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3 Marks of Christian Ministry

3 Marks of Christian Ministry

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I recently was teaching a Sunday School at my local Church on Galatians 4:12-21. It occurred to me as I was studying that Galatians 4:19 gives a wonderful summary of 3 marks of Christian ministry:

My little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!

Galatians 4:19, ESV

In one little verse, Paul lays out the affection inherent to Christian ministry, the suffering that accompanies Christian ministry, and the goal of Christian ministry. I wonder if much of what bears the title of “Christian ministry” actually reflects what Paul describes in Galatians 4:19. I know in my own life, I have found myself involved in “ministry activities” with the wrong heart attitude or the wrong focus. Today, I want to think through what Paul says in this single verse and it’s implications for how you and I “do ministry” in the local Church.

Background

Paul’s words in Galatians 4:19 appear in a unique section of Galatians. Up until this point, Paul has directly addressed the Galatians leaving the true gospel of “justification by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone” to follow a false gospel of “Jesus and circumcision saves.” Paul defended his apostleship to the Church and laid out in chapter 3 that the Old Testament does not teach a salvation by works. Throughout the first three chapters of Galatians, Paul has expressed his astonishment that the “foolish Galatians” could be led astray so quickly from the true Gospel into error.

In chapter 4:12-19, however, Paul’s tone changes. His tone is less harsh and he addresses the Church more personally. I think in these verses you see Paul’s heart towards the Galatian Church which puts the rest of what Paul says in the letter into perspective. It is in this personal section that Paul gives that great summary of the marks of Christian ministry in 4:19. Paul is sharing with the Galatians both the love he has for the Church and the pain he feels that they are listening to false teachers. So, with that context in mind, how does Paul describe his ministry to the Galatians and what the the implications for Christian ministry in general?

First Mark of Christian Ministry: Genuine affection for those you serve

The first statement Paul makes in Galatians 4:19 is “my little children.” This is the only time in the letter that Paul uses this phrase to refer to the Galatian Church. Contained in this little phrase is a profound metaphor for the affection Paul has for the Church. If you are a parent, then you know the unique, special love a father or mother has for his or her child. Even when your child is misbehaving and needs correction and discipline, as a parent you still love them genuinely and deeply. In fact, even your correction is an externalization of the affection you have for your child.

Paul is saying the same thing here. At the time, the Galatians were listening to false teachers that were making Paul out to be their enemy. Yet even then, Paul still views these believers with a deep love. Even though Paul has been correcting the Galatian Church throughout the letter to the Galatians, this verse makes it clear that this correction came from a place of affection, not anger. Just as a parent genuinely wants the best for his or her child, Paul truly cares for the Galatian’s souls and wants the best for them on a spiritual level.

Implication: Do you serve out of a love for others? or do you serve to “get something out of it” for yourself?

What is the implication for you and I? One of the marks of Christian ministry is a true care and genuine affection for the souls of those you serve. True Christian ministry flows out of a love for others. If you serve in ministry, whether that is at Church or in the home or when you parent or when you disciple or when you teach with an attitude of “I am doing this so I can get something out of it” then you are not involved in Christian ministry. Christian ministry is about serving the other person, not so that you can “get something in return.”

Now, certainly as you pour yourself out for others, you will receive spiritual blessings yourself. However, the starting point of Christian ministry is not you wanting or needing something from those you serve. Rather, you start with a genuine love and affection for the other person. And this love, like it did in Paul’s case, can lead to correction and direct conversation that might not be pleasant. But for the one involved in true Christian ministry, love of others, not of self, will dominate all you do.

Second Mark of Christian Ministry: Suffering on behalf of those you serve

Even though Paul starts Galatians 4:19 with a term of affection, the next phrase shows that the kind of love he has for the Galatians is not “easy”. He compares his current ministry as “suffering labor pains.” What a vivid metaphor for ministry! If you talk with any woman who has given birth, I guarantee that they will struggle to find words to describe just how painful labor is. The pain of labor is agony. It is suffering. It has a glorious end, in that a child is brought into the world. But talk to any woman in the middle of labor and I guarantee they will not describe it as a pleasant or enjoyable process.

Paul here is comparing the agony of ministry to the physical agony of childbirth. Paul is not indifferent to the Galatians abandoning him and the true gospel for false teachers and works-based religion. He is in agony because of the Galatian Church’s behavior. He is suffering. And this agony on behalf of the souls of the Galatian Church is something Paul felt for all the Churches he ministered to. In 2 Corinthians when Paul gives a long list of physical sufferings and persecutions he has experienced, at the end of the list he adds “besides this I have a daily concern for all the Churches.”

Implication: Are you willing to suffer personally for the good of another? or will you only serve as long as it doesn’t inconvenience you?

The second of the marks of Christian ministry is a willingness to suffer on a personal level for those you serve. When you are a true Christian minister with a true concern for the souls of those around you, you are going to suffer. You are going to constantly think about the spiritual health of those you serve. You will suffer when a friend you have spent time ministering to betrays you or leaves the faith. When a member of your body falls into sin, you will suffer. As you spend more and more time loving and serving people, you will find there are more opportunities for the very people you serve to cause you the deepest pain.

I think there is a temptation to go into Christian ministry because it seems like a glorious, shiny thing. And it is glorious! But it is glorious in the same way the Cross is glorious: Jesus suffered an unimaginable death for the glorious result of buying a people by His blood. If Jesus’ ministry on this earth involved suffering for the good of His people, why should you and I expect anything different as we seek to serve His people? True Christian ministry is glorious the same way childbirth is glorious. The suffering yields something incredibly beautiful and glorious and valuable. But you can’t reach that glorious goal without going through intense suffering in the present. And so it will be with you if you are engaged in Christian ministry.

Third Mark of Christian Ministry: The goal is the Christlikeness of those you serve

So why would Paul suffer on behalf of the Galatians? What is the goal of these “labor pains?” It is for “Christ to be formed” in the Galatian Church. Paul wants to see Christ’s character matched, mirrored, and imitated in the Galatian Church. This is the goal of suffering in Christian ministry: the sanctification of those you serve. And this really is the key for understating Paul’s entire letter to the Galatians. Paul isn’t trying to get the Galatians to like him. Paul is trying to get them to look like Christ.

This single-minded commitment to the Christlikeness of the Church characterized all of Paul’s ministry. Paul elsewhere said his goal was to teach every man and warn every man “that we might present every man perfect in Christ.” Paul could persevere in a ministry characterized by suffering and personal sacrifice because he understood and grasped the glorious goal of it all: for other people to look more like Christ. Because Paul understood the value, the greatness, the significance of Jesus and His gospel, he understood that seeing other people look like Jesus and saved by that Gospel is worth any personal suffering.

Implication: Is the goal of the Christian ministries you are involved in for the Christlikeness of others? or are you serving for some lesser goal?

The last of the marks of Christian ministry is simply having the right goal. The agony you go through in ministry is for the sanctification of those you serve. For a Christlikeness that is seen not just talked about. If that is not your goal, than whatever activity you find yourself doing, it is not “Christian ministry”. For a ministry to be “Christian” in practice, not just in name, Christ must be the goal and center of everything. If you do a quick look at the New Testament, you will indeed see that Christlikeness is the end goal of all the activities you and I are called to do in all the spheres of our lives:

  • Husbands are called to love their wives just as Christ gave Himself up for the Church to sanctify her
  • The goal of disciplining and evangelism as described in Matthew 28 is teaching others to observe all that Christ has commanded
  • Parents are called to raise their children in the training and admonition of the Lord
  • Elders teach their congregations so they are equipped for the work of service

So, the question you must ask of your Church, your family, your small group you are leading, and the person you are discipling is “are they looking more like Jesus?” Do they love Jesus more? Are they delighting in obeying Him? Is Jesus more important to them than whatever they are tempted to idolize? These are much harder questions to answer than “did they like what I said?” or “how many people am I pouring into?” or “how frequently am I leading family worship?” But if you are passionate about Christian ministry, you will be passionate about the Christlikenss of those you serve and you will accept no other measure of success.

Conclusion: Affectionate Affliction for Another’s Sanctification

How can we summarize the three marks of Christian ministry laid out by Paul? I would summarize this verse by saying “True Christian ministry is affectionate affliction for another’s sanctification.” You need all three pieces. You must have a genuine love for the person you are serving, not just a “I love them for what they can do for me” mentality. You must be committed to laboring on through suffering and difficulty. True Christian ministry fights against the world, the flesh, and the devil, so you should expect and prepare for strong resistance. And finally, your goal should always be that whoever you are ministering to becomes more like Jesus.

This is the type of ministry that glorifies God and is according to His will. The Father wants Christ to be the “firstborn of many brethren”, for Jesus to be “all and in all”, for every knee to bow at Christ’s name, and for all things in heaven and on earth to be united in Christ. Therefore, when you labor on for the sanctification of others, no matter how difficult it gets, you have abundant encouragement to persevere. You can endure knowing that you are serving in accordance to God’s will and for the most glorious goal in the universe.

For more of my assorted reflections on a myriad of topics, click here. If you found this post helpful, please share on social media below and subscribe.
6 Spiritual Conditions in Your Congregation

6 Spiritual Conditions in Your Congregation

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The insight of Puritan pastors never ceases to amaze me. One area where Puritan pastors have helped me immensely is in learning how to preach and apply the Word of God. William Perkins in his book “The Art of Prophesying” writes that there are essentially 6 different spiritual conditions that can be found in any collection of people you preach to. Each of these spiritual conditions requires a slightly different preaching approach.

Perkins’ analysis is crucial for any pastor, elder, or person who finds themselves teaching or preaching at Church. Knowing the different spiritual conditions a person might find themself in will aid you in your sermon application, your sermon delivery, and in how you pray for the congregation to receive your exposition. Additionally, these broad categories will help you pastorally as you seek to build up and equip the congregation God has given you to shepherd.

1. Unbelievers who are ignorant and unteachable

The first category Perkins gives is unbelievers who are “ignorant and unteachable.” There are some humans who are both unaware of the state of their souls before God, and who also have no desire to hear the truth explained to them. One might label such people as “hard-hearted.” They are contentedly living a life of rebellion against God and spurn any rebuke or conviction they might receive from Scripture.

For those in this spiritual condition, Perkins recommends trying to reason with them. In particular, you should try to explain to them their wrong attitude and call out any known sins with the hope that their “consciences may be aroused.” The only way an unteachable unbeliever can be helped is for you to plead with them to see sin and its effect in their life. If you start to see the Spirit’s work in softening their hearts and making them teachable, you can continue in a more thorough explanation of truth. But if their hearts remain hard, only God has the power to make them teachable.

The implication for preaching or teaching is clear: be sure to impress upon your listeners the gravity of sin and fearful consequences of living a life in rebellion to God.

You cannot soften a human heart in your own power. But you can boldly and unashamedly proclaim the truth of humanity’s total depravity.

Don’t shy away from specifically calling out sin from your pulpit. It may be the only time an unbeliever gets their lifestyle questioned or challenged. Be like Paul when he preached to Felix on “righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment” (Acts 24:25). And then having preached truthfully and soberly on sin and its consequences, pray that the dead hearts in your congregation would become teachable.

2. Teachable but ignorant

The second of these many spiritual conditions is a person who willing to learn, but who doesn’t possess knowledge of Scripture or the Christian faith. Perkins recommends using the catechism to help such people start to understand the fundamental principles of Christianity. The two doctrines Perkins recommends you start with are salvation and the glory of God. Focus on the “milk” of the Christian faith and seeking to answer clearly and concisely any questions the person may have.

Again, this has implications for how you preach in your Church. Within your congregation, there will be those who have a lesser understanding of Scripture and of its doctrines. Some may be unbelievers but who want to hear more about the Gospel. Others may be young believers who have not been instructed fully into all the different aspects of Scripture and Theology. While I don’t recommend you preach a catechism from the pulpit, seek to define terms clearly and try to anticipate and answer questions your listeners might have.

Don’t assume that every single person in your Church is at the same or even a similar level of knowledge. Even for common terms such as “justification” and “righteousness” seek to give a clear and concise definition. When you are done with your teaching manuscript, read through it and imagine that you are a new believer in the congregation. What questions would you have? Ensure that in the course of your sermon you answer any questions you anticipate a newer believer asking.

3. Have knowledge but aren’t humbled

This third category of people have an intellectual understanding of the truths of Scripture. However, they have not been convicted of sin nor have they been “humbled.” What Perkins refers to here is a “godly sorrow” that leads to repentance. Perkins defines “godly sorrow” as grief for sin because it is sin. In other words, true humbling conviction comes when a person is is sorrowful over sin itself, not merely the consequences of sin.

What Perkins recommends for people in this spiritual condition is the preaching of the law. The goal is to show the height of God’s standards so that a person can actually realize the extent and gravity of their sin. Of course, Perkins immediately clarifies the goal of preaching the law is to lead them to Christ and the hope of the Gospel. But if a person knows truth generally but feels no conviction of sin, the best thing a preacher can do is show them their dire need of a Savior.

Of all the spiritual conditions listed here, this one might be most pressing for preachers in modern-day America. Never before has information about the Bible been more readily available. Many in your congregation no doubt have a dozen different copies of the Bible along with dozens of good Books written by good Christians. Most of the time in your Church, issues won’t arise as much from a lack of information as much as from a lack of conviction of sin.

Remember when you go to preach that your congregation does not merely need to receive more “facts” about the Bible. They need to have their lives confronted with its teaching.

If you pastor or teach in very intellectual congregation, heed Perkins’ advice: lay out for them the moral demands of God’s law. The Bible teaches that “knowledge puffs up” and one of the best antidotes to pride is the humbling effect of preaching the law of God.

4. The humbled

People who find themselves in this category have the strong conviction of sin discussed above. Perkins gives two words of advice for dealing with these type of people: 1. ensure that their humbling is not merely external or superficial and 2. offer the comforts of the gospel. Perkins warns not to give comfort to someone prematurely who has not been truly humbled. I take this to mean you should not give the promise of assurance until you are sure of a person’s heartfelt repentance. False assurance can doom a person to think that they are save when they are not.

When you are preaching, don’t miss the opportunity to “do the work of an evangelist” by preaching clearly the hope of the Gospel. The only hope in life and death you can offer people is Christ alone. Therefore, if you neglect to clearly share the hope of Christ when preaching, you are missing the opportunity to give comfort to those in your congregation who are feeling the weight of their sin. Remind them to turn their eyes to Christ and His finished work, not merely to “try harder”.

5. Believers

Perkins gives three main categories of truths to teach those who are already believers: the gospel, the law, and the danger of indwelling sin. By “Gospel”, Perkins means preach justification, sanctification, and the perseverance of the saints. The law when preached to believers should mainly be calling them to holy living rather than proclaiming the curse of the law since Christians are free from that curse in Christ. However, Perkins does argue for preaching the consequences of disobedience to God, even if a Christian is free from the ultimate curse of the law.

Perkins goes as far as to say that if you want to fight your indwelling sin, you must begin by meditating on the law. Why? To remain humble and to cause you to fear using the freedom you have in Christ as an excuse for sin. And again Perkins states that the ultimate goal is to remind yourself of the gospel as your ultimate rest and comfort.

A whole separate post could be written on these three categories of teaching Perkins recommends for believers. Suffice to say, make sure that you teach on each of these categories frequently. Don’t spend all your time teaching on ambiguous doctrines or obscure texts. These are profitable at times, but ensure you are sticking consistently to preaching the Gospel, obedience to Christ, and war against indwelling sin. Whether your congregation recognizes it or not, these are the three most pressing categories of truth for their lives.

6. Fallen into sin

The last of the spiritual conditions I will discuss is a believer who has “fallen back” from the faith either “in faith or in lifestyle.” Perkins spends several paragraphs describing this type of person and I recommend you read his full discussion, as it is incredibly insightful. By way of summary, falling back in faith comes from falling into error. The pastor must correct any known error and remind the individual of the truths of the Gospel. Falling back in lifestyle means falling into sin such, as David with Bathsheba. Perkins recommends again expounding the law to this person so they can run back to the Gospel in repentance.

Correcting error and calling the congregation to renewed repentance both are necessary components of preaching. In 2 Timothy 4:2, Paul commands Timothy to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” There both an instructive and corrective component to preaching God’s word faithfully. And since you likely don’t know the specific spiritual state of each person in the congregation, ensure you are regularly confronting error and confronting sin so that those listening might hopefully avoid falling into either.

Your congregation has a mix of these spiritual conditions

Each of these spiritual conditions is likely represented by someone in your congregation. The visible Church is mixed with believers and unbelievers in various levels of spiritual health. Perkins’ categories are helpful for understanding the spiritual conditions you might encounter and how best to address them. Even though there are nuances to each response, at the end of the day, Perkins recommends constantly bringing people back to the law and the gospel. The hope is that people will see clearly the depths of their sin and their need for a savior.

For more tools to help you prepare sermons and teachings, click here. If you want to read another post on Puritan ideas about sermons, click here. If you found this post helpful, share and subscribe below. Follow the Average Churchman on Instagram to get updated whenever there is a new post.

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6 Tips for a Better Small Group

6 Tips for a Better Small Group

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Small groups are an essential part of local Church life. Certainly there are ways to get to know a fellow Church member after a Sunday morning service. But, in my experience, a mid-week small group is the best way for a subset of the Church body to mingle, worship together, and get to know one another. Like any gathering of the local Church, there is always the potential for your small group to remain shallow or to fail at it’s goal of fostering spiritual closeness among believers. That is why I want to give 6 tips for a better small group based on my own experience.

Tip #1: Define “small” and keep it a small group

This is one of the most important keys to a better small group. It is easy for a small group to grow and grow until it is no longer “small”. Why is this a problem? A larger small group can make it difficult to foster a deeper spiritual closeness with those around you. A small group must be “small” so that you can really connect with the group of people you regularly meet with. Once the group gets too big, you end up in most cases trading depth of relationship for vague familiarity.

Additionally, a large small group can make it difficult for Church members who aren’t comfortable in large groups to share their thoughts and prayer requests. Not everyone is this way, but a good chunk of your congregation will likely have a tough time sharing any deep spiritual concerns once your group reaches a certain size. Finally, a large small group ends up becoming challenging logistically. Your small group size will determine where you can meet and, the larger the group is, the less options will exist.

How can you avoid thees problems? Define from day 1 what “small” means. How large will you let your small group become before you split it into two groups? And once you have defined what “small” means, be up front with the members of your small group. Let them know and prepare them for the day when the small group will need to become two. Prepare potential small group leaders ahead of time so everything is ready when you need to “plant” another small group.

Tip #2: Meet in a Church member’s house (or at least not at Church)

If you want a better small group, meet in a Church member’s house if at all possible. In my experience, nothing beats the comfort of a home to foster closeness and open discussion. If this isn’t possible, then at least try to meet somewhere other than the actual Church building. You want to distinguish as clearly as possible to your small group members that this is not a mini-Church service. It is a gathering whose goal is to bring together Church members in a more intimate setting.

Why is where you meet is so important? I have attended small groups both in Church member’s houses and in the actual Church building. Both were great and spiritually profitable, however, I personally find that people are generally more comfortable with opening up in an actual house. Think about it this way: small group is a time to engage with and interact with fellow Church members in a different setting than Sunday service. Part of that is actually physically meeting and interacting with Church members in their “home turf” if you will.

Small group and hospitality go hand in hand. If you keep your small groups actually “small”, then the hope is that two or three attendees will be able to host you in their home. Will it take sacrifice on the part of the host? Of course. But:

You shouldn’t expect to become close with fellow Church members if you never open up and let them into your world. Your real world, your real home, the real place you and your family live.

Tip #3: Pray and sing together

Small groups can fall into two extremes: becoming a mini-Church service or becoming a completely loose “hang out” time. What is the middle ground? A structured gathering that is spiritually profitable, but also allows time and flexibility for Church members to simply interact. The best small groups I have attended have had a time of prayer and singing. Both of these are spiritually profitable, interactive, and semi-structured.

If you have someone who is musically inclined in attendance, give them the responsibility of leading the singing. 3-4 songs is usually sufficient but I have been in small groups where people want to keep singing and praising the Lord. “A small group that sings together and prays together, stays together” should be a motto. After a time of singing, I would go immediately into a time of prayer and sharing prayer requests. This shouldn’t be rushed. Let your attendees have time to really think about what sins they are fighting, what issues they need prayer for, and what praises they want to corporately bring before the Lord.

If you lead a small group, be okay with a small group meeting that spends most of its time simply singing and praying to the Lord. I don’t think you can pray or sing “too much” as long as both are focused on the Lord. Additionally, some small group members will open up and engage in the singing and prayer time who won’t feel confident enough to chime in during a group Bible study. Give these people a chance to engage and worship and grow closer with the group.

Tip #4: Have a structured discussion around God’s Word

After a time of singing and praying, I would have some form of structured discussion around God’s word. My small group discusses the sermon from the previous Sunday and tries to think through applications of the sermon to our lives. But this is not the only way to dive into the Word together. The benefit of sermon application, however, is it provides a structured conversation around a passage that all attendees are familiar with.

Whatever you choose to do, make your time in God’s word structured. Have someone leading the discussion with a passage chosen ahead of time, questions chosen ahead of time, and a general flow of the discussion chosen ahead of time. Keep the questions open ended, but make sure your small group isn’t going around simply sharing their assorted thoughts and feelings about a particular passage. Have a goal in mind and then help lead a guided discussion to get your group there.

Tip #5: Initiate open and honest discussion

Every Church member I have met likes the idea of having close, meaningful, spiritually-edifying relationships with their fellow Church members. They like the idea of being open and honest about their sin, their struggles, their spiritual victories, their doubts. But when it comes time to gather with actual people, everyone is wary of dropping their guard and opening up.

Here is the reality: someone has to initiate openness. And that someone is going to have to be you. If you wait around for your small group to spontaneously develop a culture of loving openness and spiritual honesty, you are going to be waiting a long time. Take personal responsibility to lead the group in the right direction. And it does not matter if you are the actual small group leader. Someone has to initiate spiritual openness. Why can’t it be you?

Be the Christian who is so passionate about God’s glory, so certain of Jesus’ justifying grace, and so focused on corporate sanctification that you are comfortable with candidly communicating where you are at spiritually.

Most of the time, fear of man is the thing that keeps us from sharing the not-so-perfect parts of our life. Of course, there is a balance to this. You don’t need to go into all the gory details of your most recent sin. And you don’t want to spend the whole discussion time focused on self. But take the initiative to drop your guard and accept that you are still have areas where you need to grow in Christlikeness.

Tip #6: Find a couple people to go deeper with outside of small group

Small group is a great place to go deep with fellow Church members. But there will always be a limit. You cannot have the same level of closeness with everyone and chances are, your small group is already too large for you to go deep with everyone. The solution? Use small group as a way to find an even smaller group of people to meet up with and go even deeper with. I would say that you and three others is probably an ideal sub-small group.

This will do two things: first of all, you will have a close couple Church members who you will really know and will really know you. Second, that closeness will manifest itself in a number of ways when you gather with the entire small group or even on a Sunday morning. Let gathering with Church members begat further gathering with Church members. Find people within your small group who you want to disciple or be discipled by and then meet up some other time during the week.

Conclusion

Small group is a great tool to ensure the members of your local Church are developing close, discipling relationships. One of the great joys of being a Church member and committing to a local body is getting to know other Church members. This means not just knowing their names, their vocations, or that their week “was good.” It means loving them in the fullest Biblical sense. It means sharing your lives, encouraging one another’s faith, and seeking to do spiritual good to the other person. I hope these 6 brief tips have gotten you to think about how you can make your small group even more glorifying to God and more edifying for those who attend.

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The Authoritative Canon (1689 1:2-3)

The Authoritative Canon (1689 1:2-3)

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Previously, I discussed how the 2nd London Confession opens with a clear and unambiguous declaration that the Bible is the only sufficient standard for Christianity. But the question is which books are considered the authoritative canon? Which documents has God preserved through the ages for His Church? Confusion about the canon of Scripture is as common in the modern world as it was in the days of the authors of the 1689. In sections 1:2-1:3 of the Second London confession, the authors clearly state where Christians can find the words of God.

(1:2) Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testaments, which are these:
Of the Old Testament:

Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes The Song of Solomon Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi
Of the New Testament:

Matthew Mark Luke John Acts Romans 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews James 1 Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelation

All of which are given by the inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life.

(1:3) The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon or rule of the Scripture, and, therefore, are of no authority to the church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved or made use of than other human writings.

1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, Articles 1:2-1:3

Good Resources for Further Study

I won’t spend much time today arguing for why the books the 1689 lists are, in fact, the authoritative canon of Scripture. Other authors and theologians have written a number of excellent resources on this topic. I will list a few of them below before analyzing some other parts of this passage from the confession:

Other Texts Affirming the Canon

The authors of the 1689 contain a single verse in support of section 1:2 where the authoritative canon of Scripture is defined. The verse is the most well-known statement on Scripture in the whole Bible.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV

Now, this verse is crucial for any Christian’s understanding of Scripture. The authors likely included this text as a citation for section 1:2 because it states all Scripture has authority because it is breathed out by God. However, 2 Timothy 3:16 doesn’t directly give what books Paul has in view when he uses the phrase “all Scripture.” There are several other passages given in the Westminster Confession of Faith that help clarify this:

…and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 3:15 ESV emphasis added

For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

John 5:46-47 ESV emphasis added

But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

Luke 16:29-31 ESV emphasis added

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

Luke 24:27, 44 emphasis added

Notice that the Old Testament canon contains the sacred writings which are defined as the books of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. “Moses, Prophets, and the Psalms” are the three main sections in the Hebrew Bible. Therefore, both Jesus and Paul affirm that the entire Old Testament canon is God’s word. Not only that, the Old Testament is “Christian Scripture” in the sense that it’s main emphasis was communicating truths about the coming Messiah, Jesus.

Time doesn’t permit me to go through the texts which witness to the inspiration of the New Testament Canon. Instead, I refer you to this excellent little article that contains this helpful paragraph:

And far from endorsing a heterodox blend of doctrine, the NT authors always point to one God, one Christ, one Gospel and one faith delivered to the saints. The four Gospel writers are either apostles (Matthew and John) or else close associates who relied on apostolic witness (Mark with Peter; Luke with Paul). The Apostle Paul describes his own teaching, both spoken and written, as the Word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:15). When he tells Timothy that the labourer deserves his wages, he is quoting the Gospel of his friend Luke as Scripture (1 Timothy 5:18; Luke 10:7). And when Peter refers to Paul’s letters (plural) as Scripture (2 Peter 3:16), he shows that even at this early stage, there was a collection of Pauline epistles circulating with scriptural authority.

From: The New Testament canon: Why these 27 documents? by Subby Szterszky

Scripture (Not Human Writings) Have Authority in God’s Church

Notice that the authors of the 1689 are aware that knowing which books are authoritative canon and which books aren’t canonical has immense practical implications for Christians. Notice first that the authors clearly state the canon only contains books that are inspired by God. The implication is that any book not on this list is not inspired by God. Of the thousands upon thousands of books that have been written since the beginning of the world, only these 66 were inspired by the living God.

The authors then connect this idea of inspiration to the inherent authority of Scripture. If you read a book by a great philosopher, they might have some insightful things to say. But their words do not have authority in your life. You can choose whether to believe and apply their words or to reject them. The Bible, on the other hand, speaks with authority because it speaks the words of your all-powerful Creator. As such, you cannot pick and choose which words of Scripture you will believe and obey.

Every word from God carries the authority of God.

The authors of the 1689 then connect this idea of an inspired, authoritative canon to the topic of Church practice. Human writings or ideas do not have the final say in how God’s Church is to behave. After all, it is God’s Church. Any argument about Church doctrine, practice, or structure needs to be based on support from the authoritative canon of Scripture.

The ultimate authority of the Church rests in the authority of God’s Word to the Church.

Practical Implications

1. Spend most of your time reading the only authoritative source on life

John Wesley has a marvelous quote describing how Christians should react to the Bible.

O give me that book! At any price give me the Book of God! I have it. Here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be homo unius libri [a man of one book].”

John Wesley

“Of making books there is no end” the teacher in Ecclesiastes says. You could also say “of reading books there is no end.” If you spent all day every day reading from morning to night, you would not read half the books that have been written. But if you are a Christian, there is only one book you really need to read: the Bible.

But you must ask yourself the following questions:

  • How much time each day do you spend reading the Bible?
  • Do you spend more time in the Bible than you do reading great works of fiction?
  • Is the Bible your preferred source of wisdom over self-help books?
  • Do you use your spare moments to meditate on Scripture or to scroll through your social media feed?

There has never been a time in history where humans have had more ready access to information. The problem is 99.99999% of the information available to you on a daily basis is not given by God and therefore has no authority in your life. Do you want to know how to live? Then there is one place you should go: the Word of God. To live your life by any other authority is damning and to prefer any other source of information to the Bible is a waste.

Examine your information intake throughout the day. How much of it is spiritually profitable? How can you adjust your habits and schedule to get more time in Scripture?

2. The closer a book is to the teaching of Scripture, the more useful it is

One of my favorite J. C. Ryle quotes from one of my favorite J. C. Ryle books is

Value all books in proportion to the extent they agree with Scripture. Those that are nearest to it are the best, and those that are farthest from it—and most contrary to it—the worst.

“Thoughts for Young Men” by J. C. Ryle

Everyone, even unbelievers, can agree that some books are better written than others, are of higher quality than others, and more impactful than others. But the Christian must also evaluate whether one book is more spiritually beneficial than another. The question the Christian asks is how do you evaluate a book written by a sinful human being and tell whether it is profitable or dangerous? The answer is simple: ask how much of it agrees with the authoritative canon of Scripture.

Ryle’s quote applies not only to books. It applies to any form of information intake. What videos do you watch online? Which podcasts do you regularly listen to?

Any time you receive information from any source, your first question should be “can this be true based on what I know about God’s Word?”

Measure, evaluate, examine all things in light of the Bible. Error is subtle. If it wasn’t, it wouldn’t be dangerous. If you want to keep your mind fixed on Christ, you will have to carefully consider whether the sources of information you engage with are consistent with Scripture or not.

This post is part of a new series walking through the 1689 2nd London Confession. For other teachings I have done in the past, click here. If you found this post helpful, please share on social media below and subscribe. Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram to get more content.

coworkers don't have the church
Remember: Your Coworkers Don’t Have the Church

Remember: Your Coworkers Don’t Have the Church

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If you are a Christian who regularly attends a Bible-preaching Church, you can easily assume everyone you interact with enjoys the same privileges as you. In particular, you can easily assume when you enter your secular workplace that, to some degree or another, you and your coworkers lead similar lives. After all, you work at the same place and you probably have the same educational background. What makes you so different? One of the most important things you can do as you go off to work is to remember that your coworkers don’t have the Church. And that has several implications that you should keep in mind when you enter the world of your 9 to 5.

They don’t have regular exposure to God’s Word

If you are a member of a solid local Church, chances are week after week one of your Elders opens up God’s word and explains to you what it means and how it should impact your life. When you have regular exposure to the preached Word, whether you are aware of it or not, the Holy Spirit uses that Word to conform your life to the image of Christ. When you hear the Word preached, your worldviews are confronted, your sins are exposed, your heart is encouraged, and your gaze is directed back towards the reality that you are a sinner in a world ruled by a holy God and your one hope is the propitiation provided in Christ’s blood.

Since your coworkers don’t have the Church, they do not have the regular exposure to God’s Word. When you come into the office on Monday morning, you most likely just came off of a blessed day of rest, reflection, and spiritual revival. Your coworkers, on the other hand, are not starting their week with any sort of conviction of sin or encouragement of faith. Many spent their weekend trying to forget about the week, spending time drinking or pursuing worldly pleasure. Whatever they chose to do, if your coworkers don’t attend a faithful local Church, they do not have the same exposure to God’s word as you do.

What does this mean? You need to be a voice of truth in the office. Your coworkers don’t have the luxury of consistently having their life confronted by the truth. In fact, they might never be exposed all week to God’s word. Think of how different you life would be if you weren’t consistently hearing God’s word. Imagine how you would view the world or the wrong things you would prioritize. You would have nothing but self to live for and to serve. Idolatry would reign in your heart unchecked and uncontested.

Be diligent to take every opportunity to share God’s truth with your coworkers. You might be the only avenue they have to hear it.

They aren’t consistently warned about their sin

Sin is deceitful and damning. Not only will sin send you to Hell, it will send you to Hell while convincing you that you are on the path to Heaven. Ever since the fall humans in their natural state choose everything contrary to God’s law and seek to glorify and serve self rather than the living God. The local Church is a place where, as the author of Hebrews says, you are exhorted over the deceitfulness of your personal sin. Through the sermon, discussions, and prayer, every time you go to Church, you are reminded that your biggest problem in life is your sin and that, even though you are saved, indwelling sin threatens to draw you away from Christ.

Since your coworkers don’t have the Church, they aren’t being warned about the eternal danger of sin. Most likely, the word “sin” isn’t in their vocabulary. Your coworkers almost certainly don’t see personal sin as the most destructive and dangerous thing in their life nor do they contemplate that most of their problems come down to living in rebellion to God. Think about who you would be if no one warned you about your sin. You most likely would keep living in ignorance and rebellion, never giving a second thought to the things of God and developing for yourself a host of ideas about the world that are not true.

What does this mean? Don’t be surprised if your coworkers call “good evil and evil good.” Without the word of God to define morality and a loving community of believers to remind you to “pursue holiness, without which no one will see God,” people end up simply doing and believing what feels good to them. “Live your truth” is the creed of our age. Therefore, your coworkers political views, moral views, their work ethic, and a host of other issues are not determined by God’s word. So when you are tempted to follow a coworkers advice or accept an argument they are making, remind yourself that they most likely have no idea of the reality of sin in their own heart or in the world.

Be incredibly discerning and make sure truth is defined by God.

They don’t regularly spend time with Godly people

One of the great blessings of being a part of the body of Christ is the type of people you hang out with weekly. There are certainly difficulties with interactions and relationships within the local Church. At the end of the day, however, your fellow Church members are the godliest people you could choose hang around with. Though there are exceptions, your Church no doubt is full of saints both young and old who love the Lord Jesus Christ and who are seeking to humbly grow in godliness. Not only that, but most of them are willing and desire to help you grow in your knowledge and practice of the Christian faith. Where else can you find such excellent and spiritually profitable company than in the local Church?

Since your coworkers don’t have the Church, they do not have consistent interaction with godly people. Remember what Paul says: “bad company corrupts good morals.” Imagine the type of person you would be if you never spent extended, consistent time with people who served and loved God. No doubt as the years went on, you would become more and more indifferent to spiritual things. In fact, when you actually came in contact with a genuinely godly person, you would likely be indifferent towards them and think them entirely odd, stupid, or evil. That is the life most of your coworkers live week to week. Your coworkers aren’t exposed to people who seek to obey the Lord or who seek to glorify Him in all things.

What does this mean? How you behave at work represents what Christianity is to your coworkers. Don’t assume your coworkers have dozens of godly Christian examples they interact with daily. You interacting with them is likely the only time they get to see what Christianity means “up close and personal.” Your behavior will either “adorn the gospel” or will make the gospel seen powerless. So enter your workplace assuming that you, and no one else, are setting the example for your coworkers of what godliness looks like.

You might be the only Christian your coworkers interact with closely during the week. Therefore, you have the high calling and privilege of representing Christ to them.

Conclusion

If you are a member of a solid local Church, you get consistent exposure to God’s word, your sins are confronted, and you spend time with godly people. Your coworkers, on the other hand, likely have none of those privileges. So pray before you clock in each morning that your conduct would honor the name of Christ, that you would take every opportunity to speak truth, and that you would be protected from any ungodly influence while at work.

View yourself as an “ambassador for Christ” in the workplace and you will start to see more and more opportunities to glorify God in your “secular” vocation.

If you want to learn more about being a Christian at work, visit this page. If you found this post insightful, please share on social media and subscribe below. Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram to get more weekly content.

ideal church
Know the Ideal Church. Commit to a Real Church.

Know the Ideal Church. Commit to a Real Church.

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The doctrine of the Church is one of the most glorious, practical, and discussed doctrines in the New Testament. Simply looking at the metaphors the New Testament authors use to describe the Church gives you a sense of it’s importance. The Church is the “body of Christ,” the “bride” of Christ, the “household of faith,” a “holy temple in the Lord,” and much more. The ideal Church as laid out in the New Testament overcomes the gates of hell and overcomes the world through faith in Christ, the Church’s chief Shepherd.

But how do these realities guide you in choosing a particular local Church to attend? How do they give you wisdom for deciding if and when to leave a Church? After all, the glorious vision of the Church in the New Testament is not lived out in its fullness within every local body. So what should you, as a normal believer, do when you struggle to find the “ideal Church?” In this post, I want to lay out three practical steps for applying the doctrine of the Church to your life.

Know the local Church ideal as laid out in the New Testament

If you and I only knew and believed the truths about the local Church as laid out in Scripture, how many of our problems would be solved? The local Church is not merely a Sunday morning service you sit through once a week. If you want to start getting excited about the local Church and having a Biblical view of it’s importance, the first step is to study and internalize what the Bible says about the Church.

I would recommend taking a month or two to read through the book of Acts. Pay attention each time Luke mentions the Church, what it does, and how it grows. Acts 2 in particular has one of my favorite passages on the “ideal Church.”

 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 2:42-47, ESV emphasis added

Why do I recommend studying the New Testament Church?

You will never make the right decisions about where to go to Church, what to look for in a Church, or what to value in the Church if you don’t first understand the Church as presented in the New Testament.

Everyone can give you different opinions on where you should go to Church and what your role should be in that Church. But only in Scripture do we have the authoritative record of what God expects of local Churches and you as a Church member. So remind yourself of the glorious doctrine of the local Church as expounded in Scripture.

Commit to a local Church that partially lives up to that ideal

Once you have a biblical vision of the ideal Church, find a local Church that approximates that ideal. What do I mean by this? You will never find a local Church that perfectly exhibits all the desired traits given in the New Testament. In fact, local Churches in the New Testament time didn’t even exhibit those traits perfectly (see 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, and the letters to the 7 Churches in Revelation). So when you are looking for a local Church to join, look for one where you see its members and leadership who are aware and are striving for the New Testament ideal.

Others have developed countless resources to determine whether a Church is healthy or not. But at the end of the day, all the “tests”, “marks”, or “criterion” for a healthy Church are simply ways of answering the question “is this local Church aware of and pursuing what the New Testament teaches about the Church or not?” And in the end, whatever Church you end up joining will have some strong areas and some weak areas. That is expected in a fallen world. As I said, even the first generation of local Churches had some areas of strength and other areas where they needed correction.

The key point here is to commit to a local Church that partially lives up to the New Testament ideal.

It will do you no good to memorize every passage on the local Church if you never actually formally join one.

An analogy is helpful here: you might have an idea of what you want in an ideal spouse, but if you never actually marry a real human being, your ideal will do you no good. And, as every married person discovers, the person you marry will at the best only approximate the ideal spouse you conjured up in your head. So don’t spend your whole life looking for that “perfect New Testament Church.” Commit to the best option God provides for you locally, then move on to the final step.

Work to make that local Church better reflect the ideal Church

As soon as you are a member of a local Church, you are now partially responsible for ensuring that local collection of believers obeys what Scripture teaches about the ideal Church. You, not someone else. As you stay committed to a local body over the years, you will see more and more clearly the ways in which your Church falls short of the New Testament teaching. When this inevitably happens, the temptation will be to either complain, or to leave to find a different Church.

Now, there are certainly situations where you should leave a local Church. But in modern America, most reasons people give are neither Biblical nor wise. Your default when you notice an issue in your local Church should be:

  1. Do not complain or sow discord
  2. Seek to understand the problem
  3. Prayerfully seek to find a way to help fix the issue

If every Church member had a selfless, serving-others-before-myself mentality, a lot of issues in local Churches would evaporate. Seek to lead in working to help your local Church better reflect the ideal Church. Take responsibility. You don’t have to be an elder or a deacon or a particularly wise or smart person to make your Church more holy and godly.

If you are a local Church member, you are part of a body. And every part of the body is sovereignly knitted together by God to serve a purpose.

In conclusion, don’t over complicate the local Church. Understand clearly from Scripture what the local Church is and should be. Then commit to a body in your local area that approximates this ideal Church. And then spend your days seeking to help that local body better reflect what the ideal Church is in Scripture. Being an average Church member is a high calling. So go and serve your local body for the glory of Christ and the edification of the saints.

Click here to read other reflection pieces that I have published. If you found this post helpful, share on social media and subscribe below. Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram to get more content.

book quote of the week
An Easy Way to Edit a Sermon

An Easy Way to Edit a Sermon

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When I decided to go back to school to get my Master’s degree, I realized I had probably forgotten how to do well in an academic environment. So, I picked up a book from one of my favorite authors Cal Newport entitled “How to Become a Straight-A Student.” If you are a student at any level, (especially if you are in College) I recommend this book highly. For today’s “Book Quote of the Week,” I want to look at Newport’s advice on editing academic papers and how it provides an easy way to edit a sermon as well.

Solid editing requires only three careful passes

The Argument Adjustment Pass: Read the paper carefully on your computer to make sure your argument is clear, fix obvious errors, and rewrite where the flow needs improvement.

The Out Loud Pass: Carefully read out loud a printed copy of your paper, marking any awkward passages or unclear explanations.

The Sanity Pass: A final pass over a printed version of the paper to check the overall flow and to root out any remaining errors.

“How to Become a Straight-A Student” by Cal Newport pp 211

What the quote means

Newport gives these three editing passes in a section on how to write an excellent college-level paper. In particular, he is concerned with avoiding two pitfalls: under-editing a paper and over-editing a paper. Newport argues effective editing really only takes three passes. The first focuses on the logic of the paper, the second pass corrects any grammar mistakes and ensures effective language, and the final pass checks that you didn’t miss any errors in the previous passes.

In the “Argument Adjustment Pass” the main goal is to add sentences or subtract sentences based on the paper’s flow. If a point is not clear, add a sentence or two to clarify. If a sentences isn’t necessary, cut it. During this phase, Newport also recommends analyzing the structure of your paper to check that you make a coherent, well-ordered argument. Newport recommends you complete this pass on your computer rather than on a printed out copy of your paper.

The “Out Loud Pass” is simple: read through your entire paper out loud to make sure your language is clear. For this step, Newport recommends you have a physical print out of your paper and note any necessary corrections as you go. Even though this process takes a larger chunk of time to complete, there is no substitute for reading a paper out loud if you want to ensure the language is effective.

Finally, the “Sanity Pass” is a final quick read through of a printed copy of your paper. You can always miss some small errors in the previous passes, so this final skim ensures you didn’t let anything slip through the cracks. After completing this pass, the paper is then ready to turn in.

Why it is important

What I love about this method of editing is how straightforward it is. There are dozens of editing checklists you can find online and in books. But they often take hours to go through and they don’t leave you with the feeling of “I’ve done enough.” By breaking down editing into three simple passes, Newport gives an effective and efficient editing technique.

Now, as helpful as this method is for academic papers, I think it really shines as a way to edit a sermon manuscript. Oftentimes, editing your sermon is either the last thing you do in a rush or you skip it entirely. And that makes sense: to edit a sermon takes time and it can feel daunting depending on how long your manuscript is. But Newport’s three step editing technique is not burdensome and provides a predictable process you can go through for each sermon.

I think the “out loud” pass might be even more important for a sermon than for a paper. You want to make sure your language flows and isn’t too flowery or complicated for a spoken message. As tedious as it might seem, you will notice a dozen improvements to your sermon if you simply complete the “out loud pass” before you preach. Additionally, I personally always make time the night before or the day of my teaching to complete the “sanity pass” with my printed manuscript or outline.

Takeaways

1. Budget time in your Sermon preparation for editing through your manuscript

It isn’t a complicated point but to edit a sermon you need to make time to actually complete the editing process. Editing should not be an “extra bonus” that you do “if you have time.” I have not met a single person who has complained their sermon got worse when they spent more time working on it. So, as you plan your schedule for preparing a sermon or teaching, budget time to complete Newport’s recommended three passes. The quality of your sermon will increase. Guaranteed.

2. Go through your Sermon manuscript three times and then entrust the result to the Lord

A common pitfall in editing is not knowing when something is “good enough.” That is one reason I appreciate Newport creating an editing process that has three steps and then is complete. You should certainly edit your sermon manuscript before you preach. But you also shouldn’t obsessively edit your sermon to the point that you aren’t ready to give it. For Christians preaching or teaching, you must end your editing process with trusting the Lord.

Sermons are made better through editing but no sermon is made effective by editing. God alone can save and sanctify.

So go through the three-step editing process with your sermon. Then, prayerfully trust the Lord with it because God has promised His Word will not return to Him void.

Click here to read previous “Book Quote of the Week” posts. More tools to help you study the Bible, click here. If you found this post helpful, share on social media and subscribe below. Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram for more content.

not just a sunday sermon
Church is More than a Sunday Morning Sermon

Church is More than a Sunday Morning Sermon

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When you hear the word “Church” what image pops into your head? A sanctuary full of pews? Pews filled with people? People with their Bible’s open listening to God’s Word? “Church” is most commonly used to describe the Sunday morning sermon and accompanying service. You go to Church in order to hear a sermon.

But the Church is so much more than a Sunday morning sermon. In fact, if you equate Church to a worship service between the hours of 10-12 am, then you are going to miss out on a lot of the joy and excitement that the Church is. In this post, I give you a three “mindsets” to develop. Each will help expand what you think about when you hear the word “Church”.

1. The Body Mindset

The Church is a dynamic gathering of Saints

You might have heard the phrase “the Church is not the building, it is the people.” Someone could also say “Church is not the Sunday morning sermon, it is the people.” Men, women, and children who are redeemed by Christ, united by the Holy Spirit, and who have covenanted together in a local assembly. When you drive to Church on Sunday, you are driving to gather with that “body” of people.

Having this “body mindset” keeps you from what I will call “movie theater mindset.” When you go to see a movie, you come in and sit together with a bunch of total strangers. This random group made up of different families and individuals watches the movie together but then leaves to return to separate homes without ever interacting or acknowledging each others’ existence. “Movie theater mindset” is coming to Church to listen to the Pastor preach alongside a bunch of strangers who you do not know and who you do not interact with after service is over.

In contrast, the Church as laid out in Acts is a completely different type of gathering:

44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 2:44-47 ESV, emphasis added

You don’t “go to Church”; if you are a Christian you are a part of the Church, this dynamic body of believers. This means you gather together with fellow Saints past 10-12 am on Sunday morning. It means you see yourself as a part of their lives and realize each Church member is an important part of your life. You have to fight “movie theater mindset” and seek to know those in the pews next to you.

Thinking of the Church as a body changes how you come to Sunday service and how you plan your weeks.

2. Warfare Mindset

The Church equips the Saints to do ministry

Passive listening is the enemy of Christian preaching. I have written about getting more from your Pastor’s sermon and created tools to help you stay engaged during a sermon. Why? Because a sermon is not a motivational speech, a lecture, or entertainment. Preaching is training grounds for the spiritual battle you face each day of your life.

Paul says in Ephesians 4 that the Church “equips the saints for the work of service.” One of the main means God uses to equip you is the Sunday morning sermon. But “equipping” implies not just a passive listening to preaching. It implies that you go out an apply what you learned to your life as you go throughout the week.

Each time you go to Church, God is arming you to go out and fight the good fight of faith the rest of the week.

This simple shift in thinking will completely change how you approach Church. You aren’t driving to an old building on a Sunday morning while scrambling to get kids fed and in the car merely to have a few “positive thoughts” before starting your week. Equipping, not entertainment, is the goal of preaching. Equipping you as a Church member to leave Sunday morning service ready to serve the Lord wherever He calls you that week: at home, at work, with family, interacting with unbelievers. Go into Church to prepare for going out and ministering to others.

3. Eschatological Mindset

The Church is the bride of Christ from every tribe, tongue, and nation

The whole reason I write on this website is because I love the local Church: the average Christians who live their lives week by week seeking to glorify the Lord in their specific, small corner of the world. But sometimes a local Church mindset can lead you to imagine the Church is small. It isn’t. Your little local Church is one piece of a much bigger puzzle. And you see how the puzzle fits together in one of the greatest passages in the whole Bible:

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

Revelation 7:9 ESV, emphasis added

You need an “eschatological mindset” when you come to Sunday service. This means you see clearly that your local body is a part of God’s plan from all eternity to save a group of sinners through Christ for His glory. Sure, there are problems and difficulties within your body. I am sure it is a struggle some Sundays to get to Church or stay awake during the sermon. Maybe your Church is small and seemingly insignificant. But remind yourself that there is nothing insignificant about a part of God’s plan.

It does not matter if your local congregation is small. It is a part of God’s infinitely wise and glorious plan.

Coming to Church knowing that each Sunday is fitting you and your fellow Church members for an eternal weight of glory puts you in a much more worshipful state than if you come to Church merely thinking about the here and now. Open your eyes to the beautiful Scriptural truth that God is sovereignly saving sinners from every corner of the earth for an eternity with Him. And you, as a Christian, get to be a part of that plan in your little Church.

Conclusion

To summarize, come to Church with these three mindsets:

  • Body Mindset-you aren’t there to just listen to a Sunday morning sermon, you are there to interact with a dynamic body of Saints
  • Warfare Mindset-you go to Church to get equipped by the Word of God to go out and live for His glory throughout the week
  • Eschatological Mindset-your Church, no matter how small, is a part of God’s cosmic plan of redemption

As you cultivate these perspectives, you will find how you think about Church will change from something static and dull to something glorious and exciting.

This post is part of an ongoing series of reflections called “What I learned from…“. If you found this post helpful, share on social media below and subscribe below if you want new articles delivered directly to your inbox. Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram for more content.

benefits of a men's retreat
7 Benefits of a Men’s Retreat

7 Benefits of a Men’s Retreat

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My Church held a men’s retreat this past weekend. This was my Church’s first men’s retreat in years and, as the lead planner for the weekend, I did not fully know what to expect. Would the weekend be spiritually profitable or a waste of time? Thankfully, the Lord blessed the weekend and it was an incredible time of fellowship and focus on God’s word. Now that the weekend is over, I have been thinking about the many benefits of a men’s retreat. 7 in particular come to mind.

1. A focused time of worship

Most Christian’s would agree that worshiping Christ should be a daily priority. However, oftentimes in the busyness of the week, worshiping the Lord can take second priority over more “pressing” concerns. One of the benefits of a men’s retreat is you have time to simply worship. There are little distractions around you. You can’t make excuses. You are stuck in a singular location with other believers for the sole purpose of listening to the Word, praying, and singing.

One of my favorite things about my Church’s men’s retreat was the singing. At Church, you might sing 4-5 hymns on a given Sunday. But at the men’s retreat, we sang 5 hymns each teaching session. There is something about praising the Lord loudly from the heart with a group of believers over and over again that revives your soul. It lifts your affections and reminds you of the surpassing value of Christ. The sheer amount of focused worship which takes place when you set aside a weekend for a retreat is one great reason to schedule one.

2. A structured context for fellowship

As I have written before, most people even within the Church are somewhat lonely and crave connection with other believers. But where to start? Oftentimes, a quick conversation before or after morning worship is not going to cultivate the deep closeness that you crave. A men’s retreat gives the men of your Church a structured context to simply talk and be around one another. Although it can feel “forced” or “artificial” at first, sticking a bunch of Christians together for a weekend of mealtimes, singing, preaching, and free time is fertile ground for growing closeness among your congregation.

The closeness you cultivate with others during a weekend retreat sticks around long after the retreat is over. Those shared memories, those unexpected conversations, those fellow Church members you talked with for the first time suddenly become fuel for future conversations and meet-ups in the future. Shared experiences are powerful means to connect people together. Creating a context for those memories to be made is one of the greatest benefits of a men’s retreat.

3. A temporary step-back from daily responsibilities

Personally, my normal week-day is one long list of responsibilities. I have things I need to get done at work, I have chores that must get done, I have projects to complete and a hundred other things I “need to do.” While responsibilities are good and given by God, sometimes the urgent cares of the day can get your mind stuck on “things below” rather than “things above where Christ is seated.”

A retreat gives you the chance to temporary set aside your daily responsibilities. This isn’t so that you can forget about them. Rather, this temporary break is so you can seek the Lord and ask that He revive your soul. Then you can then go back and do those daily responsibilities with even more zeal for His glory. You can think of a retreat as a time of refocusing and revival. By removing the normal, daily responsibilities which choke your schedule, you have a whole day or two free to seek the Lord with your whole heart. The excuse of “I don’t have time” no longer applies; you have nothing on your “to do list” but to get your mind re-focused on Christ.

4. Teaching that can deal directly with a pertinent topic

Expositional preaching through a book of Scripture is the best way to consistently expose a congregation to the Word of God. However, every so often a “deep dive” into a pertinent topic addressed is needed. It can be difficult for Pastors to pause an ongoing series to deal with specific topics. But one of the benefits of a men’s retreat is you can choose a single topic to focus on for a weekend.

For my Church’s men’s retreat, we had a guest speaker give three sessions on Biblical manhood. The first session was the “theological foundations of manhood,” the second was “manhood in the context of the home”, and the final session was “manhood in the context of the Church.” Then we had a question and answer session with the Elders to directly address some of the pressing issues brought up. All of the teaching was needed, practical, and edifying for the men of the congregation and there was no better time or place to address such a topic than at a men’s retreat.

5. Time for long and lingering spiritual conversations

Is there anything more edifying than conversations amongst believers? I have taught before on how conversations with other believers are mutually encouraging and impart spiritual blessing to all parties involved. But the most beneficial spiritual conversations often require lingering and long discussion. Dealing with tough theological questions or meditating on applications of a text or sharing a specific spiritual struggle all take time. A normal Sunday service does not provide adequate time to talk about some of these necessary things.

A men’s retreat provides time for believers to talk and to talk long. In the course of a weekend, I had multiple conversations on personal difficulties I have been having, discussed what doctrines Christians should divide over and which ones they should not divide over, thought through the different aspects of God’s character, shared my thoughts on what it means for a man to protect his home, and a host of other conversations. I can’t remember every detail or conclusion these conversations reached, but I can still feel the closeness that came from talking openly with fellow Church members.

6. A time to re-prioritize Christ and His Church

Jesus warned that the “cares of the world” and the “desires for other things entering in” could choke the Word and cause it to become unfruitful. One of the benefits of a men’s retreat is it gives you a chance to “clean house” within your own hear, so to speak. What idols have you picked up during the course of living in this sinful world? What desires do you need to crucify? What excuses have you been making for sin that need to be removed?

I believe revival is a sovereign work of God that cannot be manufactured. But simply setting aside a weekend to seek the Lord as a group of believers can revive your heart in a lesser sense. By focusing your mind on Christ and His Church for an entire weekend it reminds you that nothing in your life is half as important as the Gospel. You are reminded of the value of Christ and your heart longs to return to “your first love.” A men’s retreat can be a very convicting time, but that conviction gives you opportunity to repent and refocus your mind and heart on Christ and what He did for you on the cross.

7. Growing friendships within your congregation

On any given Sunday, there are about a dozen people I want to talk to and need to talk to. The question always comes after the last hymn plays: should I find and talk to the people I already know but need to talk to? Or do I go talk with someone I do not know? A men’s retreat gives you enough time to reach out to believers in your body who you seldom connected with. Suddenly a person who you only swapped a few sentences with before becomes a new friend.

Certainly believers are spiritually united in Christ and Church members in particular are committed to loving and serving one another. Yet having real friendships among believers makes all of this easier and more tangible. A men’s retreat gives your congregation the time and space to either develop new friendships or grow old ones. The hope is that these real friendships would continue past the retreat and grow your body closer together.

Conclusion

These 7 benefits of a men’s retreat are by no means exhaustive. But if your Church has not tried to do a men’s retreat or any other type of retreat (women’s retreat, family retreat, elder-deacon retreat, etc.), I would encourage you to start planning something annually. It can be tough to plan and coordinate a retreat, but the spiritual benefits of a men’s retreat far outweigh any difficulty you might have getting it set up.

This post is part of an ongoing series called “What I learned from…” If you found this post helpful, share it on social media and subscribe below. Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram to get more content.
Discipleship Defined

Discipleship Defined

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Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He told His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations. Jesus Himself had set a perfect example of what discipling others practically looks like. But what is “discipleship” at the most basic level? My goal for this post is for you to leave with discipleship defined clearly in your mind. Discipleship is a rich Biblical concept and Christians must know what it is, and what it isn’t in order to properly obey Jesus’ command.

What does the Greek word mean?

The word “disciple” in Greek means “follower.” Simple enough. If you have heard any good teaching from the Gospels, no doubt you already know this basic definition. A “disciple” is a person who follows another person. But this following is not merely a physical walking behind another person. Rather, a disciple seeks to learn from another person.

What does a disciple want to learn? Most likely a number of things: learn about the world, learn a way of life, learn about the divine. But in the New Testament, all true disciples follow one person: Jesus. The 12 apostles physically followed Jesus during His earthly ministry and disciples throughout the history of the Church have looked to Jesus as the source of truth, grace, and eternal life among other things.

Therefore, to disciple someone else is to make them a follower. But Christian discipleship is not focused on getting people to follow you per se. Rather, the goal of Christian discipleship is to call another person to “imitate me as I imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).

If you want to disciple someone else, your goal should be helping them become a more obedient follower of the Biblical Jesus.

This is why true discipleship always points back to God’s word: it is only through studying the inspired Word of God that anyone alive today can come to know the resurrected Jesus.

What discipleship isn’t

“Helping other people better follow Christ” is a good starting definition of “discipleship”. But if we want discipleship defined, we are going to have to consider what discipleship isn’t.

First, discipleship is not focused on drawing people to yourself. Your aim in discipleship is not to amass followers for yourself or to convince people of your particular “brand” or “flavor” of Christianity. Paul critiqued this kind of discipleship when the Corinthian Church was dividing itself by people saying “I am a follower of Paul” or “I am a follower of Apollos.” Biblical discipleship, however, is primarily concerned with pointing people back to the Word of God so people can know Christ better and then obey more fully His teaching.

In a modern world full of the pursuit of fame, it is very easy to miss this point. Sin can distort your discipleship efforts so that you become more focused on the good feelings which accompany people listening to you rather than focusing on “Christ being formed” in the other person.

The only barometer of success for discipleship is the extent of which those who are listening to you are loving Christ more deeply and obeying Him more fully.

All your authority in any discipling relationship is derivative: you have no truth, no insight, no wisdom to give apart from what you can show from Scripture. This is another key point: discipleship is not focused on displaying your great insight to others. Oftentimes when people come to listen to your thoughts on Scripture or the Bible, pride can creep in and you end up using God’s truth as a way to stroke your ego rather than to display Christ. Don’t make this mistake. You have nothing to offer except what has been granted to you from God. Steward it humbly instead of using God’s good gifts as means to puff up your pride.

Finally, discipleship is not merely meeting up with other Christians. A group of Christian friends can go to coffee or watch a movie together, but this is not discipleship. It is good to have social meet ups, it is good to have friends at Church, it is good to talk about general topics like work or music or family. But for discipleship to actually occur, there must be a direct, explicit spiritual focus. That doesn’t mean that discipleship is only teaching: some of my most profitable times of discipleship have been observing other believers in action. But whether you are discipling in action or teaching explicitly, the person observing or listening to you must walk away with some greater sense of who Christ is in order for it to be “discipleship.”

Discipleship defined by way of two summary sentences

Now that I have given you the most basic definition of discipleship and gone through what discipleship is not, I want to close this post with two summary sentences defining discipleship. The first sentence is more focused on you, the discipler, while the second sentence is focused on what God is doing through you.

Discipleship is investing your time and effort into someone else’s life for their spiritual good.

The metaphor of “investing” is one of the most helpful metaphors I have found for what discipleship is. Most people in the modern world have a general understanding of what investing is. If you were to invest your money into a stock, you are giving up something in the present in hopes of gaining something in the future. This is exactly what you do on a spiritual level by discipling another person: you give up your time and energy in the present in hopes that the other person will gain a greater understanding of God’s truth.

This “investment” language makes it explicit that Biblical discipleship will almost always involve sacrifice on your part. It isn’t always easy, and just like when you give up your money to invest in a stock, you often will need to give up your time or your comfort or your schedule in order to disciple others. But the upside of this investment is tremendous; “the harvest is plentiful.” Now for the second summary definition:

Discipleship is when God uses you as a means to bring about Christlikeness in another person’s life.

Discipleship is not merely something you are doing. God is using you: in discipleship you become a tool of sanctification God uses to shape someone else. If you only focus on what you are doing in discipleship and lose sight of what God is doing, you will either become easily discouraged or worse: you will focus on drawing people to yourself rather than pointing them to Christ.

Always remember: you are the instrument, not the main goal. Worship of Christ in heart and action is the goal of discipling someone else.

As a tool, you are not important in and of yourself. But you are useful when God uses you to build up those around you.

So invest yourself in other people’s lives. Grow to love Christ more yourself and then help others to do the same. Discipleship is costly, time-consuming, exhausting, exhilarating, magnificent, joyous, astounding, humbling, and worth it.

This post is part of an ongoing series called “Becoming a Discipling Christian.” Click here if you missed a previous post. If you found this post helpful, please share on social media below and subscribe to The Average Churchman email list. Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram to get further content.