Twenty-three

The Bible Study

“You take the Bible way too literally for me. I am

shopping around and I know Miller Avenue isn’t my

kind of church. I am not interested in what happened

to a bunch of Jews a long time ago.”

Absolutely correct, Miller Avenue would not work

for this person. Should I change to accommodate him?

Should I suddenly become “liberal” so that I might

get this person into a pew?

         

The early Christians were devoted to the “apostles’

teaching”. (See Acts 2:42) At that point in the

history of the Church it would have meant a devotion

to the words and deeds of Jesus as well as to the entire

Hebrew Scripture, the Old Testament. In our time we

look to our Bible, the Old and New testaments, for the

apostles’ teaching.

What an incredible document the Bible is, a neverending

supply of wisdom and grace. The Bible is God’s

very word that the Holy Spirit helps us to understand.

The Bible is a book about Jesus, His past, His present,

and His future. However, it is “spiritually hidden” from

the unconverted and often mysterious to the converted

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so the ministry of exposing the Bible is indeed a critical

one.

Since 1968 I have had the blessed privilege of

teaching a Tuesday night Bible study. The name of

my little television program is “The Bible Study”. In

both cases I teach verse by verse, starting from where

I left off and ending wherever we happen to be when

time runs out.

Preparation for the Bible study is nearly as

extensive as for the sermon. The actual Bible study

lasts for one and a half hours while the television

program is only one half hour. My study for the

television program is simply a perusal of the material

from the Bible study, and that is usually not much more

than a few notes in the margins of my study Bible.

Most often the Bible study takes place in my living

room. At times it has been conducted in the church

building. It is informal and as relaxed as I can make it.

Sometimes I have hot water ready for coffee, tea, or

otherwise, with some cookies or fruit. Not many come,

five to eight people is typical. The material is fairly

involved in that I do not gear it for beginners, but I

will answer any and all questions. I use no aids or other

books though I am not against this and have done so at

various times. The Bible study guides, however, seem

to get in the way and are usually superficial. People

end up studying the guides and/or outlines rather than

the Bible itself.

My job is to expose the Scripture. Sometimes I

don’t understand some passage myself; I am often

baffled. I will ask tough questions, even play the role

of “devil’s advocate” to help people focus on the text

and context. As best I can I will avoid interpreting the

Scripture to meet the confines of some theological

model. The Scripture must say what it says and not

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what I want it to say. There is no effort on my part to

entertain, excite, or inspire; this must come naturally,

or supernaturally, from the Word of God itself. As we

hear Jesus speaking to us from His Word, we are

changed. Hearing Philpott helps no one.

It is my general practice to begin on time, often

without an opening prayer, and close with a prayer.

Starting from the opening verse I will proceed until

someone asks a question or makes a comment. It is

not intended to be a lecture and if need be I will ask

questions myself to provoke discussion. There is no

offering, no personal ministry such as praying for people

for healing, and so on. Bible study is just that; Bible

studies have been known to “deteriorate” into

preaching meetings or discussion groups.

Let me suggest several forms the Bible study might

take. One, much as I have described above, my own

method. Two, various people are assigned passages that

they are then to expose with a leader keeping things

on track. Three, the study of major themes of a biblical

book rather than a verse by verse approach. Four,

personal profiles of major biblical characters are

presented. Five, people are invited to present their

favorite biblical passages with discussion of the same

conducted by the leader. There are, of course, many

other Bible study methods. I do not want to make it

seem that I am against the very fine Bible study

outlines and guides current today. These can be used

to great advantage.

The history of the world for a thousand years before

the Reformation has been called the “Dark Ages.” The

availability of the Scripture to the common person

brought light into the darkness. The Bible is not to be

worshipped or used as a weapon, yet the Bible is a great

treasure to be studied diligently and loved greatly.

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  If you could keep it secret, would you describe you

real attitude toward the Bible?

  How do you feel about it? Do you feel confident as

a teacher of the Bible?

  What problems do you have with the Bible?

Sabbath Rest

“Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy” Exodus 20:8

“Sabbath”—the word means rest. The Sabbath day is a day to be kept holy, and primarily this means not doing any work on that day. Rest is the whole thing.

Resting the body, the mind, and the heart is healthy. Getting good sleep is very important as it exercise. Eating right is equally as crucial to good health. And there is the mental/emotional dimension as well. A sound body and mind go together.

There is something more: there is the spiritual dimension. We may be resting the body, sleeping and eating well, and getting enough exercise, yet we can be unhealthy if we do not have spiritual health as well. And spiritual health is what the Bible is all about.

There are two Sabbaths

First, there is the actual ceasing from work or labor. This is the intent of the fourth of the ten commandments given to Moses by God on Mt. Sinai around 3500 to 3800 years ago. Over time many dozens of subsidiary laws were developed designed to keep anyone from even coming close to breaking the primary law. By the time of Jesus, the “hedge about the law,” the hundreds of extra ordinances that needed to be observed so that the primary law might be kept. These had become quite burdensome over time.

The first job I ever had was delivering kosher foods to Jewish households on Friday afternoons. This gave me a firsthand opportunity to learn about all that went into the preparation for the evening Shabbat meal.  Preparing the meal was labor intensive, too. It took an experienced woman to make it work. best they could, but few there were who could boast they keep perfectly kosher.

The Jewish sabbath begins sunset Friday evening and extends to sunset Saturday evening.[1] When the sun slips below the horizon, the Sabbath is on and no work is to be done, not even turning on a light switch after dark Friday evening. This is all to obey the commandment from God as delivered to Moses, and thus to all of Israel.

Is there more to it than this?

Second, there is a fuller meaning for the fourth commandment.

Last Sunday someone asked me, “Pastor, why don’t you rest on Sunday instead of working like you do preaching and everything.” My reply, “I am resting, yes it wears me out, but I am resting. I am resting in Jesus and doing what He called me to do.”

            My work is such that I rarely have a complete day off especially not with cell phones and computers. It is frankly impossible for me to take a day off. Yet, I realize the necessity of getting away from screens of all kinds and thus manage to work in an evening here, an afternoon there. But I am “resting” 24/7. I’ll tell you how soon.

The Sabbath laws are nearly impossible to keep, especially in an era such as ours. We recall that one of the purposes of the Law of God is to show us we are law breakers and thus in need of a Savior. If we depended on our keeping of all the laws to be accepted by the Creator God, we are indeed in way over our heads.

Since God is holy, sin (unholy acts and thoughts and intentions) cannot be in His presence. If we would be with Him in heaven our sin must be put away. And this is exactly what happened when Jesus died on the cross. Here now are a few passages from the Hebrew Bible that make this clear:

But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4-5)

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him, he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:10)

“And he shall bear their iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:11)

“Yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:12)

Isaiah was looking ahead to what the Messiah would accomplish. The Christ, and this title is derived from the Greek language and is synonymous with Messiah, took our sin upon Himself, died in our place, thus making it possible to us to be forgiven.

            Just how then, does this work, we might ask, and this is the whole thing.

Jesus is our Sabbath rest

We rest in the Person and Work of Jesus the Messiah. Jesus, our Passover Lamb, shed His blood to cleanse us of all our sin. He died in our place, which is the final and ultimate outcome of our sinning.

            Yes, this runs counter to the general view of all of the religions developed in human history. These focus of self-improvement, doing good to others, being kind, helping the poor, and caring for the environment. All of which are good and right, and are activities and deeds all of us should attempt to do. However, and this is a big however, these have nothing to do with the forgiveness of our law breaking.

The greatest health

However fit and physically healthy we may be, how emotionally and mentally stable and secure we may be, unless we are spiritually healthy, we are in the poorest of health.

            Sin is what separates us from God. It does so both now and forever. With Jesus as Savior and Lord, we have peace with God right now. And when we leave the planet, we have peace with God forever and ever. To neglect this is most tragic.

There is a tragic since of life, and we all know what that is after we have lived a few decades. There is a greater loss, being forever driven from the presence of God.

A summary

Biblical Christianity is healthy.   

            By means of regularly confessing our sin we are free from guilt and shame. What a burden it is to carry around the weight of unforgiven sin. Oh, I remember my sin, and others may remind me from time to time how awful I was, or I am, but the One who counts has utterly and completely forgiven me.

            And I accepted by my Creator God and can accept myself and the fact that I am a son of God.

            Plus I continue to grow up. Where I am right now I will not be tomorrow; the Holy Spirit is working on me.

            Now I have a reason to live; having purpose and meaning is huge and nearly every day I have an opportunity to share the Gospel message with others.

            I am not alone either; I am part of the world’s largest family. Some don’t care for me much, but I have tons of real brothers and sisters in Christ.

            Opposition is something I expect, living in the fallen world. How could it be otherwise, but I know it is present and it does not intimidate me in the least, in fact, it spurs me on.

            The end of the world does not threaten me. Jesus said His followers would face great difficulty at that point, but that it would not be long, and He would be with us through it all. So, bring it on.

            Suffering, life happens to us all, and I will suffer. No one gets by, and as I get older family and friends become disabled and die. We just get old. But again, we are not alone.

            I have real hope not a wish for the best. Jesus type hope is assurance of salvation. There is not hoping here; Jesus is Savior and Lord now.

            Peace, yes, I am not longer at war with God. It is done, the peace agreement has been signed, sealed, and delivered.

            Yes, I am tempted to worry and anxiety; who is not? When I get rattled and distracted, fearing what is going on with me and my world, I can look to Jesus and He will make me strong.

Biblical Christianity is healthy. How incredible, we have the best of it all both here and now and forever. We have every reason to give thanks to our God.

---

[1] The actual onset of the Sabbath and its ending are variously stated. The movement of the moon also comes into play. My description is generalized.

Twenty-two

The Prayer Meeting

“Hello pastor, I am visiting here in Mill Valley and I

wondered when your prayer meeting was?”

That question cut me to the quick: we had no

prayer meeting.

“My mother is quite ill and I flew in from Miami

to be with her. I would like to have some prayer.”

I hung up the phone vowing to begin a prayer

meeting at Miller Avenue.

         

Erroll Hulse has written an excellent tract titled,

“The Vital Place of the Prayer Meeting”. It may

be obtained from the Chapel Library, 2603 W. Wright

Street, Pensacola, FL 32505. (This is a ministry of the

Mount Zion Bible Church in Pensacola.) I can never

do better than what Erroll Hulse has done in that

excellent piece of work on the prayer meeting.

Prayer is, of course, vital to the life of the church

and to every believer individually. I must admit this is

an area in which we are not strong at Miller Avenue

Church and I wish this were not the case. However, by

the grace of God and the leadership of Anatoli Sokolov,

a Baptist pastor and recent immigrant from Moscow,

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Russia, we now have a wonderful prayer meeting at

Miller Avenue that begins one half hour following the

Sunday morning worship service.

Recently I preached a sermon based upon Acts 6:1-

6. That passage describes a problem that developed in

the primitive church in Jerusalem. The apostles were

distracted from vital ministry because of the necessity

of caring for the widows of the church. To resolve the

situation, the apostles meet with the disciples (the

church) and announced, “It would not be right for us

to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to

wait on tables.” (Verse 2) Thus issued the selection of

the first deacons who were assigned the task of serving

the widows of the church. The apostles’ intent was to

focus on “prayer and the ministry of the word.” (Verse

4) “Ministry of the word” refers, I believe, to the

preaching of the gospel and to the “apostles’ teaching”.

Prayer, preaching, and teaching go together.

In that sermon on Acts 6, I encouraged everyone

to make a list of the names of those who were

unconverted among their family, friends, and other

associates. Alongside the name I suggested noting the

date of the initial prayer. The point was to pray regularly

for the people whose names were on their list, pray

that they would hear the gospel and be converted. I

believe that it is important to pray for those we think

are unconverted and bring them before the throne of

God on a regular basis, pleading that God would draw

them to Jesus. The prayer meeting is a likely setting

for these prayers.

Our best efforts need to be in the prayer meeting.

Not everyone in the church will come to the prayer

meeting, but those who delight in prayer and feel the

burden of prayer will gather together. The size of the

group is irrelevant.

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That we are taught to pray is abundantly clear from

the Scripture. Through Jesus we have access to the

Father who hears our prayer. We are taught to make

our needs known to Him, and though He knows our

needs before we ask Him, yet we are told to bring our

requests to Him.

Prayer has seemed paradoxical to me. The will of

God will be done. His purpose will be accomplished

because He is the sovereign God, yet in the prayer

meeting we bring our requests before the throne of

grace and have the confidence that God will hear and

that He will act according to His will to bring glory to

our Lord Jesus Christ.

It sometimes evolves that the prayer meeting takes

on the character of a Bible study or a preaching meeting.

However, prayer meetings are best if they are in fact

prayer meetings. A prayer meeting need not be lengthy,

but it needs to be serious. It has been my experience

that the focus should be on prayers for the unconverted,

for those who are ill, and for those who need to be

encouraged in their faith. We can pray for those who

have the rule over us in the secular world. We can pray

for Christian leaders around the world and for churches

around the world. We can pray for difficult

circumstances wherever and whatever they might be.

But it is best if it is a time of prayer and not discussion,

because we have a tendency to want to discus issues

rather than bring them to the Lord in heartfelt prayer.

There are many forms the prayer meeting might

take. Let me suggest three of the most common. One,

after a short exhortation to prayer or the reading of a

verse on prayer, various people can bring any request

before God aloud while the others listen to and “agree”

with the prayer. Two, either sitting or kneeling, each

person can pray aloud or silently, and this perhaps after

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a short word or two on the subject of prayer. Some of

the best prayer meetings I have ever been in have been

small and we have been on our knees. It was in such a

prayer meeting that God called me into the ministry.

Three, a prayer request is made then someone in the

group recalls a promise in Scripture that speaks to the

request. For example, a request is made for new

Sunday school teachers and then another person (or

the same person) reminds the group of the saying of

Jesus: “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are

few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send

out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:37-38).

Then the specific prayers are made. This pattern can

continue until the meeting time expires. (I think it is

best if there is a definite ending point and that the

leader adheres to it.) There are, of course, many more

forms for the prayer meeting.

Many wonderful things happen in prayer meetings.

During the Third Great Awakening in America, 1858-

1860, the prayer meeting was central, more so than even

preaching. Somehow we are more sensitive to God’s

Holy Spirit at prayer; our hearts may become tender

and open to the words of Jesus. I believe the Holy Spirit

impresses upon us the truth of His word in that quiet,

rare, and wonderful time when we turn our heart, soul,

and mind to the Lord, coming into His very presence.

         

  Can you remember a prayer meeting where you had

the sense that you were in the presence of God?

  Few have I suppose. What prayer meeting format

seems best to you?

Anxiety and Worry

“Do not be anxious about anything” Paul wrote to the Philippian Church. Instead of being worried, we should, by means of prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, bring our concerns to God” (Philippians 4:6).

And we do, and it helps. We have a relationship with God; we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and thus we are connected. Scripture urges us to pray and we do and see many answers our prayers.

            Often I do not see the answers as they occur. It may take months, even years, before I see that a prayer was answered, and this without talking myself into it. It simply becomes apparent.

At the same time, I still worry. And likely so do you.

To be like Jesus

Based on my extensive reading of the Gospels, not bragging here, but I have preached through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, verse by verse, at least twice each. If Jesus was ever worried like I get worried, well, I do not see it. Even reading ‘in between the lines’ Jesus is calm, cool, and collected.

            Jesus was well aware of the dangers He faced. Three times He announced to the Twelve that He would be killed. He knew what was coming. The kingdom was squarely upon His shoulders.

            He did not fear His opponents, He did not withdraw from them, except to pray, and on a time or two, to protect His disciples, got out of harm’s way by going north to Galilee. He was vulnerable, only two swords in the armory, and He faced every challenge.

To be honest about it

I am not like Jesus much of the time. When I was younger, I was less anxious. Now, in my seventh decade, I find I have lost certain strength. Yes, I still go out to the prison to do baseball, coach high school baseball, stand in front of the television camera, and preach away on Sunday morning, but I can tell I have changed.

What to do about it? is a serious question.

Helpful hints?

First off, I am not going to conceal my weaknesses. I do talk about them, in prayer, with my wife, and with a close friend or two. I can be honest with God, too. What would I conceal? And, how could I do so if I tried?

            I recall right now words from a hymn, “He knows my every weakness.” Neither the title of the hymn nor the author comes to mind, but I attest to what he or she spoke of.

Second, my sin is all forgiven. The devil cannot get at me. I just keep confessing my sin (see 1 John 1:8-2:2), walk away forgiven and blessed, and keep going.

            I have a habit I am trying to break. I speak of myself in negative ways. “I am a bad man.” “I never get it right.” “I ought to be fired.” “I need to resign from the church.” “I am just your average jerk.” (This last one I have said from the pulpit a number of times, I must confess.)

            This is not healthy for me and I know it. Writing this chapter helps remind me that saying such things to myself is not healthy. By God’s grace I am stopping this practice.

Third, my Christian friends encourage me. The brotherhood of believers can be so supportive. I have learned not to hang with those who like to criticize and be judgmental; this is not the way of Christ at all.

            Are such folk Christians? I refer to those who delight in pointing out our flaws? Not always, and in a Christian fellowship of any kind, one is never sure. I suspect those who desire to encourage and build up are the real brothers and sisters in Christ.

Four, maybe I am a little weird sometimes, and so I know I need to be humble and not hesitate to ask for forgiveness.

            This can be overdone, to the point of ridiculousness. I do not want to be so super sensitive that I shut down, fearful I might do or say the wrong thing. I am talking about our own personal acceptance of who we are. We are not actors on a stage, or job seekers trying to impress. We are who we are, and our job, one of them anyway, is to like ourselves.

Five, be able to laugh it off. We will do odd things, say things we wish we had not. So what?

            We need not take ourselves so seriously. We have to be free to be ourselves, also.

Six, we can be self-affirming, “Yes, as a matter of fact, I do well managing a baseball game.” “I think my books serve a real purpose and a lot of people like them.” “My preaching is improving.” “This is the best period in my life.”

            You get it I know, and I am not worried about making mistakes along the way. I have to get over being worried about what others think of me. I want to be the best me, but I am not always the best me. Okay!

Casting our cares

What the Apostle Peter wrote for us in chapter five verses six and seven, of his first letter to the churches, is so very helpful.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

I am only going to focus on the “casting all your anxieties’” part of the sentence.

Here is our word, anxiety, and here in the plural, anxieties. Does Peter expect the believers he is addressing to have anxiety? The answer is easy.

            Just because one is a Christian does not mean one does not get anxious. I say this because I have known some who would say, “Well, if you worry you cannot be a Christian.”

            Where does thinking like this come from? Not from the Bible. Not from the mainstream teaching of the Church down through the centuries. Not from the Holy Spirit. Where then? I will let it go, it is not worth the time and trouble.

A last word

Here it is, and this is not the first time I have made this point, but it needs to be made again. “Casting all our” cares, concerns, worries, anxieties, fears, and whatever else is skulking around in there, casting these on Him. And by “him” we mean, the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Will you be able to do this? Probably not like you would like to, but you hope to obey the Word, and this is what counts.

If necessary, make a list of your worries. Each time you pray, get the list out and bring each one, again and again, in prayer to the God who loves you.

I doubt I will ever get to the place where I have put all my anxieties and worries behind me. No, I won’t, but I keep doing what Scripture invites me to do anyway.

Twenty-one

The Worship Service

The note read: “YOUR WORSHIP SERVICE IS

BORING!”

Monday evening I called the writer of the note, a

visitor, to discuss the disturbing comment. “Can you

give me any suggestions?” I asked after a few

pleasantries were exchanged. “Yes, too many old

hymns, too much Bible stuff, and the sermon was too

long.” “What would you do instead?” I asked.

He would have gutted the service; he wanted a

band, dancing, and multi-media presentations. Nice, I

suppose, but beyond our capability.

Our worship service was bound to be boring to this

person. I, however, did take the note to the church

council for evaluation. In fact, we did spiffy the service

up some but probably not enough to satisfy our bored

friend.

         

The worship service is public; that is, visitors are

more likely to be present in the worship service

than at the prayer meeting or Bible study. It is at the

worship service that the gospel will be preached to the

unconverted as well as to the converted.

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At this point in my ministry I try not to get overly

excited about what goes on in the worship service as

long as the form and content are biblical. However,

the worship service tends to generate more suggestions

and criticisms than any other single element in the life

of a church. In times past I would be tempted to take

any intimation that the service needed to be changed

personally. I would defend, argue, and thump my Bible.

Now, though, if changes are requested I am more

amenable just as long as the teaching and preaching of

the gospel remain central. What everyone eventually

comes to realize is that there are just so many things

that can possibly be done in a service anyway.

Let us consider the worship service. Notice I did

not say “Sunday” worship service since some groups

worship on days other than Sunday though I think

Sunday, the Lord’s Day, the day of the resurrection,

was normative for the early church (see Acts

20:7,Romans 14:5-6, 1 Corinthians 16:2, Colossians

2:16-17, and Revelation 1:10). A glance at the worship

of God as described in the New Testament, and there

is very little said about what actually went on in early

church services, reveals there were several distinct

elements to the worship.

Preaching and teaching were primary. There was

prayer, and communion (the Lord’s Supper or

Eucharist) was observed. Acts 2:42 reads: “They

devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to

the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

Psalms where sung, new songs of the Christian

community were apparently developed, and there was

some free-form music. (See Colossians 3:16 and

Ephesians 5:19) In addition, prophecies were given,

revelations were announced, and tongues were spoken

with interpretation. (See 1 Corinthians 14:26-32) The

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problem is we know almost nothing about what these

forms of worship actually looked like or consisted of.

My view is that error may easily result if we read our

own contemporary experiences back into the New

Testament times. Modern charismatic or Pentecostal

understandings of tongues and prophecy may bear little

resemblance to the worship of the early church. There

are no video or audio recordings of what went on in

the church at Corinth or any other New Testament

church. Therefore, my conclusion is that I am unsure

of what a “scriptural worship service” actually looks

like. To be safe I stick with what I am sure of, preaching

the gospel, teaching the Scripture, singing the Psalms

and other songs that glorify God and lift up Jesus and

the cross, praying, celebrating the Lord’s Supper, and

fellowshipping with believers.

Let me briefly describe a worship service used at

Miller Avenue. (Warning: people who are looking to

be entertained or are wanting to be in on the

“happening” feel-good church do not last long at Miller

Avenue.) We begin with a hymn, have a “Call to

Worship” followed by a “morning prayer” that is made

up by the person who is leading the worship part of

the service. After the morning prayer we read the

“Collect of the Day” which is a prayer used by millions

of Christians of many denominations worldwide, and

our version is taken from a Lutheran worship manual.

From time to time I will substitute the Lord’s Prayer

for the collect. Using an overhead projector we sing

two or more choruses, old ones and new ones, with a

guitar and piano accompanying. All of this is rather

sedately done. Our choir makes a presentation after

the choruses or perhaps there is a solo or duet. Then

comes the memory verse, (I emphasize the memory of

Scripture) followed by a point to ponder or reflect upon.

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The time for reflection is vital. Moving quickly from

one segment of worship to another is not always what

people need. Having a time to think, reflect, pray, or

simply be silent, can be refreshing and pleasing to many

people.

The worship part of the service is over now, total

elapsed time about thirty minutes. Announcements

come next (I have finally given up on attempts to

eliminate announcements), which I view as part of

fellowship. During the announcements printed

material is often passed out and may include

newsletters, testimonies, reprints of helpful articles,

and so forth, and any inserts that are in the bulletin are

referenced, and recently Spurgeon’s Morning and

Evening Meditations have been used. (Bulletin covers

with pretty pictures seem to be a waste of money and

resources; rather, I look for articles and essays that are

of some spiritual value to adorn the bulletin cover.)

Tithes and offerings are received preceded by a thirtysecond

presentation of an “offertory theme”—a

teaching on biblical giving. Following the offering is a

time for “Revelations, Hymns, and Exhortations”

(except on Communion Sunday, the first Sunday of

the month). Every week I encourage people to bring

with them something God has given or shown them

during the week in their private devotions or ministry.

Of course, this can be risky because someone might

say some strange thing or take up an inordinate amount

of time, but the risk is worth it. This segment may run

five to ten minutes. Bible teaching is next, the Bible

Exposition, followed by a second hymn, and then the

sermon is preached. The Bible teacher and the sermon

preacher may be the same person or two different

people. The teaching and preaching may have a similar

theme or they may not. Some Sundays a general

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invitation to prayer for any reason at all is given, prayer

for conversion, healing, anything at all. A final hymn

serves as a benediction. The entire service will last an

hour and fifteen minutes to and hour and a half. The

sermon and Bible exposition occupy about half that

time.

The service will look different from time to time,

and I am generally willing to make changes. Someone

asks, “How about this?” I will say, “Okay, let us try

that.” People will say, “I wish we could change our

worship service.” My response is, “Okay, what would

you like to change? “Things can be changed around a

bit, but most changes are basically superficial.

Sometimes the announcements are cut out, another

hymn is used, or a couple more choruses are sung, the

offering is moved to the beginning or the end, more

people are involved in the service—small changes

really. There is nothing special or sacred about sticking

with a particular order of service. The order of worship

currently being used is unchanged for at least four

years. For most Christians the structure of the worship

service is not a great concern; it is the content that

matters.

We now have, as of February 2000, a Sunday

evening worship service and we call it “The Old-Time

Gospel Hour,” with all apologies to Jerry Falwell. It

begins at 6PM, we sing the great hymns of the Church,

preach a strong gospel message, then as many as are

up for it, drive over to a local fast food restaurant. This

is my favorite service though I put my best effort into

the Sunday morning worship service. The evening

service, however, allows people who would never be

able to attend a morning service, for whatever reason,

to hear the gospel preached. I wish I had begun it long

ago.

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The Worship Service

The public prayers in the worship service are

traditional and important especially the pastoral prayer,

which is prayer for the overall concerns and needs of

the congregation. In years gone by this was often a very

long prayer, but most are considerably shorter. In any

case, public or corporate prayer must be given great

attention. Everyone should be able to hear it, and it

needs to be sincere and serious. The congregation

needs to hear the great concerns of the people of God

being lifted up to heaven. Often I have felt unworthy,

discouraged, even upset, but when I pray I attempt to

put these aside and avoid praying according to my

feelings.

The public reading of Scripture is critical; it should

be read with all that is due the Word of God. Everyone

should be able to hear the words, and they are best

spoken somewhat slowly and with emphasis. It is not a

dramatic reading that an actor might make, no, but the

best the reader has should go into the reading. Perhaps

this is the only time during the worship service when

people will hear from God. To readers I suggest:

prepare, read loudly (best not to depend on a

microphone), and read so that people can tell the Bible

is being read. Sometimes I have heard people read the

Scripture in the same way they might read an

advertisement for soap. Much the same can be said for

the sermon, which should be delivered with all the

intensity and strength we have.

Sunday school—we do not have one but I want to

include a suggestion here that has worked for me and

may work for others who do not have a Sunday school

either.

Most everyone knows what “home-schooling” is.

Well, I have simply applied this to the Sunday school.

When a family with kids comes along I inform them

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For Pastors

that we do not have a regular Sunday school but that

we will help them home-Sunday school their own kids.

At some point we will make this an established ministry

of Miller Avenue complete with materials, meetings,

and so forth. It is an excellent way to incorporate people

with children into the small church when there is no

Sunday school in place. And it is quite biblical, too,

and may be even better than the typical Sunday school

model.

Rather than include a separate chapter on

“fellowship” I thought it best to say a word or two on

the subject here. One, provide as many opportunities

for fellowship as possible. Two, make special efforts to

include new people and help them to feel comfortable.

There will be cliques and this is not altogether a

bad thing. Cliques can not be helped. Over the course

of time a small group of people that regularly meets

for whatever purpose will become something of a

clique. But it does not have to be a closed group. And

this is the key—closedness—whereby new comers are

rejected. As long as new people are welcomed,

incorporated into the group, then this is a healthy

fellowship.

At Miller Avenue we have a light lunch or

sometimes simply coffee and tea after the Sunday

morning service. For a half-hour or more we sit around

and talk together. After the Old-Time Gospel Hour

on Sunday evenings we go down to a local fast food

place and spend more time together—simply being

together—where there is no agenda or topic or plan.

Then the Tuesday night Bible study is low-key and

there is plenty of time to just talk together. Everyone

in the church is not part of the more intimate fellowship

times, but they are available for those who desire it.

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The Worship Service

My job is to provide the opportunity; I can not force

people into fellowship.

         

Outline an order of worship you would use if you could.

Which is your favorite part?

  Do you think you could bring it to reality?

  How might you help a parent organize a home-

Sunday school?

Being Alone

Is it true that over one half the households in America are made up of singles?

Maybe true, but that many people live alone is a fact. And this seems to be trending upward. Why is this?

            Older people’s spouses die is one reason. Many are waiting years longer than before, unlike my generation, to get married. The cost of being a family of more than one is costly and growing more so every day, especially in the large metropolitan areas like the San Francisco Bay Area. Many who would marry simply will not settle for less than a true love. Divorce is another reason.

            Since 1986, at Miller Avenue Baptist Church where I am pastor, we have conducted a divorce recovery workshop. We do four eight week workshops every year. Thousands have been a part. We have found that, typically, women wait longer to remarry than men do. It is not unusual that many attendees of the workshop decide they would rather be alone than go through the agony of an unhealthy relationship.

            Then many people would like to be with someone, but for many a complicated reason, it never happens.

Aloneness versus loneliness

In week five of our divorce recovery workshop we talk about the difference between aloneness and loneliness. The newly separated can easily experience loneliness, which is a painful emotional state of being. It can last for years, too. It can lead to depression, substance abuse, and other forms of destruction behavior. Our goal that fifth week is to help people move from a state of loneliness to aloneness.

Aloneness is the goal, but it can be elusive. One of the reasons for this is the ending of a relationship often cuts one off from others, and for a host of reasons. I have noticed it helps, and not a little, if a person is a Christian and has other believers to be engaged with.

Whether a person finds him or herself alone and lonely due to the ending of a relationship or for some other reason, deliberate steps must be taken to move from loneliness to aloneness.

Being alone is a growing choice for many

Once in a while, and I understand this circumstance is on the rise, for spiritual reasons men and women desire a life dedicated to contemplation, service to the poor, and other forms of sacrificial ministry. That studio apartment, single bedroom duplex, one room cottage, becomes a sacred space much like a convent or monastery. Indeed, we have a new breed of people amongst us who treasure being alone.

Some say God gives them a special grace gift to live alone, and be celibate. I think of St. Francis of Assisi for one, and there are many others whose names were never published who sought and highly valued the contemplative life.

            Within the Roman Catholic Church and the Oriental and Eastern Orthodox churches have been many who have either lived alone or within a cloister of others who cherished being single. Yes, but also among Protestants, even Baptists like myself, many are finding a rich and rewarding life being alone.

Never really alone

The Christian is never alone, however, and in two ways not alone.

First, my mind goes to Matthew 28:19-20:

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

“With you always.” Is it not so that upon our conversion we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit? Yes, it is so, and this is why Jesus can say what He said. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of Jesus (all synonyms)—with us, in us, and until the end of the age or our last moment on the planet.[1]

We actually cultivate a relationship with the Creator God. It is not too unlike the experience Adam and Eve had before the Fall. God walked and talked with them in the cool of the day. One has to be careful here as some contemplatives have gone a bit overboard. The main forms, in my estimation, for building a relationship with our Lord is through prayer, study of the Word, and reflecting upon the great truths of that Word.

Mystical we do nowt want, but rather down to earth, normal Christianity. None of the St. Theresa of Avila or St. John of the Cross or Richard Foster stuff. (Sorry if I offended some here, but I must sound this warning.) These dear ones moved from normal contemplative to spiritism and unbiblical mysticism.

Second, we are called to community. At once, we are placed by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ. We belong to Jesus and in two ways. We are His personally, but we are also placed into fellowship with other believers. The Church is not an afterthought on God’s agenda.

            One of my definitions of a flesh and blood actual congregation is that it is a “mine field.” This is coming from a pastor of churches with over fifty years of experience. I say “mine field” because I have been blown up a few times and have contributed to others being blown up as well.

A congregation is a bunch of sinners in one place. This is dangerous. And if you were the enemy, and we do have an enemy, where would this enemy go to destroy his enemy? Right, you head for the nearest congregation and preferably one that is evangelical in nature. No since warring against those who are not a threat to you.

            And I have seen it all. One time, in 1980, I packed my Bible up and vowed never attend a church again. Lasted for less than a month. I found I wanted to hear the message of Jesus preached and taught and in real time not just on the tube or over the radio.

“Iron Sharpening Iron” was a ministry I was involved with for thirteen years at San Quentin Prison in Marin County, California. The other name we had for it was, “Man to Man Ministry.” The whole thing was we, in our interaction with each other and with the convicts, “sharpen” our Christian lives. We wanted to hone the dull edges, apply the fire to harden the iron, and it was a rough work going cell to cell talking with guys whose lives were a complete disaster. We were tested more than the cons I can tell you. Much of the Christianizing I had been exposed to would not work there; I had to be real. This only happens in association with other Christians who are serious about following Jesus.

Another reason a real-life congregation is dangerous is that brothers and sisters in Christ will range wildly in their spiritual development.

Of course, there will be those who are not yet born again. I was a member of the First Baptist Church of Fairfield, California for nine months before I was actually born again. And I caused my share of trouble.

Then there were “new babes” in Christ who were still in their stinky diapers. Then the toddlers, the teens, the young bucks, and all the rest. I ended up in conflict with more than a few of these.

All the while, iron was sharpening iron, and this would have been impossible had I never darkened the door.

Alone and connected

Being alone does not mean completely alone. And it is in being alone that some of the strongest, most wonderful friendships are developed.

            Again I draw on my experience as a pastor. In our small congregation there are several precious people who have deep and lasting friendships with others, which are just as family-like as could be. I have known a few folks who were more alone than others, but some of the best friendships I have ever seen with those who live alone.

If you are alone, and if you do not want to isolate, find a church to connect with. There is no such thing as a perfect church. After all, once you are a part of one, well there you go.

Being part of a church, an assembly of believers, a congregation of saints, is part of the normal Christian life. And it is a step toward health to be a part of one.

If at first you don’t succeed, keep looking and praying.

---

[1] In chapters 14, 15, and 16 of John’s Gospel we have the most beautiful account of the presence of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the Paraclete, the Counselor presented by the beloved Apostle John.  I suggest spending some precious hours reading and reflecting on these passages.

Church Structure

“I am absolutely meetinged out. Meetings, meetings, meetings! Is that all you do is have meetings?”

Would you, pastor, have to answer, “Yes”?

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E

very church need not be run like Miller Avenue
Baptist Church. Of course not! However, our structure forms the basic illustration for this chapter, because I think it is a workable structure for a small church.

The thesis for this chapter is: the church structure should be simple enough that distractions from the primary goal and mission of the church are minimized.

We have one single board, a church council, consisting of nine members. I am a permanent member of the church council. The other eight members serve for three years at a time and then must be off for one year. And they must be nominated and approved by the congregation. We meet once a month; we will skip a month now and again (usually in August and sometimes in December).

The church council functions as the church administrator, the clearing-house. The council does the “dirty work”.  Everything is on the basis of consensus; no vote is taken. Issues are debated until a resolution and/or consensus is reached.

We do have a budget committee that meets for about two hours a year to prepare the budget, which then goes to the church council, which then goes to the congregation.

There are four quarterly congregational meetings. At the third quarterly meeting the budget is presented. If and when it passes it means that the pastor and staff are hired for another year. Of course, I can be fired at any time, but generally it is understood that when the budget is passed the pastor’s salary is approved. I can count on another year then unless something truly atrocious occurs. And it is always possible to be terminated and I’m going to address that issue in another chapter.

The simpler the structure the less time will be spent keeping it all in place. Once a number of committees have been established, the following will be “forever” coming up:

1.   Attending committee meetings.

2.   Replacing members who have fallen aside, moved, changed church membership, or whatever the reason.

3.   Settling disputes between committee members.

4.   Interpreting the decisions of the committees to the rest of the congregation.

The personal politics, the personal petty politics, involved in on-going committees and boards can be more than a pastor would ever want to be involved in. I simply have no committees.

In our constitution various committees are described and can be staffed if necessary. (A copy of our constitution can be emailed to you by request at either kentphilpott@home.com or earthenvessel.net.) If I were to be terminated, a pastoral search committee would have to be selected. On paper we have that committee, but it is not staffed. If we need a building committee to investigate repairs then that committee can be created. But to maintain committees can be, and usually is, an unpleasant and unnecessary experience!

Let me illustrate our church structure with our Saturday Lunch. The people who run it are the people who participate in it; they are the ones who actually do the work. Problems they encounter are worked out internally, and if this proves impossible, they are taken to the church council. Furthermore, there is no oversight committee for the Saturday Lunch, the Divorce Recovery Workshop, or the Parenting Workshop. There is no committee that oversees the San Quentin or television ministry. There is no oversight committee except the church council.

I doubt I would be able to fit into another church. I have no desire to pastor any other church. If Miller Avenue fired me and another church wanted me, I would have to tell them that they would have to dissolve every piece of their church structure and adopt a simple church government. I would not administrate the committees, boards, and so forth.

The pastoral ministry has one great responsibility and that is to preach the gospel to sinners and saints alike, and to do so we must keep ourselves free of all other entanglements. And there are entanglements, entanglements, and entanglements! In Acts 6 is the story of the apostles’ problem administrating distributions to widows. They selected others, the first deacons, to do the job so they could focus on praying and preaching. It is wise to apply Acts 6 as widely as possible.

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e If you had your druthers, how would you set up a church in terms of structure?

e What changes would you make to the structure you are presently working with?