Archive for the 'Ministry' Category

In Ephesians 6:18-20 Paul closes his commands to stand firm and to put on the armor of God with a call to prayer.  Much of what Paul includes in this call to prayer is surprising.  It is causing me to rethink some of my ideas about prayer, especially as it relates to ministry.

We, first, would not expect Paul to call on us to pray as the way to advance in the spiritual battle.  Prayer is important, of course.  We would expect, however, for Paul to write something more about using the shield of faith or the sword of the Spirit.  Instead, clothed with the full armor of God, we engage the battle by prayer.  We often engage in activities other than prayer but for Paul, prayer is the activity.

We also do not expect Paul to have such a concern about praying for others.  We must “be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.”  We might expect Paul to command us to pray for ourselves, especially given that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood” (v. 12).  Although he does not rule out prayer for ourselves in the spiritual battle, the main thrust of our praying must be for our fellow soldiers who are also engaged in the battle.  As much as the spiritual armor is individually applied, we never fight the battle alone.  We stand in the evil day only as our brothers and sisters in the faith stand and they stand through our prayers.

Paul is not finished challenging our expectations.  If I were in jail as Paul was, I would pray that God might secure my release.  I would want my freedom most of all.  Also on the top of my prayer list would be safety and comfort while I was in jail.  I would want the guard I was chained to be extremely generous and kind.  “Please, Lord, if you would, provide adequate meals and a warm bed.  Oh-and help me to be strong spiritually in this ordeal!”

Instead, Paul asks that when he proclaims the mystery of the Gospel (not if), that he would have the words to speak (utterance) and that he would do so boldly (used in verses 19 and 20).  His priority, even in chains, is to proclaim the Gospel and to do so without intimidation.  He had prayed for the Ephesians that they would understand and appropriate the Gospel.  See Ephesians 1:15-23 and Ephesians 3:14-19.  As one who has understood and appropriated the Gospel, he asks them to pray that he might make its wonders known without fear.

Why would Paul make such a request for speech rather than for release?  I think it is because he knows that he is an ambassador of the King of Kings.  An ambassador must represent his king in the way the king sees fit.  Paul’s king, Jesus, told him to proclaim the Gospel (Mat 28:18-20; Acts 9:1-19).  Commitment to his job description as ambassador requires him to proclaim the Gospel.  Prayer from others on his behalf will enable him to do so with clarity and conviction.

Are we ambassadors?  2 Corinthians 5:17-21 indicates we are.  Will we be so convinced of our ambassadorship that our main prayer request will be courage and clarity in proclaiming the Gospel?

“I’ll pray for you!”  I sometimes make this promise more to assure a person of my concern than actually to pray.  Sometimes I forget in my busyness or sometimes I just forget.  I do not want to pretend to be a prayer warrior when I am not.  I do not think I am alone in feeling that my prayer life is much less than it should be.

We are emphasizing prayer during our 60^th anniversary, with the theme, “Celebrating Sixty Years: Advancing on Our Knees.”  Our theme verse is Ephesians 6:18.  As I continue to meditate on this verse, it challenges me by what it says about prayer. 

Our advancement on the spiritual battlefield requires prayer.  We are engaged in a spiritual struggle and our times can certainly be characterized as evil days.  We must make sure that we are equipped head to toe with the full armor of God.  But what do we do as a soldier of Christ?  With the full armor, with the shield of faith, and with the sword of the Spirit, we are to pray.

Verse 18 is an unexpected verse.  We might expect further instruction about raising the shield of faith or about wielding the sword of the Spirit.  Our advancement in the battle, however, is by prayer.  Writes Vincent:

In all that precedes we get no intimation of the personal contact of the Christian warrior with his Divine Leader.  This is given us in prayer.  We have the Word of God to the soldier; but in prayer we have the soldier’s word with God, the contact and communion of soldier and general; and it is not without a purpose that the Word of God and prayer are brought together here.  The Word of God gathers up into itself, expounds and interprets Christian truth, hope, faith, righteousness, readiness; but the Word of God becomes a living power, something to strike and to slay with, only through the living contact of the Christian with Christ, and this contact is afforded by prayer only.  (from The Biblical Illustrator Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2006 Ages Software, Inc. and Biblesoft, Inc.)

I confess that I have been more concerned about having my armor on than by joining the battle with prayer.  Prayer is not one of many things I should be doing but is the thing I should be doing.

This verse has more surprises in store.  The thrust of prayer in the evil day, in the day when we face the spiritual battle, is for others.  Looking to direction and wisdom from the indwelling Holy Spirit (in the Spirit), we are to offer petitions for all the saints.  We do so in a spirit of watchfulness and alertness which, given the context, would speak to our awareness of how others are doing in the battle.  We do so with “all perseverance,” continuing faithfully to bring fellow believers before the throne of grace.

How often I have imagined the scene described in Ephesians 6:10-17 as a soldier (me) standing alone on the battlefield.  That is not the right view at all!  It is a scene of myriads of Christian soldiers all joined together in battle by prayer.  My victory depends upon the victory of others and their victory depends upon my prayers.  I must faithfully pray for others and others must pray for me if I wish to stand in the evil day.  The UBS New Testament Handbook Series quotes Beare:

The unsleeping alertness is to be shown especially in persevering intercession on behalf of all his comrades in the fight.  We are not engaged in single combat with the powers of evil, but are members of an army; and we must be concerned with the welfare of all who fight alongside us.  (from the UBS New Testament Handbook Series.  Copyright © 1961-1997, by United Bible Societies.)

The Navy ingrained this concept of battle into our son Caleb.  After his graduation from boot camp, Carole and I took Caleb out to dinner.  When we returned to base, a group of graduates gathered at the dropping off point.  They were checking each other’s uniforms, especially each other’s backs, to make sure everything was exactly in place.  If one had something misplaced in his uniform, they would all suffer.  I don’t know whether the phrase, “I’ve got your back” comes from this practice but they had each other’s backs and were happy to do so.  They will carry the same watchfulness for each other into battle.

Unfortunately, sometimes it seems that Christians are less apt to have this attitude.  Some are more likely to criticize a pastor than pray for a pastor.  Some pastors are more apt to criticize a church member than pray for a church member.  Do you think our current spiritual battle would progress any differently if we all took our responsibility to pray for one another more seriously?   Based on this verse, R.W. Dale comments on the importance of prayer for the pastor:

You come to listen to me on Sunday, and I have nothing to say that adds vigour to faith, or fervour to love, or that enlarges your knowledge of duty or of God.  It is plain that during the week I have had no clear vision of spiritual truth, or that, if I have, the vision has faded away.  You are naturally disappointed, perhaps discontented.  It is partly my fault.  But is it not possible that the fault is as much yours as mine?  If you had prayed for me with earnestness and faith, might not the vision of God bare come to me, and the revelation of spiritual truth and the baptism of fire?  In the absence of your intercessions, God may have given me truth for myself, but not for you.  (from The Biblical Illustrator Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2006 Ages Software, Inc. and Biblesoft, Inc.)

The dynamic of a local church would change considerably if every member took this verse seriously.

On a wider scale, this verse has implications for Village Missions as we minister in the country places of North America.  The battle is raging-raging in the country places we serve, raging in finding couples and singles willing to go to country places, raging in finding the financial support necessary to send them, raging in ministry in general.  Clothed in the full armor of God, we must engage the battle with prayer.  And we simply must watch each other’s backs.

Aaron Knapp, a student at Moody Bible Institute and a summer intern on our fields in Watersmeet and Bruce Crossing, MI first made me aware of D.A. Carson’s book about his father, titled “Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor.”  He provided a link to “Thoughts, Unleashed!“  Here are some of the quotes from the book on that web page that caused me to buy it and start reading it:

Some pastors, mightily endowed by God, are a remarkable gift to the church.  They love their people, they handle Scripture well, they see many conversions, their ministries span generations, they understand their culture yet refuse to be domesticated by it, they are theologically robust and personally disciplined.  … Most of us, however, serve in more modest patches.  Most pastors will not regularly preach to thousands, let alone tens of thousands.  They will not write influential books, they will not supervise large staffs, and they will never see more than modest growth.  They will plug away at their care for the aged, at their visitation, at their counseling, at their Bible studies and preaching.  Some will work with so little support that they will prepare their own bulletins.  They cannot possibly discern whether the constraints of their own sphere of service owe more to the specific challenges of the local situation or to their own shortcomings.  Once in a while they will cast a wistful eye on “successful” ministries.  Many of them will attend the conferences sponsored by the revered masters, and come away with a slightly discordant combination of, on the one hand, gratitude and encouragement, and, on the other, jealousy, feelings of inadequacy, and guilt.

Most of us-let us be frank-are ordinary pastors.

Dad was one of them.  This little book is a modest attempt to let the voice and ministry of one ordinary pastor be heard, for such servants have much to teach us.

Here is another one:

Tom Carson never rose very far in denominational structures, but hundreds of people … testify how much he loved them.  He never wrote a book, but he loved the Book.  He was never wealthy or powerful, but he kept growing as a Christian: yesterday’s grace was never enough.  He was not a far-sighted visionary, but he looked forward to eternity.  He was not a gifted administrator, but there is no text that says, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you are good administrators.” 

Are there such ordinary pastors today?  Faithful men and their wives who love the Book and love the flock?  Who serve without desire for recognition or reward other than from the Savior they serve?  Who “plug away at their care for the aged, at their visitation, at their counseling, at their Bible studies and preaching?”

Many such faithful “ordinary” pastors exist in this country.  I am thoroughly blessed to serve just such a company of men and women.  Dr. John Koessler, head of the pastoral department at Moody Bible Institute, called them the “Green Berets” of home missions, going to the most challenging of settings.  They are Village Missionaries, serving in the country communities of the United States and Canada.

One such couple, a young couple, is Phil and Valorie Rownd, who have served in Pickstown, SD for seven years.  Read what Phil and Valorie wrote on their seventh anniversary in Pickstown:

Why God Kept Us in Pickstown for Seven Years

On February 18, we completed our seventh year shepherding this little South Dakota town.  I humbly admit that we don’t have a whole lot to show for our work.  Most of the people we have led to Christ have gone to be with Him in Heaven, or else they’ve moved to another community.  Seven years ago, there were 22 of us.  Today there are 42.  We haven’t even doubled.  After seven years, I expected more, and I have asked God about that.  But the Lord has been more faithful than we realize.  He has been faithful to the small number of folks who have lived here since the dam was built fifty plus years ago.  There aren’t many of them, but their heavenly Father loves them and He has given them a church and a pastor.  Then there are all those other 150 people who occupy the houses around here.  Pickstown really isn’t a tight-knit community like some small towns.  Most people come here for a while and then they die or their work takes them down the road.  Either way, most folks don’t stay here for more than 5 years or so.  Pickstown is just a brief stop on the greater course of their life.  But in God’s great wisdom and love for sinners, He makes sure this is a stop that counts.  He gives them an opportunity to believe the gospel and be built up in the faith before they leave Pickstown, either for Heaven, or for some other community where lost people need to hear about the Savior.  I am humbled by the phone calls and letters from former Pickstowners who have moved to other South Dakota villages, across our nation, and even to the other side of the world-and God is using them to lead lost people to Jesus!  WHO BUT GOD can measure the impact of your prayers for this town?

Listen also to what they have to say on this video.

Please pray for Phil and Valorie that they might continue to persevere faithfully.  Halfway through Carson’s book, I am learning that his dad battled with discouragement and despair.  Pray that our couples would know just how much God appreciates their faithfulness and they would be encouraged.  After all, Jesus went to a little place!  Pray that God would call many more couples like the Rownds to go to places no one else will go.

Dr. Al Mohler has written an excellent blog titled “Has God Called You?  Discerning the Call to Preach.”  I commend it to anyone who might be wondering whether God is calling you to be a pastor.  I would place more emphasis on the shepherding aspect of pastoral ministry (see my previous blog post), but overall Dr. Mohler is on target.

His article caused me to reflect on how I responded to the call to ministry.  I fought it!  Although I had presented myself to God as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2) and should have responded willingly, I did not want to leave our comfortable surroundings.

Carole and I moved from Maine to a remote location in northern Idaho shortly after we were married.  We began attending a little country church in Fernwood, a church served by Village Missionaries Ray and Martha Bell.  I had been a believer for about a year when we began attending and didn’t even know the difference between the Old and New Testament.

No better place for discipleship and mentoring exists than a small country church with a dedicated pastor and his wife.  The Bells and others in the church mentored me.  As I grew, Pastor Ray provided various opportunities to minister.  I taught several Bible studies in our home and taught the adult Sunday School class.  I helped Pastor Ray with various evangelistic campaigns in which we saw many come to Christ.  Probably most challenging and helpful, Pastor Ray gave me several opportunities to preach.

Gradually, a growing discontent with my work (Idaho Highway Department and horseshoeing) combined with a growing passion to preach and to minister to people.  People in the church began to recognize that God was calling me into the ministry.  Pastor Ray encouraged this direction without in any way pushing me.

But it was so hard to leave!  By that time, we owned ten acres of land and enjoyed our life.  Although I was bored working for the Highway Department, it was one of the few year-round and full-time jobs in the area and it worked well with my horseshoeing.  God had to get my attention.

To make a long story short, a draft horse trampled me!  Just pulling his shoes for winter, he spooked when some snow slid off the roof and I fell underneath him.  This near death experience in which I was laid up for about a month was enough to cause me to decide to apply to some Bible colleges.  I wanted my life to count for something.

However, it was only a decision and as spring came nearer and thoughts of planting the garden grew, I postponed implementing the decision.  I am sure many others respond more quickly and easier to God, but not me-at least then.  After only one month back to work after my injury, I slipped and fell in a “freak” accident.  I broke my leg so badly that it required an operation to repair the damage.  This led me to finally apply to Moody Bible Institute.  I was accepted, we sold our home, and in July 1980, seven years after we arrived in Idaho, off we went to Chicago to begin preparation for the ministry.  I have only a very few times (in times of great weakness and struggle) regretted the answering of God’s call to be a pastor.

I have observed two things now in my role as Executive Director and I would like to solicit your comments and observations:

First, I have observed that fewer churches seem to be teaching the call of God into pastoral ministry.  Perhaps in an effort to teach that we are all called to ministry, the idea of a call to pastoral ministry or to full-time ministry appears to have been neglected.  Do you think this is true?  If you are a pastor, do you teach a call to pastoral ministry?

Second, I have observed that some young people appear almost frightened to enter pastoral ministry.  Although a healthy caution is wise, this seems more than that-more of a fear.  Such ones are willing to be youth pastors or on staff in a large church but they seem overwhelmed by the idea of being the pastor of a small church.  We have seen several young guys do quite well in Village Missions (I trust that our support structure helps) but several others seem reluctant to serve although they sense God’s call.  Is this observation correct and, if so, why?

Looking forward to hearing from you.