The pastoral gift is one of five spiri­ 2. In the emerging model of must be matched with a new vision, tual gifts whose function is to equip the Church, we must come to fresh creativity, and firm commit­ others in the Body to do works of understand ministry as ment. As this happens, the results ministry and to upbuild the Body of taking place outside the walls will be as astonishing as they were in Christ (Eph. 4:11-12). The Greek of the church, Monday the first century. “The word of the word translated “equipping” means through Saturday. Lord spread through the whole re­ “putting a thing into the condition in Currently, the typical model con­ gion” (Acts 13:49) because the laity, which it ought to be.”12 It can be ceives that ministry occurs on Sun­ as the whole people of God, took the translated “to prepare” or “to make

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 13 ready or competent for service or ac­ grounds that you don’t have any time have the courage to return to the bib­ tion.” C. Peter Wagner defines an for the battles.”15 If the laity are to be lical role o f equipper. equipper as “a leader who actively properly equipped for ministry, the sets goals for a congregation accord­ focus of their training will go beyond 4. The emerging model of ing to the will o f God, obtains goal in-house ministries to the world of the Church will be structured ownership from the people, and sees their work, home, civic, and neigh­ for pastoral care and that each church member is properly borhood relationships. The church personal healing. motivated and equipped to do his or must gain this wider view o f its min­ Richard Mouw, president of Fuller her part in accomplishing the istry field if it is to accomplish the Theological Seminary, in a recent role o f equipping. speech to alumni and friends of Laypeople must be allowed to give Fuller, noted that a predominant char­ input to the equipping agenda. Hahn acteristic of American culture is encourages churches to ask the “laity homelessness.18 We have lost touch We are all to bring their concerns to church with ourselves and with each other. with them, listen to them with inter­ We have lost a sense of connected­ intended by God est and respect, and then bring its ness with history and, therefore, des­ special resources to the dialogue.” tiny and purpose. The breaking apart to participate in She warns, “As long as the church as o f the family has left us hurting, an­ an institution insists upon controlling gry, and without models of whole­ the priesthood. the agenda, it will be limited to pri­ ness. Modernity has left us feeling dis­ vate ministries to the sick and dying, enfranchised, uncertain, and alone. assistance with a sanitized segment of If the emerging Church responds to a culture reeling from moderniza­ goals.”13 Equipping is far more than personal and family concerns, and tion, it must provide new structures modeling or teaching people tech­ getting people to help out in for intentionally connecting people niques and skills for doing ministry. It church.”16 This is not to minimize the with people. The Church must once includes strong pastoral leadership importance of ministry within the again model and teach what it means that understands where the church body. It is to emphasize the point that to be human. Robert Banks observes, needs to go and how to get it there. It “the church’s task is not to keep also includes equipping the “environ­ Christians o ff the street but to send ment” of the local church.14 The en­ them out equipped for Kingdom tire atmosphere o f the Body of Christ tasks.”17 is equipped so that it breathes and Several roadblocks keep pastors in pulsates with freedom and spontane­ the traditional role of doing all o f the Every Christian ity for all God’s people to perform ministry of the church themselves. priestly functions. In this environ­ Many pastors, still unaware o f their has been ment, every Christian fully expects to scriptural role and responsibility of be used by the Holy Spirit through equipping, serve under a traditional strategically ministry in the Church and in the paradigm. Some pastors understand world. the equipping ministry to be a man­ placed in fields Further, equipping involves spiritu­ date but have no idea how to go al formation. As noted earlier, equip­ about fulfilling it. Other pastors have of mission. ping has to do with “putting a thing tried equipping people for service into the condition in which it ought but have found it easier and safer to in his book Paul's Idea of Communi­ to be.” The discovery development, do it themselves. Further, many have ty, that the most significant aspect of and use o f spiritual gifts evolves along ego needs that can find satisfaction the New Testament house church the road to maturity (Eph. 4:11-16; only in a relationship of codependen­ “was neither a book nor a rite but a Rom. 12; 1 Cor. 12— 13). This implies cy. They need to be needed. Still oth­ set of relationships, and that God growth in the ways o f discipleship. As ers are intimidated by the thought of communicated Himself to them not a pastor leads a congregation in spiri­ laypeople with authority to perform primarily through written word and tual growth, he or she is in a very im­ ministry. Some pastors jump too tradition, or mystical experience and portant way equipping them for min­ quickly to fix or to do what otherwise cultic activity, but through one an­ istry. would be done by a gifted layperson, other. ”19 Lay pastors must be Having emphasized the point that given the opportunity and encourage­ equipped and deployed to care for church programs too often are de­ ment. Finally, some laypeople refuse small groups of Christians meeting in signed to equip people for ministry to allow the pastor to serve in his homes, in restaurants, in the Sunday within the walls o f the church, Celia equipping role. They keep the pastor School, in vanpools, and other places Hahn reminds her readers that most tightly locked into his or her tradi­ o f life and service. Pastors must equip lay ministry occurs Monday through tional role by their expectations and laypeople in ministries that can bring Saturday outside those walls. “If the complaints when he or she attempts personal healing to those who are church is a training camp for the bat­ to function as an equipper. If the seeking wholeness. The emerging tles of life, it’s ridiculous for you to be Church would once again penetrate Church must shift from institutional kept so busy manicuring the camp- every strata o f society, pastors must relationships to relationships o f inti­

14 THE PREACHER'S MAGAZINE macy and healing through smaller new style explains the issues, pre­ through pastors with a focus toward communities of God’s people. sents the alternatives, and then seeks equipping. The Church itself must be to persuade—but clearly leaves the redesigned to connect with an in­ 5- The emerging Church will decision up to the listener.”22 Commu­ creasingly alienated culture, bringing be receptor-sensitive. nication styles of the emerging In any communication, the burden Church will be largely inductive, o f understanding rests on the party starting with explanations, and then conveying the message. The first stating conclusions. Deductive rea­ questions a communicator asks are soning is best suited for audiences The Church must “Who is my audience?” and “How can who are already convinced that what I speak so they will understand?” you are saying is true. People are less once again Packaging the gospel to be under­ ready than ever to believe what is stood by the receiver is not a novel coming from the pulpit. As we at­ penetrate every idea. When God the Father wanted to tempt to relate to generations more convey His message, He stooped to attuned to images than linear logic, strata of society. humanity’s level of comprehension. emotive stories that convey biblical The Incarnation is history’s ultimate truth will be more successful in win­ illustration of contextualization. ning and making disciples. those who respond into communities Harvie Conn succinctly portrays “God The receptor-sensitive Church will of intimacy and care. f as lisping that we might hear and un­ carefully consider the evangelistic na­ derstand, lowering Himself to the lev­ ture o f music. Musical tastes shifted 1. Loren B. Mead, The Once and Future Church (N ew York: Alban Institute, 1991), 68. el of baby talk.”20 The apostle Paul uti­ dramatically with the revolution of the lized the same principle: “I have ’60s. Millions of Westerners born be­ 2. Carl F. George, Prepare Your Church for the Fu­ ture (Tarrytown, N.Y.: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1991), 14. become all things to all [people], that tw een 1945 and 1965, com m only 3. H. Ray Dunning, Grace, Faith, and Holiness I might by all means save some” (1 known as the boomer generation, (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press o f Kansas City, 1988), 506. Cor. 9:22, NKJV). Wagner notes that were bom dancing to the music of the 4. George Barna, User Friendly Churches (Ventura, “those who wrote the Scriptures used Beatles. Classical music, 16th-century Calif.: Regal Books, 1991), 25. language, thought forms, proverbs, id­ lyrics, and pipe organs were suddenly 5. Donald G. Bloesch, Essentials o f Evangelical Theology, vol. 2, Life Ministry and Hope (San Francis­ ioms, and cultural assumptions that judged foreign by a major portion of co: Harper and Row, Publisher, 1982), 105. made what they wrote perfectly intel­ society. Music for the boomer is far 6. Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., “Israel’s Missionary Jour­ ney,” in Perspectives on the World Christian Move­ at face value ligible in only one cul­ more than just music—it is communi­ ment, ed. Ralph D. Winter and Steven C. Hawthorne ture setting at one point in history.”21 cation. Singing Scripture, lifting the (Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey Library, 1987), 31. It follows, then, that every genera­ hands, and closing the eyes becomes 7. Gerhard Kittel,-ed., Theological Dictionary o f the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans tion, culture, and setting must con- an expression of love and fellowship. Publishing Co., 1967, reprinted 1977), 4:32, 50. textualize the gospel so that, while Eddie Gibbs observes, “This is not just 8. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Live Together, trans. John true to the original intent, it relates an exercise in self-indulgence.”23 It is a W. Doberstein (San Francisco: Harper and Row, Pub­ lisher, 1954), 118-19. contemporarily. cultural expression of genuine worship 9. Jerry L. Appleby, Missions Have Come Home to that has its basis in the musical forms America (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press o f Kansas reflective of Western society over the City, 1986), 14. 10. Mead, The Once and Future Church, 73. last 30 years. If it is to reach contempo­ 11. Jim Peterson, Church Without Walls (Colorado rary culture, the Church must leam to Springs: Navpress, 1992), 177. 12. William Barclay, The Letters to the Galatians Church programs present the gospel through language and Ephesians (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, and forms it understands. 1976), 149. 13. C. Peter Wagner, Leading Your Church to too often are CONCLUSION Growth (Ventura, Calif.: Regal Books, 1984), 79. 14. R. Paul Stevens, Liberating the Laity (Downers The Church today can be com­ designed to Grove, 111.: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 22. pared to a city in the aftermath of a 15. Celia A. Hahn, Lay Voices in an Open Church 7.5 earthquake. Many of its structures (N ew York: Alban Institute, 1985), 55. equip people for 16. Ibid., 17. have been rendered useless and inad­ 17. Howard A. Snyder, The Problem o f Wineskins equate by the seismic shaking of (Downers Grove, 111.: InterVarsity Press), 21. ministry within 18. Richard Mouw, in a speech made to Fuller The­ modernization. Architects bringing ological Seminary alumni on June 22, 1993, at the creativity and innovation are needed Berkeley Marina Marriott. the walls of to reconstruct the Church so that it 19. Robert Banks, Paul’s Idea of Community (Homebush West, N.S.W., Australia: Anzea Publishers, relates to people o f the 21st century. the church. 1988), 111. George Hunter III summarizes it well 20. Harvie M. Conn, Evangelism—Doing Justice when he writes, “Our greatest priori­ and Practicing Grace (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Pub­ lishing House, 1982), 13. Preaching styles must be altered to ty is to raise up a very great number 21. C. Peter Wagner, Our Kind o f People (Atlanta: connect with the various subcultures of intentional missionary congrega­ John Knox Press, 1979), 88. 22. Leith Anderson, A Church for the 21st Century in our changing society. Generally the tions.”24 This will require a remaking (Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1992), 209. old style was formal, loud, scripted, o f the Church so that it resembles 23- Eddie Gibbs, “Cultural Diversity and Interac­ intense, and humorless. With preach­ more the New Testament community tion” (lecture notes, Theology o f Church Growth, 1991), 13- er credibility plummeting, authentici­ o f believers: the whole people of God 24. George G. Hunter III, How to Reach Secular ty and relatedness are valued. “The prepared for ministry to the world People (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992), 135.

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 15 PastorBe Encouraged

When It’s Time to Change Channels Remember the Joyous Occasions

omething about memory seems us in our endeavors, especially the paradoxical. One can remem­ tough things, and be Helper, Encour- ber the sad, the negative, and ager, Enabler, Strengthener—all that Sthe failures, but so soon forget the we need to cope with ministry in ef­ joyful, the positive, and the success­ fective ways. Prayer gives God oppor­ es. Pastors are no different. The hurts tunity to have a part in our ministry. sting a little longer than ordinary ex­ periences, while the joys fade with FOCUS OF THOUGHTS the onrushing episodes of life. Second, one’s mental focus de­ termines attitude. If one focuses on The admonition for pastors is to re­ member the joyous occasions of min­ by C. Neil Strait the negative, the problems, all the things that are not working, they can istry. Keep them etched on your mind District Superintendent, Church of the snowball into fear and create near as points of reference. Savor them for Nazarene, Grand Rapids, Michigan the troubled times. Draw inspiration paralysis. The better strategy is to stay and strength from them when you response he had to an innovative min­ positive, to think solutions, to remem­ ber that all is not bad. A positive atti­ walk through the tight, tense spots of istry, and the note he had shared with ministry. me from a man in his church to tude keeps hope alive and nurtures A few months ago I dropped a note whom he had ministered. its potential. Every pastor can choose his or her attitude. The attitude cho­ of encouragement to pastor who I Every pastor needs to work on re­ knew had gone through some rough membering the good times of ministry, sen will determine the future. weeks. He is a dedicated pastor who the joyous occasions, the treasured ex­ BEYOND FAILURE has done a terrific job in his church. periences, the high moments of ser­ Third, failure is only part of any He cares for people and gives good vice. We need to know and remember story. True, it is the only part of signifi­ leadership to his flock. But the finan­ that some things do work out. There cance if one gives up and accepts failure cial downturn in his community cre­ are victories! God is alive and at work as the last word. But too often we have ated a crisis in his church, as several in His Church. Satan sometimes seen beauty come out of ashes, success had to move to secure jobs. The exo­ spreads his gloom and doom so thick come out of failure, and joy rise out of dus was taking its toll on the pastor that it beclouds the work of God and sorrow. We need to have a ready refer­ and on his people. I tried to encour­ the work of His people. ence in our minds and hearts of those age him by my letter, affirming his May I share some things that will successes, those joyous occasions that ministry and his efforts. give us a strategy for ministry and es­ can motivate us when failure stalks our One of the treasured letters I will pecially help us keep the joyous and ministry. We need to find a way to cope remember for a long time was a re­ the unpleasant in perspective? with failure, to resource its urgings, to sponse from the pastor whom I had DEVOTION AND PRAYER forbid it from painting with broad affirmed. In part he said, “You will First, one’s devotional and strokes. Where one keeps the joyous oc­ never know what your note meant to prayer life cannot be overlooked. casions fresh in one’s mind, they can be me. The timing could not have been Hardly anything new can be said at a helpful resource for recovery and re­ more perfect. I have put your note in this point. We have heard it all a thou­ newal. God, too, has resources for us a place where every morning it re­ sand times. But may we be reminded, and invites us to draw upon them. Jere­ minds me that someone cares, be­ no improvement has been found for miah’s words come as a fresh reminder lieves in me, and affirms my ministry.” personal devotions and prayer. One of this: “Call to me and I will answer As I laid the note on my desk, I may find better ways to do these spiri­ you and tell you great and unsearchable paused to pray for this pastor. My tual disciplines, but nothing better will things you do not know” (33:3). prayer was that, amid the gloom with replace them. Times of prayer and Bi­ What do you choose to remember which he was working, he would re­ ble reading give God an opportunity from ministry this past week, or member the joyful notes of ministry. I to put the events and experiences of month, or year? Keep a ledger of the prayed that he would remember the ministry in perspective. Moments with good and joyous occasions, for they young man who had knelt at the altar God give the Holy Spirit occasion to are the rewards that become re­ just a few weeks before, or the good be Paraclete to us—to come alongside sources for the hard times. $

16 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE Multiple Staff Ministries I Strengthening Staff Relationships

omeone quipped, “I’ve been staff member in staff groups ranging rich, and I’ve been poor; rich from 3 to 47, and a sixth church as a is better.” Many staff people senior pastor with staff members of Sfeel the same way about the relation­ my own. That last connection lasted ship between senior pastor and staff for 16 years. Here, then, are 10 pow­ member; senior pastor is better. Wit­ erful ways to maintain and strengthen ness the number of young seminary staff relationships. and Bible college graduates who start PRAY TOGETHER off as youth directors and ministers of The strength of a church staff is no Christian education, only to jump greater than the spiritual strength of ship for the pulpit at the earliest op­ by Bill O’Connor its individual members and is equal to portunity. Perhaps that wasn’t their Evangelist, Church of the Nazarene, Newberg, Oregon the depth of their mutual spiritual intention at first, but they soon found commitment. Men and women who that working for themselves was easi­ pray together stay together. Personali­ lationships can be productive, highly er and more pleasant than working ty differences and procedural dis­ profitable, and personally enjoyable if for someone else. Until their first ex­ agreements diminish when the per­ both senior pastor and the members periences with a church board, of son on the other side is someone of the staff will approach their associ­ course, but that’s a different relation­ with whom you meet to pray on a ation positively. ship altogether. regular basis. For that reason, the ef­ Let me suggest some guidelines for It doesn’t have to be that way. Staff fective ministry team spends time in the maintenance and improvement of relationships need not be second- prayer, preferably on several occa­ the church staff. I write from experi­ class, nor staff members second-class sions each week. Times of prayer to­ citizens. Senior pastors need not act, ence on both sides of the fence, hav­ gether are appropriate in devotional ing served two churches as their one nor be perceived, as the only first- sessions, at the beginning and end of and only pastor, three churches as a class passengers on the ship. Staff re- staff meetings, before services of wor­ ship, at planning sessions and re­ treats, or whenever any member of the team expresses a need or con­ cern. PREPARE TOGETHER Some of the most memorable times in my staff experience were the Wednesday mornings each week when the entire team met for devo­ tions from 8:30 to 9:00 in the morn­ ing before beginning the day. We gathered around a circular table with one of us chosen as a leader; we read from God’s Word, heard a devotional thought, and spent a few minutes sharing answers to prayer, personal needs, and prayers. Those times drew us together as friends, as brothers and sisters in the Lord. Adversarial rela­ tionships were few when we took time to maintain the family feeling these times of sharing produced. Another significant time of prepara-

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 17 tion has been when those responsible together to share the excitement of family. They should talk up one anoth­ for leading worship have gathered to everything that’s new in their lives. er’s programs, praise one another’s ef­ plan and rehearse the service. The The best meetings are filled with forts, and encourage involvement in tasks of choosing songs and choruses laughter and tears as staff members activities beyond their own. Each to fit the sermon of the week, select­ support and encourage one another member of the team should be a ing Scripture passages for congrega­ in whatever way is most needed by cheerleader for the others. Each tional reading, picking choral an­ the ministry demands of the moment. should be devoted to helping the oth­ thems to fit future themes, draw staff ers succeed. After all, the success of PLAY TOGETHER members together. Learning unfamil­ an individual means the success of the A good staff meeting is a protracted iar words and tunes, practicing multi- event. The ones I remember most whole. When every member of the ple-part readings, searching out poet­ fondly often lasted three to four staff talks about every church pro­ ry and other worship resources, gram and ministry as it if were the hours, beginning with lunch and end­ produce a sense of harmony and pur­ greatest thing going, the congregation ing with a game of pool or volleyball. pose that carries over into the service will soon believe that they have the After dining, devoting, planning, and itself. This weekly ritual builds a greatest church to be found. tremendous team. praying together, we took time to play together. PLAN TOGETHER Times designed just for play are vi­ The weekly staff meeting is as com­ tal for staff development. A staff fami­ mon as the fruit fly or the chest cold. ly picnic or swim party, a backyard And I’ve been in a few staff meetings barbecue, an overnight camping trip, Staff that were every bit as irritating, but or a raft trip down a river are wonder­ that was because they missed the ful ways to draw people together and meetings point. They were meetings called to create a sense of unity and shared tell the staff what the pastor wanted purpose. Staff Christmas parties and should be the them to do. These were times when other special celebrations also serve the puppet master pulled the strings. to increase the camaraderie and highlight of If that’s the weekly meeting, it could strengthen the bonds of friendship. do more harm than good. Such meet­ Birthday celebrations are another the week. ings foster the idea that being senior must. The senior pastor should take pastor is the better choice. every staff member out to lunch on In a good staff meeting, everyone his or her birthday, and the entire has his say. The senior pastor may ex­ staff should take the pastor out on press concerns or give direction, but, his. Our team did that for 15 years. This approach has an added benefit hopefully, every staff member will Those hours together were always for team ministry. It is difficult for have the freedom to do the same. special. staff people to find themselves in These times allow personal interac­ conflict with team members whom tion, sharing of dreams, expansion of PERFORM TOGETHER they genuinely support and whose vision, and the development of plans. Don’t let any single staff member ministry they encourage. Every staff member should feel free be a prima donna, and don’t let any person take center stage alone. Minis­ PROTECT EACH OTHER to throw out new ideas as the team If members of the congregation seeks to expand existing programs, ter together. Support each other’s programs. Volunteer to help each oth­ come to any member of the staff with create new ones, or bring about a complaints, those complaints ought change in direction. er succeed. Staff members can be youth sponsors for teen activity trips, to be referred to the senior pastor sing in the choir, teach Sunday School without comment. Then the senior pastor ought to stand behind the staff classes, or support the ministries of their team members in a variety of member 100 percent. When I was a Staff ways. youth pastor in a large church, I suc­ ceeded in building a group of several Members of the church staff ought hundred junior and senior high young relationships to be visible in public worship, lead­ people. Most of the new youth were ing the singing, reading a scripture right off the streets of four surround­ need not be passage, leading in prayer, taking the offering, participating in a drama, and ing communities. One family in the church—a very influential family— second-class. occasionally sharing the preaching didn’t want its daughters associating load. The entire congregation should with “kids like that.” They threatened understand that staff ministry is al­ to leave the church. The senior pastor ways a team effort. They ought to be heard their concerns and informed able to see the team concept in ac­ Staff meetings should be the high­ them that they could leave the tion everywhere they turn. light of the week, times to which church if they must, but he would team members look forward with an­ PROMOTE EACH OTHER support my desire to reach as many ticipation. They are like a periodic Staff members need to build each young people as possible for Christ. family reunion, when everyone gets other up in the eyes of the church Staff members must not allow com­

18 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE plaining constituents to drive a in pain, the entire team should focus wedge between them. Even when on him until the ache begins to ease. problems really exist, they should be dealt with in private staff meetings, PRAISE EACH OTHER or one-on-one between the senior I don’t know why it is, but church pastor and staff person. The team members often take the programs should stand together in defending and ministries of their church for each other. Loyalty of team members granted. Many members are quick to Cool to each other and to the senior pas­ criticize, but slow to congratulate or tor, and of the senior pastor to the compliment. Thus, staff members members of his team, is essential to a need to commend each other often healthy staff. for a job well done. They need to give Philosophy each other a pat on the back whenev­ PROP EACH OTHER UP er a pat is appropriate or needed. There will be times when team The senior pastor should be lavish members make mistakes. Programs in his praise, both privately and in will fail. Problems will develop in one public. Nothing means more than the area of ministry or another. The re­ words “Well done” from the person in sponsible staff member will be hurt, charge. And there’s no better place discouraged, or begin to feel defeat­ for those words to be spoken than ed. At times like that, the staff must publicly, before the entire congrega­ rally behind the hurting member of tion. Like children seeking the ap­ the team. It’s time for a solid dose of proval of a parent, staff members ap­ encouragement. preciate the endorsement of their Knowing that members of your leader. In my staff years, nothing by Fred W. Hinrichs ministry team believe in you is fre­ would encourage me to try harder, to Elk Grove Village, Illinois quently all you need to see you give even more, than the knowledge through. The willingness of team that the pastor believed I was doing a members to step in and help shoulder good job. the load, or help you pick up the Johnny told a falsehood. pieces, is a great source of strength. PRESS EACH OTHER FORWARD Every member of a team has poten­ His mother anxiously said tial not yet realized. It’s up to the to him, “Johnny, the Bible members of the team to draw out that says that no one who tells potential, to encourage its fullest im­ plementation. Staff members can see lies can go to heaven.” Each member areas where ministry effectiveness “Mamma,” he asked, “did of the team might be increased, and lovingly you ever tell a lie?” point them out. They can stimulate “I dare say I did, my son, should be a the discovery and activation of spiri­ tual gifts. And they can hold each oth­ when I was very small like cheerleader er accountable for the best possible you. I did not realize how effort. wicked it was.” for the The more effective any aspect of ministry becomes, the more effective “Did Dad ever tell a lie?” others. the team. The church staff that will “Perhaps he might have, “spur one another on toward love when he was a little boy, and good deeds” (Heb. 10:24) will be but he would not do it cheering for its own development and success. now.” Everyone fails occasionally. Success These 10 points lead to staff “Well,” remarked the is never a constant life experience. strength and effectiveness. None of young philosopher, “1 don’t Everyone grows weary and needs the points is excessive. You need know as I care about going some time to rest. Everyone experi­ them all. Each is vital to the health ences an occasional setback and the and wholeness that a staff must pos­ to heaven, if there isn’t go­ discouragement that comes with it. sess to lead a church into all that God ing to be anybody there but Recognizing those facts and being has in mind for it to be. If senior pas­ God and George Washing­ alert to each other’s physical, emo­ tor and staff work together to make ton.” $ tional, and spiritual needs will help these things happen in their relation­ keep the staff strong and healthy. ships, they will be a dynamic team ca­ When a person stubs his toe, his en­ pable of accomplishing anything that tire body becomes focused on the needs to be done. After all, as goes point of pain. When a staff member is the staff, so goes the church. if

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 19 Pastor's Personal Growth — ■ I M __ I__ ■______1 Restoring the Stolen Faith

ven though they were friends, through their ministries more out of there was no way Thomas habit than homage to the Lord. Their E could believe them. The three prayer time dwindles, and reading years with Jesus had been wonderful Scripture becomes a hollow exercise. and exciting; but now He was dead. This loss o f nurturing, nourishing in­ To insist that Jesus had risen from the teraction in faith leads to guilt at not dead was either cruel or insane. performing satisfactorily, and the “Unless I see the nail marks in his abuse perpetuates itself. hands and put my finger where the Thomas was restored by the direct nails were, and put my hand into his revelation of the risen Christ. Our side, I will not believe it” (John by Bernard A. LoPinto abused Christian needs a similar reve­ 20:25). That was Thomas’s final word Freelance writer, lation that must come through to­ Herkimer, New York on it. day’s Church. This past Easter, when our church In their book The Subtle Power o f staged The Living Last Supper, I was stolen their faith: in the church, in Spiritual Abuse (Bethany House, given the part of “doubting Thomas.” themselves, in their very “God-gifted- 1991, PA155-661-1609, $9.99), David As I studied his life, I found parallels ness”; and no one—no matter the au­ Johnson and Jeff VanVonderen ex­ between his battle o f faith and one thority—has the right to do that. plore four things needed for abused going on in some quarters of today’s I have had firsthand experience Christians to be restored. “The first Church. with this type o f abuse. As a “tent- step is for the victims themselves to Thomas had been one of the cho­ maker” minister, my responsibilities realize that they have been abused sen Twelve. Like the others, he had included youth pastor, Sunday School and to ask for help. It then becomes received authority over demons and superintendent, junior high teacher, the church’s responsibility to give the power to heal the sick. He had children’s church leader, and van them the information and perm is­ seen Jesus walk on water and calm driver (my van). I spent only one Sun­ sion (emphasis added) necessary to the stormy sea. When Jesus fed the day a month in the sanctuary. When call what they have experienced multitudes, Thomas was there. my health failed and I could no longer ‘abuse.’” Thomas knew that Jesus was the maintain this intensity o f work, I was Next, the church must communi­ Messiah. When Lazarus was dying, told that I needed to get my mind off cate the good news about the Chris­ the other apostles were afraid to my own problems and commit more tian’s “gift-based identity” (italics make the trek to Bethany with Jesus of my life to the ministry. theirs). I was one of those who had because they feared the murderous One woman was hauled before the been “spiritually brainwashed” into plans of the Jews. It was Thomas who congregation and berated for being thinking that my worth to God was said, “Let us go also, that we may die an unfit grandmother after she lost measured by the level o f my “job per­ with him” (John 11:16). This was a custody of her grandchildren to their formance.’’Johnson and VanVonderen man of no small faith. unstable mother. The effect o f this state that victims “must be immersed Finally, it seemed the Jews had has been to drive the woman and her in the truth about who God really is won. Jesus was dead and, with Him, invalid husband out o f church alto­ and what He has lovingly done to set­ the dream o f the new Kingdom. The gether. tle the issue of their value and accep­ Master had raised others from the In another church, an elder or­ tance.” dead, but to raise himself would be dered a woman to quit her job, a Then, the church must provide safe impossible even for Him. The stalwart move that inflicted severe financial relationships in which abused Chris­ faith of Thomas could not survive the hardship on the family. Abusive tians can “heal from their emotional, death o f his Lord. In effect, the au­ churches have divided families and psychological, and spiritual wounds.” thoritarian leaders o f the Jews had put stumbling blocks in the path of Finally, the church must provide stolen Thomas’s faith from him. many of the Lord’s “little ones.”Jesus’ abused Christians with “permission Today, thousands of Christians face stern warning about the reward for and opportunities to practice getting a similar crisis o f faith. Trapped in such indifference should keep us all their sense o f identity as a gift from churches w h ere G o d ’ s grace is on our knees. Jesus.” earned through their performance, Some abused Christians leave Still, nothing will change in the they have been intimidated and ma­ church, never to return, and this is church until we address the needs of nipulated by dictatorial pastors. Lead­ our loss as a community of believers. the abusers. Just as Jesus wept over ers using authority wrongly have Of those who stay, many plod Jerusalem who murdered the proph­

20 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE ets, He weeps over the abusive minis­ ter as one gone wrong. The ministry that damaged my fam- ily’s faith started out as a loving church reaching out to one of the poorest neighborhoods on Long Is­ land, New York. The abuse emerged as our pastor succumbed to the pres­ sures of ministry and the damage done to his own spirit by an abusive Search Committee parent. He was merely perpetuating a cycle o f abuse he did not start. According to Arterburn and Felton ( Faith That Hurts— Faith That Heals, Report Oliver Nelson, 1994, PA084-079-6579, $10.99): The greatest thing anyone can do for [an abusive minister] is to force ichael D. Thomas of Logos Hosea: home in shambles; divorced, that person to seek help. The visi­ Language Institute wrote to remarried to prostitute. ble behavior that is deplorable is say their church has been Jeremiah: too emotional, alarmist; a Minvestigating candidates for pastor. only a reflection of a deplorable “real pain in the neck,” some say. and broken heart in critical need of They found only one to be suitable. repair. . . . Allowing the [abuser] to He sent me the scratch sheets used Amos: no training; suited only as a continue without change sentences by the committee—with their com­ fig-picker. that person to a lifetime of misery ments on the other candidates—in and pain. Hold him or her account­ case your church is interested in in­ John: calls himself a Baptist but lacks able to make those changes. Al­ vestigating any of them for future tact and dresses like a hippie; though it is painful, it w ill save jobs. would not feel comfortable at a many future heartaches. church potluck supper. Abusive ministers have pushed Noah: has 120 years of preaching ex­ Peter: horrible temper; was over­ their pain out o f the way and thrust it perience, but no converts. heard denying Christ. onto their congregations. Arterburn and Felton assert that “ [abusers] must Moses: stutters; former congregation Paul: writings lack tact, too harsh; appearance contemptible; preaches resolve [their own] unjust persecu­ says he loses his temper over trivi­ too long. tions with forgiveness as we share in alities. the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings.” Abraham: took off to Egypt during Timothy: has potential, but too Johnson and VanVonderen extend hard times. We heard he got in young for the job. this invitation to abusive ministers: trouble w ith the authorities and Jesus: often offends church members Even when we have acted badly tried to lie his way out. with His preaching, especially Bible in the name o f God, His heart is scholars; too controversial; even of­ still to gather us to Himself. When David: unacceptable moral charac­ fended the search committee with we relinquish our wrong control ter; might have been considered for pointed questions. and turn to Him, He desires most minister of music had he not “fall­ of all to redeem, heal, and protect. en.” Judas: practical, cooperative, good Even if you have abused others, with money, cares for the poor. Solomon: reputation for wisdom, God still extends His arms to you Search committee agrees he’s just but doesn’t practice what he and says, “Come unto Me, all you the man for our church. preaches. w ho are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Reprinted with permission from Ministries Today, Elijah: inconsistent; known to fold 600 Rinehart Rd., Lake Mary, FL 32746. Copyright Kneeling before his risen Lord, under pressure. 1991, Strang Communications Company. Thomas proclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Jesus’ appear­ ance in the Upper Room restored Thomas’s faith and gave him the cour­ age to make this powerful affirma­ tion. Likewise, through the work o f a caring church, believers who have been victimized by false ministries and the abusive ministers themselves can experience the same healing power. $

JUNE/JUI.Y/AUGUST 2 1 Pastor's Professional Growth How to Get Along with Your Church Board

is name was Allen. He served and tongue” (v. 10). on my church board. Allen The Lord patiently answered all of H boasted, “I consider myself his questions. Finally, Moses, still not the devil’s advocate.” And indeed he wanting to go, questioned God one was. It didn’t matter how brilliant my more time: “O Lord, please send ideas were, Allen constantly irritated someone else to do it” (v. 13). It was me. He asked a million different ques­ one time too many! tions, probing for any weakness in my God’s response: “Then the L o r d ’s plan. anger burned against Moses” (v. 14)! His name was Fred. He served on That got his attention! He obeyed. my church board. Fred announced, “I by Woodie J. Stevens But that didn’t change Moses’ basic think of myself as the church boss.” District Superintendent, Church of the style. Later, Moses questioned God Indeed he was. Nothing much hap­ Nazarene, Albuquerque, New Mexico again: “Why have you brought this pened around the church unless he trouble on your servant? What have I controlled it. Fred constantly offend­ Marjorie Sue, and Roger. All on my done to displease you that you put ed my sense of leadership as he tried church board. What was I supposed the burden of all these people on me? to dictate to the church board and to do? These folks really needed to Did I conceive all these people? Did I the congregation the decisions that get right with God, I decided. If we give them birth? Why do you tell me should be made. could have revival, they’d get straight­ to carry them in my arms . . . ? Where Then there was Marjorie Sue. She ened out, and we’d all get along fine. can I get meat for all these people?” also served on my church board. “I So, I prayed, preached, and gave altar (Num. 11:11-13). don’t like change!” Marjorie Sue pro­ calls. We had wonderful services. The Moses was God’s “go by the rules” claimed. Indeed she didn’t. When I result? Revival! man. He intended to live by the high­ asked the board to alter the order of Yet to my dismay, at the next est standards. Can you imagine your­ service, she exploded. Marjorie Sue church board meeting, Allen still self questioning and complaining to constantly resisted any change I intro­ asked too many questions. Fred still the Lord God because you don’t think duced. Her favorite expressions were, tried to run things. Marjorie Sue He’s living up to His commitments to “We’ve never done it that way be­ wouldn’t budge. Roger couldn’t keep take care of His own people? Moses fore.” And, “We’ve tried it. I didn’t his mind on church board business. did. Allen asked questions just like like it. It won’t work!” In total frustration, I turned to Moses. Then there was Roger. His attitude: God’s Word. I discovered that the God and the Dynamic Dynamo “I love to have fun!” Indeed he did! Lord himself had to deal with people Then I encountered the apostle Roger always made sure we had plenty just like Allen, Fred, Marjorie Sue, and Paul in the New Testament. Talk of excitement at the church board Roger. He had to put up with Moses, about a take-charge church boss! Paul meetings. He never let things get dull, Paul, Peter, and Abraham. ran the show—just like Fred. When and he always complained if it got too God and the Question Man Barnabas decided to take John Mark late. Whenever things were tense, he In the Scriptures, Moses was al­ on the second missionary journey, tried to crack us up with a wild story. ways asking God questions. When the Paul w ouldn’t hear of it. After all, He was a cutup. But when someone Lord called Moses from the burning Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia else spoke, he wouldn’t listen. He was bush and told him to go to Pharaoh, during their first journey; he might either writing a note or talking to the Moses had the audacity to question desert them again. guy next to him; and when he spoke, it God: “Who am I, that I should go to The argument between Paul and was obvious he hadn’t been listening. Pharaoh . . . ?” (Exod. 3:11). He con­ Barnabas was so explosive that they His comments were shallow and super­ tinued, “Suppose . . . they ask me, came to a parting of the ways over ficial. I could hardly wait until he fin­ ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I the issue. ished. But it was a long wait. tell them?” (v. 13). “What if they do I would have hated to debate Paul. What’s the Answer? not believe me or listen to me . . . ?” He could state his position so force­ So there they were: Allen, Fred, (4:1). “L o r d ... I am slow of speech fully and clearly that he made his lis­

22 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE teners feel there was no other way to an approach He knew Peter would God and the Pastor Man see it. Usually Paul was right. Talk like: a fish fry. So what does all this have to do about a powerful personality! Give The mood must have been rather with getting along with your church that man a mission and get out of his somber on that boat. Their Lord had board? Have you not encountered way—or get run over! been crucified. Their mission was in­ folks like demanding Fred, stubborn Before his conversion, Paul was complete. There was nothing left to Marjorie Sue, questioning Allen, and convinced he was doing the will of do but fish. Even that wasn’t working. fun-loving Roger on your church God in destroying the Church. His su­ Then the Lord called, “Breakfast is board? periors reinforced the idea. Saul rev­ ready!” A fire glowed, and the smell of It was the greatest day in my min­ eled in the prestige and power. He ac­ fried fish enticed the weary seamen. istry when I accepted the reality that tually enjoyed the challenge of trying Only after everyone had enjoyed God has made us wonderfully differ­ to smash this stubborn sect of believ­ themselves, the Lord took Peter aside ent. He deals with each of us unique­ ers. and gently, yet firmly, asked, “Peter, ly, according to our personalities. He was going to win. No wonder do you truly love me . . . ?” Jesus Therefore, I shouldn’t always expect all the Christians feared him. So how could have nailed him. (We really others to respond exactly like I do, did the Lord deal with this strong- want the Lord to grab Peter, shake nor to always agree with me. willed man? He used a sudden force him, and say, “See, I told you so!”) But It was wonderful to realize that as of bursting light. It struck Saul, Jesus didn’t. It wasn’t necessary. God was at work in my life, so He knocked him to the ground, and If He’d been dealing with Moses or was at work in the lives of my church blinded him. Hitting him right be­ Paul, He might have. But not with Pe­ board members. I didn’t need to line tween the eyes, the Lord got his at­ ter. Emotionally, Peter was like putty them up, crack the whip, and insist tention. in the Lord’s hands. Jesus gently con­ they all act like me. Instead, I could The Lord spoke directly to the fronted him, restored him, and gave shift my leadership response accord­ point: “Saul, Saul, why do you perse­ him a plan for life—all in one brief ing to the needs and personality of cute me?” (Acts 9:4). command: “Feed my lambs. . . . Take the person. Is it possible that when dealing care of my sheep. . . . Feed my sheep” I found I could respond to each indi­ with some people you need to be di­ (John 21:15-17). vidual as Jesus responded, not as I nat­ rect? Have you discovered those who How tenderly Jesus dealt with Pe­ urally wanted to respond. Sometimes seem to respond better when you’re ter! Could it be that some people, like Jesus was directive and confrontation­ blunt than when you’re subtle? Roger, need to be confronted gently? al, sometimes relational and noncon- Ask Paul if he thought the Lord was God and the Family Man frontative. Sometimes Jesus challenged too hard on him. Paul would probably One other biblical personality and motivated. Sometimes He delegat­ respond, “No way! It was what I worth considering is Abraham. He ed responsibility and authority. needed.” liked things secure and unchanging. The key to effective church board God and the Life-of-the-Party Man He must have been extremely relationships—and staying more than Contrast focused, mission-minded threatened when God told him to three years in one assignment—is to Paul with fun-loving, impetuous, ad­ step out from Ur and leave his family change one’s leadership style accord­ venturesome, always-talking-when-he- and friends. Family meant everything ing to the need of the person and the should-be-listening Peter. Simon loved to Abraham. If the Lord had rebuked requirements of the task. The Bible it when the Lord said, “You are Peter, or confronted him for taking them, expresses it this way: “And we urge and on this rock I will build my Abraham would have been crushed. you, brothers, warn those who are church” (Matt. 16:18). Emotionally he couldn’t have handled idle, encourage the timid, help the He liked being the spokesman for it. Abraham had deep loyalty to his weak, be patient with everyone. the group and loved being their family. It was difficult to say good-bye. Make sure that nobody pays back leader. But when crunch time came, Abraham was the kind of man who wrong for wrong, but always try to he buckled under the pressure of a needed time to think about changes, be kind to each other and to every­ slave girl. time for decisions. If there was going to one else”(l Thess. 5:14-15). Paul would never have crumbled be a big change in the status quo, he I need to urge some church board under such pressure. But Peter, des­ needed ample notice. Though extreme­ members, while warning others. perately needing approval and accep­ ly loyal, he could not respond when Some I need to encourage; others I tance, yielded to the pressure. When asked to change often or last. God nev­ need to help. With all of the unique the cock crowed, he realized what he er used confrontation in dealing with people on my church board, I need to had done and wept bitterly. Do you Abraham. He always approached him be patient and kind. think Paul would have wept? as a friend. When Abraham needed to It is amazing how wonderful my When Jesus dealt with Peter, He be rebuked, the Lord used others to do church board members have become didn’t knock him to the ground with it. To Abraham, the Lord was always since I started loving and serving a flash of lightning demanding, “Why supportive, always patient, always a them according to the needs of their did you deny Me?” Instead, Jesus used friend, and always relational. personalities rather than mine. $

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 23 Preaching j If You're in the Ministry Today, You Need a Sense of Humor

n times o f economic uncertainty, no success. There came a knock at questioning o f basic values, and the door. The visitor was a man competition with the sights and who lived several houses down the Isounds of television and videos, a street, who, two weeks earlier, had sense of humor is invaluable. You borrowed $100 and had now need to be able and willing to laugh come to return the money. at yourself and your situation to keep They talked for a moment, and it all in proper perspective. the neighbor said, “Thank you so You need to be able to communi­ much for the loan,’’ and with that, cate with a sense o f humor. The great­ handed the businessman a crisp, est challenge you face is to make the by R. Wayne King new, $100 bill in repayment. They presentation positive and memorable. Senior major gifts officer, chatted for a moment more, the I believe this can be accomplished if Oklahoma State University Foundation, neighbor said good-bye, turned, Stillwater, Oklahoma you speak with humor. and walked down the sideivalk to Here are five steps to speaking his house. with humor that will enable you to versation with someone on his As the businessman closed the make a memorable presentation. car phone. He looked over at me, front door and began to walk 1. Use humor to create interest rolled down the window, stuck the back to the study where his son and win over you r audience at phone out, and shouted to me, was waiting, he began to finger the beginning. You will make or “Would you please tell my wife that crisp, new, $100 bill. Much to break your presentation in the first 30 ivhere I am!” There are too many his amazement he discovered seconds. Choose your opening hu­ cars on the highway. there were actually two crisp, new, mor carefully to relate to the points 3■ Use humor to overcome a $100 bills stuck together. His men­ you will try to make. p o o r introduction. There are, for tal lightbulb went on, and he Example: The evening before the example, those occasions when, de­ thought to himself: Now here is day I was to address a meeting of spite your best efforts, the host goes the perfect situation to help my pastors in North Carolina, my overboard with the introduction. To son understand ethics. wife called the motel to ask if I let the audience know you really are He rushed into the study, quick­ would fill in the pulpit in my human, try this: ly explained to his son what had home church the following Sun­ Example: That ivas an awesome happened, and said, “Now, Son, day. I agreed. The next afternoon, introduction. I think we should this is the perfect ethical question when I was introduced to the con­ pause and pray for forgiveness for for you to consider. And the ques­ ference, / said, “Last night at 11 him for saying all those nice tion here is simply this: Do we tell p . m . in the Days Inti here in things about me—and forgiveness your mother about that extra Greensboro, I was called to for me for believing them! $100 bill?” preach. ” I had their attention. 4. Use humor to illustrate a 5. Use humor to make infor­ 2. Use humor to build a bridge point. Members of your audience mation memorable. Your primary between yourself and your audi­ will remember your point much goal in a presentation is to inform and ence. A dinner meeting speaker, giv­ longer if you illustrate it with a funny often to motivate a response. People ing a presentation to a group in Wash­ story. On the importance o f under­ need to leave the meeting remember­ ington, D.C., that was advocating a standing the complex question of ing your message. If you want mem­ car-pooling program, began with this what ethics is all about, consider this: bers of your audience to remember story: Example: One Saturday after­ the importance of investing in your Example: Av I was driving here to­ noon, there was a businessman ministry, try this story to close: day, caught in traffic, I noticed the who was trying his best to explain Example: I had checked into the man beside me in animated con- ethics to his 17-year-old son, with motel, and as is my usual prac-

24 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE tice, gathered up all my loose change and walked down the hall to the vending room, As / stood before the candy machine contem­ plating my choice, a young boy, 9 or 10, walked up to the machine and began putting in quarters. He p u t in 3, 5, 8; and after he dropped in the 12th quarter, I said to him, “Son, you’ve put way too much money in the machine.” “No, Sir,” he told me. “I know the more money I put in, the more Pastor. candy I get out!” He is right. The more we put into the work of the ministry, the more we get out. At this point you might be saying, I Don't Give Up agree with the importance o f using humor, and I understand the benefits; but I can’t tell a joke! Yes, you can by Jill Jones use humor effectively! Freelance writer, Here are three tips to help you. Spokane, Washington 1. Collect good stories, anec­ EDITORIAL NOTE: dotes, and one-liners. Always have In a recent sermon, I mentioned how recent literature and surveys reveal a pen and paper when you listen to discouragement among many pastors today. Jill Jones, a lady in my congrega­ someone speak, and write down their tion, wrote these words to encourage pastors: stories. 2. Review the presentation you Don’t give up, Pastor! are going to make, and select one Sometimes I rely on the hours you study; or two stories that will fit with for I haven’t reached for my Bible on my own. each presentation. Remember the Sometimes the order of service is of importance o f using humor to begin, special blessing to me; to illustrate your main points, and to because I haven’t prepared my heart to worship. close. Sometimes the prayers you lead say the words 3. Practice, practice, practice I am too hurt to allow my mind to utter. using humor. You must be willing Sometimes the story in your sermon to take the risk. touches a chord in my heartstrings It is important to develop a healthy that I have closed the door upon. sense of humor, for your own person­ Sometimes the counsel you offer al benefit and to enable you to com­ to my burdened life is the lifeline I reach for; municate effectively with others. If because I’m about to go under. you are in the ministry today, you Sometimes the challenge you demand need a sense o f humor. $ is the fire that leads me to grow and mature in Christ. Sometimes the sermon you preach is the hope that brings me peace; because peace is what I have been searching for. So, next time you feel you can’t go on, when you are discouraged, when you are facing trials of your own, don’t give up. You have been a tool used by God’s almighty hand.

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 25 The Sermon That Bites How to Get Your Congregation As Excited About Your Sermon as You Are

oday, a sermon has to bite. If it In front of you will be two or three doesn’t, the people sleep. white pages with slips of paper at­ tached to them —all in the order of T It used to be that parish­ your presentation. Your eyes will adjust ioners would be courteous enough to to the array. You will become increas­ sit up straight, cock their heads in the ingly familiar with the scheme the pulpit’s direction, and start to listen more you marry yourself to the pages. from word one. 5. But the real bite comes when Today things have changed. From all alone. You are there in the sanc­ the first word in the message, it is a tuary (or it may be a vacant parking challenge to the pastor to keep the by J. Grant Swank, Jr. lot or backwoods or cellar room). Be­ people’s attention. Of course, he Pastor, Church of the Nazarene, fore you is your sermon—open Bible wants to do more than that. He wants Windham, Maine with marginal markings or several to challenge them, convict them, set sheets of paper or a few scraps of them on fire! scratch piece of paper, then slip it in­ scrawled notes, scratched enough for That takes some doing. to the main notes before preaching you to know what you are doing. How can we do it better? them. The watch is on your wrist or on 1. Get that sermon inside you 3. Let the sermon trip along. the tabletop in front of you. Perhaps, so that you yourself are bitten. That is, don’t be too tidy with it at if standing alone in your empty sanc­ Feel the bite. Let it make you squirm. first. A rough edge here and there tuary, the clock on the back wall Get hold of it enough to really get will only add to the final creative de­ stares back at you as on Sundays. You turned on to what you are trying to livery. take note of the time. You know how get across. However, along with the untidiness much you do not like sitting through The way to do this practically is to at the start will be a healthy frustra­ windbag sermons. You are deter­ start that sermon early in the week— tion with its lack of form. That very mined that you will never fall into no later than Tuesday afternoon. It irritation will be the energy to mold that trap yourself. will begin to grab you, then you will the message smoothly, carving it into Go! You start with the first word of wrestle with it, finally you will fall in a piece for showing come Lord’s day that untidy message. You keep slip­ love with its bite. morning. ping and sliding. Point one. Point By Thursday you will be so smitten The rhythm of give-and-take, untidy two. Truth here. Story there. Scrip­ with the message that you will not be to tidy, rough to smooth, is one of the ture accented for emphasis. Humor able to wait until Sunday morning. delights of preaching preparation. creatively molded in—not too much, Now when that really happens within There is no panic in all this, for the just enough. you, you will have been caught up work will have begun early enough in Another go at it. No time for a one more time with the romance of the week to allow for time in the ebb break. Try it again, maybe a third time your calling. and flow. with a couple of minutes in between 2. Mull the sermon over in 4. Go with the variety of prepa­ each preaching. You’ve got over that your head throughout the week. rations. Sometimes you will use the initial irritation with the sermon’s When you can get that far into the red marker to slice up Bible pages be­ awkwardness. You are now starting heart of the message, then the ser­ fore your very eyes. Margins will fill to like your own work. “Thank You, mon will have become a part of your in with jottings. Words will be cir­ God,” you pray, righting the matter heart. cled. Phrases will be underlined in from self to Him. So it will be that a Time magazine green to contrast with the red. 6. Time for other things. Phone piece will leap up at you. In no time In another week, you will tear and calls, visitation, bulletin lineup, this you will have slid that article—or a tape. That is, you will tear out a say­ and that. portion of it—into the middle of Sun­ ing from this source and then tear out Another day you will come back to day’s message. an illustration from another. A quip the bite. You will want to get to it. A story staring at you from the here and a poem there. Before you You know that the more you get with eleven o’clock news will slip right in­ know it, you will have gone back to it, the more you will be excited about to place near the end of that sermon- first grade with scissors and tape. Sunday. f to-be. You will jot down its vitals on a 26 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE Make It Clear— Give the Meaning

he Levites . . . instructed the lence for a while pending further de­ people in the Law while velopments. the people were standing When Prime Minister Suzuki met the Tthere. They read from the Book press the following day, he said the cab­ of the Law of God, making it clear inet was holding to a position of and giving the meaning so that MOKUSATSU, a word that has no exact the people could understand counterpart in English and is ambigu­ what was being read” (Neh. 8:7- ous even in Japanese. Suzuki intended 8). to convey the cabinet decision to make no comment at the present time. How­ As young people, we sometimes by Robert L. Tauber played a game while sitting in a cir­ ever, the word fatefully chosen by Suzu­ Associate pastor, Emmanuel Baptist ki could also be translated “to ignore.” cle. Someone would whisper a brief Church, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan message into the ear of the person The double-character word (Moku beside him, who then repeated what —silence; and Satsu—kill) literally peace before the destruction of Hi­ means “to kill with silence.” To a he thought he heard to the next per­ son—and so on. The last one would roshima and Nagasaki. Japanese, it can mean either to ignore then repeat aloud what he had re­ Did Japan blatantly reject the Pots­ or to refrain from comment. ceived as the so-called original mes­ dam Proclamation, which called for The Domei News Agency chose the sage. Inevitably, the words of the orig­ her surrender? Or, was there a tragic wrong meaning, and from Radio inal sender were hilariously distorted. misunderstanding in the exchange of Tokyo the news crackled to the Allied That old parlor game is reminiscent words between the Allied leaders and world: The Suzuki cabinet had decid­ of the adage: “I know you believe you the Japanese government? What in­ ed to “ignore” the Potsdam ultima­ understand what you think I said, but deed took place gives credence to the tum! I’m not sure you realize what you latter. Reaction was immediate and devas­ heard is not what I really meant.” Since the Japanese had first heard tating. The atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6 Most communicators can identify the terms of the Potsdam statement through their radio listening posts, it by the Allies, who believed Suzuki’s with that statement. Words are deliv­ government had refused to accept ered, but the meaning is distorted— was decided in cabinet to keep si­ the Potsdam Proclamation.* more than we care to admit. Communication is the exchange of THE PROBLEM meaning, not just words. We are, This incident could well be the therefore, duty bound to evaluate all aspects of our communication skills. costliest communication breakdown Failure to do so has daily repercus­ in recent history. However, the accu­ mulation of message distortion on a sions, ranging from minor misunder­ variety of levels also leaves its share standings to major international inci­ of human suffering on an ever-escalat- dents with catastrophic consequences. ing scale. Our case in point follows. Relationships deteriorate, fights be­ THE GREAT MOKUSATSU gin, couples divorce, and churches MISTAKE split—not so much over substantive This story came to light in the after- reasons as simple misunderstandings! math of the Japanese capitulation at Even our best intentions are often the end of World War II. misread and distorted. History has generally credited An awareness of the communica­ Japan’s surrender to the atomic tion process can help minimize the bomb. Often overlooked is the fact frequency and degree of devastation that Japan was a defeated nation long and distortion in interpersonal com­ before August 1945. munication. According to Fleet Adm. Chester W. Nimitz and other American military THE PROCESS leaders, Japan had already sued for Communication begins with the

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 27 Chart adapted with modification from Looking Out/Looking In: Interpersonal Communications, by Ron Adler and Neil Towne (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1978).

desire to express an idea. Unfortu­ delivery people was decoded to Physical noise! Try talking to a nately, ideas do not come in carefully mean, “Someone would be in be­ mother with a crying child clinging to capsulated carousels o f words. They tween ten and twelve,” presumably to her skirt. A headache, fatigue, media spring out o f mental images, feelings, pick up the food! This misunder­ racket, or traffic of any description and needs. standing resulted in nothing more can compose physical noise and in­ Our task then is to translate this than a delayed lunch and some em­ hibit clear communication. mental information into language or barrassment. However, once again, Psychological noise! Fear, worry, symbols that others can understand. we were reminded of the potential anger, hatred, guilt— the list goes on. This process is called “encoding.” for breakdown in even the simplest The presence o f any such factor af­ Our next responsibility is to send communication procedures. fects communication. the message. This can happen in a va­ The environment of both sender Spiritual noise! Christian communi­ riety of ways— talking, letters, phone and receiver must be a major consid­ cators must know: “Our struggle is calls. However, emotions, gestures, eration in the communication not against flesh and blood, but... physical appearance, etc., are also an process. They can differ vastly. This against the spiritual forces of evil integral part of the sending process. factor has profound implications for in the heavenly realms” (Eph. As illustrated in our opening anec­ public communicators. 6:12). dote, there are a number o f channels Using the phrase “Washed in the To be sure your message has over­ through which a message travels. All blood of the Lamb” can convey come the barriers of environmental play a vital role in the exchange thrilling identification for the mature variation, noise, and language limita­ process. Christian. Yet, the biblically illiterate tions, provide opportunity for feed­ When a message reaches the other person will envision nothing more back. This necessitates listening skill. person, the process described earlier than “a bath in animal blood.” Listening involves far more than be­ is repeated— only in reverse. The re­ The wise teacher understands how ing within earshot of the source of ceiver now goes through a decoding a well-rested, alert, young person the sound. process whereby he endeavors to from a peaceful home environment The Chinese ideograph for the verb make sense out of your message. Ide­ will be far more apt to grasp and re­ to listen is made up o f symbols for ally, the mental image o f sender and tain instruction than the one from a the words ears, eyes, you, individual receiver should match. If this occurs, dysfunctional background. attention, and heart. Indeed, an ac­ we have a successful exchange of The touch o f a hand communicates tive listener will employ all aspects of meaning. Unfortunately this is not al­ care and comfort to the child raised his person to indicate attentiveness. ways the case, as poignantly illustrat­ in an atmosphere of love. The same Body language and eye contact are ed in the “mokusatsu” story. Fortu­ gesture triggers fear in another from excellent indicators o f what is going nately, not all repercussions are as an abusive background. The potential on inside. Listening intently enhances devastating. for a clear message is directly related the ability to restate the message and We recently called a food catering to the understanding o f environment. engage in feedback. service to supply a noon luncheon at Another critical consideration is church. The message was sent: “Have what communicologists call “noise.” WE CANNOT NOT the food in at 10 minutes to twelve.” “Noise” can be categorized as physi­ COMMUNICATE! The hastily written directive to the cal, psychological, or spiritual. The old adage “What we are speaks

28 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE so loud, the world can’t hear what and our hands have touched— surpassing power is from God we say” is rife with truth. Smiling, this we proclaim concerning the and not from us” (2 Cor. 4:7). frowning, laughing, crying, sighing, Word of life” (1 John 1:1). We who are responsible to care for posture, gestures, clothes, appear­ The problem o f sin was addressed the physical channel must keep in ance, tone of voice—all may con­ by the process of a loving God, en­ mind the following: “If the trumpet tribute positively or negatively to the coding a message of hope, sending it does not sound a clear call, who communication process. Unusual si­ through the channel o f His Son, who will get ready for battle?” (1 Cor. lence on my part communicates vol­ used every facet o f His being to in­ 14:8). umes to my wife. vade our environment, dispel the Let us also add: If our message is Does it sound complicated? Indeed noise, and hear the cry o f lost human­ not clear, who w ill prepare himself it is! But since quality o f life, con­ ity. He died to demonstrate the truth for peace—even the Prince of Peace? veyance of truth, and meeting our that He represented! We can indeed “kill with silence” needs depends on clear communica­ We who have been recipients of when we avoid the Great Commis­ tion, we are duty bound to make the God’s profound gift find ourselves sion. Ignoring our mandate or refrain­ process a lifelong study. with the mandate to perpetuate the ing from comment will have eternal message. “God . . . has committed consequences! Remember “mokusat- THE PROVISION to us the message of reconcilia­ su”! Fortunately, our most critical area tion. We are therefore Christ’s Like the Levites of old, “Mak[e] it of need was met through the ultimate ambassadors” (2 Cor. 5:19-20). clear and giv[e] the meaning so that demonstration of communication: Je­ What would ordinarily be an insur­ the people [can] understand.” $ sus came! mountable task has been made possi­ “That which was from the be­ ble with the knowledge of His power ginning, which we have heard, and presence. •Research from the writings of William J. Coughlin, which we have seen with our “But we have this treasure in as recorded in Looking Out/Looking In, by Ron Adler eyes, which we have looked at jars of clay to show that this all­ and Neil Towne (Holt, Rinehart and Winston). No Room at the Top

by Carlton Hughes College Park, Georgia

While attending a church conference, a minister inquired about a room at one of the down­ town high-rise hotels. “Rooms on the first 25 floors are $75 per night,” explained the desk clerk. “Rooms on floors 26 to 40 are $100 per night, and rooms on floors above the 40th are $150 per night.” “Why are the more expensive rooms at the top?” asked the minister. “I guess because you’re closer to God,” joked the young man. “Well, give me a room on one of the lower floors,” said the reverend. “I’m a preacher, and w e’re already pretty close!” ifr

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 29 Worship Broadening the Vision Through Worship

earsightedness afflicts many focuses on local church ministries. small churches. Painful expe­ This follows shortly after our monthly riences such as splits, unhap­ board meeting, so the news shared is Npy pastorates, vandalism, and extend­ “hot off the press.” This service in­ ed periods without a pastor can nearly cludes three- to five-minute reports blind a church already suffering from given by participants in the various nearsightedness. Surviving members local ministries, e.g., adult Bible stud­ stake out their individual territories in ies, Sunday School, evangelism. Some­ the church and build high fences times board reports are read directly around them. The buildings and as well. Other times they are simply grounds chairman lords over the prop­ by Christi-An Bennett posted on the bulletin board for the erty as though it were his own. The Freelance writer, congregation’s information. After the church board makes decisions behind St. Helens, England reports are given, we break into closed doors and cherishes them like prayer groups of five to six people state secrets. The treasurer balks at vice that is geared to reaching fami­ each, to pray for local needs. These every request for funds as though it lies with children, something in short include our church leadership and were illegal. Everyone complains supply in our aging congregation. programs as well as any personal about paying budgets to a district and The service includes a Bible quiz, (physical, spiritual, or material) needs general church that “do nothing for based on material previously covered in the church family or local commu­ us.” Communication breaks down al­ in Bible study or Sunday School or on nity. I give each prayer group a differ­ most completely. Unity becomes a an event in the Christian calendar ent list of 5 to 10 requests to remem­ foreign word. Newcomers are regard­ such as Christmas or Easter. I have ber. This prayer time may come ed with suspicion. What can a pastor found this a great icebreaker, with before or after the message, which do toward turning walls back into even first-time visitors jumping in to usually focuses on some area of Chris­ bridges and restoring a clear, broad vi­ answer questions. In fact, visitors tian discipleship. Music for the ser­ sion to his or her hurting flock? have come with children in tow just vice is interspersed with the reports In our small congregation, we have because they knew there was going and times of testimony. found a path to renewal through wor­ to be a quiz. I try to choose simple, The common complaint of the peo­ ship. By introducing a monthly rota­ upbeat songs for this service, with a ple in the pews used to be, “We nev­ tion of Sunday evening services that few children’s choruses included. er know what’s going on,” even if the focus on family evangelism, local min­ Church families are organized on a ro­ announcement appeared in the istries, district ministries, and world tation to provide special music for church newsletter. The local high­ ministries, we have been helped to these services. Finally, I give an evan­ lights service not only is answering mend the bridges of communication gelistic message that is short and sim­ this complaint through the reports, and to restore unity and vision to a ple enough to hold the children’s at­ but also, through prayer, is building a wounded church. Except for the fami­ tention. An object lesson or a parable unified commitment to local min­ ly service, each service includes ele­ often forms the core of this message. istries and a loving concern for each ments of information giving, music, This is not a heavy-duty evangelistic other’s needs. Recently, after a local small-group prayer, and ministry of service, but more of a “fun” service for highlights service that reported a the Word (not a full-length sermon), planting seeds. The adults often seem growing children’s work in need of highlighting different spheres of to enjoy the children’s choruses even more laborers, a woman immediately church ministry. The program of wor­ more than the children do. An addi­ volunteered to take up the slack. tional benefit of drawing the quiz ques­ ship adapts equally to a midweek District Highlights worship setting. tions from Bible study material has The district highlights service fol­ been an increased interest in and atten­ Family Celebration Service lows a similar pattern to the local ser­ dance at our midweek Bible study. The first Sunday evening of every vice, except the reports and prayer month, and occasionally on the Sun­ Local Highlights Service requests are drawn from district min­ day morning, we hold an upbeat ser- The second Sunday evening service istries and concerns rather than local

30 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE ones. Besides the regular district min­ struggles shrinks and the true magni­ District Prayer Circles istries and leadership, we also pray tude of our vision expands as we pray Sing No. 693, “Break Thou the Bread for churches in crisis, new pastors, lo­ for those more needy than ourselves. of Life” cal youth groups, and those suffering Study Article of Faith III SUGGESTED illness or bereavement in other The Holy Spirit** ORDERS OF WORSHIP churches around the district. One Sing No. 291, “The Comforter study series we used for these ser­ Family Celebration Service Has Come” vices focused on the denomination’s Call to Worship Mark 1:17 Benediction Articles of Faith, investigating the Sing “I Will Make You Fishers of Men” World Highlights Service No. 206,* “I Love to Walk meaning and biblical basis of one arti­ Sing No. 25, “He Has Made Me Glad” with Jesus” cle in each session. (“I Will Enter His Gates”) Invocation District concerns (in England these No. 48, “I Will Sing of the Mercies” Sing No. 738, “Jesus Loves Me” are national) often get missed out No. 149, “His Name Is Wonderful” Special Music from our churches’ visions. We read Invocation Quiz Acts 1 — 14 of world concerns in our denomina­ Sing No. 712, “O Christians, Haste” Sing No. 535, “Make Me a Servant” tional periodicals. We hear of local Read Missionary Prayer Letters Announcements concerns in our local church meet­ Sing No. 711, “Your Love Offering ings, but sometimes we forget to con­ Compels Me” Sing No. 481, “Where He Leads sider in our prayers our district lead­ Announcements I’ll Follow” ers and ministries and the churches Offering Message Luke 6:39-40 nearby. Small churches can easily feel Sing No. 629, “Soldiers of “FOLLOW THE LEADER” quite isolated from the life of the dis­ Christ, Arise” Sing No. 468, “I Have Decided to trict and lapse into near independen­ Message and Prayer Rom. 15:30 Follow Jesus” cy. It is much harder to feel alone in “PRAYING FOR YOUR Benediction our problems when we are praying MISSIONARIES” for other churches nearby that have Local Highlights Service (intersperse message with prayers) problems just like ours. By praying Call to Worship Ps. 68:4-10 Sing No. 702, “Christ for the World for those district churches without Sing No. 17, “Joyful, Joyful, We We Sing” pastors, and those suffering break-ins Adore Thee” Benediction and vandalism, our people begin to Invocation catch a vision that is bigger than their Sing No. 529, “God, Whose Giving Conclusion own small circle. Knows No Ending” By regularly informing our people about the ministries and needs of the World Highlights Announcements Offering church—local, district, and interna­ This service (you guessed it) focus­ tional—we have found a way to es primarily on the world mission of Responsive Reading No. 530 on Generosity bridge the communication gap. By in­ our denomination. It usually includes volving the laity in reporting and the reading of individual missionary Sing No. 482, “I Give All to You” Local Reports and Testimonies praying together for the needs repre­ prayer letters and sometimes a quiz sented to them in these areas, we based on our World Mission maga­ Sing No. 542, “When the Church ofJesus” have found a way to deepen their zine. I make a habit of writing regular­ sense of unity and to broaden their vi­ ly to several missionaries, so we al­ Local Prayer Circles Sing No. 540, “Give of Your Best sion. By placing it all in the context of ways have plenty of prayer letters to worship, we have been able to help read. Prayer time focuses on trouble to the Master” Message Luke 6:38 the people to better understand what spots in the world, our LINKS mission­ the Church really is and to integrate aries, missionaries from our district or “THE MEASURE OF GIVING” Sing No. 531, “Because I Have Been that understanding with their person­ personal contacts, and various other al spiritual lives. missionary concerns. The message is Given Much” Benediction A different program of worship is, always related to missions, a great op­ of course, not a cure-all for the prob­ District Highlights Service portunity for the pastor to broaden lems of a nearsighted church; it is on­ his or her own vision as she or he Call to Worship Ps. 51:10-12 ly one element in the treatment of studies. And, yes, the Bible has plenty Sing Worship Sequence church ills. It is an expression in wor­ of material from which to develop 12 Nos. 307-310: “Spirit, Come” ship of the doctrine of a holiness short missionary messages a year. “Come, Holy Spirit” church that is committed to prayer We have seen an incredible in­ “Holy Spirit, Thou Art Welcome” and a gospel of Christian love for the crease in missionary giving since be­ “Where the Spirit of the Lord Is” whole world. I have found it a great ginning these world services. We do Invocation help in the renewal of my congrega­ have monthly missionary society Sing No. 303, “Come, Holy Spirit, tion. 1 meetings, but there is something Heavenly Dove” more pressing about hearing the mis­ Announcements sionary cause proclaimed by one’s Offering *Songs selected from Sing to the Lord (Kansas City: Lillenas Publishing Co., 1993). own pastor. It is remarkable how the Sing No. 297, “Spirit of the Living “Manual, 1993-97, Church of the Nazarene seeming magnitude of our own local God” (Kansas City: Nazarene Publishing House, 1993)-

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 31 A Prayer for Renewal A Responsive Prayer to Be Used in the Assembly of “Called-Out Ones”

by Doug McVay Pastor, Immanuel Church of the Nazarene, Camillus, New York

Heavenly Father, there is a Are all my great spiritual victories “hunger and thirst for righteousness” growing agony banging at and blessings simply a faint memory? within me (Matt. 5:6)? O the strongholds of my Jesus warned His church: “Yet “Whom have I in heaven but soul. I hear the cry of haunting ques­ there is one thing wrong; you you? And earth has nothing I de­ tions being asked, demanding an an­ don’t love me as at first! Think sire besides you” (Ps. 73:25). swer: about those times of your first If Jesus returned today, would I Have I lost my appetite for the love (how different now!) and need more time to prepare? Atonement? turn back to me again and work Lord, help me lift up my head “God, be merciful to me a sin­ as you did before” (Rev. 2:4-5, and heart today unto You, know­ ner!” (Luke 18:13, NKJV). TLB). ing You could return at any mo­ Has the blessing of Your presence Do I find my daily walk with the ment. evaporated due to busyness? Master a job or a joy? I have a haunting sense that His O Father, “Do not take Your “Restore unto me the joy of thy “called-out ones” are, at best, cold or Holy Spirit from me” (Ps. 51:11, salvation,” I cry (Ps. 51:12, KJV). lukewarm in spirit. Let us repent and NKJV). Do I constantly saturate my system pray together: Has the weight of the world with the secular instead of that which “But I will call upon the Lord to squeezed out all the wisdom of Your is spiritual? save me—and he will. I will pray Word? “Set a guard over my mouth, O morning, noon, and night, plead­ Jesus, renew me from within! L o r d ; keep watch over the door of ing aloud with God; and he will Have I gradually begun to cherish my lips. Let not my heart be hear and answer” (Ps. 55:16-17, pleasure more than purity? drawn to what is evil, to take part TLB). Holy Spirit, I allow You to do in wicked deeds with men who “But I will sing of your Your cleansing work in me. are evildoers” (Ps. 141:3-4). strength, in the morning I will Do I secretly desire the carnal more Am I more mature and holy today sing of your love; for you are my than cleansing and the eternal? than I have been in a long time? fortress, my refuge in times of O Lord, You know “the thoughts “Create in me a pure heart, O trouble” (Ps. 59:16). and intents of [my] heart” (Heb. God, and renew a steadfast spirit “They reeled and staggered like 4:12, KJV). within me” (Ps. 51:10). drunken men; they were at their Am I guilty of careless and aimless Am I more often victorious in life, wits’ end. Then they cried out to living, rather than compassionately or a constant victim? the L o r d in their trouble, and he ministering to others? “Answer me when I call to you, brought them out of their distress. Eternal Father, give me a bro­ 0 my righteous God. Give me re­ He stilled the storm to a whisper; ken and contrite heart, observing lief from my distress; be merciful the waves of the sea were hushed. the fields already white for har­ to me and hear my prayer” (Ps. They were glad when it grew vest. 4:1). calm, and he guided them to their Is it no longer a priority in my daily Do I find my focus consistently on desired haven. Let them give living for You to be Lord of all? my doubts, or on the facts of faith? thanks to the L o r d for his unfail­ Jesus, thank You for Your pa­ “Lord, I believe; help my unbe­ ing love and his wonderful deeds tient reminders. Be Lord of my lief!” (Mark 9:24, NKJV). for men. Let them exalt him in the life today. Is there a deep longing in my spirit assembly of the people and praise Are my listening skills cued only to for more of You? him in the council of the elders” the crude and degrading, instead of to “As the deer pants for streams (Ps. 107:27-32). the inner voice of the Holy Spirit? of water, so my soul pants for “Search me, O God, and know O Lord, You have reminded me: you, O God. My soul thirsts for my heart; test my thoughts. Point “Blessed is the man who does not God, for the living God. When can out anything you find in me that walk in the counsel of the wicked 1 go and meet with God?” (Ps. makes you sad, and lead me along or stand in the way of sinners or 42:1-2). the path of everlasting life” (Ps. sit in the seat of mockers” (Ps. 1:1). Can I honestly reply that there is a 139:23-24, TLB). f

32 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE Missions

Those Sure Were Nice Slides Dynamic Deputation Services

vividly remember as a child the appreciate tangible evidence that they many missionary speakers who are getting a return from their efforts. I came through the doors of my If properly prepared, the people will home church. It was always exciting know where their money is going and to see the film slides of elephants and will bask in the glow of God’s bless­ zebras. Sometimes the missionary ings and the building of His kingdom. would hand out coins, chopsticks, or The emphasis becomes, “Look how some other souvenir that would be God is blessing others!” put away in my dresser drawer for Fifth, follow through on the safekeeping. I still have many of those gains. If a challenge was made, keep souvenirs. by Todd Eric Forrest proclaiming that challenge. Decorate I remember that they often told Pastor, bulletin boards emphasizing the chal­ stories about one person or another Parker City Church of the Nazarene lenge. Print the challenge in bulletins Parker City, Indiana becoming a Christian. The stories and newsletters. Keep the challenge blended together into one giant tale. as a matter of prayer. If an altar call Somehow, the missionaries were a The pastor should preach sermons on was made, follow through on those break in the regular Sunday schedule missions, emphasizing the church as individuals who responded. Encour­ of services. In those days, I never the sender. Without the church send­ age those who are called to mission­ quite understood the reason why ing, there would not be many mission­ ary service. Begin training them now! these missionaries came to us. aries going. Be sure people know that Always announce opportunities for As I became an adult, missionary this is a service not to be missed. Mis­ temporary missionary service. Keep deputation services lost some of their sions are the cutting edge of Christiani­ children, teens, and adults active in glamour. In my mind, they were fund­ ty. Missions are where the excitement mission education programs geared raisers. exists. Invite friends! especially for them. Missionaries are trained for what Second, let people know that Sixth, encourage continued they need to do at a deputation ser­ an offering will be taken for the contact with the missionary. In­ vice. Why aren’t church leaders missionary. We emphasize other vite people to become pen pals with trained on how to prepare for and fol­ special offerings; why not this one? the missionary and to send cards for low through on those services? With­ Emphasize that giving makes us a part birthdays and anniversaries. Read de­ out preparation and follow-through, of the ministry of the speaker, who nominational magazines to keep track the whole idea of missionary ministry has obeyed Christ by going. of what is happening on the field is wasted. Third, plan the service to be where the missionary is serving. We need a plan to guide us in mak­ special. Your creativity in advertising Watch for the missionary’s name. ing missions and missionaries a vital may be tied to your creativity in the Keep people current with his or her part of our everyday life. Missions and service. Try decorating the sanctuary activities. Adopt this missionary as evangelism are the reasons the with flags. Have children dress in the your own, as if you have sent him or Church exists. Therefore, we need to traditional clothing of other countries. her out from your church. You have! take advantage of the teaching and Let these children take the offering. Seventh, schedule another mis­ growth opportunities provided by the Fourth, enjoy the service. The sionary to speak at your church. furlough service of a missionary. missionary will almost always tell you Do this all over again. First, we must build expectancy. about individuals who have come to The purpose for the congregation Advertise well ahead of time, and do it Christ under his or her ministry. He or is more than keeping the church creatively. Keep the deputation service she will show pictures of the things doors open. It is more than reaching as a focus for prayer. Encourage people that are happening, new churches be­ our friends and neighbors. It is to to pray for the missionary, for the coun­ ing built, many coming to Jesus. The reach our whole world (Matt. 28:19). try to which he is assigned, and for missionary does this to let you know Expand your church’s world by mak­ people within the congregation who that your prayers and General Budget ing missions and missionaries a vital may be called to missionary service. giving are not being wasted. People part of your church life. 4

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 33 Special Feature ______| What in the World Is Happening to the Church? Converging Toward Significance

our major epochs have touched ence. New links to old diseases have the lives of most North Ameri­ been found in surprising places. Slow­ can baby boomers. ly but surely the seemingly impenetra­ F ble realm of microbes, genes, and First Was the Nuclear Epoch chromosomes have been forced to I remember my uncles returning yield their addresses to modern med­ from World War II with stories about ical explorers. the South Pacific, Sicily, and their con­ tact with combat. The big story, how­ So what does all this have to say ever, was the falling atomic bombs’ about a convergence toward signifi­ obliterating two cities in Japan. To my by David J. Felter cance with regards to the Church in uncles, it marked the decisive turning Continuing Lay Training Coordinator, the late 20th century? I believe it of­ point in the war, saving many lives. Adult Ministries, Church of the Nazarene, fers an unusual time frame that Kansas City It was the first of several critical promises much if we have the will epochs that touched my life as a per­ and the courage to access it. son growing up in America. The nu­ and ’57 Chevys were names with The Church is continually being af­ clear epoch gave us the cold war, nu­ which I had closer affinity. It didn’t fected by those to whom it ministers. clear medicine, and submarines take long, however, for this to change. While this in itself is not news, it is running silently and rather quickly in One of my first jobs was a mainte­ the recognition of an important truth. the cold depths of the oceans. It also nance assignment after hours in the Many of our churches are increasingly gave us bomb shelters and attack drills. offices of a large factory. I was work­ influenced by the thinking, decision It changed our lives as Americans for­ ing my way through college and hap­ making, and collective wisdom of ever. py to be earning a paycheck. Each people for whom World War II is not night I stopped to look at a strange- a memory but only another date in The Second Epoch looking apparatus, trying hard to fig­ history books. These individuals have Was Space Travel ure it out. Thousands of cards with lived through four major epochs with I was 14 when the Russians funny little holes were arranged in a lassitude and indifference that is not launched the first Sputnik. I was in­ what appeared to be a sorting ma­ to be assailed but understood. For trigued by something the size of a chine. What I didn’t realize was that I this reason we either rejoice or basketball orbiting our planet, spit­ was looking at the primitive, by to­ lament, depending upon our outlook ting out telemetry in unrecognizable day’s standards, application of tech­ and reading of history. code. This epoch introduced my gen­ nology. Many of us see tidal currents in the eration to a new vocabulary. Invisible From palm-sized personal data stream of history, offering the Church boundaries once marking the pres­ managers, to laptops, to microproces­ unparalleled opportunities that await ence of humankind were now forever sors in the automobile, computers are exploration and implementation. We erased. The adage I learned from my inextricably linked to modern life. see the harnessing of computer pow­ positive-thinking father was true: These ubiquitous symbols of human er, telecommunications, and networks “Whatever the mind of man can con­ creativity are no longer restricted to as the new tools of the Church. We ceive, it can achieve.” one’s office. In many places, the per­ have heard stories of how missions ac­ sonal computer is one’s office. tivities exploded with coinciding de­ The Third, the Computer Epoch, velopments in global transportation Has Changed Everything. The Fourth Major Epoch and communications. Univac computers meant little to me Is Bioengineering We, the clergy and laity of churches in the early days of the computer revo­ Even now we await news on the across North America, see a horizon lution. Chuck Berry, Elvis, Pat Boone, latest findings of this fascinating sci­ filled with breakthroughs portending

34 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE new challenges and opportunities for ing corollaries. Some persons have linger as long as those of us from the evangelism, witness, and ministry. Vir­ more time available to spend discre­ Truman generation insist on an age- tual reality may change the way we tionary income and find personal ful­ specific style of music and worship train clergy. Interactive communica­ fillment through giving and sharing pattern. Nothing in the New Testa­ tions may open doors of ministry op­ with others in Christ’s name. The ment, however, dictates specific forms portunity yet undreamed of by many Church can now mobilize an army of or patterns of worship approved by clergy. Lay training is already taking volunteers who can penetrate seem­ God. on a flexibility tailor-made to layper­ ingly closed doors, bearing witness sons who expect self-direction in through acts of compassion and mer­ There Is the Stream of learning. Empowering laypersons for cy. Armed with an understanding of Men’s Ministry new ministries via technological grace as dynamic optimism based on Promise-Keepers is now a trade­ breakthroughs that allow sophisticat­ the very nature of God in Christ, mark, but it was born out of a burden ed levels of local church education are these individuals do not shrink from for men in a coach’s heart. I will nev­ just around the corner. any open door, wherever it may be. er forget Boulder, Colorado, 1993, So, what are these streams in con­ when over 50,000 men lit candles of vergence, and what is their signifi­ There Is the Stream of promise and commitment. The cance for the Church? Lay Learning Church has more resources for devel­ It is no longer enough to conduct oping strategic ministries to men than There Is the Stream of Sunday School in timeworn ways. at any time in her long history. The Technology Many laypersons sense a ministry failed promises of machismo, and the Make no m istake—technology is obligation. They understand the need empty loneliness of broken marriages not the savior of the world, nor is it a for preparation, training, education, combine to create a hunger in the hu­ pseudomessiah coming to the Church and deployment. They know they can man heart. Men are reachable through with a sackful of goodies. With every access a world untouched by conven­ new strategies that accommodate breakthrough, including those tional ministerial methodologies. themselves to the special needs atten­ wrought by the epochal dimensions These learners will not accept tradi­ dant to reaching unchurched, un­ of the quartet mentioned above, tional “banking” concepts of Christian reached men. there seems to be a corresponding education. Merely depositing the problem heretofore undiscovered. knowledge of the preacher or Sunday How many streams are converging The point is, the Church is in a posi­ School teacher into the minds of in these tidal currents of history? I tion to seize a special moment in the these laypersons has proven unsatis­ don’t know. I have only mentioned a history of humankind that is unlike factory. few. Surely there are others. Perhaps those of the past. Many laypersons insist on con­ you are discovering a new stream of Clearly, we are in agreement on fronting theological, biblical, and doc­ the Spirit even where you are. Under­ those nonnegotiable issues concern­ trinal truth head-on. They want to lying this observation is my firm and ing our need of a Savior, the problem grapple with the Word. They are growing conviction that grace, from a of sin, and the sufficiency of Christ Je­ aflame with a thirst that cannot be Wesleyan and New Testament per­ sus to meet its guilt as well as its pow­ slaked at the stagnant pools of tradi­ spective, is a dynamic optimism. Sin er. There are several recognizable tion-bound Sunday Schools. To these still stinks. It still stains. It still stran­ streams in these tidal currents that individuals, opportunities for empow­ gles. But there is a holy optimism let are converging, offering wonderful erment through discovery, encounter, loose upon this world every time a opportunities to local churches inter­ and hands-on learning are prerequi­ simple believer sounds that sweet ested in ministry, evangelism, nur­ sites to ministry. Its availability is a note: “Amazing grace! how sweet the ture, and worship. criterion by which they judge the se­ sound ...” riousness of their church’s appeal to A good bass fisherman knows that There Is the Stream of Great Commission activity. the currents in the river hold promise Spiritual Formation of good fishing. Fish typically con­ Wesleyan theologians and clergy There Is the Stream of verge in these currents to rest, to have long realized the compatibility Praise and Worship feed, and to generally hang out. I be­ between the ethic of holiness and the Nothing short of a revolution of lieve fishers of men will stalk these development of spirituality. This worship understanding has occurred tidal currents seeking those to whom stream is fed by crystal rivers of in the last few years. Unquestionably, the gospel is still Good News. The runoff falling from the peaks of com­ abuses have occurred. The occasional ministry of the Church is no “bait and passion. The Church in many places worship leader or pastor, exercising switch” operation. We offer grace, a is celebrating a spirituality that is best more creativity than common sense, dynamic optimism, full of power to expressed as Christians being in the has managed to turn off some mem­ affect transformation. This optimism ivorld for Christ’s sake. bers of the flock. This does not change eliminates our fear of change and mo­ the reality, however, that God is mov­ tivates our exploration of unclaimed There Is the Stream of ing through His Church on the up­ territories for God and His Church. Compassionate Volunteerism drafts of the Spirit in praise and wor­ Truly these streams converging upon The aging of North Americans has ship that is truly centered upon the the Church offer enormous possibili­ brought about a number of interest­ Divine. Pockets of resistance may ties awaiting our exploration. $

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 35 Celibate Singles?

his is a challenging time to be a more time goes by, the less desire for Christian single. Immorality is sex I have. It scares me that I may flaunted on television, videos, lose my sexuality, and along with that T advertisements, magazines, and on some o f my sensitivity.” the job. From Oregon, a divorced man in his As a single parent I’ve experienced 40s said, “I have a strong need to be the challenges to overcome sexual validated as important to someone temptations. I wondered if others other than my children. I don’t get it have the same struggles, feelings of at my job nor at my church, where I weakness, and fear o f failing the Lord. and my ministry seem to be invisible Has their faith prevailed? Have others by Rusty Hurst and unrecognized. I lack that other found a lasting sense o f completeness Freelance writer, half that married couples have to reas­ in life without fulfilling love, ro­ Kennewick, Washington sure me I am valuable. It makes me mance, a spouse, and sexual rela­ question many parts of my being—not tions? single, the fear o f missing out on the just my sexuality and masculinity.” To find the answers, I surveyed sin­ sexual activities of life intertwines A multitude o f emotional and spiri­ gles in Portland, Oregon; the Tri- with the world’s promoting a “grab tual facets o f a single’s personality af­ Cities, Washington; Spokane, Wash­ all the gusto you can—you deserve it” fect his or her decision to be celibate ington; and Missoula, Montana. I philosophy. We are subtly told you or not. One is the category of single asked 12 questions (see sidebar). can’t be happy without romance— into which they fall. There is no typi­ When only half the survey results you need to be with somebody to be cal single nor singles’ reasoning pat­ were in, it appeared that the three re­ complete. “I just want someone to be tern. But the struggle o f the single- cent decades of loose sexual attitudes with, to share my lifetime goals, to again group, along with those prevailing across our nation had share all the parts of my life” is the re­ individuals who admittedly were struck a blow against Christian sin­ sponse of many singles. promiscuous before becoming Chris­ gles’ morals. And now, with only a As years pass and dreams are not tians, seems intensified because they few surveys still out, the rate stands being fulfilled, singles hit the bars, fill have been sexually active in the past, at 41 percent not celibate, not feeling out “pay for introduction” applica­ and old habits and accustomed re­ convicted—and not about to change. tions, and solve their single situation sponses are difficult to break. The The largest age-group (30-40) is 65 by jumping into bed with Mr./Miss same decision is there every time the percent sexually active. The reason Magic. Many find too late, as did a chemistry clicks, the other person the figures aren’t higher is because Washington woman, that “there is no seems right, and desires seem to fall many do not have anyone special in Mr. Magic, and all this hunting is far into place all at the same time. their lives right now. worse than doing or being without.” The never-marrieds have the same It seems that, even for the Christian A Montana single explained, “As longings and heartfelt needs. Plus, they feel the pressure of the biologi­ cal clock pushing them. One said, “We don’t stop being human, full of weaknesses and needs, just because we are Christian and single.” The noncelibates The survey respondents who were either “not celibate” or “not satisfied most o f the time” appeared to have, according to their comments, a lack of knowledge of the biblical teach­ ings o f celibacy or a lack of desire or power to be obedient on the subject. People love to be soothed by certain elements o f Christianity— God is lov­ ing and good, heaven awaits them, God only wants the very best for us, etc. They slide past the commands and go right to the promises when it enables them to do what they want at

36 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE the moment. It is grievous to see how The celibate but not satisfied Cor. 6:18-20; 10:8; Gal. 5:19-21; Rom. some noncelibate Christians justify The next group o f responses came 6:9-11; Eph. 5:3; Col. 3:5-8; 1 Thess. their disobedience on this issue of from singles who are celibate, yet are 4:3-5; Matt. 15:19.) fornication. For instance, “The human not claiming the victory of being sat­ sex drive is natural, God-given, and isfied and at peace with their situa­ I------1 good. If I wish to sleep with a tion all the time. As one single con­ woman, I will, and I w ill thank the fessed, “When I am not growing The same Lord for His gift without guilt.” spiritually in Christ, I start to run on Another said, “I like sex. I do not self-will, and that always gets me into decision is believe in being celibate, but I believe trouble.” in protection. God helps me stay Another wrote, “No, I am not satis­ there every committed to my relationship in fied. I do not enjoy living alone, having which sex is a part.” no one to share anything with. I have time the And, “As a human being and once emotional needs like anyone else, and married, I believe it is impossible to having sex with your spouse is impor­ chemistry stay sexually uninvolved. Sex drives tant to fulfilling those needs. In the are natural and normal, and at my age [years] I have been a widow, I have clicks, the very active.” not even been asked for coffee. I don’t “I am not celibate,” one responded, know where to begin socializing, other person “although it is my desire to be so. I much less worry about getting into have recently made some mistakes sexual temptations. . . . I try to ignore seem s right, that I regret greatly and do not desire my sexual drives. If you live the way to repeat. Loneliness has made me do the Bible teaches, the Lord will protect and desires things that are compromising to my you emotionally and physically, but it beliefs. I expect God will provide the doesn’t guarantee satisfaction.” seem to fall means for me to have a celibate life if Also, “There are times when I truly I desire to and if I obey Him. ” miss the sharing and intimacy of mar­ into place at And, “Neither being single nor celi­ ried life— missing the physical close­ bate has anything to do with my spiri­ ness—yet being held makes me want the same time, tual sense o f satisfaction. They are it all the more. During such times I i______i conditions o f my physical person, and draw closer to the Lord and seek His that’s all.” best for my life. I expect from the The celibate and satisfied Lord a satisfaction with the other ar­ The survey respondents who were eas of my life for obedience in celiba­ either not celibate or not satisfied Recent decades cy.” lacked commitment to biblical teach­ Another responded, “I am tired of ings when compared to the 59 per­ of loose sexual the single life and am ready to get cent who are celibate and satisfied. married. It is especially difficult when They note how the Bible tells them to attitudes have a woman gets aggressive sexually “honor God with your body” and with me. When my ex-fiancee and I “flee from sexual immorality” (1 Cor. struck a blow got engaged, she kept saying it would 6:20, 18). They have learned that tem­ be all right to have sex since neither porary physical satisfaction does not against of us were virgins. God showed me substitute for the deeper peace given the truth and caused our separation. I according to God’s plan. As commit­ Christian believe in His time He will fulfill all ted Christians, we can turn to Jesus my desires—spiritually, mentally, and instead of giving in to sexual sin in or­ singles7 morals. physically—with the wife He will der to live satisfying, victorious lives. give me.” Even though the previously mar­ “Satisfied, yes. Sexually, no. Roman­ ried Christian single does occasional­ tically, no,” another confessed. “I have ly miss the sharing and intimacy o f These decisions are based on habit, many friends I see socially. My beliefs married life, many are trusting God age, circumstance, personal comfort, stop me from going all the way. When for satisfaction and peace regarding fun, and focusing on immediate grati­ it comes down to it, no sex is no big their sexual life. They have distinct fication of temporary desires. Where deal.” beliefs about the sanctity of sexual in­ does God fit in here? Some obviously Yes, for some the subject of sex is tercourse within a marriage. “Sex is miss the fact that He is here to guide no big deal. But sexual immorality is a not a pastime or social recreation. It and teach us. (See Isa. 30:21; 41:10, big deal to God, and He laid out the is an expression of deep feeling and 13; 42:6; Ps. 32:8.) And by His consequences for sin. One cannot commitment to a spouse and to strength w e have p ow er over sin. avoid the results o f sin by believing God, ” said a 30-year-old Spokane sin­ (See 1 John 1:7, 9; Prov. 3:5-8.) We what is being done is not w rong, gle. “I am satisfied to remain a virgin have to ask for help, then let Him when God has declared it to be sin until God chooses to provide me with take over. and unacceptable. (See Acts 15:20; 1 a mate.”

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 37 The Word tells us to “lean not on for Christ, not myself. Sexual love is a would now meet someone and fall in your own understanding; in all your language reserved only for my spouse- love, I would probably have struggles ways [sexual temptations, loneliness, to-be. I want this person to have been with temptation. As it is, through ded­ grief over the denial o f a traditional ication and service to Jesus, I am kept family life, etc.] acknowledge him, distracted from such frustrations. and he will make your paths straight” When I do slip into self-pity, I force (Prov. 3:5-6). Successful Christian sin­ One cannot my attentions toward others and con­ gles have applied these promises and vert my energies into helping them. others to their lives and are victorious avoid the Besides, Jesus has given me a deeper and satisfied through Him. joy and sense of fulfillment than I ever One person after another testified results of sin by had with someone on the human lev­ to God’s faithfulness for deliverance el. He does supply all of my needs.” and peace. Pss. 23 and 34 were most believing what The key to celibacy and satisfaction referred to by the men. The women with that lifestyle lies in being sold on turned the most to Isa. 54:1, 5-6; Pss. is being done is Jesus, but that kind o f commitment 68:5 and 146:9 for comfort. 1 Cor. doesn’t come easy. It takes an inten­ 10:13 was most often claimed by both not wrong, tional investment in prayer and Bible groups equally: “No temptation has study. The rewards in this life, as well seized you except what is common to when God has as the hereafter, are well worth the ef­ man. And God is faithful; he will not fort. i? let you be tempted beyond what you declared it to can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that be sin. The Survey you can stand up under it.” The 12 questions asked in The “rescues” reported included Rusty Hurst’s survey included everything from phone calls to a rock these: thrown through the window. The key celibate, and I offer the same in re­ 1. How do you define celiba­ seems to be that the committed turn. Satisfaction comes by standing cy, and, according to that defini­ Christian seizes the opportunity and pure before my Heavenly Father.” tion, are you celibate? If so, why flees the scene of temptation. Here And, “In the past I’ve given in, but and for how long? are a few testimonies: I’ve since turned it over to the Lord 2. Do you find yourself in sex­ “I am still a virgin. My friends tell me and am being strong in Him. I expect ually compromising situations? If I’d feel differently if I did it. I’m sure I to live a life of joy and contentment so, what do you do? would, and not for the better. . . . I try because I know the Lord has com­ 3- Have you experienced to date Christian men because they plete control over me and my well-be­ God’s protection or rescue in seem more accepting, but they still try. ing. I have the reassurance that His those instances? How and I have to tell them to stop and take me grace will be sufficient. In the mean­ when? home.” time, I pray, pray, pray!” 4. What are your weakest ar­ Another responded, “I am celibate, And, “I am able to be alone and ex­ eas regarding sexual tempta­ and God has given me a joy I’ve never plore who I am in Christ and what I tions? known. I do have my days of wonder­ want to do with my life. I feel I am 5. What do you expect from ing why I’m single, but that soon growing in different directions than if the Lord, if anything, for living a passes through the joy of the Lord. ” I were still married.” celibate life at this time, and “Through fasting and prayer I cruci­ Another wrote, “Before I became a why? fy my flesh daily,” another said. “I live Christian, I was promiscuous. If I BEYOND BELIEF * A % VoU -Sfef?IO0S? AND MAD66 Vooi? iNFof?MVTle>KiyIM U)rm His SAW 1HfcM ? Tost 6KtueziM> specifics SeCRfeTARV? So 1 CAM W V foR -THtSfc ?tO ? U k DETAIL.

38 THE PREACHER'S MAGAZINE Minister's Reference Library M ______I__ I The Minister’s Resource Library

y should busy pastors care and enduring substance to the prac­ about theology? Haven’t tice of ministry. Where theology mat­ all the important issues ters, all else follows, assuming the been resolved? Can one really expect presence of the redeeming, energiz­ anything new? Besides, theology is ing work of the Spirit. Where theolo­ just a set o f abstract, static proposi­ gy doesn’t matter, nothing much mat­ tions for professionals to ponder. ters. Theology serves as an anchor Who has the time? Theology belongs that steadies, a compass that guides, a to seminaries and religion students! ruler that measures. It is a plumb line With most of the lame excuses out and carpenter’s level for constructing o f the way, let us admit that theologi­ by David Grosse any “building”— strategic plan, pro­ cal reading and reflection is disci­ Director, Excellence in Ministry, gram, or promotion— whose builder plined hard work. But important Kansas City and maker is God. work! Important because anything Pastors care about theology be­ that passes for Christian ministry What and how one thinks theologi­ cause they recognize that their work must be shaped and informed by the­ cally—or doesn’t—affects the direc­ is G od’s work. God alone has the ology that is faithful to the Bible. tion, content, and integrity o f min­ right to etch His intentions upon the Every Christian minister worthy of istry. Church work done without lives o f His people. A theologically in­ the name must first be a theologian. sufficient theological reflection may formed ministry helps insure faithful­ Carl Henry put it succinctly: lack substance and credibility as au­ ness to the purposes o f God in the Before the building there must thentic ministry. It may easily become world. Whether preaching, teaching, be a plan, but before the plan there self-serving gimmickry or, worse, calling, planning, organizing, or lead­ must be the vision. It is the theo­ quackery, unconnected to the Source ing, theology equips us to “do” min­ logical vision which, in the final and Foundation of faith. istry as servants of God and our Lord analysis, w ill make or break our We must care about theology be­ Jesus Christ. Does that matter? Try on ministry* cause doing so can give spiritual life a few of these good books. They will help theologically inform and infuse your practice of ministry, for His sake and the gospel’s!

THEOLOGY J. Kenneth Grider, A Wesleyan-Holi- ness Theology (Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1994). PA083-411-5123, $47.95. This is the major work of one of the most significant thinkers and teachers in the Holiness Movement. Grider sys­ tematically places Wesleyan theology in the wider stream of classical Chris­ tian teaching, but with explicit con­ nection to the contemporary scene. Listed in the Yale Theological Best Books catalog (spring 1994), which applauds its “deep exploration o f sal­ vation and sanctification.” David P. Wells, No Place for Truth: Or Whatever Happened to Evangelical

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 39 Theology? (Eerdmans, 1994). Paper­ The distinguished Southern Baptist Eugene Peterson, Working the An­ back. PA080-280-747X, $14.99. professor of evangelism and Charles gles: The Shape of Pastoral Integrity The distinguished Gordon-Conwell Spurgeon scholar places evangelism (Eerdmans, 1987). PA080-280-2656, theologian makes a case for the in a theological context when not $12.99. wholesale disappearance of theology much else has been published in the Calls us from a consumer-driven, in the church, the academy, and in field. While not Wesleyan, the author success-oriented mentality and stan­ modern culture. Western culture as a discusses key theological issues in dards to the integrity of a biblical, whole has been transformed by contemporary evangelism every theological, and historical basis for modernity, and the Church has simply thoughtful Christian needs to address. our ministry. Gives careful, insightful “gone with the flow.” Raises profound attention to “working the angles” of Walter A. Elwell, ed., Handbook of questions about the future of conserv­ prayer and Scripture reading in order Evangelical Theologians (Baker Book ative Protestant theology. to discover spiritual direction and a House, 1994). PA080-103-2121, pastoral ministry that is worthy and Thomas C. Oden, John Wesley’s Scrip­ $29.99. marked with integrity. tural Christianity (Zondervan, 1994). Thirty-three of evangelical theolo­ Paperback. PA031-075-32IX, $22.99. gy’s most influential thinkers are pre­ Walter E. Wiest and Elwyn A. Smith, An em inen t W esleyan sch olar sented in this handy reference work. Ethics in Ministry (Augsburg Fortress, works to systematize John Wesley’s List reflects the breadth and diversity 1989). Paperback. PA080-062-3916, 18 thick volumes of writings, show­ of modern evangelicalism, including $15.00. ing the remarkable degree of internal Reformed, Lutheran, Arminian, dis- Stimulating reflection on an im­ consistency found there. Based pri­ pensationalist, and Pentecostal tradi­ pressive array of theological-ethical is­ marily on Wesley’s sermons, subse­ tions. Omission of a specifically “Wes­ sues, e.g., truth telling, boundaries in quent volumes in the series will deal leyan” category detracts from an relationships, fund-raising ethics, with his pastoral and ethical teach­ otherwise highly useful resource for competitiveness, authority. The per­ ings. A “plain exposition” of Wesleyan those seeking background on a single son and words of Christ point the teaching on Christian doctrine. theolgian or caste of theology. way to integrity and responsibility in Donald G. Bloesch, Holy Scripture ETHICS ethical conduct for clergy. (InterVarsity Press, 1994). PA083-081- Lewis B. Smedes, Caring and Com­ The editor of this feature welcomes 4124, $24.99. suggestions of important and useful In this second volume of his pro­ mitment (Harper and Row, 1988). titles for review. Address them, c/o posed seven-volume systematic theol­ PA006-067-4229, $9.00. The Ministry Resources Group, Divi­ ogy, a foremost evangelical theologian Learning to Live the Love We Promise (subtitle). The risks and re­ sion of Church Growth/Pastoral Min­ explores the nature of truth, arguing wards of making commitments in an istries, 6401 The Paseo, Kansas City, against both evangelical rationalism age when transience and relativism MO 64131. Or fax them to 816-333- and liberal experientialism. Contends are the norm. Compelling argument 6271. All book titles may be ordered for the value of biblical evangelical­ from Nazarene Publishing House. Be ism while providing lucid critiques of for keeping faith with one another, sure to include the ISBN when you the various hermeneutical options. ourselves, and God: “Our deepest re­ lationships are held together by an in­ order. 1 Lewis Drummond, The Word of the visible cord called commitment.” A Cross: A Contemporary Theology of book to grow on, by the popular and *Carl F. H. Henry, Evangelical Responsibility in Evangelism (Broadman, 1992). prolific Fuller professor of theology Contemporary Theology (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerd­ PA080-546-2554, $19.99. and ethics. mans, 1957), 67.

Pontius' Puddle SlfAPLE. WHEN YOU DO •SOtAETMING- WRoNGr, IT'S HOW CAN WE KNOVJ A SIN. WHEN I THE DIFFERENCE DO SOMETHING BETWEEN A SlN AND WRONG— TH A T'S , A SHORTCOMING- *? A SHORTCOMING-!

40 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE Minister's Mate Remeasuring Our First Mile

knelt with my husband to pray. I agreed to do my best. As I began When we finished, I pulled my­ my analysis of Martha, I understood self, one leg at a time, into bed. why Jesus reproved her. I knew that I I had measured my mile too long, and must do something about my likeness by the time I reached the finish line, I to Martha. was exhausted. I needed someone to Martha made the decision to fix a carry me to the spectators’ seats for big meal. It was her house. Jesus had rest and some refreshment. Going the appointed the Seventy and sent them second mile was out of the question. two by two into the cities where He Our last child, a son, was getting would later visit (Luke 10:1, KJV). Je­ married. The entire week before the by Betty Thompson sus instructed them to eat what was wedding was a continuous race with Freelance writer, put before them (w. 7-8). The custom time. We had company arriving at dif­ Mahomet, Illinois may have been to prepare a feast for ferent times from different states. It guests, but the rebuke Martha re­ was wonderful having all our family cused mainly on the rehearsal dinner. ceived indicates that she was doing together, and especially for such a I wanted it to be beautiful, elegant, more than necessary. “Martha, happy occasion, but it required work. and delicious. Martha, thou art careful and troubled I wanted my house to be spotless We were eating when several unex­ about many things” (v. 41, KJV). The when each family arrived. Menus pected guests walked in. My beauti­ Bible says she “was cumbered about were planned, and I baked and ful, well-planned seating arrangement much serving” (v. 40, KJV). bought food to put in the freezer. The began to look like a bunch of disman­ Martha had measured her mile too freezer was full, and I even laid my tled scaffolding. None of our guests long, and she took on a martyr com­ hands on it and prayed that it would appeared to be bothered. They stood plex when Mary didn’t jump in to run one more mile with me. It was at the punch bowl table, crowded in help. She may have gone off and shed not so young anymore either. together, and raved about the home­ a few tears in self-pity. I did when Meals for the family were impor­ made pies some of the ladies from other family members didn’t catch tant, but my thoughts and plans fo- our church had made. They simply my vision and offer to help. enjoyed being together. We needed to remeasure the dis­ Bedtime came, but my mile kept tance to the finish line. Perhaps there stretching. Sleep refused to were some shortcuts. Here are some come. I rearranged the tables, questions that we can ask ourselves counted people and places, and in remeasuring our mile: wished I could do it over. I had almost enough food to do it over. 1. Do I expect too much of my­ We ate leftovers until our son-in- self, comparing myself to others? ^ law, when asked to pray, joked Our society is geared to lengthen­ Jf about blessing the food for the ing our mile. Consider the media: suc­ ' third time. cess, consumption, dieting, entertain­ Still resting from my marathon, I ing, etc. We are made to feel like received a call, asking if I failures because we aren’t attaining would give a 10-minute cri- the distance someone else has mea­ v tique of Martha at a conven- sured for us. pCl'V l'on for women. I thought, Of If we have grown up in a part of if all the people in the Bible, and the country where hospitality called they choose Martha! It isn’t my for food, and lots of it, it is difficult to favorite story from the Bible. I’m let go of that way of thinking. Others a Martha—and Jesus rebuked find it difficult to keep it simple be­ Martha. I had always felt a little sor­ cause a best friend is an excellent ry for her. After all, someone has to cook and enjoys it. People measure do the work. I have heard my pastor- our mile for us on the role of hostess. husband preach about the “gift of What about our house? I know a la­ serving.” Why was Martha rebuked dy who is always immaculate in ap­ and Mary commended? pearance. I couldn’t imagine her

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 41 house being otherwise. We visited 3. What is the purpose of my It is better to say no than to accept her home unexpectedly one evening. mile? a responsibility, then resent having to It definitely had the lived-in look. She Is it for self-gratification, or to glori­ do it, or to do it with a self-sacrificing commented: “If I invite someone to fy Jesus? Often we don’t have a real attitude. What we do should be done my home, I feel that I should have my purpose. No one else would do it, as unto the Lord. It is difficult to do it house clean and neat. If guests come and so we were asked. Or, will it en­ unto Him if we are overloaded. uninvited, then they must accept my hance the way I look to others? Our Marthas like to see a job done right. house as it is without an apology self-image is important, but our mile The only way to be certain of that is from me.” gets measured by the image that we to do it yourself. However, it might What do people remember after a perceive others have of us. surprise us how well someone else visit in our home? The guests in can do the job. It’s worth a try! Martha’s home possibly remembered 4. Is it adjustable? Jesus said, “And whosoever shall her complaining to Jesus more than If I am in charge of planning a ban­ compel thee to go a mile, go with him the service received. quet and need posters for promotion, twain [two]” (Matt. 5:41, KJV). Martha rather than try something for which I and I were caught up in the first mile. 2. Does my mile compare to the have no talent, I can look for persons We lacked freedom. Freedom lies be­ promises and to my abilities? in the congregation who have the tal­ yond the first mile. She didn’t have time Jesus said Mary had chosen the ent. Draw on available resources. The to sit at the feet of Jesus and worship. I good part, of ministering to Him and adjustment comes as we delegate var­ didn’t have time to play with my little listening to what He had to say. The ious assignments. The same principle grandchildren who were here from an­ joy of spending time with Jesus be­ applies in work to be done at home. other state. I hadn’t measured them in. fore we begin our mile is what gives Training our children involves assign­ The second mile can be the enjoyable us strength to run it: “The joy of the ing chores to be done. one if we shorten the first mile. Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10, Another way to adjust is to say no. I suspect a great number of parson­ KJV). That’s difficult for church ministry. ages are inhabited by Marthas. The We cling to the promise “I can do We can say no easier to our biological weekly sprints of a wife in ministry all things through Christ which family than to our church family. I can be rather long. strengtheneth me” (Phil. 4:13, KJV). have forfeited opportunities to do spe­ If something unexpected comes In our heart, we know the task is be­ cial things with my children simply up, no matter how enjoyable it could yond our ability. I would be foolish to because I didn’t have the courage to be, there isn’t time for it. If we work say I could play the piano for a large say no at church. Now that my chil­ it in, w e’re thinking of the things in choir if I can barely play “Jesus Loves dren are grown and the nest is empty, the first mile that are yet to be done. Me.” It is important to seek to im­ I have time to reflect on the past. I re­ We must work to change a pattern prove our skills, but the end result is gret some choices I made. I neglected that we’ve established. If we are encum­ often frustration and discouragement sitting with them in communion with bered with much serving and experi­ when we attempt things for which the Lord as often as I should because I encing Martha’s frustration, perhaps we we are not equipped. We can shorten allowed others to measure out a mile need to remeasure our mile. If freedom our mile by adjusting it to our gifts for me. Learning to make choices for the second mile is lacking, we have and abilities. means saying no occasionally. made the first mile too long. f

-SO &ODSEUT A PLA&OE OP ri_lE-S TO COVE.R TWc. ‘LAKTH-

42 THE PREACHER'S MAGAZINE Picture Windows for Preaching

Picture Windows for Preaching

AFFLICTION these again. Can you use them for Some years ago several little boys something?” Inside the box were were camping out in an old build­ several Ku Klux Klan sheets. The ing some distance from any house. sheets were cut down to strips and In the night a terrific thunderstorm eventually used to bandage the arose, and the boys were greatly wounds of black persons in Africa. frightened. In the midst of the Dunnam goes on to comment to storm’s uproar they heard someone the readers: at the door, and, more frightened It could hardly be more dramat­ than before, they clung to each oth­ ic—from symbols of hatred to ban­ er in an agony of fear. One little Compiled by Deri G. Keefer dages of love because of the new boy, however, ran to unfasten the Pastor, creation. Nothing else matters, says door and led in a man. “It’s my fa­ Three Rivers, Michigan Paul. ther,” he said quietly; “I knew he’d James S. Hewett, ed., Illustrations Unlimit­ come.” It takes faith to recognize as though in a mirror... . ed (Wheaton, 111.: Tyndale House Publishers, the Savior in the storms of life. The goal of surrender . . . is to be 1988), 51, G. B. F. Hallock, Five Thousand Best Mod­ conformed to the likeness (or im­ GOD’S KINGDOM ern Illustrations (New York: Richard R. Smith, age) of Christ, not as an exercise Charles Swindoll wrote the follow­ 1931), 19. which leads to bondage, but to ap­ ing in a devotional Bible: HAPPINESS prehend the true freedom that only Generally speaking, God’s king­ A little boy and his daddy were Jesus offers. The irony of surrender dom is a synonym for God’s rule. looking at a litter of puppies, plan­ is that it ends in victory, not defeat. Those who choose to live in His ning to buy one, and the daddy Patrick M. Morley, Walking with Christ in kingdom (though still very much asked the boy which one he want­ the Details o f Life (Nashville: Thomas Nelson alive on Planet Earth) choose to Publishers, 1992), 3. ed. The lad pointed to a pup whose live under His authority. . . . tail was wagging furiously and said, CONVERSION The Kingdom is the invisible “That one with the happy ending.” In Illustrations Unlimited, Maxie realm where God rules as supreme Eleanor Doan, The Speaker’s Sourcebook Dunnam is quoted as saying: authority. That’s helpful news. The (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, Paul’s testimony is repeated over bad news is that we, by nature, 1975), 22. and over again as persons respond don’t want Him to rule over us; we FULL SURRENDER in faith to God’s gift of Christ, as much prefer to please ourselves. What does it mean to fully sur­ they are given His Spirit and be­ Swindoll goes on to comment dra­ render to Christ? To fully surrender come new creations. I heard of matically: to Christ doesn’t mean to become a such a miracle recently. The Ameri­ To put it bluntly, we don’t want recluse, but a reformer; not a can Red Cross was gathering sup­ anybody other than ourselves rul­ monk, but a manager; not a loner, plies, medicine, clothing, food and ing over us! Much like those peo­ but a leader. A Biblical surrender is the like for the suffering people of ple in a story Jesus once told, “We a thinking surrender, carefully Biafra. Inside one of the boxes that do not want this man to reign over carved by thoughtful self-examina- showed up at the collecting depot us!” (Luke 19:14 [NASB]). Not until tion and submission to Christ. one day was a letter. It said, “We we experience rebirth will we sub­ To surrender is to be so complete­ have recently been converted and mit to God’s rule. ly preoccupied with Christ that you because of our conversion we want Charles Swindoll, Time with God: New Centu­ hunger for your life to reflect His life to try to help. We won’t ever need ry Bible Version (Dallas: Word Bibles, 1991), 27.

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 43 Theology I Law as Grace?

ew terms are more precious to tirelessly. In fact, such a “salvation” the Christian than the word would be a contradiction because it F grace. Paradoxically, no term would not be saving man as man. is less understood concerning its total What would be saved would be less implications by the very Christians than personal and, in man’s case, who claim it. In many circles, grace is nothing o f man as man (a moral be­ either ignored or relegated to second ing) would survive. place behind self-effort. In other cir­ Therefore, the law is the grace of cles, grace is watered down to a mere God reaching out to lift man from his license for sinning— the kindly wink by Gary L. Durham darkness through moral confronta­ of a senile God. tion. Since man cannot merit this illu­ Pastor, West Valley Grace is the only place where Church of the Nazarene, mination, the law is, therefore, a mat­ God’s interaction with fallen man can Yakima, Washington ter of grace. Of course, such begin, and grace covers everything illumination can only be the begin­ that follows in divine-human interac­ interpretation obviously unreason­ ning of the work of grace. If grace did tion. Unfortunately, our present un­ able. not go beyond mere illumination and derstanding o f grace has been artifi­ This kind of half thinking has offer hope o f ultimate transformation, cially pressed into a very narrow caused a misinformed view concern­ it would be a cruel torment. Since definition. Grace has become more of ing the relationship of law and grace. transformation is the ultimate goal, a connotation word than a content Many persons have misconstrued law even the pain of illuminating a fallen word. The divine pattern o f grace in to be the antithesis of grace, when in man to his corruption is a redemptive the history o f divine-human relation­ reality law is but the first applications act. ship is little understood or applied. o f grace. For example, the work of the law is Any act of God that has as its ulti­ Law as Grace dismissed as merely pregrace by mate purpose the moving of fallen Outside of Jesus Christ, there is no many students of theology. An unfor­ man in the direction of righteousness greater expression of love to be found tunate reading o f Paul’s treatment of and holiness must be perceived as an in God’s Word than the giving o f the law is often cited to lend credibility act of grace. This becomes clear law. The giving of the law is the para­ for dismissing any possible relation­ when we remind ourselves of the pri­ doxical foundation upon which true ship law might have been to grace. mary meaning o f the term. Grace is, hope is first laid for man. The very This kind o f interpretation misreads first, the unmerited favor o f God— character of the law and its effect on the scriptural admonishments by iso­ God giving to man what he could man gives birth to this hope. lating certain treatments from the never earn or deserve. This immedi­ First, the law introduces man to greater context o f Scripture. ately places God’s law in the category the character of God. Here man For example, the Bible says, “For of grace. God’s law comes to enlight­ meets the standard o f righteousness the law was given through Moses; en man, to define his sin, and bring a and holiness that he is intended to re­ grace and truth came through Jesus consciousness o f his sinful state. In flect. He begins to understand God’s Christ” (John 1:17). If you read that dealing with a volitional creature, this creative purpose for him, which in and ignore the rest o f what Scripture must always be the first step in re­ turn rekindles his awareness o f his teaches on this subject, you could demption. God will not dehumanize original dignity. This is love giving the misconstrue John to be saying there us by bypassing our will. If He did, first glimpse of hope—man learns was no grace at all before Jesus the end result would be the salvation, that his despair is not normal. Not on­ came— and even more unthinkable, not o f a human being, but o f some­ ly was life once different, but also no truth either! However, a more in­ thing less than human. The law there is a God who is desiring that formed reading would point out that brings the necessary illumination that difference again. in the Old Testament, before Jesus brings us, as moral beings, into the Second, this hope brings with it came, it was already declared that salvation process. the unavoidable condemnation that God “gives grace to the humble” Any development of a soteriology moral light brings to a fallen crea­ (Prov. 3:34); and David prayed, “Do that does not preserve the dignity of ture. Man’s darkness is penetrated; not withhold your mercy from me, O moral freedom for man in the re­ his heart is illuminated. The presence L o r d ; may your love and your truth al­ demptive program and process miss­ of the light is hope, but the revelation ways protect me” (Ps. 40:11). Bal­ es the whole foundation upon which that light brings fosters despair. This anced reading would make such an God in His wisdom has worked so is the source o f man’s love/hate rela­

44 THE PREACHER'S MAGAZINE tionship with the law. In the work of over the chasms of life where before self-perception so that he is aware of the law, man is shaken from his illu­ no such bridge was available. As the this needed level of cleansing. The ob­ sions and made to face his real dilem­ Psalmist proclaimed: “Your word is a vious conclusion is that man must ma. lamp to my feet and a light for my have more than mere illumination if he We must never forget how neces­ path. . . . Your statutes are my her­ is ever to experience true transforma­ sary it is for the law’s work o f moral tion. He not only must be shown truth illumination to precede transforma­ but also must be equipped to choose a mit in*- nil* tion. God will not transform a man in right attitude toward truth. Grace has the dark. He will not make his choic­ much work yet to do. And not the es for him. Rather, God endeavors to The law brings least of it is to deal with the deceptive enlighten man with truth as the first twistings and turnings of our indepen­ step toward equipping him for righ­ the necessary dent nature as it tries to avoid the in­ teous choices. A volitional creature illumination ner spotlight of divine revelation. cannot be treated as a computer and Misuse o f the Law remain volitional. As pointed out, if that brings us We need to consider man’s misuse man is not truly left volitional in the of the law—a subject about which redemptive process, he is no longer into the Paul had much to say. Paul seemed to man, and there is nothing to redeem. understand that the most dangerous Therefore, the law not only preserves salvation attitude toward the law is not neces­ the dignity o f man and is the neces­ sarily that o f open rejection. Rejec­ sary first step in redemption but also process. tion is bad enough, but it has a built- does this while diagnosing the very in corrective that will draw the corruption from which man must mi* mi* mi* rejecter back to reconsideration— the submit to be freed. certain failure of trying to live con­ The law performs a dual role by pro­ trary to God’s moral reality. Trying to viding a sense of ought. Without a sense itage forever; they are the joy of my defy the physical law of gravity by of ought, man is lost in a directionless heart. My heart is set on keeping your jumping o ff a 10-story building will sea concerning his own identity. If there decrees to the very end” ( 119:105, not break the law o f gravity but will is no standard, there is no definition. If 111- 12). ultimately demonstrate its unrelenting no definition, then no goal. And if no If man were as uncorrupted as he validity. So defying the moral law has goal, then there is no purpose. Since the often imagines himself to be, the illu­ its built-in correctives. We really don’t law is merely a manifestation of the mination of light might be totally liber­ break the law; we are broken by it. character of God, it refocuses man on ating. But, of course, he is not. His re­ The real moral danger is in embrac­ the holiness and beauty of God’s nature, sponse to truth is usually to reject it in ing the law with the motive of bend­ which he was originally created to re­ view of the fact that it points in a di­ ing it to our own purposes. Paul un­ flect. Through the law, man rediscovers rection opposite his selfish will. This derstood this process intimately his created purpose and his redemptive reminds us o f Paul’s conclusion that because he had been saved out o f it goal in the revelation o f God’s moral the law was powerless to change us and almost daily had to contend with beauty. due to being weakened by our sinful legalistic Jews who were trapped in This new perspective revises our such a mind set. Misuse o f the law is understanding of law. It brings us into mi* mi* mi* the very thing Paul fought so tena­ the mind of Paul, who saw the law as ciously to keep out of the Church. a “schoolmaster to bring us unto To understand the misuse of the Christ” (Gal. 3:24, KJV). The lessons Man must have law, we must remind ourselves of of the law, says Paul, may cause sin to God’s intended purpose for the law. spring to life, but the law is nonethe­ more than mere First, the law is the standard o f ho­ less sinless, “holy, righteous and liness. As an expression of the charac­ good” (Rom. 7:7-12). The law does illumination if ter and nature of God, the law points not create sin in man but, rather, ex­ man back to the moral image he lost poses it. It does not produce death in he is ever to in the Fall. From this point o f view, man but, rather, is the opportunity the law is a thing of joy because it re­ for the death-producing activity of sin experience true veals the beauty o f the Lord: “The pre­ in human nature to be revealed (v. cepts o f the L o r d are right, giving joy 13). transformation. to the heart. The commands o f the Finally, the nature o f love in the mi* mi* mi* L o r d are radiant, giving light to the law is seen in the immediate bene­ eyes” (Ps. 19:8; cf. Pss. 1:2; 119:70, 77, fits it makes available to man. This 92, 174). The law of God is a thing of process of illumination not only nature (Rom. 8:3). While the law is not beauty. When a man looks honestly at shows man what he ought to be but the instrument o f dealing with this the law, he must confess it is beauti­ also points to the pitfalls that impov­ deeper inner need of cleansing and ful—the way everything should be. erish his life and break his spirit. In transformation, it is part of the process Here is where the law moves to its other words, the law builds a bridge by which each man is taken deeper in second purpose: To identify and ex-

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 45 pose sin. When man sees the beauty law by man. Man’s spiritual disease— law into an attempt to approach God, o f the law, he also sees the contrast of pride— is characterized by an inde­ which it was never intended to pro­ his own life in relation to the law. pendence in attitude. The law points vide. The effect o f this is to make the “The law is . . . holy, righteous and man in the direction of humbling law into an outward straitjacket that good” (Rom. 7:12); but man is unholy, himself before God. He needs to cry binds man hand and foot. Then he unrighteous, and wicked. This pur­ out for mercy and cling to God’s presents himself to God in his moral pose of the law is to make man aware straitjacket and says, “See, God, I’m of his sin and hold him accountable mi* mi* mi* righteous. I don’t do this, and I don’t to the moral standard o f holiness that do this; and I do this, and I . . .’’ All reflects God’s glory. that his moral straitjacket really For man, beholding the beauty of Man needs to proves is that he is still morally in­ the law is a paradox. It is like that of sane— in need of a straitjacket! This is looking into a glorious mirror filled cry out for hardly what God could have in mind with the reflection of magnificent as His method of transformation. things all around you, but you are mercy and cling This sad condition will nonetheless shown in your horrible rags as disgust­ be made to serve God’s purpose be­ ingly dirty and out o f place. At this to God's cause the law will not bend to our de­ point, the law shows you unfit to be sign. If we will let God teach us, there in the presence o f a holy God. You promise. is another effect o f the law on our in­ couldn’t survive; His holiness would mi* mi* mi* ner sinful nature that will expose this destroy you. You realize that you are foolish attempt at self-righteousness. justly sentenced by the law to death— Paul described it this way: “Once I promise, given at the gates of the gar­ which is separation from the presence was alive apart from law; but when den, to send One who would crush of God, His life, and His glory. the commandment came, sin sprang the serpent’s head. But pride— the Man is caught in a real dilemma: to life and I died” (Rom. 7:9). Earlier very insanity from which man needs When his material self perishes, he had said, “The law was added so deliverance—sees another hopeful through which he now indirectly re­ that the trespass might increase” method of salvation. It sets up God’s ceives blessing and resource from (5:20). There is nothing like a cage to law and says to itself, “Ah, yes. God God, then this state o f death will be­ make a beast gnaw at the bars. The says if I were to measure up to these, come complete and irrevocable. He beast o f inner sinful passions may be then I would be acceptable to Him. will be eternally cut off from God in caged, but it will pace the cell of in­ That’s what I’ll do! I’ll keep every one body as well as spirit. His present spir­ ner sinful fantasy more fervently than of these laws, and then I will make itual condition of being separated before. Outwardly, the lid is clamped myself better. Then I can come to from God—death—is causing his ma­ on tight. Within, there is a boiling God and say ‘Accept me; I am righ­ terial self to be locked into a process tempest o f every wicked thought. teous according to Your law.’” of certain destruction. Yet, he cannot come into the presence of God and Of course, it won’t really work. mi* mi* mi* reestablish the direct spiritual union Man does not have the power to that is needed because o f his sinful change. Part of the curse is not only condition. If man is to survive, he the loss of righteousness but also the Man adds rule inability to consistently choose righ­ must be transformed— cured o f his spiritual disease— and brought back to teousness. Yet, pride doesn’t give up to rule and moral sanity in nature so he can then that easy— “There must be a way!” be reconnected to the life of God. The way pride ultimately adopts is turns the law to set up an outward caricature o f the law that has been emasculated of its into an attempt n u t iiii* m i* true meaning and application. For ex­ ample: The Ten Commandments are to approach Paul fought to used only as outward rules, while the heart of the commands is ignored. Qod. keep misuse of This, o f course, will only work with the first 9 commandments, since the mi* mi* mi* the law out of 10th one is totally inward: “Thou shalt not covet”—“You are not even Build fences to keep us from going the Church. to want to.” where we don’t belong, and our bull­ “But,” says man’s proud heart, “if ish nature will begin running over mi* mi* mi* we make enough fuss about the first them. Telling a rebel he “can’t” is the 9, maybe we can forget the 10th surest way to bring his rebellious na­ This brings before us the third one.” So, man adds hundreds of ture to the surface. So is the effect of function of the law: The law de­ codices to the first 9 commandments. the law on us: “Sin springs to life.” It is mands man to change. By the time Jesus came, the Pharisees not that the law is itself sinful. Paul When the law demands change, had added nearly 2,000 to the first 9. asked that question and answered, the stage is set for the misuse of the Man adds rule to rule and turns the “No!” (Rom. 7:7). As stated earlier, the

46 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE law does not create sin in man but The misuse o f the law boils down lieved God, and it was credited to rather exposes it. The law does not to this: Trying to make the law a him as righteousness ” (Rom. 4:3). produce death in man but rather is the means o f being made right with God. Balancing Law and Grace opportunity for the death-producing Paul so strongly opposed this in his Truth is prebalanced by God—we activity of sin to be revealed (v. 13). Galatian letter: “We . . . know that a must not add or subtract anything. Since the law does not answer to man is not justified by observing the When we do, we find that our theolo­ us and will not surrender itself to our law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So gy will not run straight down the agenda, it still continues to do its we, too, have put our faith in Christ road of truth. It will tend to veer to­ work o f judging. But now w e become Jesus that we may be justified by faith ward the ditches on either side. The aware o f its judgments not only on in Christ and not by observing the ditches on either side o f the road of our actions but also on the inner law, because by observing the law no truth concerning law and grace are le­ workings of our heart. When the au­ one w ill be justified. . . . Now that galism on the right and antinomian- thor of Hebrews wrote, “For the faith has come, we are no longer un­ ism on the left. Satan really doesn’t word of God is living and active. der the supervision of the law” (2:15- care in which ditch he buries us. Ei­ Sharper than any double-edged 16; 3:25). ther one will bring our progress in sword, it penetrates even to dividing Paul said to the Romans: “For we truth to a halt. soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it maintain that a man is justified by judges the thoughts and attitudes of faith apart from observing the law” the heart” (4:12), he was writing (3:28). Paul’s contrast between law mi* mi* mi* about the Old Testament scriptures, and grace is a contrast between trying which contained the law o f God. to be justified by means of the law— Law and grace which was not even acceptable in the Old Testament, as Paul argues con­ are not Ill#- Ml*- III* cerning Abraham’s case in Rom. 4 and Gal. 3:6-9—or being justified by opposites. The beast of the grace of God given us through mi* mi* mi* faith in Jesus Christ. If anyone thinks inner sinful Paul is throwing the moral law over­ board, he is quick to retort, “Do we, What is worse is to see those peo­ passions may then, nullify the law by this faith? Not ple who are stuck in one ditch throw­ at all! Rather, w e uphold the law ” ing stones at those in the opposite be caged, but it (Rom. 3:31). ditch. If the holiness message is to The law, as the standard o f holi­ stay out of these ditches, we will have will pace the ness, as the measuring line against to remember that reaction is not a which our faith and love shall be mea­ valid method o f arriving at truth. It cell of inner sured, is not nullified. The full flower only puts you in the opposite ditch. of grace, seen in the work of Jesus Conformity to God and His already sinful fantasy Christ on Calvary, establishes the law balanced declarations in His Word is by giving us the power to keep the the only way to make continual more fervently intent of the law—love (Rom. 13:10). progress on the path of truth. In this sense, law and grace are not Our tendency theologically in re­ than before. opposites; they are allies. It is only cent days has been toward the ditch the misuse of the law, in an attempt o f antinomianism. This generation of mi* mi* mi* by pride to make oneself right by self­ Christians has reacted to what it per­ effort, which is rejected—it always ceived to be legalism in former gener­ When Jesus came, He refused to has been. ations— and some of it was. Because submit to the misuse o f the law. For The ceremonial law, a foreshadow­ o f this, we have lost the needed un­ example, Jesus dusted o ff the 10th ing of the work of Christ, which was derstanding of the law of God in the commandment and reapplied it to the abolished when the reality came, was full economy o f grace. Lest I be un­ previous 9. This is what He was doing in its time and place a means of grace. derstood to be calling for the pendu­ when He identified hatred and lust as Men came in faith by their submission lum to swing the other way, I remind breaking the 6th and 7th command­ to the enactments of the rites, believ­ us that reaction to each other is not ments (Matt. 5:21-30). He also taught ing that God would make them valid the answer. Instead, I think we should us the synergistic result of the law’s by fulfilling His promise to send the call for conformity to Christ by a res­ designed interrelationship—how one true Sin-bearer. Their faith looked for­ olute focus on Jesus and His Word. command casts light and application ward. Our faith looks back. But it is This alone will stop the moral stagger on all others. all faith, just the same. “Abraham be­ on our road o f truth. t

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 47 Stewardship

Defensive and Offensive Financial Strategies for the Minister

by Don Walter Director, Pensions and Benefits USA, Church of the Nazarene

ive key questions should be which is meant to replace not a life covered compensation. It reduces the considered among the basic el­ but rather the lost income. amount of lost earnings needing to be F ements of financial planning The logical question then is “How replaced by life insurance. Informa­ for a minister. These questions repre­ much life insurance do I need to re­ tion is available from your Social Se­ sent sound defensive financial plan­ place the loss of income for my fami­ curity office. ning and good offensive planning as ly?” A general answer is “Probably 2. “What if I live too long?” more than you think.” For instance, if well. The questions require consider­ This issue is that of outliving one’s an insurance policy paid a death ben­ ation of some unpleasant possibilities. financial resources. It requires look­ efit o f $100,000, that benefit amount, However, good strategy must include ing at retirement needs with the idea if invested at 7 percent options for many contingencies. One after taxes, that one or both spouses may live as would yield $7,000 annually for an in­ consolation is that all of these difficul­ much as 30 or 40 years after retire­ definite period o f time. If the princi­ ties could not happen at the same ment and beyond earning an income. pal were also to be used, the invest­ time. To not consider them could Outliving one’s financial resources ment would yield $14,237 a year for leave one or one’s family in critical fi­ would be tragic. 10 years or $9,439 a year for 20 years. nancial condition. What sources are there for provid­ Remember, the primary purpose is to ing retirement income? Statistics re­ 1. “What if I die too soon?” replace lost earnings, so projecting leased by the Department of Health This question is related to the min­ replacement of earnings beyond and Human Services indicate that for ister’s responsibility to make provi­ one’s anticipated earning years may all persons over age 65, 38 percent of sion for the needs o f his family in the not be necessary. income is from Social Security, 26 event o f premature death. As a bread­ One area sometimes forgotten is percent is from investments, 17 per­ winner for the family there definitely the Social Security survivors benefits cent is from earnings, and 16 percent is a financial dimension to being a paid for covered workers. Ministers is from private pensions. The remain­ spouse and parent. The premature who pay Social Security taxes are cov­ ing 3 percent is from miscellaneous death o f such a breadwinner would ered. Under the provision, a worker’s sources. present financial challenges for the surviving spouse and minor children The twin resources o f Social Securi­ family. Part o f a good financial plan are paid a monthly benefit based on ty and a defined benefit pension are will include provision for replacing the worker’s average indexed month­ sometimes the extent of retirement lost income. This part of one’s plan is ly earnings. This payment will average planning by ministers. Such a limita­ usually cared for by life insurance, around 40 percent of the worker’s tion ignores the reality that those two only comprise 54 percent o f the aver­ age income needed. Other resources must be considered. One of the best resources for minis­ ters is still the tax-sheltered annuity program as structured under Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. The provision allows ministers, as em­ ployees of nonprofit organizations, to have a portion of their current in­ come deferred tax-free to a retirement plan. The deferred funds are allowed to accumulate interest tax-free as well. If administered by the minister’s de­ nomination, funds can be withdrawn as tax-free housing allowance. The im­ portant thing is that a minister start ceive the money the local church has penses are reimbursed dollar for dollar making contributions early so that the set aside in its budget for pastoral sup­ by the church employer. This would interest has a chance to compound port. It makes a difference how the include church-related professional ex­ and accumulate. Even small amounts money gets from the church to the penses for travel, entertainment, contributed early and regularly can minister. How the church pays the min­ books, periodicals, gifts required be­ yield big dividends for retirement in­ ister can be just as significant as how cause of one’s role as a minister, and come if left to compound. much the church pays the minister in dues to professional organizations. determining how much discretionary 3. “What if I become disabled?” These are expenses of ministry, not ex­ income the minister really has. penses of the minister personally. As Every sound financial plan should such, they should be part of local recognize the possibility o f earned in­ church ministry expenses. come ceasing while expenses contin­ It is important that expenses be re­ ue. This is what happens in the event imbursed according to IRS guidelines. of disability. Because disability repre­ Good financial This requires that receipts, mileage sents lost income but continuing ex­ statements, travel logs, and other ma­ penses, it is often financially more of planning is a hardship than death. However, terial documentation be turned in to the church employer. Only the more people insure against lost in­ as much amount documented should be paid. come from premature death than from disability. protecting one's If the church is simply giving the min­ There are three primary sources for ister an “allowance” and not requiring extended income in the event of dis­ resources as it an accounting of how the money is ability. One is the Social Security dis­ spent, those funds are just extra ability benefit for covered workers is multiplying salary in the eyes of the IRS. The min­ who meet the disability qualifica­ ister must then show them as income tions. Another is private disability in­ them. on his tax return and then try to surance. Such insurance is relatively deduct them if possible. Under the inexpensive for what it provides. latest tax-law changes it is impossible There is also the disability benefit of to deduct 100 percent of all such ex­ one’s private pension plan. Other Over the years, tax laws have be­ penses. Therefore the minister who is sources may include personal savings come more complex in defining what not being properly reimbursed is pay­ and accumulated funds in a tax-shel­ money received from an employer is ing taxes on local church ministry ex­ tered annuity plan. and is not taxable. Ministerial employ­ penses. Understanding this, a minis­ The probability o f being disabled is ees have not been exempted from ter would be better o ff to have his not a pleasant thought. However, it is these details. Here are a few consider­ compensation restructured in order a possibility that should be included ations for a minister, church board, to have his expenses reimbursed, in financial planning. and salary committee. rather than to pay for those expenses with taxable “salary” and not be able 4. “What if I get sick?” First, a minister should maximize the provisions o f the tax law that al­ to deduct them completely. With escalating costs of health care low for a tax-free housing allowance. Another important element of com­ in the nation today no financial plan The tax code specifically states, “In pensation structuring is making cer­ would be complete without coverage the case o f a minister o f the gospel, tain your church employer is making for large expenses in the event of an gross income does not include—(1) payment for all allowable tax-free em­ illness. Very few persons have the the rental value of a home furnished to ployee benefits directly to the benefit personal resources to pay for treat­ him as part of his compensation; or (2) provider. This would include premi­ ment o f severe or prolonged illness the rental allowance paid to him as a ums for health insurance, group term without significant financial setback. part of his compensation, to the ex­ life insurance for up to $50,000 cov­ Yet such illness cannot be ignored; tent used by him to rent or provide a erage, disability insurance, accident treatment must be undertaken. home.” Furthermore, IRS regulations insurance, and tax-sheltered annuity Health insurance is a necessary and define the costs of “providing a home” contributions. If the church is simply significant part of protecting one’s fi­ to include all expenses other than giving the minister the money to pay nancial well-being. A family without food or maid service. Therefore, any for these benefits himself, they may health insurance today is very vulner­ such expenses incurred by a housing not be fully tax-free. able to significant financial risk. Even allowance would not be subject to in­ Sound financial planning needs if only minimal coverage can be af­ come tax to the extent that they meet both an offensive strategy and a de­ forded, it should be obtained. Good the limitations o f IRS regulations. It fensive strategy. Protecting oneself financial planning is as much protect­ may be as simple as the church board against financial catastrophe is defen­ ing one’s resources as it is multiplying declaring a portion o f the salary al­ sive financial planning. Preparing for them. Health insurance is defensive fi­ ready being paid as housing allowance retirement and proper compensation nancial planning. and then making certain the money is structuring are offensive financial 5. “What happens if I get paid?” spent within IRS guidelines. strategies. In order to be a winner at This question deals with compensa­ A minister should also be certain all financial planning, one needs both a tion structuring and how best to re­ o f his professional and business ex­ good offense and a good defense, f

JUNEtfULY/AUGUST 49 THE OLIVET STORY with almost 2,000 students (2,194 in ders and Relations Board and had me Besides the late C. A. McClain’s im­ 1993) preparing for lay and clergy ser­ ordained with only three months of portant history of Olivet Nazarene vice to God and country in the 21st pastoral experience. University, we now have, from its on­ century. You also learn here new things ly president emeritus, Rev. Leslie Par­ And all the time, the fact that it is a about Harold W. Reed, the school’s rott, Ph.D., a most significant history Wesleyan Holiness school with close longest-tenured president (it had 15, of the school, which goes all the way ties to the Church of the Nazarene is including acting presidents, during back to its beginning in 1907 and tells unabashedly shown and stated, as in the 1910-19 decade), such as that he its story through 1990. Parrott’s detailed testimony to his and Mrs. Reed gave toward one finan­ Its subtitle calls it An Anecdotal own experience of entire sanctifica­ cial campaign $10,000—more than History, and it is indeed that; but it is tion (pp. 134-50) when he was a grad­ his annual salary. much more than anecdotal. Its au­ uate student living with his wife, Lora Another special thing we learn here thor, the writer of some 20 books Lee, in Salem, Oregon; and when he is one of President Leslie Parrott’s previously, asked many persons who observes that its history has been overtures toward the Roman Catholics have been strategic to Olivet’s story “permeated by Wesleyan theology” of Bourbonnais, who had lost their col­ to tell what they have remembered (p. 179). Besides this, what happens lege to the Nazarenes, and the perhaps and what they feel; and that material in the wider society, and the influ­ complete healing of the suspicions of is interspersed in italics within its 189 ence of that upon the school, is often each other previously held by both the slick two-column pages of print and included in the story—e.g., the stock Nazarenes and the Catholics. This heal­ drawings. But by and large, it is a his­ market crash of 1929, the depression ing became most evident in 1978, tory, commissioned by ONU’s Board of the 1930s, and World War II. when Olivet returned to the Roman of Trustees, based on a thorough re­ Many things are here that we might Catholics certain memorabilia it still search of materials and written by not know otherwise. One of them is had from their college, and when the one who has participated in it and that President A. L. Parrott (who was pastor of the Catholic church adjacent who knows firsthand what the re­ threatened and beaten by a dissident to the campus arranged a service of membered past, here, is like. donor, p. 58) got the $200,000 debt reconciliation in that church, at which Dividing the story into decades for the Bourbonnais campus paid off both he and President Leslie Parrott (nine), and thinking of its history as in 1944, in 4 years instead of the allot­ spoke—a hometown boy and son of being similar to a river, Parrott tells of ted 16, and before any payment on it the first president of the Bourbonnais- the auspicious factors that figured in was due—and that he later gave to campus Olivet (see pp. 139-41). revealing to people the need of at the college more than his salary had People who have had, now have, least an elementary school; of its in­ been for his seven years as president. or will have any connections at all auspicious beginning in 1907 with 36 I myself know something of how fru­ with Olivet Nazarene University, and students; of its becoming an institu­ gal he was because, as he took me Nazarenes in general for that matter, tion of the Church of the Nazarene af­ with him during my freshman year will want to read this exceedingly ter several years; of its bankruptcy in (’40-41) to testify in churches, a green well-written anecdotal-plus history of the mid-1920s; of its great fire in and terrified beginning learner would the school, a labor of love on the part 1939, occasioning its move in 1940 sleep with this distinguished leader in of Leslie Parrott. Copies can be ob­ from Olivet, Illinois, near Danville to Nazarene homes as near as I could get tained by making a gift of any amount Kankakee, Illinois, near Chicago; of its to the edge of the two-person beds to the ONU alumni project for refur­ climb to full accreditation in 1956; of that were customary in those days. bishing Goodwin Hall (at ONU, its development until it is now a real He and I also sometimes traveled with Kankakee, IL 60901). university with a physical environ­ the local Nazarene district superinten­ —byj. Kenneth Grider ment worth twice its $36 million con­ dent, E. O. Chalfant, Parrott’s polar Visiting Professor of Theology servative appraisal; with a well-quali­ opposite in observable culture—who Olivet Nazarene University fied administration, faculty, staff, and later reversed the decision of his Or­ Kankakee, Illinois

50 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE Preachcr’s Exchange FOR SALE: — 11 cassettes from Nazarene Min­ isters Tape Club —400 books —33 issues of Leadership Maga­ zine CONTACT: Rev. Paul W. Duneman LIFESTYLE DISCIPLESHIP: THE her everyday arena of life is the logical 808 S. Broadway CHALLENGE OF FOLLOWING place of ministry. Spring Valley, MN 55975-1404 JESUS IN TODAY S WORLD The greater part of this monograph 507-346-2171 by Jim Petersen, is devoted to equipping the insider Send SASE for list. Colorado Springs, for discernment and ministry. Its aim (Navpress, 1993 is double: first, to assist the insider to FOR SALE: PA089-109-7759, $10.00) evaluate his or her own place and I have spent many years pastoring Petersen’s book encourages Chris­ process in the journey to Christlike- and evangelizing and have hundreds tians in this post-Christian era “to be­ ness; second, to provide tools for of sermon outlines and books, etc., come or remain insiders’ and to help helping others in their Christian for sale. equip them to be fruitful in their growth. Herald of Holiness, Preacher’s place of service.” Jim Petersen makes Petersen cleaves several furrows an acknowledgment, calls for a specif­ deeply as he plows the field of disci- Magazine, old Manuals, books by Vance Havner, etc. ic soldier, then seeks to arm that sol­ pleship. He uses the model of parent­ dier with spiritual insight and under­ ing as the best, most effective method CONTACT: standing. of discipling, investing in personal re­ Hugh Slater The acknowledgment that Petersen lationships over time to produce spir­ 1120 Cedarcliff Dr. makes is that our culture has aban­ itual maturity. He focuses on change, Glen Burnie, MD 21061 doned its biblical foundations and is the dynamics of change, presenting sliding rapidly into paganism. As the simple but helpful schemata that en­ WANTED: slide accelerates, we must seriously able one to discern the genuineness 6 Glorious Gospel hymnals in good reconsider our basic strategy for and durability of change. Of special to excellent condition. Will trade for reaching nonbelievers. For they are note is the author’s presentation of new Sing to the Lord hymnals. Please less and less likely to come to us, to Christian spiritual transformation and contact by phone first. our buildings, to our services. Bluntly personal development. His explica­ CONTACT: tion of the paradigm of Christian dis- stated, for the masses “what we do in David McDonald cipleship and its seven elements is as church is irrelevant.” 816-931-1900, ext. 366 So the author appeals to “insiders,” valuable as any literature in the field. Lillenas Publishing Co. (NPH) Christians, to decidedly and devotedly A fourth farrow of note is the mate­ rial dealing with suffering and adver­ present the gospel incarnationally in WANTED: their own unique spheres of influence. sity. Zambian pastors—fluent in English The insider is the light of the gospel in The book is a challenge: a chal­ and Bible college graduates—are in an unbelieving world. Relationships lenge to think, a challenge to move, a need of study tools. Anyone who has with the preconverted are not to be challenge to change. It is a source of commentaries, Bible dictionaries, cut away as weights that would drag us help in meeting the challenge. concordances, etc., may donate. down but are to be cherished as high­ —by David L. Cox Please send them to: ways by which saving truth is lived out Pastor before the unredeemed. The insider is Meridian Valley Shepherd Rev. Keith S. Jackson a soldier with a clear mission within Church of the Nazarene 4841 Twain Ave. the dominant culture of our day. His or Meridian, Idaho San Diego, CA 92120 by July 1, 1995, so that I can take them with me as I return to Zambia, Africa.

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 51 Ark Rocker Tradition Versus Change

ur district leaders for church, the worldly young people who attend to cause to be different. A passing Sunday School, youth, and only for the sake of the bowling party or from one condition or form to anoth­ missions stopped in our city the volleyball game that follows church. er.” As to synonyms for change, we Ofor their fall rally. Pastors, church offi­I went home and did a little re­find such terms as “to vary, to trans­ cials, Sunday School teachers, and search on the term tradition. Web­ form, to substitute for, to alter, to missionary society presidents were all ster’s New World Dictionary, College modify, or convert,” suggested by expected to attend. Separate seminars Edition, defines it as “the handing Winston’s Dictionary. for each department were preceded down orally of stories, beliefs, cus­ So what? We may very well conclude by an address by the imported special toms, etc., from generation to genera­ that any change may be fo r the better speaker. He took his text from Mark tion.” It has reference to “long-estab­ or fo r the worse. Hence, qualities may 7:5, 7, 8, 9, and 13. The phrase “the lished custom or practice that has the be improved or degraded by change. tradition of the elders” or its equiva­ effect of an unwritten law.” So what is our important question? Is it lent appears in these verses. His two The term traditional signifies “the not: “What do we seek by change: val­ major emphases were: (1) Traditions conventional or customary handed ues, convenience, relief from, more en­ are only the commandments of men down from former generations.” thusiasm, or simply ‘change for and are, therefore, evil. (2 ) Change Hence traditionalism specifies: “(1) change’s sake’?” So I boldly ask: Is makes for church growth and is, Adherence to or excessive respect for rhythm sacred? Whence comes relief therefore, desirable and holy. tradition or established customs. (2) from monotony? According to Matt. He began by asking how many of The doctrine that the only valid reli­ 13:52, treasures may be either old or us were born before the year 1945. gious belief is that handed down by a new. According to Jesus, we need some He followed his question with a long divine revelation, originally.” of both. However, we mortals seldom list of changes that have occurred in As to synonyms for the word tradi­ strike a balance in our activities and pri­ our culture since that year. Then he tion, the Reader’s Digest Family Word orities. We go from one extreme to an­ insisted upon our need for changes. Finder suggests the following: “Handed other. O f each we may say, “This also Then he followed with an exhorta­ down beliefs, custom, habit, typical will pass away!” Can’t there be such tion on the fact that if our churches way, conventional usage, unwritten law, things as fads even in modem church are to win people of this “New Age,” order o f the day” For antonyms, the operations and worship? If so, let us al­ churches must change to the use and same source suggests: “Novelty, innova­ so raise the questions: “What next? presentation of things this “New Age” tion, new wrinkle, new idea, and the lat­ What manner o f being do w e seek? loves and approves. He reminded us est thing.” It informs me that the word Why are some of our evangelical (?) that this “New Age” likes choruses that tradition comes from the Latin word pastors so happy with New Age innova­ are “snappy” and singable, better than tradere, which means “to deliver over. tions in our order of service and man­ it does the unfamiliar “old hymns.” The Hence the knowledge, customs— cus­ ner of worship? Shall we dub each new modern age loves rhythm and drum­ toms transmitted from generation to arrival as a holy change?” beats, with a good amount of volume generation.” Hence we may apply the So here you have it, Mr. Ark Rock­ from the instruments and voices. term to “the body of unwritten Chris­ er! Right from one born before 1945. People are more important than tian doctrine handed down through Incidentally, w e had already shot off doctrine or the old treasured values of successive generations.” Thus, it sets the first atom bomb in White Sands, Christianity So, if they are to like our forth a custom so long continued that it New Mexico, and dropped atom church, w e must give people what has almost the force of law. Also we may bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in they like. Entertainment, snappy ser­ define traditionalism as “undue rever­ Japan by 1945. I was serving one of mons about modem issues, the privi­ ence for tradition in religious matters.” my most important pastorates by that lege of dressing as they please, regard­ The word change means: “To sub­ time. Let me sign off as one who has less of how sloppily they dress down. stitute something for something else. “lost his ro c k e r” along the Front Yes, change is holy. So the church To cause another person or thing or Range of the great state of Colorado. must change! Not the guilty sinners or activity to take the place of; to alter, AN ANONYMOUS TRADITIONALIST *

52 THE PREACHER'S MAGAZINE WORSHIP & PREACHING HELPS Paul Barber

June/July/August 1995 Prepared by Paul Barber

INTRODUCTION

Paul Barber is currently the senior pastor at Lewiston First Church of the Nazarene in Lewiston, Idaho.

THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL? by Paul Barber 1 Pet. 1:1-2 June 4, 1995

INTRO: what He is doing in our world. It helps me to know I As we walk into this first letter from Peter, we must un­ have been elected. derstand that he did not casually write to a bunch of II. We Are Strangers friends in Asia Minor to pass the time of day. He pur­ To understand that we are strangers in the world is to posed to communicate hope, holiness, and life to people understand that we are called to be uncomfortable: never struggling for survival, spiritually and physically. Peter did at home in the place that we live. To understand this con­ not write to these folks, asking them to flee for their dition, one only has to put himself in the position of one lives. He sent instructions on how to live where they who lives in a country other than his own: a resident were! These are instructions we all need, for we have a alien. As comfortable as the surroundings might be, he strong tendency to flee from the uncomfortable to the still doesn’t belong. The old song that begins, “This world comfortable, i.e., schools, cities, politics, family, and is not my home, I’m just a-passin’ through,” says it well. sometimes even the church. We forget that we are called Peter, however, is concerned about their lifestyle as res­ to be uncomfortable (1 Pet. 2:20-21). ident aliens. He addresses the issue of how they live in Peter knew that if these folks were going to make it, this place where they don’t belong. Sometimes it helps they must know who they were in Christ. You find us classify our position by listing the ways in which we strength in knowing who you are! The people needed to are uncomfortable living in the world. know their identity, which in turn would give them a As a Christian, it makes me uncomfortable to be sur­ sense of purpose and a reason for the things they were rounded by sin and sinful living. As children, we all re­ experiencing. If a person falls spiritually, it generally hap­ pens because he forgets who he is as a child of God. He member the “friends” who tried their best to get us to dis­ begins to let other things identify his life. regard our parents’ words. It made us uncomfortable Perhaps one of the greatest needs in the Church today because we loved our parents. In the same way, the sinful is for a renewed sense of identity as Christians. Then, pressures of the world press against us. It makes us un­ when negative issues confront us, we let them bounce comfortable because we love our Father. off, not of our emotions or feelings, but rather off of our We are uncomfortable with broken vows, broken fami­ identity as Christians, as children of God. Only then does lies, broken lives, and a broken world! God’s ideal has life make sense. been planted in our hearts and written in His Word. So What’s the big deal? The big deal is that God’s reputa­ we feel like strangers in the midst of the brokenness. tion is at stake as people watch to see how we confront We are so uncomfortable with the worldly, profane life on a daily basis. So we better know who we are. speech patterns; the media, which glorifies sin; and the Peter identifies seven dynamic characteristics in these degrading music. It rubs against our spiritual sensitivities, first two verses, which, if fully understood, will help you hurting us to the core. We feel like strangers here! face every issue in your life. These words give hope; they We are so uncomfortable with the pressures, which promote holiness; and they define life. Let’s see who we never seem to go away, to conform to worldly standards are as God sees us. and thus to betray our trust. We long for home. We value our spiritual family. We I. We Are the Elect look toward that day when the word “stranger” is not part Don’t be afraid of this word “elect.” It simply means of our vocabulary because we are living in that city that God has provided a plan whereby there will b e a where love resides, speech is pure, music is heavenly, people of God, and then He invites everyone to join. In 2 vows are eternal, and sin is abolished! Pet. 3:9, we read that the Lord is “not wanting anyone to Let’s not talk about the fact that if we are not uncom­ perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” fortable, we’re probably not strangers! Knowing that I’m In attempting to clarify this whole issue of election, a stranger helps me understand why I’m uncomfortable. Dr. Harry Ironside pictured a man wandering down a It also reminds me that there is a place where I will be broad road leading to destruction. Along the way he comfortable. It helps me to know I am a stranger here. comes to a building. Its door is open; over it, where every passerby may see, is written: “Whosoever Will May III. We Are Scattered Come.” But on its other side, where only those who have The word “scattered” has p u rp o se to it. It helps me to believed and entered in may see, there is inscribed: know that where I am is important in God’s agenda of go­ “Chosen in Christ Before the Foundation of the World.” ing into all the world. It makes me feel like a missionary, D. L. Moody said it simply: “The whosoever wills are the on loan from God to the people I am around. It helps me elect. The whosoever won’ts are the nonelect.” The dic­ to know why my circumstances are different from anoth­ tionary says simply that this word “elect” means “one er Christian brother. We are both scattered, but in differ­ who is favored or preferred.” As one who believes, I am ent places. My job is to “bloom where I am planted” and “favored” by God and given the privilege of being part of enjoy the process.

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 55 It helps me to know I am one of the scattered ones of CONCLUSION: God. A blessing attached to these characteristics is special IV. We Are Chosen beyond measure. Peter prays that in the midst of being This word “chosen” has special meaning to me. If we the elect of God, resident aliens, scattered everywhere, were to simply say that in “election” God provided for me planned for or chosen by God, that “grace and peace” by the sacrifice of His Son, then in this word “chosen” would be ours “in abundance.” Grace and peace are two comes the intimation that we were planned for. things money can’t buy. Is the “uncomfortable” inconve­ nience of being a Christian worthwhile? Most certainly! ILLUS. One of my friends was adopted as a baby. His Isn’t it a wonderful thing to be reminded of who we are adoptive parents always told him, as he was growing up, in Christ? When I know my identity, I have purpose and a that he didn’t “just happen,” but that they purposely reason for the things I am experiencing. My life is full. brought him into their lives to love, nurture, and care for him. They planned all of this just for him. It means something to be chosen. Peter says we are SUGGESTED WORSHIP ORDER “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God. ” What a Prelude Trumpet/Piano privilege! Because of being chosen, God has developed a Scripture Ps. 93 special plan for my life that involves the best that He has. Choruses “How Excellent Is Thy Name” It helps me to know I’ve been chosen. “How Majestic Is Your Name” What does it mean to be chosen by God the Father? Pe­ “What a Mighty God We Serve” ter tells us that it is accomplished by “the sanctifying Hymn “Antiphonal Praise (We Worship You)” work of the Spirit”; i.e., He draws us to Christ, but more Pastoral Prayer than that, He, the Spirit, sets us apart “for obedience to Chorus “0 Lord, You’re Beautiful” Offertory Jesus Christ.” This identifies our purpose for living as a Choir “The Lord Is Lifted Up” Christian. My purpose in life as a Christian is not to be Ministry in Music “It’s Real” successful by worldly standards; it is simply obedience to Message from God’s Word “WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?” Christ. It puts all of us on a level playing field. Personal Hymn of Response “1 Know Whom 1 Have Believed” strengths have nothing to do with it. All of this is made Benediction possible by the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, i.e., the Postlude Organ “sprinkling by his blood.”

Public, school j& ir w hat vr u s e d t d b e r for instance

56 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE THANK GOD! by Paul Barber 1 Pet. 1:3-5 June 11,1995

INTRO: have moved from a position of spiritual death to spiritual You can almost feel Peter exploding with great emo­ life! You are a new person with a new destiny. tion. Having outlined for us in the first two verses God’s II. You Also Have a New Hope wonderful truth, he began with election “from for, be­ The hope that Peter talks about has several aspects. It fore] the foundation of the world” (Matt. 25:34; Eph. 1:4; is, of course, the hope of heaven. Peter calls it a “living Rev. 17:8, all KJV) and moved to our present experience hope,” which means that it’s not just “out there” some­ as a child of God. Peter can’t hold it in any longer, so he where after we die, but that it permeates our new life blurts out, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord right now. We are people of hope! Hope is a powerful Jesus Christ!” (1 Pet. 1:3). This could well be translated: emotion. “Thank God! Thank God! Thank God! Thank God!” Peter is awestruck and overwhelmed that God would make ILLUS. In 1965 naval aviator James S. Stockdale became one of the first American pilots to be shot down during such a wonderful provision for mankind. He knows it is his privilege to be a participant in all of this. Such joy is the Vietnam War. Captured by the Vietcong, he spent sev­ more than he can bear. This kind of praise ought to be en years as a prisoner of war. During that time he was fre­ the daily exercise of the person who wants to stay fit quently tortured in an attempt to break him and get him to spiritually. In fact, for our greatest benefit, we ought to denounce the involvement of the United States in the war. pray verses 3-5 every day in our personal devotions. Here Chained for days at a time with his hands above his head, is what excited him. First, he told us who we are, our he could not even swat the mosquitoes. Today, he still can­ identity. Now he tells us why we are. not bend his left knee. He walks with a severe limp from having his leg broken by his captors, and it was never re­ I. God Has Given Us New Birth set. One of the worst things done to him was his being Peter knew so well from his own experience that he held in isolation away from other American prisoners of was a new person in Christ. He had indeed been “born war and allowed to see only his guards and interrogators. again.” He did not get the proverbial patch job to make How could anyone survive seven years of such treat­ old Peter look good—he was good. He was a new crea­ ment? As he looks back on that time, Stockdale says that ture. His sins had been forgiven; of that he was confident. his hope kept him alive. Hope of one day going home! ILLUS. There is a commonly known story that comes That each day could be the day of his release! Without from the life of Martin Luther. It is said that the devil ap­ hope, he knew that he would die in hopelessness, as oth­ proached Luther one day and tried to use the fact that ers had done. every person is fallible. He presented the Reformer with Such is the power of hope—it can keep one alive a long list of sins of which he was guilty. When he had when nothing else can. finished reading, Luther said to Satan, “Think a little hard­ To say that, in Christ, we are a people of hope is a posi­ er; you must have forgotten some.” This the devil did and tive statement, but our hope is not tied to our environ­ added other sins to the list. At the conclusion of this ex­ ment. Our hope is not tied to the stock market; our hope change, Martin Luther simply said, “That’s fine; now is not with society’s dreamers; our hope is not in the gov­ write across that list in red ink, ‘The blood of Jesus Christ ernment. Our hope is in Christ, the Creator of the uni­ His Son cleanses us from all sin’ [1 John 1:7, NKJV].” verse. Hope causes us to walk toward what we cannot There was nothing the devil could say to that. see. Emily Dickinson wrote: Peter had this kind of confidence. In His conversation Hope is the thing with feathers with Nicodemus, Jesus said, “Except a man be bom That perches in the soul, again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. . . . Except a And sings the tune without the words, man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter And never stops at all. into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh This powerful emotion called hope is so strong that is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Mar­ Dostoyevsky said, “Totally without hope one cannot live.” vel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” Once again, it might be well to define the hope that is in (John 3:3, 5-7, KJV). Only the divinely affected new birth us because of Christ. In the midst of a negative world, we can make us new creatures in Christ. It is a great experi­ remain the hopeful people of God. ence to rehearse the changes that have taken place in your life since you were born again. You might say, “I’m III. We Have an Inheritance not all that I can be, but I’m not what I used to be.” To These amazing descriptions of our new life in Christ that, we say, “Thank God!” keep rolling out of Peter’s heart. He now tells us that God To become a recipient of this new birth, you must has given us, in this new birth, an “inheritance that can place yourself under the mercy of God and believe that never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you” (v. Jesus paid the penalty for your sins on the Cross and that 4). Listen to a few of the biblical descriptions of this in­ you are now free to live for Him. In this transaction you heritance:

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 57 A. We are heirs of eternal life (Titus 3:7). If you are not a Christian, wouldn’t it make sense to be­ B. We are heirs of salvation (Heb. 1:14, KJV). come a follower of Jesus and be a part of all this excite­ ment? I guarantee that the moment you do, you’ll feel C. We are heirs of the promises made to Abraham like Peter and only be able to exclaim, “Thank God!” (Gal. 3:29). D. We are heirs of glory (Rom. 8:17). SUGGESTED WORSHIP ORDER E. We are heirs of righteousness (Heb. 11:7). Prelude Organ F. We are heirs of the grace of life (1 Pet. 3:7). Scripture Ps. 16:5-11 It goes on and on in Scripture, but perhaps 1 Cor. 2:9 Call to Worship “Come into His Presence” says it best: “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither Choruses “I Will Enter His Gates” have entered into the heart of man, the things which God “Give Thanks” “Be Exalted, O God” hath prepared for them that love him” (KJV). Hymn “To God Be the Glory” CONCLUSION: Chorus “My Tribute” As though all of this were not enough, Peter tells us Call to Prayer “He Is Our Peace” that “through faith [we] are shielded by God’s power” un­ Pastoral Prayer Choir “All I Need I’ve Found in Jesus” til Jesus comes again (v. 5). Think of it! We have avoided Offertory hell; w e’ve gained heaven; we have a new, living hope Ministry in Music “When Answers Aren’t Enough” and an inheritance that can hardly be described! All of Message from God’s Word “THANK GOD!” this plus God’s own secret service agents wherever we Hymn of Response “I Know Whom I Have Believed” go, who are tapped into His own power. Now you know Benediction why Peter could say, “Praise be to the God and Father of Postlude Organ our Lord Jesus Christ!” or “Thank God!”

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58 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE FROM GLORY TO GRIEF TO GLORY by Paul Barber 1 Pet. 1:6-9 June 18, 1995

INTRO: transforming them from points of stress and anger to Peter knew that being a Christian in that day, or any building blocks of faith and endurance. Paul said it well: day, was not easy For that reason he has sought to re­ “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not mind us of who we are and why we are. He knew that if crushed and broken. We are perplexed because we don’t we don’t know that, then most of life will not make any know why things happen as they do, but we don’t give up sense to us. This is called perspective. Earle Wilson says and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons that perspective is “the ability to see the present moment us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep and immediate event against the background of a larger going” (2 Cor. 4:8-9, TLB). Peter reminds us that all these reference.” Peter has given us the larger reference and is happenings have purpose: “These have come so th at. . .” now going to focus on the present moment or the imme­ II. Purpose Finds Expression diate event. Here the rubber meets the road. “These have come so that your faith . . . may be proved After I had preached on the new birth one Sunday, a genuine” (v. 7). In essence, trials simply serve as testing man in the congregation left a note on my office door points in our spiritual life that drive us in one direction or that said: “I have made that decision . . . but now I’ve got another. We hardly ever grow spiritually unless we are a whole bunch of others to make that are running a close pushed into it by a trial. James puts it bluntly in this way: second! Please help!” His reference point was life. What “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face tri­ shall I do with my pain? What shall I do with my prob­ als of many kinds, because you know that the testing of lems? What shall I do with some of the bad situations at your faith develops perseverance” (1:2-3). Our testimony work? times in church ought to be full of people thanking God Peter would say that these situations shall always be for all the trials in their lives, instead of prayer requests to here in lesser or greater degrees. It is how we view them get out of those trials. We need to know whether our as Christians that will make the difference in how we faith is genuine or frivolous. Our reactions to trials will h andle them. Corrie Ten Boom brings it together when tell us that. she says, “I know that the experiences of our lives, when However, the purpose is more than the proving of we let God use them, become the mysterious and perfect faith. Our right responses to suffering will bring praise, preparation for the work He will give us to do.” So Peter glory, and honor when Jesus comes back. If we want to takes us from glory to grief to glory. In other words, it’s be where the action is on that great revealing day, then all good because it has purpose. Let’s take a look. we must welcome the things that test us. It’s then we I. Grief Comes to All will see our trials in the perspective of eternity. Most of us are not prepared for pain and trials. Some­ III. Glory Is the End Result thing in the background of our mind says that being a Peter now brings us back to a sense of glory. This is a Christian will make life easier because God will handle faith thing. Trial and grief are no fun. Physically we may the trials and we can simply float through. Peter shakes be at our wit’s end, so Paul reminds us that reality for the us out of this thinking by saying, “In this you greatly re­ Christian is not bound up in physical circumstances; it’s joice, though now for a little while you may have had to bound up in Jesus. Faith is the O ne we do not see tran­ suffer” (v. 6). scending the things we do see. A deep, abiding, inex­ It’s like what my dad used to do. “Son,” he’d say, “let’s pressible, and glorious joy begins to bubble out of our go get some ice cream! B ut first, let’s clean up the yard.” spirits. We’ve moved from glory to grief. The people to whom The songwriter said, “There’s a deep, settled peace in Peter was writing were right in the middle of grief. They my soul.” Circumstances didn’t bring that out—faith in stood as targets of hatred by unconverted members of Christ did. The glorious joy comes because, in Jesus, we their families and friends. They were tortured to recant know that everything that is brought into our lives works their faith. Some were put to death. Many had their prop­ toward eternity! “All things work together for good to erty destroyed or seized. They understood the fact of tri­ them that love God, to them who are the called accord­ als and grief. ing to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28, KJV). I watched an interview on television the other night of a Rwandan lady walking back into her own country. CONCLUSION: When she had fled her country some weeks earlier, she The words of Zech. 13:8-9 form a fitting conclusion. had witnessed the hacking death of her six children and ‘“In the whole land,’ declares the Lo r d , ‘two-thirds will be her husband. This is extreme, but all of us will experi­ struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. ence the reality of grief and trials in our life. Life refuses This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like to be neat and clean in spite of our expectations. Peter silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name simply says, Expect it. and I will answer them; I will say, “They are my people,” Peter wants us to learn to deal with grief and trials, and they will say, “The Lo r d is our God.’””

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 59 - We move from glory to glory, with the fire in between. How much better can it get? SUGGESTED WORSHIP ORDER Prelude Organ Hymn “Faith of Our Fathers” Men’s Ensemble “Find Us Faithful” Scripture Ps. 103:1-18 Hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” Chorus “Glorify Thy Name” Pastoral Prayer Chorus “The Lord’s Prayer” Offertory Ministry in Music “My Father Watches Over Me” Message from God’s Word “FROM GLORY TO GRIEF TO GLORY” Hymn of Response “Be Still, My Soul” Benediction Postlude Organ

‘I’m afraid to so under. Reverend; can you just hose me down?*

©1992 Jonny Hawkins

6 0 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE SANCTIFIED CURIOSITY by Paul Barber 1 Pet. 1:10-12 June 25, 1995

INTRO: prophets “searched intently and with the greatest care, Peter keeps building on the excitement of this message trying to find out the time and circumstances” (1 Pet. of the gospel. Remember, he has shown us who we are in 1:10-11). On that side of Calvary there was an intense, Christ and why. He has traced the steps from glory to glo­ searching curiosity about Christ and His mission. On this ry with grief in between. Now, he is telling his readers side of Calvary I am wondering what would happen to­ that they are living in the greatest days of history. The day if the Church had this same intense, searching curios­ prophecies of Jesus and of salvation have been fulfilled in ity and expectation about the mission and person of their generation. Think of it. The basic essence of the Christ. We get lulled to sleep, feeling we know about all message of the Old Testament prophets was now an there is to know. Maybe we even get a little bit bored by open book in front of them. It was the fullness of time! what we have heard so often before. Once in a while a No more mystery. No more delays. The Messiah had light comes on when we read that even His mercies are come according to the Scriptures. “past finding out” (Rom. 11:32-33, KJV)- We are stirred a Peter encouraged these folks not to give up because of little about the prospects of finding out, but we don’t fol­ persecution and trials, for the “fun” was just beginning. low through. What do you suppose a good dose of sancti­ They were the privileged ones of God, having seen the fied curiosity would do for God’s people today? things that the prophets could only search for, but this II. Unselfish Service Is Important privilege was going to cost them something. This new life Peter tells us that God revealed to the prophets that in Christ had to be defined; it had to be lived. First, Peter they were actually serving, by their writing, generations wanted them to exult in the fact that they were seeing, not yet born. It would be an odd thought to understand before their eyes, things that even the angels had longed that my reason for existence is not right now—but some to see. In other words, whatever else is going to happen, time long after my death. it will be worth it all! ILLUS. I have no idea where I picked up this letter, but it I. Sanctified Curiosity Is Important reinforces the fact that we live and work as much for oth­ Curiosity always seems to bring two or three thoughts ers in the church as we do for ourselves: along with it. Old adages pick it up well: “Curiosity killed Friend, you enter this church, not as a stranger but the cat,” “Few people suffer as do people in a small town as the guest of God. He is your Heavenly Father. Come when a stranger drops in and won’t tell his business,” and then, with joy in your heart and thanks on your lips in­ “Bright eyes indicate curiosity, and black eyes indicate to His presence, offering to Him your love and service. too much curiosity.” Be grateful to the strong and loyal men and women We think we have a good handle on curiosity until we who, in the name of Jesus Christ, builded this place of stop to think that too much curiosity became a factor in worship and to all who love this home of faith as the Eve’s temptation. Whatever the angle, I like Samuel John­ inspiration of their labor, rejoicing in the power of the son’s observation: “Curiosity is one of the permanent Holy Spirit—and may that blessing rest on you, both on characteristics of a vigorous intellect.” Sanctified curiosity your going out and your coming in. might well fit into that description with the added What a wonderful thought—to thank those who un­ thought that curiosity lures us toward the things of God. selfishly built this building that we are now worshiping in! Let’s look at some folks in our Scripture today who had a We, in our generation, are so tuned in to the present pur­ sanctified curiosity. pose of our lives that I’m not sure we can fully understand What was happening before their eyes, God had been this business of serving and living for the next generation. planning since the beginning. The Old Testament proph­ This might be one of the great downsides of our society ets had written amazing things under the inspiration of and even of the Church. Our indebtedness, our morals, the Spirit of Christ about this salvation. They spent their our social institutions all seem to focus on what we deem energies trying to understand what God was saying to to be present need, when everyone would be better off if them. They wanted to believe that the Messiah would we were looking out more for the next generation than come, bringing salvation with Him in a blaze of glory and our own. It has been well said: “A politician looks to the political might. They could understand concepts like next election; a statesman looks to the next generation.” that, but they found themselves writing about both suf­ A fine-tuned concept of not serving ourselves but oth­ ferings and glory. It didn’t make sense. Isa. 53:3 gives a ers would change most decisions for the better. I have of­ clue of how hard it must have been to write one thing ten thought that the people who built the church build­ but believe another: “He was despised and rejected by ing in which we worship were serving us more than men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like themselves. I ask myself, how much of what I do is for one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, me and how much is for the generation that won’t even and we esteemed him not.” know my name? Unselfish service in the Kingdom. Novel What catches my eye in all of this is the phrase that the thought, isn’t it?

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 6 1 III. Even Angels Understand the Importance would drop the rice, he could get away; but as long as he of Our Message holds on to the food, his paw acts like a cork in reverse; Peter caps everything off with this great phrase: “Even he is a prisoner of his own greed. Although the monkey angels long to look into these things” (v. 12). The infer­ chatters, pulls, and tugs, he still holds on to the rice, and ence is that if salvation is so intriguing to angels, how the boy slips a bamboo cage around him and then breaks much more should it be to us! We might assume that an­ the gourd. The monkey eats the rice and is sold down the gels would know all of these things. Apparently this is river. not so. Paul gives this insight: that his mission was “to That is the picture of many people who have their make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery hands full of sin, full of themselves. God says, “I will give [the unsearchable riches of Christ], which for ages past you salvation, fill your life with My righteousness, and was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His in­ take you to heaven; but you need to open your hand and tent was that now, through the church, the manifold wis­ drop what you’re clutching.” dom of God should be made known to the rulers and au­ What a trade! A handful of death for an eternity of life! thorities in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 3:9-10). If you are a person who has not been born again, I want Angels—learning from us in the Church? Special? Yes. to offer you the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ. He is First Pet. 1:13 states, “Therefore, prepare your minds for the One who paid the penalty for your sins. I ask you to action.” This is to say, “Hang on, folks; nobody can top become a follower of Him. Then, get ready to watch the this! The angels will be learning from us what it means to transformation of your life on this amazing trip through live out the holy life!” life and eternity! CONCLUSION: These first 12 verses of 1 Pet. 1 have been laying the groundwork and justification for everything that is to fol­ low. If God has provided all of this from the beginning, SUGGESTED WORSHIP ORDER Prelude Organ just for us, then the deepest cry of our spirits must parrot Hymns “It Is Well with My Soul” a phrase from Francis Schaeffer, “How shall I then live?” “Blessed Assurance” The rest of 1 Peter describes the life. But wait! You can’t Scripture Ps. 85:8-13 live the life if you don’t have the life! What a shame to Choruses “I’m Loving You More Every Day” miss out on so much simply because you don’t want to “Make Me a Servant” let go of sin in your life. Let’s illustrate it in this way: “I Give All My Life to You” ILLUS. There is a gourd that grows long like a string bean “I Surrender All” and, upon reaching its full length, begins to swell. When Pastoral Prayer Chorus “I Will Serve Thee” the gourd is in the string bean state, a boy ties a cord Offertory around half of it so that half stops growing; the other half Ministry in Music “Bring Back the Glory” continues to swell, and thus a narrow-necked bottle is Message from God’s Word “SANCTIFIED CURIOSITY” formed. Then the boy cuts the gourd off the vine, hol­ Hymn of Response “Just as I Am” lows it out, drops in a handful of rice, and ties the gourd Benediction to a tree. A monkey smells the rice and thrusts in his paw Postlude Organ to grab it, but he cannot pull his paw back out. If he

62 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE DISCIPLINED HOLINESS by Paul Barber 1 Pet. 1:13 July 2, 1995

INTRO: II. “Be Self-controlled” In high school, I thought it would be fun to run in the Lack of thought always leads to lack of self-control. cross-country races as part of the track team. Being young, When our mental patterns get sloppy, our lives get slop­ strong, and fond of running, I thought to myself, This is py. In essence, the Christian is like an athlete in attitude. going to be a snap! I disdained training and amused myself The athlete wants to win, or he wouldn’t even be partici­ by jogging around the two-mile course as though I was pating. Because he wants to win, he regulates everything out for a morning run. I was trying to give the impression in his life according to the training rules established by to the coach that I was out to get in shape. the coach. Sometimes his feeling will be to do what he What a surprise when we ran our first race! I couldn’t wants to do, but his brain will bring him back to the believe how fast everyone took off; but I kept up—for a rules. Sloppiness at this point will either get him kicked while, that is. I wasn’t even halfway through the course off the team or consign him to failure as an athlete. when I knew I was going to die of a heart attack. I had no Someone has defined self-control as the capacity to choice but to stop and drop out. break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare What was the problem? Simple—I was out of shape. I hands—and then eat only one of the pieces. Now we may wanted to join the team and be a star, but I didn’t want chuckle, but inwardly we know that life is like this when it the discipline of training. A lot of Christians are like that. comes to options that are presented to us. A holy person We want to be Christians and to be part of God’s family, knows that for victory to be attained, there will be a num­ but we don’t want the discipline of training. A person ber of strategic times in his life when he needs to make a might slop through like that for a while, but somewhere particular response, and the response is a singular no. in the Christian race you’ll pull up like I did and drop Self-control is a vital part of Christian living. Paul would out, exhausted. tell us to play to win. Our whole lives will change as we Peter calls to us like a coach: “You have the toughest bring our bodies, minds, and emotions under the training race of your life ahead of you, so you’d best get yourself rules of the Heavenly Coach. Like the athlete, nobody in shape! Let’s start with the basics.” can do this for you. Self-control is always personal. Self- I. “Prepare Your Minds for Action” control is also an integral part of disciplined holy living. Paul kept his body under control because he knew it There is a school of thought in church circles that the would want to do just about anything but be holy. It al­ only two criteria for truth are faith and emotion. These ways wanted to do things to excess. Hence, his body folks judge the validity of an act by the degree of emotion needed to be reigned in like you would reign in an out-of- involved and then place their faith in the emotional expe­ control horse. There is beauty in self-control. rience. The nature of emotions, like that of drugs, is that there is always the need for a bigger experience to prove III. Hope Is the Motive your close walk with the Lord or to prove the validity of a Martin Luther said, “All worthwhile things materialize new action. Paul would tell us that we are not trans­ through hope.” No farmer would ever plant a grain of formed by emotional heights. Rather, we are to be “trans­ seed if he did not hope that it would spring up and pro­ formed by the renewing of [our] mind” (Rom. 12:2). duce seed again. No pastor would ever plant a church if What a novel thought this is for Christians who have to he had no hope for its success. No couple would ever get “feel” it. married if there was no hope for happiness in the rela­ Perhaps one of the greatest needs of the Church today tionship. We are driven by hope. Hope and faith are first is for Christians to prepare their minds. We need to start cousins, inextricably bound up together in our spiritual thinking again about God, grace, faith, salvation, holiness, life. Hope always reaches out in the same direction as heaven, hell, and endurance. Our minds need to be filled faith, knowing what’s out there but not being able to see with the thoughts of God. We need to become lifelong it. As Christians, we have planted within us the hope of students of the Word. We need to read good books. We eternal life, which we can’t see, but which we know ex­ need to think again! “As he thinketh in his heart, so is ists. We base our existence on this hope. Hope becomes he” (Prov. 23:7, KJV). It’s not as a man feels in his heart; the driving motive for all our actions. it’s as a man thinks in his heart. Peter tells us to start For Peter, to “set your hope fully” (1 Pet. 1:13) was like thinking about action! Until we do that, there is no real giving the runner instructions to keep his eye on the fin­ hope for our churches to be brought to life. Peter refers ish line. Perhaps one of the downsides of contemporary to action brought about by obedience, not simply the ac­ living is that we tend to be motivated more by the pre­ tion of busyness, which we are so good at. More specifi­ sent circumstance than by future reward. How we care cally, Peter asks us to prepare our minds for action be­ for our money indicates how strong an impulse this is. cause he knows that the holy life will be the most Easy to spend—hard to save. As we Christians concen­ strenuous activity in which we will ever be involved. trate on where Christ is taking us, then the present cir­ We’ve got to think it through! cumstances will affect us less and less.

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 63 Temptation? Succumbing doesn’t lead to the goal. Suf­ team; and fewer yet go on to be world-class Christians. fering? It’s all right—Jesus suffered too. Plus, suffering Being called to live a holy life is being called to be a teaches endurance that will help me get to the goal. Peo­ world-class Christian. Nothing less than the best for the ple? They’re interesting, but I get my directions from the divine Coach who chose us to be on His team! Coach! Are you going to make it? Perhaps that depends on Problems in the Church? They’ll be there till Jesus whether you are mentally prepared for action, whether comes; but the Church is eternal, while the problems you are prepared to discipline and train the parts of your aren’t. life that don’t want to be disciplined and trained. The key We could go on and on. to the motivation is in Peter’s words: “Set your hope fully CONCLUSION: on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is re­ vealed ”(1 Pet. 1:13). As Christians, the toughest, most demanding race of our lives is the holy life. That is why so few people even try it. It is a great contest with wonderful rewards! ILLUS. Every four years great competitions called the SUGGESTED WORSHIP ORDER Olympic Games are held in the world of athletics. It is Prelude Organ considered a great honor to be on the team that repre­ Hymn “Rejoice, the Lord Is King” sents our country at these events. There are elimination Scripture Ps. 34:1 -4 contests, and finally the team is chosen with a great deal Choir “Bless God” of anticipation. All of the team members are known as Choruses “Praise the Name of Jesus” winners. As team members board the planes, there are “Great Is the Lord” many celebrations of anticipated victories. Our athletes “He Is Exalted” compete against men and women from other countries. “I Exalt Thee” Some of them will be fortunate enough to be winners. “I Will Praise Him” After the countries’ teams have been chosen, the status Pastoral Prayer Chorus “I Love You, Lord” of the athletes is fixed; they are on the team. Even Offertory though a team member doesn’t do as well as expected, Ministry in Music “With All My Heart” (Manson) he is still a team member, even though he might not win Message from God’s Word “DISCIPLINED HOLINESS” a prize. Sometimes a person who thought he might only Hymn of Response “The Solid Rock” be a pacesetter may turn out to be a world champion. Benediction It’s fascinating, isn’t it? Anyone can enroll in the com­ Postlude Organ petition; but few are willing to pay the price to make the HOLINESS? ARE YOU KIDDING? by Paul Barber 1 Pet. 1:14-16 July 9, 1995

INTRO: you are going to pass in my class, you must not...” Peter has established the “whys” and the “whos” and Peter could have laid out a whole list of desires that has promptly announced to us that we are not playing had become unholy: e.g., the desire for position, the de­ children’s games. He doesn’t call us to a life of holiness sire for sex, the desire for money, the desire for populari­ and then lay a trip on us about what this entails. He is up­ ty, the desire for power, the desire for things, the desire front and direct. It’s going to cost you everything. for clothes, etc., etc. He was saying that, up until now, First, it is going to cost you your own assessment of we did some or all of these things out of ignorance or yourself. It is the clear look, the honest view from God’s simply floating through life. Now we had to stop that point of view; i.e., we have to stop kidding about our nonsense. He knew that the process of conforming to own goodness. these things would make it impossible for us to conform ILLUS. A lady discovered that her bathroom scale regis­ to Christ. tered five pounds lighter if she stood on her left foot in­ You can’t have it both ways; so if you are going to be a stead of her right. It made no difference to her that other holy person, you are going to get there only by purpose­ scales confirmed the right-foot weight. She wanted to be ful living. lighter than she was, so she took comfort in standing on Are some of these aforementioned things legitimate? her left foot on her own scale. Are they all right? Yes, but they must be under the Lord’s Now, our old nature wants desperately to believe the control. The Christian who wants to live a holy life is best of itself. Its pride is that of Satan. It takes comfort in more interested in what the Lord says about these things anything and everything that speaks well of it. Only in than what his emotions are wanting to dictate about the Word of God do we get the true picture of what we them. That is controlled living. It is knowledgeable living. are. Here the scales have no false springs and no posi­ To have sufficient time for the things that count, we must tions that are off-balance. Here we find the slaying of eliminate the things that do not count. pride and the exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Any oth­ II. Holy Living Is What Counts er balance is false and, therefore, an abomination to the It’s easy to get bummed out thinking about what it’s Lord. Peter calls us to get rid of the evil desires we had going to take to live the holy life. The attitude in which when we lived in ignorance, and to live the God-called we approach this life is extremely important. life of holiness. It will require the highest and best that To use a football analogy, are you pinned down on your we have in diligent living. 1-yard line or do you have a great opportunity to go 99 The old adage from the Scriptures, that if you are going yards for a touchdown? It’s an attitude issue, isn’t it? Pe­ to build, you had better “count the cost” (Luke 14:28, ter calls for the touchdown and asks us to join him. The NKJV), applies here. You might say to yourself, If it’s that march downfield will be coming out of a whole different tough, you’d better count me out; I’ll never make it! Pe­ playbook, which he will open up to us. When Peter says, ter would answer that if you will follow his instructions, “Be holy in all you do” (v. 15), he is saying that your life He’ll walk you through it step by step. Each step will lead will never be the same again. What counts is being holy you to increased life. “Life by the yard is hard, but life by in our marriages, being holy at work, being holy in our the inch is a cinch.” Preparing your minds, self-control, public relations, being holy in our thought life, being and setting your hope (that is, keeping everything in per­ holy when we are suffering, being holy when everything spective) are the first three steps that will help you to un­ is easy, being holy in our recreation. This kind of holy liv­ derstand the issues. ing is possible because it is an inside-out issue. The out­ Peter was talking to Christians, and so are we. Don’t side conforms because the inside is changed. Inner beau­ confuse these instructions with sloppy humanistic think­ ty is a marvelous thing and is not deceptive. ing that says, “I can do all that in my own power.” We are ILLUS. A young officer who was blinded during the war talking to born-again, living hope, inheritance believers met, and later married, one of the nurses who took care that need to jump into the deep waters. Some of what of him in an army hospital. One day he overheard some­ the world does is like what Christians do, but most of it one speaking about himself and his wife. They said, “It isn’t. We are citizens of another country; therefore— was lucky for her that he was blind, since he never would I. “Do Not Conform” have married such a homely woman if he had had eyes.” The picture Peter paints with these words, “As obedi­ He rose to his feet and walked toward the voices, say­ ent children, do not conform to the evil desires you had ing: “I overheard what you said, and I thank God from when you lived in ignorance” (v. 14), is of the school the depths of my heart for blindness of eyes, without grounds where a teacher, who has watched the children which I might have been kept from seeing the marvelous be wild and out of control, has instructed them and then worth of the soul of this woman who is my wife. She is watched them do it all over again. Now she says to them, the most noble character I have ever known. If the con­ “I have told you all the reasons for not acting that way. If formation of her features is such that it might have

[UNE/IULY/AUGIIST 65 masked her inward beauty to my soul, then I am the great the water fills all the pores of the sponge which you re­ gainer by having lost my sight.” lease in this way. It is now filled with water. When we It is inner beauty; it is inside-out living that God desires receive Christ, we are born anew and put into that of us at every level of our lives. Why? Because our Heav­ sphere where the Holy Spirit is operating, but we are enly Father is holy, and we are His children. Children not filled with His Spirit. We are filled with His Holy need to bear the characteristics of their family; differing Spirit and empowered to live the holy life in direct pro­ characteristics make us wonder what family they came portion to the “opening of our fist.” from. The world’s families have their characteristics; This is given as an illustration only, but we must realize God’s family has His (Gal. 5). that Peter doesn’t give any other instructions about how How do we get there anyway? Is it a matter of acting to be holy other than “So be holy in all you do” (v. 15). He right in all that I do? No. It’s a matter of being right, then implies that there needs to be a stopping point of the old our actions will follow. Is it all right to act right without way of life and a starting point on the way of holiness. being right? Sure, but you won’t last. Peter knows that if The starting point is the Lordship of Christ; it’s letting the we try to not conform to the world’s ways before we are Coach be the Coach. I’m now playing on His field! “Holi­ right on the inside, we will fail; he wants us to try so that ness? Are you kidding?” No, I’m not kidding. It assures us we’ll know we can’t make it without starting from the in­ of victory by putting us on a winning team, and every side out! play brings us closer to a win. Practical holiness is all bound up in this issue—Jesus is Lord. If He is Lord of my life, then I have quit my old ways of life. If He is Lord of my life, then I relinquish con­ SUGGESTED WORSHIP ORDER trol of my life to Him. If He is Lord of my life, then the on­ Prelude Organ ly right I have is the right to be holy. If He is Lord of my Hymn “Called unto Holiness” life, then living like Him is the only thing that counts— Scripture Rom. 12:1-2 nothing else matters! I’ve been born into His family, and Choir “Seekers of Your Heart” now my greatest desire is to be like my Father. Choruses “I Stand in Awe” “When I Look Into Your Holiness” CONCLUSION: “A Perfect Heart” Holiness is an interesting topic. Roy Hession gives to us “Create in Me a Clean Heart” a wonderful illustration of the simplicity of receiving this “To Be like Jesus” life. Pastoral Prayer ILLUS. Chorus “More of You” Offertory To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be filled with Ministry in Music “Jesus, Lord to M e” One who is already there, in our hearts. Take up a Message from God’s Word “HOLINESS? ARE sponge and while it is in your hand squeeze it. In that YOU KIDDING?” condition, plunge it into water and submerge it, keep­ Hymn of Response “Is Your All on the Altar?” ing it tightly clasped in your hand. It is now in the wa­ Benediction ter and the water is in it but just around its edges. As Postlude Organ you hold it in the water, open your hand; as you do so

6 6 THE PREACHER'S MAGAZINE EMPTY WAY/PRECIOUS BLOOD by Paul Barber 1 Pet. 1:17-22 July 16, 1995

INTRO: America. We were strangers who lived under two sets of Peter continues to press home the seriousness of his laws. topic, holiness, by reminding us that God’s standard for We Christians live under two sets of laws. The higher our lives will be the standard by which He will judge us. law for us in all cases is the law of love. We are to be holy Objectively, His standard is love, and He calls it holiness. in an unholy world. Christian love identifies us as If you are one of those who feel that practical holiness is strangers here. The One who sent us is intensely interest­ impossible, remember to sift it down to its most common ed that we live, not like the country we are living in, but element: love. Holiness is measured by love. like Jesus. We live in reverent fear, so that we maintain the identity of where we came from and where we are ILLUS. In a boiler room, it is impossible to look into the going to. The Christian should feel a certain uneasiness boiler to see how much water it contains. However, run­ with life here—at peace with God, to be sure, but uneasy ning up beside the boiler is a tiny glass tube that serves as with the ways of the world, which are contrary to God’s a gauge. As the water stands in the little tube, so it stands ways. in the great boiler. When the tube is half full, the boiler is half full; if empty, so is the boiler. ILLUS. Ornithologists now know that the great albatross How do you know you love God? You believe you love flies around the world several times in the course of its Him, but you want to know for sure. Look at the gauge. life. A single trip may take him all the way across the Pa­ Your love for people gauges your love for God. cific Ocean. These great birds can stand buffeting by We love to talk about the “theology of holiness.” In re­ ocean winds for days at a time, but they become seasick ality, it could all be broken down to two words, “Chris­ if they stand on the deck of a moving ship. God created tian love.” Christian love does not violate holiness, and that bird for the winds, not the rolling deck of a ship. holiness does not violate Christian love. Is it impossible When a true Christian gets out of his element and be­ to love as Christ wants us to love? If so, then we are all comes a part of the vacillating “deck movement” of this lost, and we don’t know this One we call Father! The fact world, he gets “sin-sick” because he is out of the element is that the more we love as Jesus loves, the holier we are. for which God created him. He is a stranger to that way No other standard is worth talking about. God calls us, of life. As a “Christian foreigner,” if I settle into that coun­ changes us, and empowers us to live this holy life of love. try’s ways of doing things, I must realize that I am settling Since agape love, or Christian love, is a self-giving love, into an empty way of life. then in the holy life we talk about getting rid of anything II. The World Settles for an “Empty Way of Life” that smacks of selfishness. The world doesn’t consider its ways empty, but God ILLUS. A little boy and his younger sister were riding a does! Peter refers to the “empty way of life handed down hobbyhorse together. The boy said, “If one of us would to you from your forefathers” (v. 18), in distinction from just get off this hobbyhorse, there would be more room the fu ll way offered in the life of holiness. Obviously, for me.” however, this empty life is taught as the “full” life in our This may well be the classic problem in Christian liv­ society, the thing to be sought after at all costs. ing, and it seems to show up most in the two places You will recognize what fathers teach their children where it’s hardest to love: in the church and in our mar­ from this simple list: popularity, jobs, professions, invest­ riages. Jesus is interested in our conduct. That’s what the ments, retirement, comfort, position, enjoyment, houses, rest of this letter, 1 Peter, is about. Peter tells us that we pleasure, recognition, etc., etc. The problem with all this “call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartial­ stuff is that it is empty of value. It tickles the emotions ly” (v. 17). In this context, we understand that “work” is but does nothing for the spirit. The high use of drugs in the holy walk or our “labor of love.” Since this is true: our society indicates that our fathers were wrong in what they taught us. The most telling question you can ask the I. We Must “Live . . . as Strangers Here man on the street is this: “Do you feel fulfilled in your in Reverent Fear” life?” Ask that of those who have had the most of this Peter pictures a person who is living in a foreign coun­ empty stuff, like the O. J. Simpsons and the Elvis Presleys try, a place that does not belong to him. Life is different and the Michael Jacksons of the world. We were not re­ there in so many ways: traffic laws, marriage laws, food, deemed, Peter tells us, by the use of perishable things taxes, stores, language, clothes, social customs, and re­ like silver or gold. quirements of every kind. For Christians, life goes on in this “foreign” country, but we also live under the laws of III. “Redeemed . . . with the Precious Blood of the “homeland.” These “homeland” laws identify who we Christ” are. We have been rescued from the empty way of life by When we lived in Panama, we lived there in obedience that Blood! In verses 19-21, Peter lays out the essence of to their laws, but we belonged to the United States of the gospel.

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 67 - Jesus Christ was the unblemished or perfect Sacrifice CONCLUSION: for our sins. He is the eternal Son of God, “chosen before Peter helps us understand our accountability to God. If the creation of the world.” He came in these last days for you reversed the order of these verses, you would see you, providing salvation, redemption from sins. Through that we are redeemed by “the precious blood of Christ” Jesus you believe in and can approach God the Father, for from an “empty way of life.” Hence, we should “live our the Father raised Jesus from the dead and set Him at His lives . . . here in reverent fear,” knowing that God will right hand. Through Jesus Christ, “your faith and hope” judge us all by His standard of love. We want to pray, rest “in God.” “Dear Lord, how I long to be like You. Help me be the It was important for those folks with Jewish back­ holy person You want me to be as I live in this unholy grounds to be reminded that their belief was correct. It is foreign country.” important for us to know well in whom our confidence stands. Our faith is not in that which doesn’t last; it trusts in the blood of Jesus. His blood redeems us, sanctifies us, and plants our feet on the highway called “holiness.” SUGGESTED WORSHIP ORDER ILLUS. The great missionary David Brainerd spent his Prelude Organ brief life ministering to American Indians. Before he died, Hymn “My Savior’s Love” prior to reaching the age of 30, he wrote in his journal: “I Chorus “Oh, How He Loves You and M e” never got away from Jesus and Him crucified. When my Scripture Rom. 3:21 -26 people were gripped by this great evangelical doctrine of Ensemble “Communion Medley” (Cymbala) Christ and Him crucified, I had no need to give them in­ Choruses “Give Thanks” structions about morality. I found that one followed as “Thank You, Lord, for Saving My Soul” the sure and inevitable fruit of the other.” “I Love You, Lord” He also said this in another place: “I find my Indians “Father, I Adore You” begin to put on the garments of holiness and their com­ Pastoral Prayer Offertory mon life begins to be sanctified even in small matters Ministry in Music “Broken and Spilled Out” when they are possessed by the doctrine of Christ and Message from God’s Word “EMPTY WAY/PRECIOUS Him crucified.” BLOOD” Brainerd was saying: When a Christian realizes who Je­ Hymn of Response “Redeemed” sus is and what He has done for him so graciously, it has a Benediction dramatic effect on this life, not only in salvation but also Postlude Organ in holiness.

‘Our fund-raising slogan will be ‘The family that prays together pays together.”

6 8 THE PREACHER S MAGAZINE PURIFIED BY OBEDIENCE by Paul Barber 1 Pet. 1:22-25 July 23, 1995

INTRO: before. He thanked the Lord who wrote the Book and Peter brings us to a point of transition that is critical to learned that God really does honor an obedient heart. our understanding. He has told us who we are in Christ Incidentally, this man’s life was being purified by this and why, i.e., the new birth. He has brought us to the simple obedience, and the testimony of his life was au­ point of hope, no matter what life does to us. He has thentic. Too many Christians are experience-oriented and asked us to bear all our energies toward one goal; that of forget that the real testimony of the experience is the life being a holy person! Peter has asked us to focus our lives lived out. Old, grumpy, bitter, backbiting, “sanctified” on Jesus to the degree that we dump our previous priori­ Christians aren’t sanctified. Their lips tell you one thing, ties rather than conform to the world’s ways. We con­ but their lives tell the truth. Oh, my! “Now that you have form to the ways of Christ at all levels of our lives. God purified yourselves by obeying the truth” (v. 22) . . . provided a way for us to accomplish this through the pre­ II. “You (Must) Have Sincere Love for Your cious blood of Christ. Brothers” I. You Must Have a Heart for Obedience “Love one another deeply, from the heart” (v. 22). Well, One thing we will learn is that, while forgiveness and here it is, the most basic characteristic of the holy per­ acceptance by Christ bring us into the family of God, son: “Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and obedience purifies our spirits. Peter tells us, “Now that there is nothing in him to make him stumble” (1 John you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth” (v. 2:10). The simple, unstumbling, obedient child of God 22). Some will want to argue with him about this state­ brings great delight to the heart of God. An obediently ment, but he would be the first to tell you that we are pure heart cleans the cobwebs out so the Christian is free cleansed by the blood of Christ. This cleansing gives you to love. Sin is selfish, killing whatever it touches. Love is a heart for obedience. If you don’t have a heart for obedi­ pure, bringing life to whatever it touches. ence, you probably don’t belong to the family of God. It ILLUS. A crippled girl, living in the slums, underwent an is easy to talk obedience. operation that might enable her to walk again. When the ILLUS. A husband and wife were discussing the possibili­ operation was over, she needed a blood transfusion. Her ty of taking a trip to the Holy Land. The husband said, 14-year-old brother, a tough boy of the streets, volun­ “Wouldn’t it be fantastic to go to the Holy Land and stand teered. He was taken to the hospital to the bedside of his and shout the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai?” crippled sister. He stared in tight-lipped silence while the His wife replied, “It would be better if we stayed home vein in his arm was opened so that the blood might flow and kept them!” into the body of his unconscious sister. The wife made an important point. It is important to When it was over, the doctor put his hand on the boy’s know that the best obedience is the kind that is not done shoulder and told him that he was very brave. The boy out of duty. Rather, it is done because the heart is in the did not comprehend; he had not understood the nature obedient act, i.e., I do it because I really want to do so. If of a transfusion. After a moment, he looked up and said, you obey because your heart is there, each act of obedi­ “Doc, how long will it be before I die?” ence confirms your decision to be a follower of Jesus As far as the boy was concerned, he had been dying; Christ, and that in turn maintains purity. “How can a slowly and willingly, he had stoically watched the blood young man keep his way pure? By living according to your flow, drop by drop, expecting his sister’s life to mean his word” (Ps. 119:9). “Sanctify them by the truth; your word own death. is truth” (John 17:17). God’s Word doesn’t sanctify us be­ This is the highest picture of human love. This kind of cause it’s there; it sanctifies us when we relate it to our love always brings life to whatever it touches. Jesus him­ lives in obedience to it. God’s Word is tough in what it de­ self said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay mands because it touches the details of our lives. Over the down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do years, we realize that God honors an obedient attitude. what I command” (John 15:13-14). Since this is true, then ILLUS. A middle-aged man, who was a very young Chris­ I have a great obligation to remove from my life any hin­ tian, found in the Word of God that Christians are com­ drances to love. manded to obey “every ordinance of man for the Lord’s The h in d ra n ces to love are the acts of the sinful na­ sake” (1 Pet. 2:13, KJV). Rushing to a business appoint­ ture. Look at them from Gal. 5:19-21: “Sexual immorality, ment that involved catching a ferryboat, he was tempted impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, to do 70 in a 50-miles-per-hour zone. He prayed as he discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissen­ slowed down to the legal limit, “Lord, You wrote the sions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies.” All of Book, I didn’t. I am going to obey, even if it costs my ap­ these scream out selfishness, selfishness, selfishness, pointment.” He thought he would have to wait half an which is the opposite of love. To clear away any hin­ hour, but to his amazement, the ferry had been delayed drances to love, I must purposely get rid of this stuff in 10 minutes; he made it. He had never known it to be late my life. And why wouldn’t I?

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 6 9 Look at the fruit of the Spirit in the same chapter: CONCLUSION: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithful­ Peter closes this great first chapter by exclaiming, “The ness, gentleness and self-control.” Simply put, who would word of the Lord stands forever. And this is the word that I want as a neighbor, a person who lives out the acts of was preached to you” (v. 25). How confident Peter has been the sinful nature or one who lives out the fruit of the to bring us out of the clouds of the theoretical and plant our Spirit? One brings death; the other brings life. The deci­ feet on the dusty roads where people live. On these roads sion is easy! our obedience is tried and tested. On these roads our holy Peter is saying, now that you’ve entered into the obedi­ life becomes more Christlike by our obedience. On these ent life, the key characteristic you will have is not only a roads it either comes together or it doesn’t. The great issues sincere love for your brothers but a deep-seated love for of eternity meet on these dusty roads, where either we learn them, which is rooted in the love of Christ himself. to love because of Jesus, or we don’t because of self! III. You Must Be Born Again “Through the living and enduring word of God” (v. 23). Paul said about this new birth, “So from now on we re­ SUGGESTED WORSHIP ORDER gard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we Prelude Organ Choir “Praise You” once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Scripture Ps. 107:21-22 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the Choruses “We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise” old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, “I Will Enter His Gates” who reconciled us to himself through Christ” (2 Cor. “Bless His Holy Name” 5:16-18). Because I’m born again, I’m a new person. Be­ Hymns “Praise Him, Praise Him” cause I’m born again, I have a new set of instructions. Be­ “0 for a Thousand Tongues” cause I’m born again, I have learned to think God’s Choruses “0 for a Thousand Tongues” thoughts through His Word. Because I’m born again, I “To Thee We Ascribe Glory” think differently about people. Because I’m born again, I Pastoral Prayer can be a holy person. Because I’m born again, my identi­ Chorus “I Worship You, Almighty God” Offertory ty is seen in my love for my brothers. Because I’m born Ministry in Music “Be Holy” again, anything that happens in my life is worthwhile. Message from God’s Word “PURIFIED BY Am I overplaying the born-again experience? No! Un­ OBEDIENCE” less a person is born again, he cannot be holy. Unless a Hymn of Response “Jesus, I Come” person is born again, nothing makes sense in life. We are Benediction born again so that we can be the holy people of God. Postlude Organ This is Peter’s whole point.

70 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE THE BEST TASTE YET by Paul Barber 1 Pet. 2:1-2 July 30, 1995

INTRO: C. “Hypocrisy”: It’s simple; a hypocrite is someone They say that folks these days don’t like negative things who pretends to be something he isn’t. It might be a to be said in sermons. If that’s true, then Peter blew it! person who is trying to cover up his malice and deceit, Suppose 1 Peter 2 is a new sermon. Would you believe which really makes him bad. It’s the wolf in sheep’s how he started? Check out the words: “Therefore, rid clothing syndrome. yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, D. “Envy”: Envy always starts with being discontented and slander of every kind” (v. 1). Some of the folks would with who you are or what you have in comparison to already be upset that the pastor had been following them someone else. around that week. Oh, well. ILLUS. There is a story that Satan’s agents were failing in Peter is being his direct self. Remember that his pur­ their various attempts to draw into sin a holy man who pose is to shake us up a little and make us uncomfortable lived as a hermit in the desert of northern Africa. Every with anything that is not holy in our lives. The word attempt had met with failure. So Satan, angered with the “therefore” refers to his discussion of being purified by incompetence of his subordinates, became personally in­ obeying the truth and loving our brothers. He doesn’t volved in the case. He said, “The reason you have failed is want us to miss the point his by being too ambiguous. that your methods are too crude for one such as this. I. We Have Some Things to Get Rid Of Watch this.” Aside from the fact that these things are plain old sin He then approached the holy man with great care and and need to be gotten rid of anyway, let’s view them from whispered softly in his ear, “Your brother has just been the perspective that, when we are indulging in these made bishop of Alexandria.” Instantly the holy man’s face things, we lose our appetite for righteous things. showed that Satan had been successful. A great scowl ILLUS. When I was a youngster, I used to spend what formed over his mouth, and his eyes tightened up. “En­ money I had on candy bars and chips. In fact, I used to vy,” said Satan, “is often our best weapon against those keep a store of them in my hideout, hidden away from who seek holiness.” the view of my mom. After school I would “pork out” on E. “Slander of every kind”: Envy usually brings us to several candy bars because I was hungry. By the time sup­ the point of saying things that are not true, or half true per was on the table, I wasn’t hungry anymore. When with a bent, to harm another person; this is slander. It Mom would ask why, I just mumbled something about may be one of the most common sins in the Church. not feeling good. I think she knew that I wasn’t being “He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoev­ truthful, because she always gave me a little lecture on er spreads slander is a fool” (Prov. 10:18). Slander may eating the right things and then made me sit at the table be more commonly understood as running someone until my plate was clean. down in our conversations. Sometimes we Christians aren’t any different from a These characteristics mix so well with the sinful na­ child in why and how we deal with our spiritual appetite. ture and have such a way of becoming habits. It is not We indulge in the things we shouldn’t because w e’re hard to see that if we are hungry for this junk food, our “hungry,” and then we lie to ourselves and others about appetite for the “good food” won’t be there. Peter why we aren’t eating the good stuff, that is, spiritual doesn’t simply recommend that we stop these things— food! he orders us to get rid of them! So let’s take a quick look at these appetite chasers: II. We Are to Crave the Good Stuff A. “Malice”: Malice really has no appetite for good. It is As a child, I just knew certain foods were poisonous. I basically a disposition or frame of mind that wants to was assured by my patient mother that they were good injure people without cause. We had a bull in the pas­ for me for various reasons, but none of those reasons ture next to ours who had this kind of disposition. You made sense to me. How could an all-American little kid would be surprised how many people there are who like parsnips or those old gray canned lima beans that don’t need a cause for nastiness other than their own even the guys in the army wouldn’t eat? I guess I got discontent. started wrong, for when I was born, they quickly discov­ B. “All deceit”: Peter put force to this by adding the ered that I was allergic to every kind of milk, except word “all.” Deceit, in its simplest form, is catching or goat’s milk. Milk is something every baby desires and ensnaring something or someone by the use of cheat­ needs. Above all else, it is nutritious. ing, trickery, double-dealing, or deception. When you Peter equates the Word of God to milk (v. 2, NKJV). In trap animals, you use deceit. You trick them into be­ essence he is telling us to crave God’s Word like a new­ lieving that they are going after legitimate food. A per­ born baby craves milk, or as a young man craves a glass son who uses deceit is a manipulator who tricks you of cold milk on a hot summer day. Job describes the value into a certain kind of action or thinking. of God’s words in our spiritual lives by sharing his in-

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 71 tense feelings: “I have treasured the words of his mouth Before we go today, I ask you two questions: more than my daily bread” (23:12). 1. If you are doing anything that lessens your ap­ As milk is exactly what a new baby needs, so God’s petite for God’s Word, are you willing to deal with Word, the Bible, is exactly what the Christian needs. It is that and get rid of it? God’s perfect food for our spirits. In the same way as a 2. How is your appetite for spiritual food? Do you child may not like certain foods that are good for him, so eat once a week, once a day, or three times a day? a Christian may come across some spiritual food that is not to his liking. Our Heavenly Parent then admonishes us to eat it anyway, because it is good for us. It is absolutely necessary for growing Christians that SUGGESTED WORSHIP ORDER we not only get rid of the bad stuff but also eagerly desire Prelude Organ all the good spiritual food we can get our hands on. The Choir “Only to Him Medley” (Cymbala) reason there are so many weak, surface Christians today Choruses “God Is the Strength of My Heart” is that we have stopped eating and drinking from the Bi­ “His Strength Is Perfect” ble. The growing Christian is one whose “delight is in the Scripture Isa. 44:1-6 Choruses “There Is a River” law of the Lo r d , and on his law he meditates day and “Cause Me to Come” night” (Ps. 1:2). “As the Deer” CONCLUSION: Hymn “Fill Me Now” Peter knew that without life or growth or both, there Pastoral Prayer Chorus “Holy Ground” would be no chance for maturity in our spiritual lives. Offertory Since he leads us toward the “holy life,” the “deeper Ministry in Music “I Want to Know Christ” walk,” the “better taste,” he is convinced that, if we will Message from God’s Word “THE BEST TASTE YET” taste the Word, we will love the life. It is important to Pe­ Hymn of Response “Fill My Cup, Lord” ter that we be fully alive, for in a coming verse he wants Benediction to describe us as “living stones . . . being built into a spiri­ Postlude tual house” (v. 5).

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72 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE LIVING STONES by Paul Barber 1 Pet. 2:4-10 August 6, 1995

INTRO: from the beginning, that Jesus is precious to the Father, Peter is giving his final justification for all the varied and that He is alive. Peter wanted these scattered, perse­ ways in which we are to live out this life of holiness. Pe­ cuted Christians to be reminded of the preeminence of ter paints a picture of the invisible Church, this spiritual this One to whom they had given their lives and for house, which has a foundation, a cornerstone, and is whom they were suffering. Who their Leader was gave made up of eternally live building blocks—all of which them confidence in their following! cannot be seen! Peter knew that the One whom they had accepted had Peter is telling these persecuted, suffering, scattered been, and is, rejected by the majority. Jesus never did Christians that they are eternally significant and valuable make sense to most of the Jews because He didn’t fit into to the purposes of God. He knew that they might get so their concept of the glorious, conquering, reigning Messi­ caught up with the negative aspects of their circum­ ah. Death on the Cross didn’t fit into their plans for the stances that they might want to give up, not seeing any Kingdom. The majority isn’t always right, is it? purpose in their lives. II. We Are the “Living Stones” Many people today need the same encouragement. Life Peter now likens all believers to “living stones.” This is seems so real, so present. We can touch it, see it, and not a comment on us in the flesh. It is a comment on the move around in it. The senses react to it in suffering or fact that when we become Christians, our spirit becomes pleasure. The non-Christian senses that this is everything; a living stone, eternal in its existence. Our flesh may die, it is reality. The Christian, on the other hand, acknowl­ but our eternal spirit in Christ never dies. Hence, when edges its existence but admits that reality is in the unseen we become Christians, we are automatically linked to world. In fact, the “living Stone” is invisible, the “living every saint who has gone on before us. This is the cause stones” are invisible, the “spiritual house” is invisible, and of both our hope and joy as we contemplate our eternal the “holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices” is invisi­ life in Christ. What a significant thought: that without ble. We belong to another world! Reality? I’ve chosen to you this great building of God would not be complete. go with the things I cannot see, which are eternal, as op­ Who needs self-esteem when you have purpose like that! posed to the physical, which will soon be gone. It’s the Our psychologies don’t hold a candle to what Jesus long-term view! Getting back to this building, this spiritu­ Christ brings to our spirit. al house, let’s gain an appreciation for what makes it up It is comforting to know that Satan can persecute our and what its function is. We’ll keep our feet planted both flesh, but he can’t touch our spirit. Early martyrs knew in the visible and the invisible, for we serve in both in that and willingly gave up their lives. Peter wants us to our travels. know that, so as we pursue and live out the holy life, we I. We Have the “Living Stone” are not bothered by what we “give up” in the flesh. Be­ This dramatic description of Jesus refers directly to His cause we are “living stones,” spiritual in essence, the resurrection. He was raised from the dead in absolute vic­ flesh is nothing, but Christ is everything! tory over sin, Satan, and death. This became the rallying III. We Are Becoming a “Spiritual House” point of the Christians. It continues to be the frustration Who could possibly imagine what kind of building this point for nonbelievers. They have to deal with the One is? You can’t see it, but it’s under construction. Our frame they thought was out of the way. of reference begins with what we know about buildings, When Peter preached to the crowd at Pentecost, he but the most magnificent building built by man can’t pressed the point home with vigor: “This man was hand­ even come close. You can let your imagination roll. It will ed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; be made up of multimillions of “living stones,” of which I and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death am one. How big are these living stones? Where is the by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the building? Can you imagine its shape? Maybe our body, dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was made up of billions of tiny cells, gives us a clue. Paul tells impossible for death to keep its hold on him” (Acts 2:23- us we are the Body of Christ. Maybe all of this isn’t im­ 24). In verse 32, Peter pushed harder: “God has raised this portant except to know that we are a functioning part of Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.” a great “spiritual house” that may outdo the universe it­ Peter calls Jesus the “living Stone” (v. 4). Elsewhere He self! Every person snatched out of Satan’s hands and is called the “cornerstone” (v. 6), the “capstone” (v. 7), brought into the kingdom of God brings this building one and the “rock of offence” (v. 8, KJV). Christ, as the Living step closer to completion. By winning people to the Stone, or as any of these descriptive words, is the mortar Lord, we join the construction crew. This brings us to the that holds everything together in this great spiritual point of understanding the purpose of the building. house. In fact, there is no spiritual house without Jesus. When considering what to think about Jesus, or what IV. We Are a “Holy Priesthood” to do about Him, consider that God the Father chose Him This is really where we plant our feet in both worlds.

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 73 Our function as priests of God is both “now,” in the flesh, in Christ. I wonder how I would relate to persecution if I and “then,” forever. These scattered, persecuted believers really knew I was a priest o f God.” Peter wants us to un­ understood the priesthood because they had a priest­ derstand who w e really are. For then we hear and under­ hood before Jesus came. New to them is that now they stand, “Be holy, because I am holy” (1:16). We say, “Yes, are a priesthood. We should live as though we were Lord!” priests in the temple of God. What a privilege! What a vo­ cation! What an implication for the holy people of God! It’s not the collar o f the priest that distinguishes us. It’s SUGGESTED WORSHIP ORDER the life of holiness that becomes our mark o f distinction. Prelude Organ The spiritual sacrifices we make are varied in nature. Hymns “Spirit of God, Descend” The Bible tells us that we should present our bodies to “Holy Spirit, Be My Guide” Him as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1-2). Paul tells us that Scripture Ps. 27:1 -4 our substance that we share with others is a spiritual sac­ Choir “Revive Us, 0 Lord” rifice (Phil. 4:18). The praise of our lips expresses our Choruses “Spirit of the Living God” “Come, Holy Spirit” spiritual sacrifice (Heb. 13:15). The good works that we “Holy Spirit, Thou Art Welcome” do also apply as we do them in Jesus’ name. It’s exciting “Where the Spirit of the Lord Is” to believe that we are all priests! “Spirit Song” CONCLUSION: Pastoral Prayer Chorus “Oh, the Glory of Your Presence” Peter has laid the groundwork for the idea he will talk Offertory about to us next. Perhaps in the background of his mind, Ministry in Music “Cornerstone” he is saying to himself: “I wonder how I would act in my Message from God’s Word “LIVING STONES” marriage if I really knew I was a priest of God. I wonder Hymn of Response “Have Thine Own Way, Lord” how I would act at work if everyone knew I was a priest Benediction o f God. I wonder how I would relate to my government if Postlude Organ I really knew how temporary it was and how eternal I am

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74 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE THE HOLY WALK WITH AUTHORITIES by Paul Barber 1 Pet. 2:13-17 August 13, 1995

INTRO: had fled in the first place and why she was going back. Peter brings us down to where w e live. Holiness is not She gave a simple answer, “I am going back because it is a theory, it is a life. Holiness is the subject o f theology, my country, and it is where the rest o f my family is. I fled and rightfully so, but holiness in the books is not where because the government soldiers came to our house and we must stay. Holiness works in the streets, in the homes, hacked to death my six children and then my husband. I in the workplaces, and in the board meetings of our had no choice.” churches. When Peter said, “Be holy in all you do” ( l Pet. The reporter, in amazement, asked her if she wanted to 1:15), he made a practical statement as much as a theo­ get revenge on the government, and she gave a classic re­ logical one. ply: “No,” she said. “I am a Christian, so I don’t need re­ In these next verses, submission to proper authority venge. God does that!” shapes the key thought. Submission is not considered a Peter couldn’t have said it any better. He is saying, politically correct word these days. Society at large teach­ “Whatever your circumstances, submit yourselves to es that the ideal, in terms o f personhood, is autonomy. every authority instituted among men.” Why? “For the Freedom serves as the password for all kinds o f conduct. Lord’s sake.” Radical? Yes! For our day too? Yes! “I want to have freedom o f choice in all areas o f my life”: “For the Lord’s sake” is the qualifying phrase. The mes­ abortion, obedience to government, obedience to par­ sage remains simple: God has instituted every authority, ents and teachers, etc. This concept is so prevalent that and He is responsible for them. He raises up rulers and when you talk about submission, even in the church, puts them down (Ps. 75:7; Dan. 2:21). He has ultimate many people laugh about it as an outmoded idea whose control in history. The Christian doesn’t have to get time has passed. After all, they say, the highest possible stressed out over what the government is doing. He only good in life is to be free from all restraints. “Nobody, in­ has to watch himself, peaceful in the knowledge that cluding God, has the right to tell me what to do or how “God does that,” to echo the Rwandan lady. to live my life.” Many people think freedom gives the li­ “For the Lord’s sake” would suggest that God’s reputa­ cense to do whatever a person wants. In fact, true free­ tion is at stake based on the conduct of His people, not dom is the ability to do what is right. That always in­ on the status of the government. Proud people rebel; volves submission to someone. holy people submit. ILLUS. I can sit at a piano and be at liberty to play any II. “For It Is God’s Will” keys that I want. However, I don’t have freedom because Not too many times in Scripture is this phrase used. I can’t play anything but noise. I have no freedom to play When people ask me what God’s will is for them, I sim­ Bach or even chopsticks. Why? Because it takes years of ply quote 1 Thess. 4:3— “It is God’s will that you should practice and submission to lesson plans to become really be sanctified.” In other words, God’s only real will for you free at the piano. is to be a holy person, whatever else you are doing. We The more we submit to God’s divine lesson plans tend to concentrate on vocation, but God concentrates found in the Word, the more free we become. The prodi­ on living. Once again, in our present text, “For it is God’s gal son found his freedom only when he submitted to his will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant father’s will. Peter starts the whole session with this fa­ talk o f foolish men” (v. 15). You will notice that life is the vorite word of the saint, “submit yourselves . . . to every issue. authority.” Groups in the Christian community today try to “si­ lence the ignorant talk of foolish men” by protesting, I. “Submit Yourselves for the Lord’s Sake” killing, and voting; but God’s method, always contrary to Peter wrote these words during a horrendous time of the world’s, is to simply do good and so silence their talk. history: corrupt government leaders, persecution, abol­ Power isn’t the issue! Not voting power, not protest ishment of property rights, exile. These folks experi­ power, not position power, not anything except the pow­ enced it! Peter could not have written more inflammato­ er and example o f a holy person living it out on the ry words than these to such folks, as well as to us. Surely streets or in the marketplace. someone should have started an organization from the Do you want to argue? Let’s go back to the text: “For it Christian community to combat this evil! But Peter kept is God’s will.” them focused in the right direction. God takes care o f the big picture; all we have to do is live a holy life in the III. We Have Some Practical Marks of the Holy midst of impurity. Life ILLUS. I was stunned several weeks ago by a television A. “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a interview. A network special reporter was interviewing a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God” (v. 16). For black Rwandan lady who was walking back to her coun­ the Christian, the only freedom we have is the freedom try from Zaire, where she had fled. He asked her why she to do what is right. We are free to do that because we

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 75 are free from the bondage of sin, which ultimately re­ means to honor the position the king holds. Part of the stricts freedom. Holiness is freedom in that context. So dysfunction of our society lies at this point: we disdain we are to live as holy people but never to use our holi­ the person, so we disdain his position as well. A holy ness as an occasion to disdain the law, even human law. person honors those in authority, for the position’s B. “Show proper respect to everyone” (v. 17). Peter sake. implies that this includes people inside and outside the CONCLUSION: Church. Howard Marshall says, “They are not to be de­ These are great verses. Peter shouts at the Church to­ spised because they are not believers, nor hated be­ day, reminding us that any government is impossible cause they are persecutors, nor treated with contempt without respect for rulers. Christians today should be re­ because they are of lower rank or status, but treated minded that God himself established government. The with honor. It inevitably follows that people are not to Scriptures do not talk about whether a government is au­ be regarded as second-class citizens because they are tocratic, democratic, or whatever. Our job as holy people of a different race or color. ” Respect has almost be­ of God is to make it easy for them to govern, leaving the come a forgotten word. The tendency today is to es­ rest to Him. Instead of being the angry people of God, teem ourselves of higher value than anyone else. A we should be the submissive “sheep of His pasture” (Ps. holy person will “esteem others better than himself” 100:3, NKJV). (Phil. 2:3, NKJV). C. “Love the brotherhood of believers” (v. 17). This may be the hardest practical mark of all because of our SUGGESTED WORSHIP ORDER close contact with each other. I have a favorite saying: Prelude Organ “The church is the hardest place in the world to live Scripture Rom. 5:15-21 the Christian life!” I suppose it’s because of the high Hymns “Amazing Grace” expectations we have of each other’s conduct. The un­ “Grace Greater than Our Sin” holy person worries about everyone else’s conduct. “Wonderful Grace of Jesus” Ensemble “His Grace Is Greater” D. “Fear God” (v. 17). Did Peter really need to say that? Choruses “God Will Make a Way” Probably. It’s easy to fear people or those in authority “Gentle Shepherd” over you, especially if they are doing harm to you! An Pastoral Prayer old saying that may have come from this period says it Chorus “In His Time” well: “Fear Him, you saints, and you will then have Offertory nothing else to fear” (cf. Ps. 34:9). It may be one of the Ministry in Music “More Grace” sad realities of our day that we fear just about everyone Message from God’s Word “THE HOLY WALK WITH more than we fear God. Proof of that lies in our greater AUTHORITIES” Hymn of Response “O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee” willingness to conform to our fears than to conform to Benediction God’s ways! Postlude Organ E. “Honor the king” (v. 17). This simple command

76 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE HARMONIOUS LIVING by Paul Barber 1 Pet. 3:8-9 August 20, 1995

INTRO: in harmony with others, not in discord. He actually seeks A quick glance at the newspaper today will be all it to enter into the needs and concerns of others. Paul pic­ takes to convince us that there is precious little harmony tures the body parts living in sympathy with each other. in our old world: “Man Kills Family; Takes His Own Life.” ILLUS. Your body may be living in harmony with itself as No harmony exists on the crime bill; no harmony on you walk down the street. That’s wonderful. It’s when health care; no harmony on the abortion issue; no harmo­ you stub your toe that harmony is tested. If there is no ny in world politics; no harmony on the city council; no sympathy for the toe by the other parts of the body, the harmony in our homes; no harmony in our schools. Is body might go on down the street; there is no harmony that enough? because the toe is screaming to stop. If there is sympathy Peter laid out God’s principles for harmonious, or holy, for the toe by the other parts of the body, they will enter living. He has taken us into our societies and told us to into the needs and concerns of the toe. submit to every authority to make their work easier. He Peter takes us from harmony to sympathy, a deepening has taken us into the workplace and told us to submit to of the Christian way It is notable that many Christians to­ our employers, even if they are mean-spirited. He has tak­ day lack sympathy for our leaders at every level, whether en us into our homes and told us that no matter how you the people for whom we work, or our marriage partners. spell it, men and women are different. Each has a function Sympathy and love are two great witness tools of the to make life easier, or more harmonious, in the home. Church because these are so lacking in the world. More To the wives he said, “Be submissive to your husbands” sympathy for the sinner in his sin and less judgment (1 Pet. 3:1). To the husbands he said, “Be considerate as might make us more like Jesus. you live with your wives” (v. 7). I call these “Instructions for Holy Living.” God’s ways create harmony for the holy III. “Love as Brothers” person of God and disharmony for the nonbeliever. The We have often heard the axiom “Blood is thick” nonbeliever clings to his “rights.” The holy person looks (William S. Gilbert). A commonality among brothers and out for the rights of everyone but himself. sisters transcends all other considerations. We have the Let’s take a look at Peter’s list of common attitudes or same parents. We have the same heritage. We live in the actions that characterize us no matter where we are liv­ same house. So we have special care for each other. A ing or what our circumstances. “family love” concept covers a multitude of sins. Families are not so concerned with defects as they are with com­ I. “Live in Harmony with One Another” mon love. This slogan ought to be posted over the door of every ILLUS. A boy was asked why his father limped when he sanctuary and home. One of our greatest acts of worship walked. The boy quickly looked at the questioner and de­ is the mind-set of harmony with our brothers and sisters clared that his dad didn’t limp. The father did limp, but in the Lord. Many Christians today feel personally respon­ the boy loved his father so much he didn’t even see the sible for changing the government, their place of work, limp. and their mate. Peter tells us that these issues are not Isn’t this what it means to exercise “brotherly love” ours. We certainly ought not to tear relationships up try­ (Moffatt)? Peter tells Christians to stop seeing the defects ing to make them ours. Peter wants holy living wherever and to focus on relationships. Family blood among Chris­ we are. That will solve 99% of our problems. tians is really thick! Harmony exists when people go the same direction and share the same goals. The best formula to bring us to IV. “Be Compassionate and Humble” harmony with our brothers is to love as Jesus would love If harmonious living is the telltale feature, then kind­ and to consider our brothers above ourselves. ness and tenderness given in a humble spirit must be lived out wherever we walk. Kindness and tenderness are ILLUS. Army life, even with all of the jokes about it, is a synonyms of compassion. The Good Samaritan acted great picture of the way the Church should be: Same with kindness and tenderness. When we encounter diffi­ commander in chief, same nation, same uniform, same culties in anyone’s life, we need to express love. Jesus language, same orders, different jobs, same goal; but most had compassion for us. It took Him to the Cross. His kind­ of all you look out for the soldier next to you. It is a point ness and tenderness brought salvation to the least deserv­ of honor. ing. If this kind of harmony existed in the Church, “the I wonder what would happen if we Christians actually gates of hell” could not stand “against it” (Matt. 16:18, became kind, tender, compassionate, and humble people KJV)- If we had harmony, society would know we were of God? I wonder how many people would be influenced Christians! by these wonderful characteristics? Kindness and tender­ II. “Be Sympathetic” ness instill life and hope, while a hard, calloused attitude Peter says that the mark of the Christian is that he lives quenches life.

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 7 7 V. “Do Not Repay Evil with Evil or Insult with Harmony is worth whatever it takes—first, because it is Insult” what we are called to; and second, because it carries its Peter nails us with the practical side of our faith. It is, own blessing. without question, one of the hardest issues of Christian living. God will avenge anyone who transgresses one of His children. It takes every ounce of our spiritual strength not to answer back to an insult. When we don’t SUGGESTED WORSHIP ORDER answer back, or repay evil with evil, the world may say Prelude Organ we are stupid. However, they will also have the most pro­ Choruses “We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise” found respect. Harmonious living requires that we don’t “What a Mighty God We Serve” respond negatively, because everything gets worse when “All Hail, King Jesus” we choose to take things into our own hands. Our text “Majesty” tells us that it is to this that we were called. Hymn “How Great Thou Art” Scripture Ps. 112:1-8 CONCLUSION: Choir “He Alone Is Worthy” We are called to the life of holiness. It will always re­ Baby Dedication quire the most strenuous effort on our part. We have to Hymn “What a Friend” swim against the current. Every attribute of Jesus that Pastoral Prayer Chorus “Surely the Presence” marks us opposes the world’s way of doing things. For Offertory us, it’s the “Lose now, win later” syndrome. Ministry in Music “We Have Seen God’s Glory” Winning later for us means the blessing of God for eter­ Message from God’s Word “HARMONIOUS LIVING” nity. It also means blessings now! To “love life and see Hymn of Response good days” (v. 10) are the rewards or earthly blessings Benediction that we will receive now. Peter talks to us about harmo­ Postlude Organ nious living and leaves us with this wonderful thought:

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78 THE PREACHER’S MAGAZINE PATHWAY TO VICTORY by Paul Barber 1 Pet. 5:6-7 August 27, 1995

INTRO: the issue of who is going to be in control of my life. Con­ Peter draws things together in a summation much like trol pushes pride. Pride keeps me from putting myself a lawyer might draw together all the threads of his argu­ purposefully “under the mighty hand of God” (5:6, KJV). ments. We are these threads for Peter. Christians are a Humility says God knows best. Humility is a willingness special people: elect, chosen, scattered, sanctified, sprin­ to follow. A humble person is clay that can be formed in­ kled by Christ’s blood, a people of new birth, a people to a “living stone” in the building of God. When Peter with hope, a people with an inheritance that will never tells us to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand, he be diminished, a people of joy, a holy people, an obedi­ knows it has purpose. ent people, living stones in the building of God, a submis­ sive people, a suffering people, a people set apart from II. “That He May Lift You Up in Due Time” the world, and a people who have been promised In God’s way of doing things, humility is the first step restoration and strength! toward greatness. Greatness is being lifted up by God Listening to the list causes a great swell of emotion as (5:6). Remember our hope, our inheritance, our joy? Re­ we think of our wonderful privileges in Christ. It’s the member all this, and heaven too. God plans to glorify His same feeling as when we come home from a great service saints, to build them “into a spiritual house . . . a holy at church, or a dynamic retreat, where the presence of priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God is so real! Coming home elicits another emotion as God” (2:5), for eternity. The Christian lives for the long we watch these great feelings subside in the hurried path­ haul. “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, ways of our lives. Peter suggests two main issues in this and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke diminishing sparkle to our Christian lives: pride and fear. 14:11). Peter let these persecuted folks and us know that To these he addresses himself, offering a pathway to vic­ whatever happens to us is all right because our day is tory to the interested saint. coming! I. “Humble Yourselves” III. “Cast All Your Anxiety on Him” The instruction, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under Peter assumes that these Christians to whom he wrote God’s mighty hand” (1 Pet. 5:6) strikes directly at pride, were restlessly concerned about their future, their health, the father of all sins. Pride causes a person to have an ele­ and their present. How natural, considering their circum­ vated view of himself, while the essence of humility is to stances. Many scriptures tell us not to be anxious about have a low view of oneself. In our day, to have a low view anything nor worry about anything. When we are anx­ of yourself is not “politically correct.” Every message of ious about something and someone tells us that, we want advertising insists that this product will promote self-es- to say, “Excuse me!” Anxiety is primarily a thinking issue. teem. Every message of Scripture promotes a lowered Anxiety results from negative thinking and is not always view of self. Before you get too disturbed by that state­ warranted. The problem is that anxiety affects our whole ment, remember that the Christian’s esteem is not in him­ body, mind, and spirit. self, but in Jesus. “In him we live and move and have our When Paul said, “Do not be anxious about anything” being” (Acts 17:28); “Apart from me you can do nothing” (Phil. 4:6), he finished the thought by saying, “Finally, (John 15:5). brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is ILLUS. Phillips Brooks gave this test of humility: “The right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is true way to be humble is not to stoop until you are small­ admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy— er than yourself, but to stand at your real height against think about such things. . . . The God of peace will be some higher nature that will show you what the real with you” (w. 8-9). His progression is interesting—anxi­ smallness of your greatness is.” ety, changes in your thinking, and God giving peace. Is it Andrew Murray gave a great definition of humility: all that easy? Yes, it’s as easy as bundling up all the worry “Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is to expect and care and throwing it all on the One who can handle nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel it! nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody I know that many Christians believe that positive think­ praises me. . . . The humble person is not one who thinks ing is a sin. However, if we all knew the harmful effects meanly of himself, he simply does not think of himself at of negative thinking, we would run away from it as fast as all.” we could. Everything in Paul’s list is positive, so perhaps Humility is the only path to submissiveness. It is what we can learn from that. Peter understood Paul’s concept makes possible our life responses, shown to us by Peter, of being “transformed by the renewing of your mind” concerning authority, employers, and marriage relation­ (Rom. 12:2). We evangelicals need to focus more on the ships. Humility is the backbone of holy living! It is the power of that concept, not because it’s positive thinking, essence of Peter’s comment, “But in your hearts set apart but because it’s scriptural! We are to “cast all [our] anxi­ Christ as Lord” (1 Pet. 3:15). This verse strikes directly at ety on him because he cares for [us]”(l Pet. 5:7).

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 79 IV. “He Cares for You” CONCLUSION: From experience, Peter knew that God cares for His On our pathway to victory, take comfort in knowing own. A glance through the Scriptures reveals that God that the One who has already gained the victory cares cared for Peter in varied ways. In Mark 1:29-31, Jesus enough to walk beside us. He is with you today in your healed Peter’s mother-in-law. In Luke 5:1-11, Jesus gave struggle! Do you know that? him a full boat of fish. In Matt. 14:22-33, Jesus helped him walk on water. In Matt. 17:24-27, Jesus helped him pay SUGGESTED WORSHIP ORDER his taxes. Peter knew that God cared for him. Do you Prelude Organ know that God cares for you? Hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” Each one of God’s children is the object of the Father’s Scripture Ps. 25:1-5 tender care and unfailing protection. He watches them: Choir “Hiding Place Medley” “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous” (1 Pet. Choruses “God Is My Refuge” 3:12). He is before them on their journey: “When he has “You Are My Hiding Place” brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them” (John “Cares Chorus” 10:4). He walks with His children: “They drank from the Hymn “Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus” spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Pastoral Prayer Chorus “In His Presence” Christ” (1 Cor. 10:4). He encircles them with His protec­ Offertory tion: “The angel of the Lo r d encamps around those who Ministry in Music “He Will Carry You” fear him, and he delivers them” (Ps. 34:7). He is with Message from God’s Word “PATHWAY TO VICTORY” them wherever they go: “So do not fear, for I am with Hymn of Response “Jesus Will Walk with Me" you” (Isa. 41:10). He walks with His children in the dark Benediction places: “Even though I walk through the valley of the Postlude Organ shadow of death, I will fear no evil” (Ps. 23:4).

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A Layman’s Guide to the Apostles’ Creed A Layman’s Guide to Next to Scripture, the statement of SANCTIFICATION Sanctification faith most often used to communicate If we are to be credible witnesses to the essence of Christianity is the Apos­ SANCTIFICATION our world, we must live out our theol­ tles’ Creed. In today’s world of compet­ SANCTIFICATION A LAYM AN 'S GUIDE ogy before them. The meaning of ing ideas and values— when even ma­ sanctification and how it impacts our ture Christians don’t always know lives is the focus of this study. (IIEI what beliefs really matter—we ignore SANCTIFICATION ii. KiU d iim m m ; ByH. Ray Dunning. this time-honored expression of faith SANCTIFICATION PA083-411-3872, $5.95 at our own risk. ByH. Ray Dunning. SANCTIFICATION PA083-411-5522, S6.95 The Upward Call How to Live the Holy Life Spiritual Formation and the Holy Life Many Christians today hear the upward A Down-to-Earth Look at Holiness call of God to holiness—but do not Holiness is something every Christian BBH know how to answer the call. Here is a needs to understand and be able to ex­ | hi m isnumi oor a ioiwfss E fresh, compelling, and practical descrip­ plain in clear, precise language— for tion of what it means to respond to that God calls us to live a holy life. How to hunger of the soul. By W. Tracy, E. Free­ Live the Holy Life is written by people born, J. Tartaglia, andM. Weigelt. who understand holiness and know PA083-411 5166, $10.95 how to explain it well. Authors include STEPHEN WI MILLER, EDITOR j Leader’s Guide, PALG-44, $5.95 Charles Swindoll, James Dobson, and Ed Robinson. mma What Does It Mean to Be PA083-411-1039, S5.95 FiUed with the Spirit? Leader’s Guide, PA083-411-1020, $4.95 When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, m m they lost the joyful presence of the Holiness in Everyday Life TO B E Holy Spirit and the sweet contentment The author suggests, “Perhaps we have FILLED of His daily fellowship. But the loss spent too much time encouraging folk W IT H T H E was not theirs alone— for their fallen to embark on the journey (of holiness) nature has been bequeathed to all of and too little describing the land­ SPIRIT? us. After centuries of wandering and RICHARD S. IAYI0R marks along the way.” Discover the dy­ groping, the time has come to return namics that make holiness as much a to the soul’s true home. Being filled with the Spirit is recov­ part of your life as breathing. ering the lost relationship that God in creation intended. By George Lyons. By Richard S. Taylor. PA083-411-4321, S3.50 PA083-411-5611, $4.95

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