Trembling in the work of oversight and trusting in the grace of the chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:1-5)
Note, With ourselves, we must give up all that we have to Jesus Christ; and if we be sincere in the surrender of ourselves to him, we shall not be unwilling to part with what is dearest to us, and most valuable, to him and for him; nor are our gifts accepted, unless we first present ourselves to him living sacrifices.
- Matthew Henry, commenting on Matthew 2
What does a star that will “crush the forehead of Moab” have to do with the most wonderful time of year? Why does an ancient near-eastern king trembling on a mountainside point to the rebellion of the human heart? And why would anyone want to study the book of Numbers on the Sunday before Christmas anyway?
I attempted to answer these questions yesterday morning.
Letters Along the Way: A Novel of the Christian Life written by D.A. Carson and John Woodbridge, is a collection of fictional letters written between a young man in the faith named Tim Journeyman, and a “senior saint” seminary professor, Paul Woodson. They are meant to be letters of instruction and discipleship exchanged over a period of years as Tim writes Dr. Woodson with questions about following “the Way.” I had been very interested in this book for a couple of years. I have gained so much from the writings and preaching of Dr. Carson, and have spent a fair amount of time myself asking questions and receiving encouragement from brothers further down the road with Christ. It seemed like the perfect match, and I read it this past week.
I had thought it might be a reliable source to work through with younger Christians taking the first steps of faith. While there are a few chapters that could be lifted out with much profit, dealing with the Lordship of Christ and the ongoing war with sin, I would not recommend the whole book for that purpose. Many of the chapters are devoted to the developing theological and social issues which developed from 1979 to 1991, including fairly detailed discussions about economics, the merits of evangelical seminaries, Reformed Epistemology, and Liberation Theology. It is probably best designed for . . . someone exactly like me, actually. A seminary student and new pastor who likes D.A. Carson a lot (much of the material is very recognizable from his other works/sermons). I enjoyed reading these chapters for myself, including several insights on the nature of pastoral ministry, building a theological library, etc. I would not recommend it for a new believer, however, though the back cover suggests this use.
There were some points in the book which were really quite touching, as this older man walked through the ups and downs of the Christian life with the younger man, and there relationship developed into one of deep love in Christ, much like another Paul and Timothy. It reminded me of this great journey we believers are on together, and I thanked God that in his goodness he has blessed me with my own “Dr. Woodson’s” along the Way. I hope that when the time comes I can be such a source of encouragement for my younger brothers also.
“Depth of Mercy”
Depth of mercy! can there be Mercy still reserved for me? Can my God His wrath forbear, And the chief of sinners spare?
I have long withstood his grace; Long provoked Him to His face; Would not hear His gracious calls; Grieved Him by a thousand falls.
Jesus, answer from above; Is not all Thy nature love? Wilt thou not the wrong forget? Lo, I fall before Thy feet.
Now incline me to repent; Let me now my fall lament; Deeply my revolt deplore, Weep, believe, and sin no more.
-Charles Wesley, 1707-1788
This is a hymn of repentance worth meditating upon. Christ, have mercy on my seered heart when I cannot make this prayer my own.
I have been working hard lately to make my reading count, and that means spending the majority of my time in the time-tested classics of the Christian faith. There are all sorts of books coming out today that look edifying, but because time and resources are limited, I am trying to reach for the Puritans and even their predecessors as much as possible.
But when a friend of mine gave me a copy of Dr. Albert Mohler’s new, brief book (174 pp) on preaching, He Is Not Silent, I decided to drag myself into the 21st century. I knew that the content would be solid, and expected to agree with basically everything he said. What I did not expect was to be so warmly encouraged and invigorated by thinking through the great task of preaching again. I will highlight a few of the strengths I found.
The opening chapter, “Preaching as Worship” was a much needed reminder of preaching and listening as an act of worship before God. Mohler surveyed the discouraging landscape of contemporary worship and reminded his readers, “We learn about God through the way we worship.” The point he was driving at, of course, is that we will not worship God properly if the proclamation of his word is not central to worship. The third chapter, “Preaching is Expository,” was familiar territory, but well done. He took his definition from the example of Ezra, who stood in the assembly of the people, read from the book of the law, “translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.” (Neh 8:8 NASB) As the back cover of the book boils it down, preaching could be described as an exercise of, “Read. Explain. Repeat.” Mohler quickly acknowledges that there is a bit more to be added to this, but I found it to be a refreshing reminder of the essential simplicity of our task. Mohler made the provocative, but I believe correct statement that we should not think of expository preaching as simply the “best” kind of preaching, but instead, if you are not engaged in expository preaching, you are not being a Christian preacher. Chapter 6 focused on preaching “the Bible’s big story,” and the necessity of placing all of our texts in the context of what God is doing through Christ throughout Scripture. This has been one of my favorite topics of study over the past few years, and Mohler’s plea was balanced, and offered a good introduction to the discussion.
At many points, I thought to myself, “I should make copies of this for some of the men in my church,” and apart from a few discussions on postmodernism that necessarily included some philosophical jargon, much of the material was very accessible. I think a couple of the chapters would serve a small group well to study the importance and purpose of expository preaching. It particularly addresses the issues of the authority of the Word the reverence it ought to create within the church for Scripture. I think it would make an excellent gift for a pastor, as my own gracious friend discerned. I found it to be helpful, and I am sure you would also.
Furthermore, true exposition demands a hearing from God’s people and presents all hearers with a decision. As John MacArthur explains, “I believe the goal of preaching is to compel people to make a decision. I want people who listen to me to understand exactly what God’s Word demands of them when I am through. Then they must say either, ‘Yes, I will do what God says,’ or ‘No, I won’t do what God says.’” Every sermon presents the hearer with a forced decision. Will he either obey or disobey the Word of God. The sovereign authority of God operates through the preaching of His Word to demand obedience from His people.
- R. Albert Mohler, Jr. He is Not Silent (Chicago: Moody, 2008), 69.
Somewhere along the way, I took the notion that it was a display of humility for me to never hold myself up as an example to anyone. The really humble thing for me to do when speaking about some aspect of godliness is to immediately add, “but of course, I’m not holding myself up as the example here.” This inclination has grown stronger in my current setting, where I am a young man exhorting a congregation filled with those who are older than me. I certainly do not want to look arrogant, so I always season my speech with a healthy sprinkling of self-deprecation and shrugging of my shoulders. “This is what the Bible says . . . but don’t look at me if you want to see it lived out!” Continue reading ‘On the Necessity of Being a Godly Example’
I just finished reading the two-volume edition of A Pastor’s Sketches by Ichabod Spencer (Solid Ground Christian Books) this morning. I am giving it a place of honor in the pastoral ministry section on my bookshelf, right alongside The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter and An Earnest Ministry by John Angell James. A Pastor’s Sketches has been a delight to read the past few months, and I know that it will continue to be a source of encouragement and instruction in the years to come.
Ichabod Spencer (1798-1854) was a pastor at the Congregational Church of Northampton, MA and Second Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn, NY. While he was apparently a very powerful preacher (his nickname was “the Bunyan of Brooklyn,” referring to legendary puritan preacher John Bunyan), he is best remembered for his personal pastoral work with his flock. Spencer was the quintessential “physician of souls,” visiting every member of his church each year of his ministry, and passionately pursuing the lost of his community. This subtitle of this book is “Conversations with Anxious Souls Concerning the Way of Salvation,” and it is a collection of his own recordings of his evangelistic encounters. Though some of the accounts include lengthy explanations of difficult doctrines or basic defenses of the faith(which are useful), most of the chapters are about 3 pages long and are dense with timely advice on speaking to “anxious souls.” Spencer’s theology, incidentally, is thoroughly grounded in the historic doctrines of grace, and so his evangelistic tactics are rigorously faithful to Scripture. His favorite verse to quote is, “My people will be willing in the day of my power,” and it is to the power of God that he directs his hearers, urging them to cast themselves on the mercies of Christ. This book puts flesh and bones on the kind of evangelistic zeal and confidence in the Holy Spirit that should flow from a robust reformed theology.
This book has already been immensely helpful to me in the private ministry of the word here in my own community, without a doubt the most difficult aspect of pastoral ministry. I intend to go back to specific chapters often in the coming days for a review. If you long to be a more faithful physician of souls, whether in or out of the pastorate, I trust this book will be worth its price to you many times over. The Lord bless your evangelistic efforts in his name.
The prophet Micah is teaching me how to preach the truth when nobody wants to hear it. I would like to reflect more on this in the coming days, but here is what John Calvin has to say about his mission to an apostate Judah:
“This was then an exasperating sentence: but we see how boldly the Prophet performs the office committed to him; for he regarded not what would be agreeable to men, nor endeavored to draw them by smooth things: though his message was disliked, he yet proclaimed it, for he was so commanded, nor could he shake off the yoke of his vocation.”
- John Calvin from his commentary on Micah 1:1
I wish someone would have told me this as a worldly, self-absorbed teenager. . .
I must first tell you that there is not a more glassy, icy, and slippery piece of wax betwixt you and heaven, as youth. I have experience to say with me here, and seal what I assert. The old ashes of the sins of my youth are a new fire of sorrow for me.
From The Letters of Samuel Rutherford, Banner of Truth: Edinburgh, 2006, 84-85.
