Book Review - The Pastor and Counseling

As a new pastor, there were some things in my job description which were intimidating. But for me, nothing was more intimidating than the thought of counselling. I had often given advice to people, and helped them to think biblically about things, but I had never been–in my estimation–a counselor to anyone. For that reason, I was glad to hear of a book on counseling from 9Marks and Crossway. I find my resources from 9Marks, most published by Crossway, to be the most helpful on church-related issues. The Pastor and Counseling is no different.

This book by Jeremy Pierre and Deepak Reju is very helpful to me for two reasons. First, it lays down a “theology of counseling” that is both informative and inspiring. Second, it provides a simple yet thorough explanation of what counseling looks like.

The book is divided into three sections and also includes some very helpful appendices. The third section will become more helpful as my pastoring/counseling ministry develops. The third section deals with developing a culture of counseling in a church and ideas around the employment of outside resources. For now, sections One and Two will be a great aid to me in developing as a counselor.

Section One, and the Introduction, deal with concepts of counseling and section Two considers the process of counseling.

The first chapter in section One paints a biblical picture of what pastoring, and specifically pastoral counseling, looks like: a ministry of laboring and suffering, of discipling God’s people, of praying, and of teaching God’s people. Chapter two, still part of section One, delineates the goals of counseling and speaks to the initial contact with someone who might be coming to you. Chapter three, the final in this section, relays the methodology of counseling; the pastor listens, considers, and speaks to people’s heart response to God, self, others, and their circumstance. This section was informative through simple explanation and clear illustrations. The increase in my understanding resulted in a new-found motivation to disciple through counseling. This topic was becoming less intimidating.

The three chapters of section Two provide a very practical description of what actual counseling sessions should look like. Chapter four, the first chapter of section Two, detailed the initial meeting, highlighting its four goals: 1) establishing a relational connection, 2) exploring through listening, 3) displaying hope, and 4) setting expectations. The next chapter concerns itself with the ongoing process of counseling. Concrete ideas such as getting an update, checking up on assigned prep work, and further exploration of the issues might seem obvious to many, but I found the thorough explanation of what the process looks like beneficial. The last chapter in this section, chapter six, describes the final meeting and how the pastor concludes the counseling and releases the member into the regular care of the church. Counseling, once a very intimidating topic, was becoming increasingly understandable and I, once a very intimidated pastor, was becoming emboldened to pursue this aspect of my calling.

For those adept at counseling, this volume might be overly simple. I really cannot speak to that. For me, new to pastoring and new to counseling, this book is a valuable resource. I am certain that The Pastor and Counseling would also be significantly helpful for lay people as well. I recommend this book to pastors who want to grow in their understanding and practice of counseling and to those lay people who would like to do the same.

Book Review – The Compelling Community

Some of the most edifying books I have read in the past decade have come with a 9Marks logo located somewhere on the cover. The Compelling Community, by Mark Dever and Jamie Dunlop, is another excellent 9Marks book that I found very helpful. This book, primarily written by Dunlop, focuses on lessons learned and principles derived from Pastor Mark Dever and the church the two authors lead and attend.

Dunlop writes, “I want to raise the bar of what you envision church community to be,” and at the same time he claims, “I want to lower your ambition for what you can do to create community…Scripture teaches that the community that matters is community built by God.” In Dunlop estimation, this book is “an exploration of What God’s Word says about community–paired with practical advice for how you might work out these principles in your own church.”

• Chapter one argues that gospel-plus community–derived from natural means–may “work” to create community, but churches aspire to gospel-revealing community–derived supernaturally–that displays the power of God.
• Chapter two considers the impact of naturally derived community: compromised evangelism and compromised discipleship.
• Chapter three contrasts community built on comfort versus community built on calling and the evident supernatural quality of the latter.
• Breadth of community, and the diversity inherent in it, is considered in chapter four along with the difference between this and similarity based community.
• Chapter five looks at the interplay between the right preaching of God’s word and how it works itself out in God’s community.
• The focus of chapter six is prayer and chapter seven’s is on discipleship.
• The eighth chapter assesses impediments to community which may include staff positions, events, music, and ministries.
• Chapter 9 deals with the inevitable discontent and disunity that come with community with a focus on how the apostles wrestled with these issues.
• Chapter 10 examines Jesus’ teaching on sin in the church.
• Chapter 11 deals with the witness of the church community and evaluates how we can best expose the world to it.
• Church planting and church revitalization are deliberated in the twelfth chapter.

My experience with 9Marks books and their teaching on the church has almost been entirely positive. Their books, and the ideas contained in them, are informative and inspiring. I find myself challenged, and motivated to rise to the challenge. This book, The Compelling Community, is no different in these regards. As a church leader, and one who desires to see the church be what the Bible calls her to, I recommend this book.

Two Thousand and Fourteen’s Top Book

Before I tell you my choice for top book of 2014, let me share with you a couple of honourable mentions.

Honourable Mentions:

Books from the Building Healthy Churches series:

• Church Elders: How to Shepherd God's People Like Jesus by Jeramie Rinne 
• Sound Doctrine: How a Church Grows in the Love and Holiness of God by Bobby Jamieson
• Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God's Word Today by David Helm
• Evangelism: How the Whole Church Speaks of Jesus by J. Mack Stiles

I found these books extremely helpful. They are concise, well-written, and deal with subject matter that I find particularly important. The various authors are clearly passionate about their particular topic. And their passion is matched by their competency. Get your hands on all the books from this series and you will not be disappointed.

A Brief Theology of Sport by Lincoln Harvey:

Another short and well-written book on a topic that is dear to my heart. This read was eye-opening and heart-filling for a one-time athlete wannabe theologian like myself. I really appreciate the authors approach and hope this book encourages more discussion on this topic.

The Deliberate Church by Mark Dever and Paul Alexander:

I really appreciate Mark Dever and his ministry with 9Marks. This books articulates a philosophy of ministry that reflects much of what I think church should be about. I’m greatly encouraged having read this book.

Books on preaching from the Old Testament:

• Jesus on Every Page by David Murray
• Is Jesus in the Old Testament? by Ian M. Duguid
• Joshua: No Falling Words by Dale Ralph Davis

I the summer of 2014, I had my first opportunity to preach a series from the Old Testament. I was thoroughly stretched by the task, and thoroughly enjoyed the whole process. These three books were invaluable to me and left a lasting impression. Whether you preach or not, these were great reads.

The English Language’s master wordsmith:

• The Tempest by William Shakespeare
• King Lear by William Shakespeare
• Othello by William Shakespeare
• Henry V by William Shakespeare
• Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare
• The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
• As You Like It by William Shakespeare
• Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

As your eyes return to their normal position, having rolled back into your skull, and after you pick yourself up from the fetal position that bad memories from highschool English class forced you in to, let me suggest to you that Shakespeare is indeed one of the greats. And, if you’re willing, reading a play or two just might leave you pleasantly surprised. I’m looking forward to more of these in 2015.

The Ortlunds and my top two books of 2014:

• Edwards on the Christian Life by Dane Ortlund
• The Gospel: How the Church Portrays the Beauty of Jesus by Ray Ortlund

This is called keeping it in the family. I cannot say enough about these two books by Ray Ortlund and his son Dane. The Gospel is a heart-warming and soul-stirring look at the gospel and the impact it can have on a church, on the church’s members, and on those the church comes in contact with. Not much more than 100 pages, this book is nevertheless a heavyweight. Readable and memorable, The Gospel left me convicted and convinced; convicted by my lack of gospel-ness and convinced that the gospel can overcome that very shortcoming. Ray writes about the gospel in such a way that Jesus indeed looks beautiful. Get this book. Read it. And then pass it on. Edwards on the Christian Life was a book that I anticipated reading when I first heard it would be added to the Theologians on the Christian Life series. When I finally got my hands on it my expectations were resoundingly surpassed. What a book! If Jonathan Edwards is the theological juggernaut that people suggest – and I believe he is, and if we all should be reading him – and I believe we should, than I cannot think of a better place

to start than this gem. I am no Edwards expert, but I have read several of his “must read” volumes and Dane Ortlund’s book brought much clarity to my understanding of this great theologian and his teaching. And yet, this book would be very accessible and encouraging to those who have never read Edwards. I think I spent as much time writing in the margins and underlining passages as I did actually reading the book. Dane’s style is a pleasure to read and he left me wanting to read more of Edwards. These are two great books for 2014. Now, if I had to choose between the two, I’d tip my hat to the younger of the two Ortlunds. And I'm quite certain Ortlund the elder would approve of that decision. But I suggest you get a copy of both books and let the Ortlunds and their books edify.

80 Tweetable Quotes from Evangelism by J. Mack Stiles

Here is another collection of Tweetable quoted from another book in Crossway/9Marks' series called Building Healthy Churches. This one, Evangelism by J. Mack Stiles, was simply excellent. This was a much needed and timely read for me. This process of collecting Tweetables is a great way for me to review a book and quickly remind myself what it was all about. I hope these are useful for you as well. Enjoy.

1. “Usually the wrong ideas [of evangelism] are based on marketing principles or on human understanding about how to argue someone into the kingdom.” (18)
2. “Much of our problem with evangelism is that we don’t have a big enough view of the church.” (19)
3. “I believe that God loves the world and has a wonderful plan for evangelism: his church.” (19)
4. “There is much room for humility when it comes to evangelism.” (23)
5. “There is no formula that dictates how god must work in evangelism.” (23)
6. “I…will take people practising evangelism as best they can over those who forgo evangelism until they have the perfect practice.” (23)
7. “…the Bible never uses results to guide or justify evangelistic practice.” (24)
8. “…when we set out to practice evangelism, we must start with biblical foundations.” (24)
9. “We must look to [biblical foundations] to shape, guard, and inform how we share our faith rather than looking for a way to gain maximum impact.” (24)
10. “Sadly, what often informs our evangelistic practices is the world…business…self-help section…rather than Scripture.” (25)
11. “…people trade biblical principles for worldly desires and our evangelistic practices get twisted.” (25)
12. “Evangelism is teaching the gospel with the aim to persuade.” (26)
13. “…many churches offer a costless, comfortable, and benefit-giving “gospel” that is found nowhere in Scripture.” (28)
14. “Jesus was engaging, but he never entertained…” (28)
15. History of modern evangelism: “The high-pressure sales job has been replaced by the soft sell of self-help.” (28)
16. “First, there is no evangelism without words.” (29)
17. “J. I. Packer…says that Paul’s method of evangelism was primarily a teaching method.” (30)
18. “Great things happen when we can teach the gospel.” (30)
19. “Being able to teach the gospel benefits our spiritual lives as it makes sure we are living according to gospel themes.” (30)
20. “If you do not know how to teach the gospel, you may not truly understand it.” (30)
21. “…remember that the gospel must be taught before someone can become a Christian.” (31)
22. “We make the gospel too small by thinking it only “gets us saved,” that it is a sort of fire insurance…” (32)”
23. “…the gospel becomes both the door of salvation and the pattern for life.” (32)
24. “Additions to the gospel, however good or good-hearted, corrupt the gospel.” (33)
25. “The hope in evangelism is that we so steep ourselves in gospel truth and gospel living…that the gospel can’t help but come out of us.” (34)
26. “…we don’t just lay out gospel facts academically or haphazardly. We have an aim or direction in our gospel teaching.” (35)
27. “…no one is born a Christian…all Christians are converts.” (36)
28. “…just as we cannot produce conversion, neither can we produce genuine faith.” (37)
29. “We aren’t persuaded in a biblical sense unless we repent, place genuine faith in Jesus, and walk with him.” (38)
30. “Unbiblical evangelism is a method of assisted suicide for a church…” (39)
31. “…if you ask most normal people what hinders their evangelism, the vast majority will tell you it’s fear.” (42)
32. “Evangelize with believing friends who will pull you along.” (42)
33. “…since I believe in the church as the engine of evangelism, we need to develop cultures of evangelism in our local churches…” (42)
34. “It just makes sense to share our faith alongside friends.” (43)
35. “…usually when we think of evangelism in community, we think of evangelistic programs, which is not the same.” (43)
36. As opposed to evangelistic programs, “most people come to faith through… [familiar] Christians intentionally talking about the gospel.” (45)
37. “A strict diet of evangelistic programs produces malnourished evangelism.” (46)
38. “…programs can often make us feel as if we’ve done evangelism, when we haven’t.” (46)
39. “I yearn for a culture of evangelism that never trades confidence n the gospel for confidence in techniques, personalities, or entertainment gimmicks.” (49)
40. “In a culture of evangelism, we don’t mistake entertainment for ministry, or ministry for entertainment.” (51)
41. “We need a culture of evangelism that never sacrifices to the idolatry of entertainment…” (51)
42. “When Paul says that we should see people through the eyes of Christ, he means for us to have a gospel view of people.” (52)
43. “…in a culture of evangelism, most of all we’re mindful of what people can become: new creations in Christ…” (53)
44. “…I long for a culture that remembers what people can become through the gospel.” (53)
45. “I would happily trade all the pizzazz of stunning speakers, mind-blowing music, and…popular…pageants for a culture of evangelism…” (55)
46. “In a culture of evangelism, people carefully teach one another how to share their faith in a biblical way.” (55)
47. “The practice of celebrating evangelistic efforts is…hugely important in developing a culture of evangelism.” (57)
48. “I yearn to be in a church where even evangelistic attempts are championed.” (57)
49. “Even if an evangelistic effort doesn’t lead to a gospel conversation, evangelistic failure is better than not trying evangelism at all.” (57)
50. “I long for a culture of evangelism that is risky in the sense that we’re confronting culture.” (59)
51. “I long for a church that understands that it…is the chosen and best method of evangelism.” (60)
52. “I long for a church that disarms with love, not entertainment…” (60)
53. “I long for a church that…lives out countercultural confidence in the power of the gospel.” (60)
54. “…if you are part of a healthy church that has a culture of evangelism, you are part of the greatest way of evangelism ever known.” (63)
55. “…a culture of evangelism is grassroots, not top-down.” (65)
56. “In a culture of evangelism, people understand the main task of the church is to be the church.” (65)
57. “The question is not, “Do we have a culture of evangelism?” but “Is our culture of evangelism sick or healthy?”” (67)
58. “Every Christian should know what makes a church a church.” (70)
59. “In a culture of evangelism, people who love Jesus work together as instruments in the grand symphony of God’s work.” (81)
60. “…in a maturing culture of evangelism, people trust God to do something bigger than what they see with physical eyes.” (81)
61. “Sometimes we unwittingly motivate congregations with blunt instruments such as guilt.” (85)
62. “[Churches] must use their gatherings to regularly rehearse and think through the gospel…” (85)
63. “It is easy to go from a welcoming church to become a church that jettisons the gospel in its desire to be “friendly.”” (87)
64. “Unfortunately, many churches fall into…heresy when their main concern becomes the non-Christian rather than fidelity to the gospel.” (87)
65. “The quickest route to heresy and error is “relevant” evangelism.” (87)
66. “Good-hearted motivations that try to shape the church for the needs of man and not the glory of god are the death of biblical churches.” (87)
67. “…churches are called to concentrate on God, while individuals are called to be sensitive to seekers.” (87)
68. “…trying to live a moral life is impossible. Living a gospel life is a gift from God.” (89)
69. “If we live gospel-centered lives, we will find ourselves sharing the gospel.” (90)
70. “If you are bored with the gospel, you need to take a deep look at the sin of your heart.” (91)
71. “…if the gospel does not resonate in your heart, check and see that you are truly converted.” (91)
72. “We don’t know whom God is calling to himself. Praying for others keeps us mindful of that.” (96)
73. “Besides teaching and modeling, one of the most important things leaders can do is just talk about evangelism.” (97)
74. “We must deliver the message regardless of the discomfort produced, effort required, and shame endured.” (101)
75. “Ambassadors exist to deliver messages.” (101)
76. “It’s my sense that boldness is the most needed element for evangelism for the Christian community.” (106)
77. “The Bible calls us to remember those who have been brave and faithful, and to follow their example.” (107)
78. “…I’m convinced that sharing our faith, regardless of the response, is a key to spiritual health for the individual and for the community.” (112)
79. “Evangelism is bigger than what we see.” (114)
80. “Sometimes God lets us see tired people transformed into people filled with light. That’s a glorious thing…” (114)

Excerpts from introduction of Church Discipline

I have recently finished reading Jonathan Leeman's excellent book on church discipline aptly titled Church Discipline: How the Church Protects the Name of Jesus. I have gleaned some important ideas and quotes from the book and here I share those that come from the Introduction:

• "Church discipline, both formative and corrective, is an implication of the gospel." (17)

• there is no a formula for formal church discipline, but a theological-framework is suggested

• in regards to details concerning discipline, we must not demand certainty and specifics where none is offered

• God's Word provides BROAD guidelines

• Church discipline is loving, showing love for:
• the individual - giving a warning, encouraging repentance
• the church - weak sheep are protected
• the world - can better see Christ's transforming power
• Christ - upholding his name, being obedient to his commands

• "By abstaining from discipline...we claim we love better than God loves." (23)

• Churches should practice discipline because it:
• is biblical
• is an implication of a well-rounded, robust gospel
• is concerned with promoting the health of the church and its members
• clarifies and shines church's witness to the world
• warns sinners of greater judgment
• protects the name and reputation of Jesus

• "Church discipline, fundamentally, is about making sure that Jesus' representatives on earth represent Jesus and not someone else." (24)

Threats to the gospel by 9Marks

I like this post from 9Marks:

What are the most dangerous threats to the gospel today?

It’s impossible to answer what’s “most” dangerous to the gospel today without God’s knowledge of everything. But here are some prominent threats that loom on the horizon:

1. The prosperity “gospel.” The belief that the gospel is about God making us rich is a lie. Jesus came to save us from sin and reconcile us to God (Rom. 5:10-11; 1 Pet. 3:18), giving us every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3) and promising us suffering in this life and glory in the next (Acts 14:22, Rom. 8:18).
2. The attack on penal, substitutionary atonement. Many people reject the idea that on the cross God punished Jesus for the sins of his people. But to reject this is to reject the heart of the gospel itself (Rom. 3:21-26).
3. The rejection of the wrath of God. People today are extremely uncomfortable with the idea of a holy God who will punish sin. But if we reject the wrath of God we lie to ourselves about the fundamental problem the gospel saves us from (John 3:36; Rom. 1:18; 1 Thess. 1:10).
4. The rejection of sin. Some argue that sin is just an idea that people in power use to make others behave the way they want them to. But the Bible presents sin—and especially God’s wrath against sin—as humanity’s fundamental problem. Reject sin and you’ve rejected our only Savior who “died for our sins” (1 Cor. 15:3).
5. A man-centered view of the universe. We like to think that we run things around here. We like to think that no one can tell us what to do or believe—after all, we have rights! But the Bible presents exactly the opposite picture: we live in God’s universe (Rom. 11:36). He made us (Ps. 100:3). He rules over us (Dan. 4:34-35; 1 Tim. 6:15-16). We either worship him or hate him—and face the consequences (Rom. 1:18, 25; 8:5-8). A man-centered view of the universe is the opposite of the gospel and leaves no room for the gospel.
6. “All paths lead to God.” People like to think that whatever anyone believes is fine so long as they’re sincere. People like to think that God will accept everyone in the end. After all, isn’t he a loving God? But the gospel is a radically exclusive message: Jesus alone is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12, NIV).
7. Other threats: widespread belief in a brand of “tolerance” which, in fact, is not very tolerant but is fundamentally a rejection of universal truth; cultural materialism; nihilism/philosophical unbelief/radical skepticism; the ever-continual attacks on Scripture, even from within the church.

Where is church membership in the Bible?

Jonathan Leeman, in his book Church Membership, explains why finding biblical support for church membership may not be as straightforward a task as we expect:

When people ask, "Where is membership in the bible?" the problem is they're looking for something like a club to join, because the word membership is a club word. Clubs and political parties and labor unions have memberships. But you don't often use the word membership in relation to governments and the citizens of nations. You don't say,"So how's the membership of the British nation doing? Aren't you guys running, like, sixty million members these days?"

Clubs begin with a point of common interest. Service providers begin with a common need or desire. Churches have all this, but they have something more: a king who requires the obedience of his people. The church begins with this fact: Jesus is savior and Lord. He has died on the cross for the sins of everyone who would believe to follow him.

This means the Bible doesn't talk about church membership quite as you might want it to. It talks instead baout how God's people gather together under his supreme rule. It's interested in the citizens of a kingdom, not club members.

(Leeman, Jonathan. Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012. Print. 26)

What should I look for in a local church?

Mark Dever explains some of the most basic components of a healthy church.

 

Love Jesus? Love the church!

Mark Dever explains why those who love Jesus must also love the church.

 

Churches and the breat commission

More from 9Marks on churches and the great commission:

What does the Great Commission require of local churches?

In order to fulfill Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19), churches must:

1. Relentlessly preach the gospel. If a church wants to evangelize the world, it must begin by evangelizing its neighbors. First step: clearly preach the gospel in every public service of the church.
2. Teach people to obey everything Jesus commanded. The Great Commission is a command to make disciples of Jesus, people who follow, imitate, and obey him. Growing disciples make better witnesses.
3. Equip every member to personally evangelize. The pastor can’t be the only evangelist. A church should train and encourage all of its members in evangelism. Hold Sunday School classes that teach evangelism. Highlight evangelistic material (such as Christianity Explored [link]) for use in personal evangelism. Regularly pray with the church for evangelistic efforts.
4. Seek opportunities to partner with missionaries in other nations. Churches should not only strive to evangelize their neighbors but places where Christ is not known (Rom. 15:20). Therefore, seek out partnerships with likeminded brothers and sisters who are already laboring in another country.
5. Pray that God would raise up members who would bring the gospel to other nations. Every church’s situation will be different, but every church should pray that God would raise up some of its own people to pursue foreign missions

Expectations

 More good stuff from 9Marks:

What should a church expect from its members?

A church should expect that its members will:

1. Attend services regularly. Hebrews 10:25 commands Christians not to forsake assembling together. Attending services regularly is one of the basic commitments of membership and one of the basic ways that a church member can grow in the faith, get to know other Christians, and allow the church leaders to shepherd and watch over his life.
2. Attend communion particularly. Members should strive to be present when Christ’s death is commemorated and the church’s unity is displayed in communion.
3. Attend members’ meetings consistently (if the church is congregational). This is when the church makes decisions as a church that affect the whole church.
4. Pray regularly. If your church has a membership directory, consider encouraging members to use it as a prayer list.
5. Give regularly. The apostle Paul writes, “One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches” (Gal. 6:6).
6. Build relationships with other members. Being a member in a local church is like being a hand or an eye (1 Cor. 12:21). You can’t function without all the other parts of the body. Just as a body functions when each part does its job and works together with all the other members, a local church is built up into maturity in Christ as the members minister in an intimately interrelated way  (Eph. 4:15-16, 1 Cor. 12:12-26). So a church should expect that its members will build relationships with other members.
7. Submit to the church’s leaders. The Scripture says, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you” (Heb. 13:17).
8. Serve as God gives opportunity. God has given spiritual gifts to every member of the body of Christ so that everyone would use his or her gifts to build up the entire body (1 Cor. 12:7). A church should expect that all of its members will serve the whole church as God enables.

(Some of this material has been adapted from Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever, pages 161-163)

Disagreeing with your pastor?

Helpful stuff from 9Marks:

What should I do if I disagree with something my pastor said?

1. Pray for humility and understanding.
2. Ask a trusted, godly friend who knows the Bible well about the statement. Listen to their explanation and be open to the possibility that you either misunderstood, or that the statement the pastor made is biblically correct and you’re the one whose thinking needs to adjust.
3. In choosing a “trusted, godly friend,” chose someone who you know is a friend to the pastor, and will exercise his or her own tongue to protect and love the pastor. Choose someone who is known for being eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Do not speak to someone who would be tempted to suspect the pastor, or would delight in disunity, or would be naively led astray by doubts.
4. If you still have questions or concerns, then gently, humbly ask your pastor to explain what he meant.
5. After patiently hearing your pastor’s explanation of what he meant, you may find that you still disagree with what he said. If this happens, what you should probably do is humbly accept that you see things differently at this point, resolve to keep your disagreement to yourself, thank God for all the ways he has used this man’s teaching in the lives of many, and cheerfully continue to submit to your pastor’s leadership and profit from his teaching.
6. However, in rare cases, you might find that you disagree so strongly with something your pastor teaches, or that you disagree on a matter of such consequence, that it would hinder you from contentedly submitting to his leadership. In a case like this it may be best to quietly, lovingly find another church after discussing your intent to leave with the pastor.

Preparing children for church

From the 9Marks blog:

The following is a guest post from Brian Croft. Brian serves as the senior pastor of Auburndale Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to contributing to the 9Marks blog, Brian also writes regularly on his own blog at www.practicalshepherding.com. Brian is married to Cara, and they have four children.

How can a pastor prepare his children for worship service on Sunday?

At our church, we encourage our parents to spend the week preparing their children for the public gathering on Sunday. We do so by giving them the passage that will be preached the next Sunday, and sometimes a mid-week email with more details about the sermon and the content of the service to provide more guidance.

Through this being our aim for every family in our church, I have realized there exists a special opportunity for the pastor to prepare his family for Sunday services. The pastor has a more detailed knowledge about the content of the upcoming services and most importantly…the sermon, than anyone else in the church. He is the one preaching. He is typically the one planning services. I try to use this unique opportunity to prepare my family for worship in these few specific ways:

1) Family Worship always includes in some way the reading of the passage that I will preach so we can begin discussions about it with my children that carry throughout the week. Because I have the unique knowledge of the direction of my sermon, I am able to lead the discussion in such a way that prepares them to hear the Word preached on Sunday.

2) As I individually read and pray with each of my children throughout the week (See this previous post), I also get to dialogue with them as individuals about the passage I am preaching and can ask probing questions that fit their specific maturity as they look forward to sitting under the preached Word on Sunday.

3) Because I eventually know what songs will be sung, I find it helpful, especially with young children who cannot yet read well, to sing a song or two in family worship throughout the week that will be sung on that upcoming Lord’s Day. My children seem to sing more confidently and have a greater sense of participation when Sunday comes.

Pastors, we have the gift of this knowledge because of the role we play. Whether you heed my suggestions or not, please take full advantage in some way of the unique position you have to better prepare your family to gather with the church on Sunday. Your family will feel more cared for and you will be setting an excellent example to the husbands and fathers in your congregation who seek to follow your example…as they should and will.

Threats to the gospel

From the 9Marks websites comes a consideration of the threats to the gospel in our time. Well worth your contemplation.

What are the most dangerous threats to the gospel today?

It’s impossible to answer what’s “most” dangerous to the gospel today without God’s knowledge of everything. But here are some prominent threats that loom on the horizon:

1. The prosperity “gospel.” The belief that the gospel is about God making us rich is a lie. Jesus came to save us from sin and reconcile us to God (Rom. 5:10-11; 1 Pet. 3:18), giving us every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3) and promising us suffering in this life and glory in the next (Acts 14:22, Rom. 8:18).
2. The attack on penal, substitutionary atonement. Many people reject the idea that on the cross God punished Jesus for the sins of his people. But to reject this is to reject the heart of the gospel itself (Rom. 3:21-26).
3. The rejection of the wrath of God. People today are extremely uncomfortable with the idea of a holy God who will punish sin. But if we reject the wrath of God we lie to ourselves about the fundamental problem the gospel saves us from (John 3:36; Rom. 1:18; 1 Thess. 1:10).
4. The rejection of sin. Some argue that sin is just an idea that people in power use to make others behave the way they want them to. But the Bible presents sin—and especially God’s wrath against sin—as humanity’s fundamental problem. Reject sin and you’ve rejected our only Savior who “died for our sins” (1 Cor. 15:3).
5. A man-centered view of the universe. We like to think that we run things around here. We like to think that no one can tell us what to do or believe—after all, we have rights! But the Bible presents exactly the opposite picture: we live in God’s universe (Rom. 11:36). He made us (Ps. 100:3). He rules over us (Dan. 4:34-35; 1 Tim. 6:15-16). We either worship him or hate him—and face the consequences (Rom. 1:18, 25; 8:5-8). A man-centered view of the universe is the opposite of the gospel and leaves no room for the gospel.
6. “All paths lead to God.” People like to think that whatever anyone believes is fine so long as they’re sincere. People like to think that God will accept everyone in the end. After all, isn’t he a loving God? But the gospel is a radically exclusive message: Jesus alone is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12, NIV).

Other threats: widespread belief in a brand of “tolerance” which, in fact, is not very tolerant but is fundamentally a rejection of universal truth; cultural materialism; nihilism/philosophical unbelief/radical skepticism; the ever-continual attacks on Scripture, even from within the church.

Disagreeing with your pastor

More good advice from 9Marks:

What should I do if I disagree with something my pastor said?

1. Pray for humility and understanding.
2. Ask a trusted, godly friend who knows the Bible well about the statement. Listen to their explanation and be open to the possibility that you either misunderstood, or that the statement the pastor made is biblically correct and you’re the one whose thinking needs to adjust.
3. In choosing a “trusted, godly friend,” chose someone who you know is a friend to the pastor, and will exercise his or her own tongue to protect and love the pastor. Choose someone who is known for being eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Do not speak to someone who would be tempted to suspect the pastor, or would delight in disunity, or would be naively led astray by doubts.
4. If you still have questions or concerns, then gently, humbly ask your pastor to explain what he meant.
5. After patiently hearing your pastor’s explanation of what he meant, you may find that you still disagree with what he said. If this happens, what you should probably do is humbly accept that you see things differently at this point, resolve to keep your disagreement to yourself, thank God for all the ways he has used this man’s teaching in the lives of many, and cheerfully continue to submit to your pastor’s leadership and profit from his teaching.
6. However, in rare cases, you might find that you disagree so strongly with something your pastor teaches, or that you disagree on a matter of such consequence, that it would hinder you from contentedly submitting to his leadership. In a case like this it may be best to quietly, lovingly find another church after discussing your intent to leave with the pastor.

Church Membership

I liked this from 9Marks.org:

Where do we see church membership in the New Testament?

1. Matthew 18:15-17: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault…if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you…If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” The ability to exclude someone from “the church” presupposes that it’s known who belongs to “the church” as a member in the first place.

2. Acts 5:12-13: “Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.” So, people faced the decision of whether or not they would join the church in Jerusalem. This joining is more public and definite than an informal association.

3. In 1 Timothy 5:9-12, Paul gives Timothy instructions for enrolling widows on the list of those receiving support from the church. He writes, “Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation for good works…” While this isn’t conclusive evidence for formal church membership, it’s tough to imagine that the church in Ephesus would have kept a list of widows but not have any formal means of identifying everyone who belonged to the church.

4. 1 Corinthians 5:12-13: “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside.” Paul called upon the Corinthian church to judge those who were inside the church, not those who were outside. They were responsible for the testimony of those who belonged to the church, not those who didn’t. This passage makes no sense if the Corinthian church didn’t have some public, formal means by which people identified themselves with the church.

5. 2 Corinthians 2:6: Paul writes concerning a man the Corinthian church had excommunicated, “For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.” This man’s exclusion from the church was a punishment by the majority. You can’t have a majority unless you have a definite set of people from which a majority is constituted.

(Much of this material has been adapted from Michael McKinley’s article, “Church Membership and the NCLHGA”)

Reconciliation presupposes somebody is mad at me!

From the 9Marks Blog comes this excerpt from an article by Greg Gilbert:

I’m not going to make a sustained case for penal substitutionary atonement here. I and others have done that elsewhere, over and over and over again. I will, however, assert (again) that penal substitution is not just one more image of the cross among many, from which buffet we may pick and choose depending on what we think will communicate best at any given moment. It is, rather, the underlying reality upon which all the other images depend and are built. So, you say you prefer to talk about the cross in terms of reconciliation instead of penal substitution? Great. All I ask is that you be honest about it and trace that image all the way down. Why, for starters, is reconciliation needed in the first place? Don't tell me you can avoid talking about anger by talking about reconciliation---reconciliation presupposes that somebody is mad at somebody else. So then, is reconciliation needed because we are angry at God, or is it because God is angry at us? And exactly how is reconciliation with an angry God effected at the cross? Is it by something other than Jesus taking the wrath that was owed to us, becoming a curse for us, the just dying for the unjust? You see? You can talk about “the Bible looking at the cross from a multiplicity of perspectives” all you want, but all those perspectives, when you trace them down, come right back to Jesus taking the punishment his people deserved—that is, to penal substitution. And if you argue for something short of that, you are missing the point of the cross, and therefore of the gospel, entirely. (Of course you can—and people have—simply made up a few perspectives that don’t trace back down to penal substitution. But that’s beside the point. We’re talking about biblical images here.)

Read the entire article here. Really, read it!

Seminaries don’t make pastors, churches do.

I found the following at 9Marks:

Seminaries don’t make pastors, churches do.

You’ll hear someone at 9Marks say that if you hang around us long enough. In this issue of the eJournal, we try to put some flesh on this basic idea.

Mark Dever considers why the local church is uniquely equipped and commissioned to the work of raising up future pastors. Then he offers some practical advice for every pastor and church for doing this work, whether or not they have the resources for an internship program. Both seminary presidents and pastors offer their sentiments in a couple of 9Marks forums. And one of John MacArthur’s associate pastors, Nathan Busenitz, tells the story of how Grace Community Church decided to plant a seminary within the church.

Next, we asked three different churches how they formally mentor future pastors. We hope this might give our pastor readers a few ideas they can adopt, as God provides the opportunity. And our goal is the same for the last section where we feature a number of church-affiliated programs. Maybe a church will start its own program; maybe it will sponsor a student though one of the programs listed here.

This issue does not contain the longer, more theological articles that we often include (we will in the future!), but here’s the very simple point we hope you catch: God primarily calls and equips men for the pastorate as pastors faithfully shepherd and disciple their own congregations. If you don’t read anything else, catch this point in the first three paragraphs of Dever’s second interview below

You can find the links to the interview here.