Category Archives: Pastoral Ministry

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3 Diaries Every Pastor Should Read

Pastors and Reading

Several years ago it was a normal practice to ask Christian friends to reflect upon what things stirred their affections for God.

It was always fun to see how, in God’s creative providence, there were several things which received almost universal mention: beholding God’s glory in creation, the power of music to move the soul, and stirring effect of spiritual conversation with godly brothers and sisters in Christ.

WHAT STIRS YOU TO HOLINESS?

One wrinkle I now add to the conversation started is this: “What things stir your soul to pursue holiness?” Having your affections stirred for God and soul stirred for holiness are not mutually exclusive realities, but they are distinct nonetheless.

You know what might just be the most common thing I’m told that stirs people to pursue holiness? Reading Christian biography and the journals of mighty saints.

There is a peculiar power in reading about God’s “oaks of righteousness” from centuries gone by. And the Bible actually tells us why. Philippians 3:17 says, “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” Notice that Paul doesn’t merely say keep your eyes Christ or His apostles. He says, “Keep your eyes on anyone that follows the Christ-centered apostolic example.” Here then is a principle for life: wherever you see a life lived in the ­power of Christ, according to the word of Christ, for the glory of Christ, “keep your eyes on that life.”

And that’s exactly what we get to do with Christian biography and old diaries. You can check out my previous post to see my recommendations on “Biographies Every Pastor Should Read“, so let me today suggest three diaries that will encourage you unto holiness.

3 DIARIES EVERY PASTOR SHOULD READ

9780851519548The Diary and Journal of David Brainerd edited by Jonathan Edwards. In the mid-18th century David Brainerd took the gospel to various Indian tribes in New England. His self-denial, courage through suffering, and holiness of life were the stuff of legend. He eventually crossed paths with Jonathan Edwards and even died in the Edwards home of tuberculosis. After his death Edwards edited Brainerd’s diary and journal for publication, and it created a firestorm of mission activity. Brainerd’s short words inspired such missionaries as William Carey, Henry Martyn, Robert Morrison, David Livingstone, and Robert Murray M’Cheyne in the nineteenth century and Jim Elliot in the twentieth. Edwards wrote in his preface to the diary, “In twenty-nine years David Brainerd (1718-1747) made a deeper and more lasting impression on the world in which he lived than most men make in a long lifetime.”

EdwardsThe Diary of Jonathan Edwards.I will grant I am somewhat biased on this work. Few things have been as used to God to so immediately change my life as Edwards’ diary entries. No one has yet published the diary by itself, so you’ll have to either read it online or spend some precious pennies on Volume 1 of his collected works. You’ll never regret the purchase. It’s here you will discover his famous Resolutions and find your soul transfixed by his single-minded pursuit of godliness. Edwards’ diary paints a compelling picture about the role of God’s beauty and an eternal perspective in “striving for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”

0851510841mMemoir and Remains of Robert Murray M’Cheyne by Andrew Bonar. The circulation of this work underscores the timeless allure of M’Cheyne. First published in 1844, within twenty-five years it went through one hundred and sixteen English editions. In 1910 it was estimated that, including translations into other languages, not less than half a million copies were in circulation. M’Cheyne’s diary is not as long as the other two, but it is has an atomic force of pithy gravity. It’s here the reader is invited into the mind and “Personal Reformation” of a man so holy that people were known to weep at just the sight of his godly countenance.

Spurgeon, in a lecture to his pastoral students, said, “Read McChyene’s Memoir, read the whole of it, I cannot do you a better service than by recommending you to read it; there is no great freshness of though, there is nothing novel or striking in it, but as you read it, you must get good out of it, for you are conscious that it is the story of the life of a man who walked with God.”

Check out my past suggestions in the “3 Books Every Pastor Should Read” series here.

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In Need of a Good Commentary?

We just wrapped up a ten-month series in Mark and will soon move on, Lord willing, to a study of Job. And so I find myself in a grand stage of sermon prep when hefty shipments of commentaries land on the doorstep.

Nothing shakes the book budget like starting a new sermon series, for good commentaries are no cheap addition to one’s library. Discerning which resources are worth the cash money can be difficult for preachers young and old. Thus, it is always good to have a few friends on speed dial when deciding on which commentaries to purchase. Here are a few companions I have found most helpful:

COMMENTING ON COMMENTARIES

9780801039911mOld Testament Commentary Survey by Tremper Longman. Even though Longman has, in the past decade, gone too far in questioning things like the historicity of Adam his survey of OT resources is still quite useful. The publisher says, “The fifth edition has been updated to assess the most recently published commentaries, providing evaluative comments. Longman lists a number of works available for each book of the Old Testament, gives a brief indication of their emphases and viewpoints, and evaluates them.”

9780801039904mNew Testament Commentary Survey by D.A. Carson. Carson’s survey is an absolute must have for every pastor. Exactly how the man continues to publish individual works, teach, preach, and still stay up to date on the most recent works published on each NT book is beyond me. The man is, flat out, a gospel-drenched machine. If you are soon to preach a series on any New Testament book, buy Carson’s survey before you purchase anything else.

Keith Mathison’s Top 5 Commentaries on Every Book of the Bible. Mathison is academic dean and professor of systematic theology at Reformation Bible College. He is author of many books, including From Age to Age: The Unfolding of Biblical Eschatology and a personal favorite on the Lord’s Supper entitled, Given for You: Reclaiming Calvin’s Doctrine of the Lord’s Supper. A few years ago he started a series of posts over at Ligonier on the top five commentaries on particular books of the Bible and I find myself rarely disagreeing with his assessments. If you are looking for quick hit, trustworthy recommendations Mathison is a fantastic friend to consult.

Challies’ Best Commentaries on Each Book of the Bible. Challies writes, “Over the past couple of years I have focused on building a collection of commentaries that will include only the best volumes on each book of the Bible. I know when I’m in way over my head, so before I began I collected every good resource I could find that rated and reviewed commentaries. I studied them and then began my collection on the basis of what the experts told me. Since I did all of that work, and since I continue to keep up with the project, I thought it might be helpful to share the recommendations.” His focus, admittedly, is on recent publications, but it is nonetheless helpful in synthesizing the various recommendations of conservative evangelical scholars. Very useful.

Commenting & Commentaries by Spurgeon. If you’ve never used it before, spend some time with Commenting and Commentaries for two reasons: 1) Spurgeon will point you to valuable and lesser known commentaries from centuries gone by, and 2) his remarks are pointing and often funny. Consider what he says about Caryl’s infamous work on Job, “Caryl must have inherited the patience of Job to have completed his stupendous task (it took Caryl over twenty years to get through the book). It would be a mistake to suppose that he is at all prolix or redundant; he is only full. In the course of his expounding he has illustrated a very large portion of the whole Bible with great clearness and power. He is deeply devotional and spiritual. He gives us much, but none too much. His work can scarcely be superseded or surpassed.”

It’s a notable Scripture (Heb. 13:7) to show that the ministers of the Word should be eminent in their conversations every way, and that all those to whom they speak the Word of God should see in their conversations the beauty and excellency of the Word of God they speak to them, for people look at the lives of ministers as well as listen to their words. It is not good enough only to be a good man in the pulpit unless it is in the constant way of their conversations. – Jeremiah Burroughs

Gospel Conversation, 35.
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The Best Way to Serve Your Pastor

Pray for Your Pastor

What is the single best thing church members can do for their pastor? Pray for them.

Any other answer—encourage, attend, serve, give, etc.—are flickering candles when compared to the sun-blazing power of prayer.

The great apostle knew full well the power of prayer. He appealed to the Romans “by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf.” He begged the Ephesians to pray “also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Pastors need the prayers of their people to not only survive in ministry but thrive in faithfulness and fruitfulness.

How to Pray for Your Pastor

I imagine few church members need any convincing of the simple point that pastors need their prayers. Yet, at least in my experience, while convinced of the need to pray for their pastors, church members often think, “What exactly should I pray for?” Of course, the easiest way to find out his prayer needs is to simply ask. Another thing a caring church member could do is peruse the Pastorals and pray for God to give what He commands of pastors. But life is busy and demands are many, so I decided to go ahead and put that list together.

Here then is a list of things you could pray for your pastor and be simultaneously certain of two things: 1) they are in accord with God’s will, and 2) they are things a healthy pastor always desires. Pray that:

  • He would warn against false doctrine (1 Tim. 1:3-4).
  • He would do all things in love that flows from a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith (1 Tim. 1:5).
  • He wages the good warfare and not reject his conscience (1 Tim. 1:18-19).
  • He would be active in prayer (1 Tim. 2:1-5).
  • He would be above reproach,  sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, and hospitable (1 Tim. 3:2).
  • He would increase in his ability to teach (1 Tim. 3:2).
  • He would not give himself to drunkenness, violence, quarrels, or the love of money (1 Tim. 3:3).
  • He would love his wife after the model of Christ and faithfully lead his children (1 Tim. 3:4-5).
  • He would train himself for godliness (1 Tim. 4:7).
  • He would set his hope in the living God (1 Tim. 4:10).
  • He would be exemplary in speech, conduct, and purity (1 Tim. 4:12).
  • He would devote himself to reading Scripture and preaching Scripture (1 Tim. 4:13).
  • He would not neglect his gift (1 Tim. 4:14).
  • He would keep a close watch on himself and the teaching (1 Tim. 4:16).
  • He would do nothing from partiality (1 Tim. 5:21).
  • He would not be hasty in decision-making (1 Tim. 5:22).
  • He would grow in contentment (1 Tim. 6:6).
  • He would flee sin and pursue righteousness, steadfastness, and gentleness (1 Tim. 6:11).
  • He would take hold of the assurance of eternal life in Christ (1 Tim. 6:12).
  • He would warn against worldliness and the vanity of money (1 Tim. 6:17).
  • He would guard the gospel (1 Tim. 6:20).
  • He would not be ashamed of the gospel (2 Tim. 1:8).
  • He would joyfully suffer for the gospel (2 Tim. 1:8).
  • He would be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 2:1).
  • He would be active in discipling (2 Tim. 2:2).
  • He would gain wisdom in everything (2 Tim. 2:7).
  • He would rightly handle the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15).
  • He would avoid gossip (2 Tim. 2:16).
  • He would pursue peace (2 Tim. 2:22).
  • He would have nothing to do with foolish controversies (2 Tim. 2:23).
  • He would be kind to everyone (2 Tim. 2:24).
  • He would patiently endure evil (2 Tim. 2:24).
  • He would correct with gentleness (2 Tim. 2:25).
  • He would avoid false teachers (2 Tim. 3:5).
  • He would preach the word (2 Tim. 4:2).
  • He would always be ready with the truth (2 Tim. 4:2).
  • He would reprove, rebuke, and exhort with patience and clarity (2 Tim. 4:2).
  • He would be active in evangelism (2 Tim. 2:5).
  • He would be disciplined (Titus 1:8).
  • He would hold firm to sound doctrine (Titus 1:9).
  • His teaching would be saturated with sound doctrine (Titus 2:1).
  • He would disciple all generations to godliness (Titus 2:2-10).
  • He would lead with confidence (Titus 2:15).
  • He would disciple church members to be ready for every good work (Titus 3:1-8).
  • He would be wise in church discipline (Titus 3:10-11).

Take those 45 points and just pray for a few each day. You’ll never know the life it will bring to his soul and to your church as a whole.

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Sound Counsel to a Young Pastor

When Robert Murray M’Cheyne went on an exploratory trip to Israel for his denomination he chose a young 24 year old named William Chalmers Burns to be the interim pastor.

PASTORAL COUNSEL FOR THE AGES

mccheyneUnable to see Burns face to face one last time before his departure M’Cheyne sent a letter full of sober-minded counsel to the man God would use to bring revival among his beloved congregation. M’Cheyne’s advice is timeless and timely for every pastor, no matter his season of ministry:

Take heed to thyself. Your own soul is your first and greatest care. You know a sound body alone can work with power; much more a healthy soul. Keep a clear conscience through the blood of the Lamb. Keep up close communion with God. Study likeness to Him in all things. Read the Bible for your own growth first, then for your people. Expound much; it is through the truth that souls are to be sanctified, not through essays upon the truth. Be easy of access, apt to teach, and the Lord teach you and bless you in all you do and say. You will not find many companions. Be the more with God.

A sound target full of biblical wisdom.

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A Festival, Not a Funeral

Good FridayFor the last few weeks I’ve been preaching through Mark 15 and the events of Good Friday. Sadness and loss imbued the first century followers of Christ as our Lord was rejected, beaten, mocked, and killed.

And there is a sense in which such emotions are appropriate for the 21st century Christian. But they ought to never dominate our thinking of Good Friday. Why? For we know how the story ends! We know the fulness of what Christ did on that cross in a way the 1st century participants did not immediately comprehend.

With typical eloquence, Spurgeon encouraged his people to see Good Friday more as a festival, than a funeral:

The Lord of life and glory was nailed to the accursed tree. He died by the act of guilty men. We, by our sins, crucified the Son of God.

We might have expected that, in remembrance of his death, we should have been called to a long, sad, rigorous fast. Do not many men think so even today? See how they observe Good Friday, a sad, sad day to many; yet our Lord has never enjoined our keeping such a day, or bidden us to look back upon his death under such a melancholy aspect.

Instead of that, having passed out from under the old covenant into the new, and resting in our risen Lord, who once was slain, we commemorate his death by a festival most joyous. It came over the Passover, which was a feast of the Jews; but unlike that feast, which was kept by unleavened bread, this feast is brimful of joy and gladness. It is composed of bread and of wine, without a trace of bitter herbs, or anything that suggests sorrow and grief. …

The memorial of Christ’s death is a festival, not a funeral.”1

The takeaway for preachers? Let joy permeate your spirit when you proclaim the glories of Calvary. Be reverent, not flippant. But don’t be dour as though you have come to a funeral. The opposite is true, you have come to the soul’s festival of salvation.

  1. The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit No. 2248, “Sad Fasts Changed to Glad Feasts.” ↩
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An Awful Weapon

mccheyneAlthough he only lived until the age of 29, Robert Murray M’Cheyne left a timeless collection of writings on which countless Christians have fed for over 150 years.

But his writings cannot compare to the holiness his life preached every week.

Undoubtedly the most pastorally encouraging and challenging book I’ve read in recent memory is David Beaty’s An All Surpassing Fellowship: Learning from Robert Murray M’Cheyne’s Communion with God. In it he offers the following reflection:

M’Cheyne believed that ministers, especially, should pursue and give evidence of holy lives. To Rev. Dan Edwards, he wrote, ‘Remember you are God’s sword, – His instrument, – I trust a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name. In great measure, according to the purity of perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.’ To another pastor, he wrote, ‘Study universal holiness of life. Your whole usefulness depends on this, for your sermons last but an hour or two, your life preaches all the week.’

Dear pastor, give yourself to this study. Spend His energy (Col. 1:28) striving for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord (Heb. 12:14). That is what your people need more than anything else.

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Have a Plan – Pt. 2

Praying Pastors 2

Last week I encouraged pastors to read through the entire Bible at least once a year. One of your best friends in such an endeavor will be a Bible reading plan. Ministers of the word must plan to read the word.

The same thing goes with that other half of pastoral ministry: prayer.

IN NEED OF A PLANNED TIME

Carson makes this point with typical verve in A Call to Spiritual Reformation when he writes,

Much praying is not done because we do not plan to pray. We do not drift into spiritual life; we do not drift into disciplined prayer. We will not grow in prayer unless we plan to pray. That means we must self-consciously set aside time to do nothing but pray.

Pastor, do you have such set aside time?

Carson’s quote reveals the first part of planning to pray: our schedule must include regular times devoted to nothing but prayer. If that is a universal rule of wisdom, the uniqueness then comes in when each pastor looks at his own schedule and discerns when such times are right. My recommendation is to schedule three blocks of time per day – morning, afternoon, and evening – with one devoted to extended prayer. I personally find I am best suited for extended prayer in the afternoon.

IN NEED OF A PLANNED LIST

To ensure that set aside time is productive the ordinary pastor will need a prayer list. Thus, the second part of planning to pray is: our devoted prayer times will need a prayer list to protect faithfulness in the various areas of biblical prayer.We all know how hard this is. Some major in confession, others intercession, yet others thanksgiving, and oh so many more in simple petition. But we want to – and need to – do all those things everyday! A straightforward list is necessary here. Everyone’s system will be different, but you will need a system. I encourage pastors to have a list with specific categories. Here are the categories I typically pray through:

  • Personal
  • Family
  • Pastoral Ministry
  • Church Life
  • Intercession

I then take those categories and subdivide them into areas of praise/thanksgiving, confession, petition, and intercession. As much as possible I try to update these lists at least once a week. That way, whenever I enter the closet for an extended time of prayer I am never short of items to focus my attention. In fact, if you are good with updating your list and categories I think you will soon figure out how easy it is to pray in an extended manner. And when you reach that point you are heading in the right direction.

So make a a plan and get to praying this day . . . and don’t forget your church directory!

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A Series Worth Serious Investment: Vol. 3

Pastors and Reading

Among the many words one can use to describe D.A. Carson “prolific” is quite a good one.

This servant of God has published standard commentaries on Matthew and John, a perennial bestseller in the seminaries, a slim volume every pastor should own, and as good a book on prayer as you will find.

A MAGISTERIAL SERIES IN THE MAKING

What some people don’t know however is that Carson is in the midst of editing a marvelous series published by IVP titled New Studies in Biblical Theology. The series’ aim is to

. . . address key issues in the discipline of biblical theology. Contributions to the series focus on one or more of three areas: (1) the nature and status of biblical theology, including its relations with other disciplines (e.g. historical theology, exegesis, systematic theology, historical criticism, narrative theology); (2) the articulation and exposition of the structure of thought of a particular biblical writer or corpus; and (3) the delineation of a biblical theme across all or part of the biblical corpora.

Above all, these monographs are creative attempts to help thinking Christians understand their Bibles better. The series aims simultaneously to instruct and to edify, to interact with the current literature, and to point the way ahead.

If you’ve got the ability to do so, buy the whole set of 26 (more are on the way) over at WTS Books and get reading. If not, here are few individual titles well worth your money and study.1

A PLACE TO START

0830826157Dominion and Dynasty: A Study in Old Testament Theology by Stephen Dempster. Christian theologians rarely study the Old Testament in its final Hebrew canonical form, even though this was very likely the Bible used by Jesus and the early church. However, once read as a whole, the larger structure of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) provides a “wide-angle lens” through which its contents can be viewed.

In this stimulating exposition, Stephen G. Dempster argues that, despite its undoubted literary diversity, the Hebrew Bible possesses a remarkable structural and conceptual unity. The various genres and books are placed within a comprehensive narrative framework which provides an overarching literary and historical context. The many texts contribute to this larger text, and find their meaning and significance within its story of “dominion and dynasty,” which ranges from Adam to the Son of Man to David, and to a coming Davidic king.

0830826114mSalvation to the Ends of the Earth: A Biblical Theology of Mission by Andreas Kostenberger and Peter O’Brien. Few biblical topics are as important as mission. Mission is linked inextricably to humanity’s sinfulness and need for redemption, and to God’s provision of salvation in the person and work of Jesus Christ. This “good news” of salvation must be made known! The saving mission of Jesus constitutes the foundation for Christian mission, and the Christian gospel is its message. According to Andreas Köstenberger and Peter O’Brien, this significant theme has rarely been given its due attention in biblical theology.

Motivated by their passion to see God’s mission carried out in today’s world, they offer a comprehensive study of the theme of mission. In Salvation to the Ends of the Earth they explore the entire sweep of biblical history, including the Old Testament, the second-temple period, each New Testament Gospel, Paul and his writings, and the General Epistles and Revelation.

9780830826018mPossessed by God: A New Testament Theology of Sanctification and Holiness by David Peterson. David Peterson challenges the common assumption that the New Testament views sanctification as primarily a process. He argues that its emphasis falls upon sanctification as a definitive event, “God’s way of taking possession of us in Christ, setting us apart to belong to him and to fulfill his purpose for us.” Simply to identify sanctification with growth and holiness, he contends, obscures the emphasis and balance of New Testament teaching and creates unrealistic expectations.  Throughout this study Peterson builds his case on the careful exegesis of relevant passages, with a keen eye for the pastoral implications of his findings.

0830826181mTemple and the Church’s Mission: Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God by G.K. Beale. In this comprehensive study, G. K. Beale argues that the Old Testament tabernacle and temples were symbolically designed to point to the end-time reality that God’s presence, formerly limited to the Holy of Holies, would be extended throughout the cosmos. Hence, John’s vision in Revelation 21 is best understood as picturing the new heavens and earth as the eschatological temple.

Beale’s stimulating exposition traces the theme of the tabernacle and temple across the Bible’s story-line, illuminating many texts and closely-related themes along the way. He shows how the significance and symbolism of the temple can be better understood in the context of ancient Near Eastern assumptions, and offers new insights into the meaning of the temple in both Old and New Testaments.

0830826211mShepherds After My Own Heart: Pastoral Traditions and Leadership in the Bible by Timothy Laniak. Most of Israel’s pastoral imagery is grounded in two traditions: Moses as God’s under-shepherd and David as shepherd-king. These traditions, explains author Timothy S. Laniak, provided prototypes for leaders that followed, and formed the background for the ministry of Jesus, the good shepherd. The pastoral role was central to the ongoing life of local churches in the Christian movement, and today’s pastors are still called to be shepherds after God’s own heart, to lead his people, living on the margins of settled society, to their eternal home.

In this excellent study, Laniak draws on a wide range of Old and New Testament texts to develop the biblical theology of “shepherd” imagery, and concludes with some principles and implications for contemporary pastoral ministry. A wonderful resource for pastors, teachers and seminary students, as well as readers interested in the study of biblical imagery.

Click here to see previous entries in the “A Series Worth Serious Investment” series.

  1. All following descriptions are taken from the publisher. ↩
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Have a Plan

The Pastor and His Bible

Faithful preachers are Bible men. When they answer questions about spiritual things Scripture begins to flow in the most natural manner. When they prepare sermons a repository of truth is available at a second’s notice. Like Bunyan, you merely need to poke ’em to see their Bibline blood.

Because assumptions are dangerous and I have no empirical data to render the brief encouragement moot, let me say this: every pastor must read his entire Bible at least once every year.

“New law!” you cry. No, that’s probably just the Worm talking. Psalm 119-esque delight in God’s word is at the heart my exhortation. The longevity of your ministry, in a very real sense, depends on your faithfulness to daily saturate your soul in the whole counsel. Sure, you can minister for a long time and disregard my exhortation, but I’d have no reason to expect those decades to be healthy.

Very early in pastoral ministry I read an old copy of the Doctor’s Preaching and Preachers and my ministry has never been the same. He said,

Read your bible systematically. The danger is to read at random, and that means that one tends to be reading only one’s favorite passages. In other words one fails to read the whole bible. I cannot emphasize too strongly the vital importance of reading the whole Bible. . . . One of the most fatal habits a preacher can ever fall into is to read his Bible simply in order to find texts for sermons. This is the real danger; it must be recognized and fought and resisted with all your might. Do not read the bible to find texts for sermons, read it because it is the food that God has provided for your soul, because it is the Word of God, because it is the means whereby you can get to know God. Read it because it is the bread of life, the manna provided for your soul’s nourishment and well-being. (183-184)

I found great wisdom in that advice, printed off M’Cheyne’s reading plan, and read the whole Bible systematically. The practice has become life and light for my soul. I bet it would do the same for you. Tolle lege!