Sixteen

Early to Bed, Early to Rise…

“You can’t soar with the eagles in the morning if you

are hooting with the owls at night.” I don’t know if

Prince Altom, pastor of Hillside Church of Marin, made

this up or not, but they were certainly words I needed

to hear.

         

My habit is to rise about 7AM, drink a cup or two

of coffee while I read the newspaper, eat a

substantial breakfast, and then leave for the office.

I find I do my best work in the morning. Once in

my office, Bible reading, prayer, and reflection come

first. Secondly, I focus on the sermon. Last of all I

briefly study one language or another.

It is best if this time is without interruption. When

the phone starts ringing the day is on (there is no

secretary at Miller Avenue). Other activities,

appointments, correspondence, computer work, and so

on, begin around 10AM.

In order to rise early I must retire early as well.

Part of keeping strong and healthy is getting plenty of

sleep. A lack of sleep over the course of a few days

means the body and brain are not going to work as they

could.

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For Pastors

Good nutrition is important, but it will not make

up for a lack of sleep and/or a weak body. A pastor is

similar to an athlete who must keep in training all the

time. To compete the athlete must eat right, get good

sleep, and exercise regularly. All Christians are in a race,

a competition, and it is the wise and prudent pastor

who runs hard toward the prize.

Having said all this I want to say that this regime,

that suits me, may not suit everyone. Several pastors I

know work the opposite from me, that is, they do their

best work at night, sometimes quite late at night, and

consequently they sleep late into the next day. We are

all different and every one of us will find what works

best for them.

         

  The pastor as athlete—does this seem to be an apt

comparison?

  What about your lifestyle, does it contribute to health

and strength?

End Times

In Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 Jesus reveals all that the early Church would face as well as what the Church down through history could expect, also.

Wars and rumors of wars, nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom, earthquakes, famines, Christians being led astray, false teachers performing incredible miracles—all these, Jesus declared, are only the beginning of woes.

Jesus goes on to say that “you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake” (Matthew 24:9), and also, He states, “And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray” (Matthew 24:10-11).

We know this is coming and so we will not be surprised when we experience it personally.

Question is: Do we see this end-time scenario being played out right Now? Possibly, nevertheless, we are standing on solid rock and we will not be moved.

Those who trust in Jesus will not be panic stricken or overcome with anxiety as others will, instead we will look upon world events as news, maybe even entertainment, but not as something that could overwhelm us. We will know that God is in control and even if he worst should descend upon us, we belong to Him and will spend eternity in His presence.

Stressful living

Few would argue that we are not now living in stressful times. My personal evaluation is that these are especially difficult times. I am aware that I am more anxious now than in previous years. The digital, techy, age is fun and exciting, mostly, but the world is a smaller place now, we are aware of hideous events taking place daily and everywhere, and it adds to our inability to cope with it.

In California, where I live, marijuana is legal, and hundreds of thousands use it every day including some of my friends. They tell me it helps relieve the stress and pressure they are under. And these are not old hippie either, but regular folk who live and work in the “age of anxiety.”

Our world can be dangerous. Innocent people are killed every day someplace in the good old USA while minding their own business, even when securely in their own homes.

Does this signal the end of the age?

No one knows the day and hour

The statement above is Jesus’ own. (Matthew 24:36) There was a time I had charts on the wall of my office; I actually thought I could figure out when Jesus would return. We are aware of any number of ‘prophets’ who came up with a date, to the embarrassment to us all. We understand now, no one knows the day and hour.

We don’t know, and we don’t need to know. We simply go about the business of preaching Christ to the lost and discipling those who are found.

            We know what we are about. We have our agenda. It matters not what goes on in the world about us. No, we pay attention and are aware, but what goes on in the world is of secondary importance.

            I read two newspapers every day, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Marin Independent Journal. I watch NBC, CNN, FOX News, PBS, and a few other news programs, and every day. I am informed because I have to be. When together with others, Christians and non-Christians, as a pastor I need to be up on local, national, and world events.

Some are startled that I am not shaking in my boots, even some fellow believers, when we discuss world and national events. It gives me opportunity to explain the peace I have in Christ. This witness will be even more potent as time goes on.

A Christian witness

I am reminded of the words of Martin Luther’s great hymn, A Mighty Fortress is our God. If ever a Christian was attacked by enormous forces it was Luther, the one who laid the foundation for what we refer to as The Reformation. Here now is the complete text of that hymn:

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

 (1^st stanza)

A mighty fortress is our God,

A bulwark never failing;

Our helper He amid the flood

Of mortal ills prevailing.

For still our ancient foe

Doth seek to work us woe-

His craft and pow’r are great,

And armed with cruel hate,

On earth is not his equal.

(2^nd stanza)

Did we in our own strength confide,

Our striving would be losing,

Were not the right man on our side,

The man of God’s own choosing.

Dose ask who that may be?

Christ Jesus, it is He-

Lord Sabaoth His name,

From age to age the same,

And He must win the battle.

(3^rd stanza)

And tho’ this world, with devils filled,

Should threaten to undo us,

We will not fear, for God hath willed

His truth to triumph thro’ us.

The prince of darkness grim,

We tremble not for him-

His rage we can endure,

For lo, his doom is sure:

One little word shall fell him.

(4^th stanza)

That word above all earthly pow’rs,

No thanks to them abideth;

The Spirit and the gifts are ours

Thro’ Him who with us sideth.

Let goods and kindred go,

This mortal life also-

The body they may kill;

God’s truth abideth still:

His kingdom is forever.

Nothing can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The above are the words of the Apostle Paul. Martin Luther, in my thinking, might have borrowed something from Paul when he wrote his wonderful and powerful hymn. I am thinking of Romans 8:31-39. In this section, Paul asks a series of questions and provides answers for each.

What then shall we say to these things?

If God is for us, who can be against us?

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all,

how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What is healthy about these great and wonderful truths from Scripture?

Christians will be fearful and be stressed out and anxious because we are people like everyone else. However, we have something solid to stand on and reflect upon. We have the Word of God and the testimony of one of the earliest generations of Christians, that being Paul, and also the words of Martin Luther who lived some 1450 years after Paul.

            We also have the testimony of hundreds of others who were persecuted and were martyred down through the centuries.

Not that Christians won’t suffer from anxiety in this world of chaos, but we have an assurance that ultimately cannot be taken from us. I confess I am prone to anxiety and have been since I was fifteen years old; it has never completely left me, but I rely upon the testimony of Christians who have been through more than I have, which includes Jesus Himself, Paul, and countless others.

I will be shaken from time to time, but my foundation in Jesus remains firm.

Expect Opposition

Those who call Jesus Lord have always been subject to persecution, bias, and bigotry from those who are yet in their sin and estranged from the love and fellowship of God. They must do so, and do so out of fear of judgment and shame for their sin. They will have a sense of conviction of sin though we say nothing judgmental. Merely because we do not join in that which is displeasing to God is enough to trigger negative emotions.

We will have opposition, mild and severe, within our own households even. Jesus said this is coming.

Prior to my conversion to Christ in 1963 I have to confess I did oppose, persecute, and make fun of Christians. I did not know why I did so except that there was this certain something that riled me up about them. There was nothing anyone of them ever did to me, to incite such untoward reactions; in fact, we were more than mere acquaintances. But as soon as they attempted to tell me about Jesus, I rejected them and in a hurry.

My old friends

Taking a leave from the Air Force, I drove home for the first time after my becoming a Christian. I walked in the back door of the old house on Whitegate Avenue in Sunland, California to find six of my old buddies waiting for me. Turns out that my mother had set this little party up.

One of them handed me a beer right away and as he did so he whispered in my ear that they had paid for a hot Hollywood prostitute for me.

Settling into the family room where we had spent so much time when we were high schoolers, one of them said, “Well, Kent we hear you got religion.”

I can still see myself sitting in the middle of the big couch, a friend on either side of me. Slowly I started to formulate an answer. As I hit the keys of the keyboard right now I am experiencing some of the shock that came over me back then.

   My first word was, “Yes.” Then I took about 5 minutes and gave to them what was probably my first attempt to be a witness for Christ. They listened in silence. I could hear my mother puttering around in the kitchen; I knew she heard what I said.

   Then without a word, three of the six friends stood up and left the house. It was literally the last time I ever saw them. The three that stayed, Bill, Dick, and Larry became my lifelong friends, and to this day, but only Dick became a follower of Jesus.

   My mother never did become a Christian though she was a faithful member of the local Methodist church. As far as know she rarely, if ever, attended services, but she nevertheless sent in some money every month.

Unprepared

It took me a long while to get over the rejection. No one ever told me such a thing could happen, especially from old friends. But there it was.

            Before long we realize that simply believing in Jesus as Savior and Lord would get us into so much trouble. I was unprepared, and this is why I am including this chapter right now. It is healthy to have an idea of what may be coming when others find out we are actual born-again Christians.          

            Let’s take a look at Scripture on this subject.

Jesus was and is opposed and hated

Jesus was opposed throughout His ministry. Finally, He was betrayed, arrested, beaten, scourged, and finally executed. If this happened to Jesus can we expect to be treated much differently?

In some countries of the world to be a Christian is to be despised, persecuted, and much more. In the USA where there is yet a rule of law and a good percentage of the population that identifies as Christian, we only see a growing bias against those of us who are biblically oriented Christians. To stand for biblical principles and ethics will eventually, unless there is a great and powerful moving of the Holy Spirit, bring more antagonism from non-Christians. We must realize this possibility. And what do we do in reaction to this?

Persecution will come

The three words above serve as a description in the English Standard Version of the Bible for Matthew 10:16-25. Jesus said He was sending us out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Thanks a lot, we might say. At least it is full-disclosure; we know from the beginning what we are getting into and this helps us prepare for and adjust to opposition that will come our way.

            Jesus even says, “you will be hated by all for my name’s sake” (Matthew 10:22). Toward the conclusion of the passage, verse 25b, He says, “If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.”

            In speaking of the events that are to occur toward the end of human history, the runup to the second advent of Jesus, He says, “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake” (Matthew 24:9).

In Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount, we find these words:

Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for you, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for so their fathers did to the prophets.

(Luke 6:22-23)

The Apostle John, who knew what he was talking about because he experienced it, wrote, “Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you” (1 John 3:13).

Not to know these things, these unhappy realities, would be devasting to us. For all these years now, to one degree or another, I have experienced anti-Christian bias and prejudice. Those who treat us as such do not, for the most part, even understand what they are doing. They are blind to their own hard hearts.

Christians build strength

Christians, however, are not unaware of opposition and so are able to meet the test. It is like going to the gym and doing weight training—we get strong. Not only that but we know what may happen already and thus are not shocked or knocked off our game when trouble comes our way because of our testimony of Jesus.

            Neither do we become paranoid, expecting the worst either. Frankly, I do experience prejudice toward me as most everyone knows I am a Christian pastor. And in this I rejoice. At the same time, because others know where I stand, it is not unusual for people to seek me out to know more about the Gospel or come to me for counsel. It is really a very interesting two-edged sword.

            At this point in my Christian life I have settled into the whole life style; it is not boring being a Christian.

The Christian reaction

Peter writes: “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9). “Blessing” or not, and I am not looking for a blessing and if I got a blessing I doubt I would even recognize it, we to not repay evil for evil.

            Thus, we maintain a healthy conscience. We are not fearful, we are fully ready, and we actually expect opposition.

The Apostle Paul was a persecutor of Christians to the point of imprisoning them and killing them. Paul knew persecution from both sides. His word on these points can be a great encouragement to us. Here now is Romans 12:9-21:

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

            Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Fourteen

Public Ministry—Is it a

Performance?

“I love being in front of people. That’s what I miss

most.”

My friend was telling the truth. He had, in fact,

majored in theater while in college. Out of politeness,

however, I decided not to challenge his statement. It

bothered me though; we pastors are hypocritical

enough without making the worship service a

performance.

         

By public ministry I mean any service or meeting

where there is some kind of presentation to

people—a worship service, an organizational meeting,

a workshop, even a Bible study.

Unwittingly I started out in the pastoral ministry

thinking like a performer—I tried to preach like Billy

Graham. I thought I would be successful if I copied

the greatest preacher of the Twentieth Century. During

my first pastorate I mimicked Graham to the point

people commented on it, and I would be flattered. If

great crowds of people had packed in to hear me, I

probably would still be sounding like I was from North

Carolina.

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For Pastors

Some years later, during the Jesus People

Movement, someone suggested I preach like Oral

Roberts. I tried but I failed; I could do Graham better

than Roberts. After many years I finally let the stylized

preaching go and allowed the natural Philpott to

emerge. But the temptation to emulate the great

preachers is strong.

In conversations with other ministers about this

particular situation, I have come to the conclusion there

is almost an addictive kind of allure to public ministry.

To stand before others and receive their acclamation,

appreciation, admiration, attention, and respect is a

heady phenomenon, so much so that it can become a

primary motive for ministry. An extreme illustration of

the power of being before others is the preacher who

gauged his success on how many standing ovations he

received during the course of a sermon.

For many years I was in public ministry and then

for a space of several years I was not. I confess I missed

standing before a group of people and receiving their

attention. My flesh, to use Pauline terms, seemed to

revel in and hunger for the “spotlight”. Often, too

often, my fleshly craving for the applause of people

spurred me on. Not that God can not use this, if it is

submitted to Christ, but it is a craving, a potentially

addictive thing, that can eventually bring harm.

Certainly, the alternative, a fear of being in front of

people, is also damaging. I remember being anxious,

very anxious sometimes, and occasionally I still am. If

I speak before a group I am not familiar with I may

have considerable anxiety. Even at Miller Avenue I

occasionally will begin to be anxious Saturday night or

on Sunday morning. If I am not confident in my

preparation or discover that I no longer like the sermon,

my anxiety level will go up. When I feel I have a good

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A Performance?

handle on the sermon and am looking forward to

preaching it, there is little if any anxiety. When I know

that unconverted people will be present I am often

looking forward to preaching.

There is another kind of anxiety, however, that I

often experience, that has nothing to do with standing

before a group of people. Perhaps “anxiety” is not the

right word. What I feel is a kind of inadequacy. I will

doubt my ability to communicate Jesus and His

wonderful love. As a sinner myself, I stand before

others with the task of preaching the gospel. It comes

to me as I imagine it must have to Paul, I am in fear

and trembling. And this has nothing to do with stage

fright. I am fearful that I might not do my job as a

preacher in a way that would please and honor God.

At little stage fright is nothing in comparison.

But there is a danger that public ministry might

devolve into a performance; the preacher or teacher

becomes an actor. My feeling is, although I have no

statistics on this and few concrete illustrations that I

would relate here, a ministry would eventually be

undermined under such circumstances. A congregation

will begin to sense they are witnessing a performance.

Pastors should not underestimate the acuity and

wisdom of the people they preach to. If a pastor has an

ego that needs to be continually fed, the unction of

the Holy Spirit will be thwarted and people may

disregard the message however biblical.

Pastors conduct their ministries because of their

relationship with Jesus Christ, the motive being to

honor and serve our Lord, and to lift up His name. As

Spurgeon said, “The audience is not in the pews, it is

in heaven.”

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For Pastors

         

  Fear of speaking before a group of people—have

you experienced this?

  Have you developed your own style of preaching?

  Do you relate to the “performance” idea presented

in this chapter?

Keeping in Fellowship

Christians are part of a very large family. We literally have brothers and sisters in Christ all over the globe. There are elders, middle aged, young adult, teens, adolescents, and children. Some are new believers, others are old soldiers. Some are flourishing, others are struggling with various issues. Some live well, some are starving. There are those who are honored and those who are dying because they refuse to renounce their faith in Jesus.

At the church I pastor there are precious folks who suffer from mental illness. There are those who show up who are not yet converted. Some are even trouble makers with a rebellious spirit.

Every church is a mixed bag. We will only be wonderfully perfect when we dwell eternally in the presence of God. Until then, well anything can happen, and I did not understand this my early days in an actual church.

I was shocked to find I was sitting in the same pew with some real odd balls, weird people, yet there they were, and someone had to be clearly dangerous to be asked to go elsewhere. I remember one guy who really troubled me; his very presence irked me. Later I found out he was suffering from a diagnosable disorder and was doing the best he could. In the local church we cannot assume everyone is completely sin free and angelic.

The world-wide family

Every time my wife and I attend a major conference of Christians with people from all over the world in attendance, like the National Religious Broadcasters gathering, or the International Christian Retail Show, we meet brothers and sisters in Christ who are actively engaged in some form of ministry.

            What has always interested me is that no one asks what denomination or church one belonged to. Well, some ask, but most of the time it is a subject that does not come up. Sometimes I can tell by the garb worn that I am speaking with a Roman Catholic or an Oriental or Eastern Orthodox Christian. Other than that, we simply recognize that we belong to Christ.

That there are differences, even some very large ones, is well known. Despite doctrinal disagreements, we all share a basic historical and biblical theology. I love to talk about the varying views, too. It can be done knowing we are ultimately in fellowship with one another thus no one feels threatened or defensive. Christianity is not a cookie-cutter thing, to borrow an old, maybe tired, cliché, but this is a fact. But being in the Body of Christ is a very wonderful thing.

Fellowship is biblical

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42).

            This is Luke’s description of what it was like in the early days of the Church. What strength there is in uniting together in the name of Jesus! It is plain from Paul’s letters to various churches that there were certain troubles that needed to be addressed. Yet these churches survived for centuries, most of them, and the Gospel message went out from them as well.

            From the passage quoted above we see that fellowship is mentioned second. The Greek for fellowship is koinonia. We get the word coin as in a nickel or dime from the basic word. It means having things in common. And what we have in common is Jesus and His salvation. We are literally “in Christ,” Jesus is the head and we are the Body.

Fellowship of believers is the express purpose of God

Read what the Apostle John wrote to the churches under his care during the last decade of the first century.

That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us, and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. (1 John 1:3-4)

We notice a very important fact in the passage: proclamation of the Gospel is directly linked to fellowship. John clearly points out one of the consequences of the proclamation of the message of Jesus is fellowship.

            Not only that, but the fellowship is with the Father and the Son; the result of which is joy.

This Joy is inexpressible, that is, we do not have words to describe it. The Apostle Peter wrote: “Though you have not seen him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory” (1 Peter 1:8). The joy experienced alone is wonderful, and in the fellowship of brothers and sisters in Christ it is truly inexpressible. And this is the will of God for us.

Since 1963 I have been enjoying being in the fellowship of other Christian people. Not always, but most of the time, I look forward to driving to church to be with the congregation on Sunday morning. During the week I will miss them, and when someone is not present, I miss them more. It is not that way with other groups I commonly am involved with. There is just that certain un-namable something about being with those who love Jesus.

Remain in fellowship

Not all Christians gather together on Sunday morning. Some meet at other times. There are those fellowships that meet several or more times a week. Some just once, but they are in fellowship weekly. This is the historical and biblical norm, and in our pressure packed world this is not always possible. If I could so arrange, I would lobby for a weekly Sunday morning gathering. But in any case, fellowship is a normal part of the Christian life and it is healthy to do so.

Let me return to a theme I spoke of earlier: Christians are not always easy to get along with. And this is a good thing and for at least two reasons.

            One, we learn how to love others, as Jesus told us to do. Easy to love and be in close fellowship with those we have a considerable degree of compatibility. Right. But in a fellowship of believers, there will be those who are hard to love. And this is good for us, moves us out of our comfort zone, and stretches us to grow in love.

            Two, we learn how to pray for other’s needs, which takes a focus off ourselves. Narcissism is a big word today, and of course, we are not, the other guy is. Or, so we imagine. We are to pray for each other, listen to each other, and come along side those who are hurting and like the good Samaritan, help bind up their wounds. Yes, a concentration on others than ourselves is healthy.

The perfect congregation

Is there one? In heaven for sure but not on this planet. How could it be otherwise?

When a non-Christian I assumed Christians were perfect. Where I got that from I do not know. I had a friend named Jim when I was fifteen and he went to church, even invited me to come along. Then I saw him do something that I thought was awful and I dismissed him and his Christianity right then and there. ” Well, if that is what Christians do I sure am not going to be one of those hypocrites.”

            Hypocrites, yes, we all are. We espouse the highest ideals and fall very short of this. Part of being a Christian is learning to honest with ourselves. We know we are sinners, continue to sin though we want, increasingly to turn away from it, yet we are fallen creatures living in a fallen world. And this is incredibly healthy.

We can admit the truth about ourselves because we are greatly loved by God and have been declared both now and forever forgiven and saved to the uttermost.

We need not be constantly looking for the perfect church. Oddly, a church is both perfect and imperfect at the same time. Realizing this is so means we do not roam from church to church until we find one just right.

            My counsel is to find a church that identifies with historic biblical Christianity, and one where the Bible is taught and preached. A solid congregation is one that focuses on bold proclamation of Jesus and the making of disciples.        

Striving to keep the fellowship

There is no perfect church and everyone who has been around for some time knows this.

Learning to be in a fellowship of believers-avoid isolationism, learn to get along with others, iron sharpening iron

Thirteen

Listening to Criticism

“Did you hear yourself? You’re being overly critical,

Kent.”

“Critical, I’m not a critical person.”

“Ha, so you think. I’ve been married to you so long

and you think I don’t know.”

I’ve been told I tend to be a critical person. I don’t

like this about myself and I have to guard against it or

I would alienate everyone around me. And as a pastor

it would be deadly if I did not check it. At the same

time I don’t like to be criticized. Perhaps my fear of

criticism is related to my tendency to criticize others.

         

Early on in my Christian life, there were a few things

about the church I attended that I would have

loved to have talked over with my pastor. The concerns

were not of great significance. More than anything else,

I only wanted to spend time with the pastor. Making a

suggestion or critique is one way of coming before the

pastor.

Criticisms tend to be presented shortly before the

Sunday morning worship service is to begin. The next

best time is actually during the worship service itself,

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Listening to Criticism

even right before the sermon, via a note or a whisper.

Many criticisms come immediately after the service.

It is rare for someone to make an appointment for

lunch, coffee, or a chat in the office and express a

critique in a way that is intended to be encouraging

and helpful.

Pastors are frequently admonished, mainly through

denominational publications, “Listen to criticism and

evaluate it”. And pastors might more often do so if

they recognized a criticism for what it was. But the socalled

criticism may seem like a personal attack, and it

may be just that, a personal attack.

Here is a list of some of the ordinary criticisms.

1. You are not talking loud enough when you

preach, or, you are talking too loud when you preach.

2. You are not using the Bible enough in your

sermons, or, you are using the Bible too much in your

sermons.

3. Your sermons are too long, or, your sermons are

too short.

4. You sing too many hymns in the service, or, you

do not sing enough hymns in the service.

5. There is not enough praying in the service, or,

you are praying too much in the service.

6. The services last too long, or, the services are

too short.

7. I wish the Holy Spirit would be present in the

service.

8. The services are becoming awfully lively are they

not?

9. We are having far too many guest speakers, or,

why don’t we have more guest speakers?

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For Pastors

10. I wish you would speak so that the children

could understand you, or, I wish you would speak more

to the adults and mature Christians in the congregation.

11. I wish you would preach the gospel more, or,

Why are you always preaching to the unconverted?

12. When are we going to get some new families

into the church?

There may be no way to make sense out of a

criticism and perhaps the best one can do is hear the

criticism, thank the person, and make an expression

that it will be considered and prayed about. Or, if is of

a very serious nature, the pastor can state that others

will be consulted. A last resort response is to state that

the issue will be brought up before the church council.

There is a difference between a suggestion and a

criticism. Everyone will have a suggestion from time

to time. Anyone who cares about their church will make

suggestions. It seems that I can feel the difference

between a suggestion and a criticism. The person who

makes a suggestion is often willing to volunteer to make

the suggestion a reality. A suggestion does not call into

question the spirituality, dedication, motive, vision,

faithfulness, and integrity of the pastor. Words like

“why” and “how come” are not used, and no

comparisons are made.

A person who talks about how things were in their

old church is not making, necessarily, a criticism, and

may not be making a suggestion either. They had

appreciated and valued the ministry they received in a

previous church and want to have the same kind of

ministry in their new church if possible. I have learned

much from people bringing new ideas to me; however,

it is a rare situation where something that worked in

one church will work in another. A sincere person

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Listening to Criticism

whose suggestions spring from previous church

experiences should be seriously considered, but I have

learned not to make promises. If a suggestion comes

that I find interesting, I will take it under consideration,

talk with others about it, and even submit it to the

church council.

When I was much younger I had a more difficult

time accepting suggestions. I was far surer of myself

when I was in my 30s and 40s, and now as I find myself

in my late 50s, I am much more open to change. I am

not sure why; I think it is because I realize that as long

as I get to preach the gospel I do not much care what

else happens. Therefore I am probably more open to

suggestion and critique than at any other time in my

life.

Many suggestions, and criticisms, have to do with

the content and structure of the worship service. The

long and short of it is there is only so much that can be

done in a worship service unless no time limit is put

on it. The worship service almost becomes a war zone

in some churches. When pressed I have simply replied:

“How about you creating the worship services for the

next month?” And I have done it, actually let the

suggestion makers and critics design the service. Then

I have had the opportunity to use that old line, “If it is

too hot, get out of the kitchen”

There will be people who seem to be making a

critique, but actually they are making an evaluation of

the pastor and the pastoral ministry. It is a disguised

attack. It may come from jealousy; it may come from

envy. It may be that the person covets the pastor’s

position. They may see themselves in a leadership

position, and they may be, even at an unconscious level,

wanting to diminish the pastoral authority that theirs

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For Pastors

might be elevated. The worst response is a refusal to

listen to or consider the suggestion/critique.

Pastors must understand that they do not have it

all figured out, and, of course, just because somebody

makes a suggestion does not mean it must be accepted

as valid and acted upon. In the best of times I like to

be able to say, “Thank you for saying that. I am going

to take that under consideration. I am going to talk to

some other people about that, and let us talk about it

in month or so.”

On a few occasions I have asked suggestion makers

to put their ideas down on paper that I might study it

and perhaps use it to make a presentation to the church

council. Now accountability is built into the process.

Many a suggestion has withered on the vine when

people must stand behind their suggestion. After a

time, when such a process is used and becomes well

know to others, the number of suggestions may be

radically reduced.

There are probably a couple of dozen other ways

of dealing with suggestions and criticisms. There are

times when the last thing a pastor needs is to discover

that someone else in the congregation has a critique or

evaluation. However, listening to these goes with the

territory of being a pastor. Suggestions and criticisms

must be heard and evaluated.

         

Reflect for a moment to recall how it is that you react

to suggestions and criticisms.

  If your reflection reveals you do not like suggestions

and criticisms, is there room for personal growth? If

you are like me, this is not easily done.

Having Meaning and Purpose

Most of us live with our basic needs met. Food, clothing, and housing are common and accessible to the majority on the planet. If an individual or family needs assistance with these, government agencies and other institutions are there to help, at least in the so-called developed countries.

            Having work to do, a safe environment to live in, and the prospect of reliable health care, we are doing better than most of those who have walked the earth. Then there is the possibility of enjoying life and the capacity to be creative and expansive, even the potential for fame and fortune. Is there more?

There is something more

One may live the middle even upper-class life and find oneself empty. There is something more and that is to live with meaning and purpose.

            Mostly my family of origin lived the standard middle-class life. My idea was that I would get married, have kids, work for a living, retire, and hope to live into my eighties. This is what my dad hoped to do as well as his two younger brothers. And with the exception of my youngest brother, we did. Yet, deep inside of me I wanted, no rather, I needed more.

After a time, after my stint in the military, I saw that I could live the normal American middle-class life. Having nearly completed an MA degree in psychology at Sacramento State, I was going to be a school psychologist. (Originally, I planned to be a pharmacist, but I got a D in Chem 1 and an F in Chem 2, so that was that.)

            Mid way through my four years as a medic in the Air Force I became a Christian, at age 21. And at age 21 I was married with two children. Looked like things were going to be just fine. However, my view of the world and of myself began to change. Where I was headed was not enough.

The call

Given my fear of public speaking I never considered being a preacher. I ended up having to take classes at a community college because I was scared to death of taking speech class, which was required to receive an AA degree., No speech class, no four-year school. Finally, I faced it, at Napa Community College in Napa, California, then off to UC Davis and Sac state I went.

            Then, about to graduate with an MA in psych something happened to me—I felt, and strongly, called to go to seminary and study for the ministry. I could not shake it and my wife was not terribly happy about it. Each passing day the desire to study the Bible drew until I gave in, talked to my pastor about it, and the day after my enlistment in the Air Force ended, I moved onto the campus of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley, California.

            It has not been a smooth ride, let me tell you, much turmoil, many disappointments, a number of personal failures, and still that call is deep in me.

The universal call

Few are called into what we call the ministry. Most of us are not called to this work, but we are all called to grow up into Christ, to follow Him, and obey His commands. This means that for all Christians, there is meaning and purpose.

            First, we are called to love God with all that we are. We, largely, do not even know what that means. It is a slow study, indeed. Trying as best I can I do not have the words to say much more about this right now. Some of what I tried to relay I ended up deleting since I am just not able to go very deep. Grow up into Christ might have been simpler had I not read the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but I did, and I do, and continually discover that Jesus is so very incredible. I must admit I merely stumble along. But He is there leading and urging us onward nevertheless, this Savior, Master, Lord, the great Shepherd and we the little lost sheep. Yet, we follow Him who is always out ahead of us calling us onward.

Work to do

We have been graciously given work to do. Imagine laboring in the Carpenter’s workshop, learning to use His tools, receiving instruction on how to build His way! Not a day goes by it seems that there is not something completely new. This is a life-long challenge and adventure.

            All of us are called to love Him with all that we are, and love our neighbor as ourselves. We looked at this in the first chapter. This one alone takes us all our lives. Then there is the command Jesus gave us to serve Him. That is what we are, servants, slaves if you will, whose primary work is to do what He has called us to do.

When I was in seminary, Professor Francis DuBose spent an entire semester pounding into his students one single verse. That verse, John 20:21, had already become a favorite of mine, and it became more so as I went as deep as I could into the heart of it, and it came at a time when I was just beginning my street ministry in the Haight-Ashbury District of San Francisco. The verse became an anchor for me.

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

Imagine— “as the father has sent me”—we are called to do the same. I knew the words from years past, but I did not really know the words. By the working of the Holy Spirit it dawned on me that I am already sent. The king of glory sent me. It still thrills me.

The great commission

The last words to His disciples, according to the Gospel of Matthew, are:

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.

(Matthew 28:19-20)

“Go” is the first word in the sentence, and it is, in the Greek, a command to do something, go, go, go. It is a command to the whole of the Church and to each one individually. We are to go, and go, everywhere. And we have, pretty much, and we still do and more so today that any other time in the history of the world given modern technology.[1]

What to go to do is make disciples. This is an inclusive term; one cannot be a disciple until he or she is born again or converted to Christ. Once the saving message of the Gospel is proclaimed, and it is to be boldly proclaimed, then the discipleship process begins and never ends. Yes, I am still being discipled, I continue to learn, as do all genuine Christians.

            We are not called to be entertained and appeased, we are not merely called to meet other’s needs, but to speak to the one issue above all others, the gift of salvation by grace alone.

            Disciples are what we are called to be. We are to study Jesus, learn from Him, and follow in His footsteps. One of the initial steps in discipleship is to be baptized. This is a landmark for many of us; it was for me. When I was baptized I had the glorious opportunity to do something Jesus said to do. This is where it starts for so many. And at our baptism we acknowledge that our God is Triune, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Notice now that as we obey Jesus’ command to go and make disciples, He is with us all the way.

Here then is meaning and purpose and of the highest caliber. To be wondering what life is all about is not good for our mental and spiritual health. Being a follower of Jesus is life at its best. There is nothing better.

We Christians, we have it all.

---

[1] For instance, our small congregation produces at present three television programs that are available all over the world. These can be found by going to YouTube and typing in my name, Kent Philpott

Twelve

Discussion of the Sermon

I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach. “Why do

you insist on shouting at us like we were children?” he

asked in something less than a pleasant tone of voice.

“Not only that, I didn’t appreciate your reference to

the Catholic Church.”

The fact is I had invited this kind of feedback.

After a sermon I am sometimes worn out and need

time to recover, and an attack on my person and my

sermon both was tough to take. “Those are good

points,” I began, “Let me try to explain myself.” And

so I did and I think he accepted what I said though he

might not have agreed completely. He did keep coming

and attends to this day. It was better for him to voice

his complaints than have them drive him away.

         

A preacher ought to be accountable for what is

presented in the sermon. As a way of making that

happen, after the service at Miller Avenue, everyone

is invited to stay for “coffee hour” and a discussion of

the sermon. We have coffee, tea, cookies, and

sometimes, a light lunch. There are some old couches

and a coffee table in one particular section of our

fellowship hall where we gather to eat and discuss the

sermon.

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Discussion of the Sermon

People will often have questions and comments

after hearing a sermon. There have been affirmations

and confirmations, there have also been some anger

expressed. Everything is welcome and the sessions can

even be quite helpful to the preacher as well as to

others. Some important work is accomplished during

the discussion of the sermon.

There are some alert, sophisticated people at Miller

Avenue who are not afraid to be critical and will

challenge me. I, of course, am very aware of this, and

try to be careful not to put myself into a bad situation;

I have learned to be careful about the things that I say.

Ministerial exaggerations, mean spiritedness, attacking

people and/or institutions, these will not go unnoticed

or unmentioned. I am not above defending myself and

I will not back down from preaching the truth either,

but I know I will be held accountable when I go where

I should not.

There is a helpful saying, “We agree to disagree”.

I am not looking for uniformity in doctrine, or expecting

people to use words and phrases that I use. We are not

all at the same place theologically or spiritually, and

room must be made for differences. Debate and

discussion is characteristic of maturity, and so is

becoming accountable for the content of the sermon.

Accountability can actually result in better preaching.

         

  Have you ever wanted to talk with a preacher about

a sermon?

  I assume the answer is yes. Some people may want

to do the same with your sermons. Could you handle

it?

Growing into the fullness of Christ

We start out as new born babes, then little by little we grow up. This is true physically but also spiritually. Like many, I thought I knew most everything after I first completed reading the Bible all the way through. At age twenty-one I was some years away from being even physically mature, much less anywhere close to approaching spiritual maturity.

            When I was thirty-one, a whole decade in the Faith, I thought I was a spiritual giant. I did have a MDiv. degree from a top-flight seminary, had been ordained, and had pastored a church, already. I even was the head of a growing ministry and would occasionally see my picture in a newspaper. I was a big deal, or so I thought. And, what goes up comes down. And I hit hard on the rocks when that happened to me.

            Things hadn’t changed much by age forty-one, or fifty-one, though there was some growth I suppose. Sixty-one, seventy-one, looks like I’ll notch eighty-one, God willing, and I will still be working on growing up into the fullness of Christ.            

            How about you? Can you make an honest assessment of yourself? If so, you are blessed indeed. Let’s look at some verses that may speak to us.

1 Peter 2:2:

“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation.”

I Corinthians 3:1-2:

“But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people; but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with mild, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready.”

Hebrews 5:12-14:

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

It is not wrong to admit we are not yet mature, in fact, it is an indication of a developing and healthy maturity. A Bible college or seminary degree does not automatically make us mature. Sure, I had written a systematic theology by age thirty-five and had five books published by major publishers, but I was a long way from mature. I had yet to go through a divorce, which necessitated my need to resign from a thriving ministry I had founded coming out of the Jesus People Movement.

            There is a real need for us to be honest with ourselves. Otherwise we cannot live a healthy Christian life. Too often churches and Christian organizations lose patience with those of us who act immature and cause difficulty, and to a degree this is understandable, but we ourselves, brothers and sisters, we cannot be afraid to make an honest estimation of who we are. To do otherwise is to harm ourselves mentally and emotionally.

A very good reason

One of the reasons for this book is the hope that the church of Jesus Christ in our own day would be mature to the point of helping those who are in the midst of the often painful struggles that characterize spiritual growth. At minimum Christian leaders need to be aware that there is a maturing process. Pastors must understand this or they will be ill equipped to help the infants develop beyond that stage.

It is essential to understand that we ourselves grow up at different rates from each other. I have been guilty of expecting others to be further along in their growing up than they were and thereby end up judging them. I will admit right now that as a pastor I have damaged others by expecting too much from others. And I wish, looking back now, people would have been more patient with me.

            In the years of my struggles, and rebellion, I was as it is said, “thrown under the bus.” During the times I needed brothers and sisters in Christ the most, I was ostracized. And as painful as it is, I had done the same myself in earlier times.

Again, we grow up at different rates. Therefore, we must be patient with ourselves and others. And I am not meaning that we should excuse sinful behavior. We cannot rush growth, yet at the same time, we should strive for it.

The work of Christian leaders

The leaders in the body of Christ have a responsibility to help those under their care. Paul puts it so very well in Ephesians 4:11-13:

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

It is within the fellowship of a body of believers that there is the best opportunity for growing up in Christ. The old principle of “iron sharpening iron” applies; this dealing with others is where growth takes place. The lone wolf Christian will grow very slowly, if at all. We need others around us, people who know us, people who are willing to invest their lives into us, that we grow up even if by friction.

Yes, it is risk taking, but it is natural. The older I got the more I collided with my parents and my brothers. It was all good for me though I did not understand the dynamics of family life. At school there was even more clashings, and these proved to be invaluable. Others in the pews, people from different backgrounds, differing points of view on politics, theology, and more—iron sharpening iron.

Physical and spiritual maturity and directly connected

Growth depends on a number of factors: food, exercise, love from the family, encountering life, and learning to cope. Going through disappointments, coping with illnesses both physical and emotional. Refusing to give up when we are defeated. Struggling through difficult times, like “dark nights of the soul,” learning how to love, learning to deal with our own rebellion and sin, experiencing disappointments, coping with illnesses, both physical and emotional—all essential to developing a healthy maturity. 

A slow growing up

Our growing up is a little at a time, it is almost inperceptively. And it is His gifting to us as John expressed it in John 1:16: “And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”

Not until we are in His presence, in our resurrection body, experiencing full joy and maturity, will we be all that we can be,

Eleven

On Teaching the Bible

“You take the Bible too seriously,” she said, “There

are lots of other holy books but you never mention

them.”

She was right and I told her so. “When you love

the Lord you will love His Word, too. Then you will

like it that I preach the Bible.”

“Never!” came the response and she hung up the

phone.

         

My conviction is that the Bible is the inspired Word

of God. People wrote the Bible, yet in a way we

do not understand, it is God’s own Word. From Genesis

to Revelation it has been “breathed” by the Holy Spirit.

The Scripture is therefore reliable and without error; I

can trust what the Bible says.

Views of the Bible range everywhere from, “It is

not the word of God, simply the word of man,” all the

way to the “mechanistic” view, which essentially holds

that the Bible was transmitted by God writing through

human hands much like automatic writing in occult

practices. Certainly there are many views that would

fall in-between the extremes. My tendency is to avoid

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On Teaching the Bible

the controversies; I generally, though not always, stand

clear of the “Bible battles”.

The Holy Spirit must reveal, even apply Scripture

in any case. Unconverted people will neither love nor

appreciate the Word of God. The natural or

unconverted person does not understand the things of

the Spirit of God. (see 1 Corinthians 1:18, 2:14)

Christianized people, those, who have experienced

false conversion, will be ambivalent toward the Bible

at best and will have trouble understanding it. The

Christianized can have an intellectual knowledge of

the Bible, but will not come to love and cherish it. The

Bible is a Holy Spirit book about Jesus, and only the

Holy Spirit can make it understandable.

Pastors teach the Bible. This is the chief

mechanism by which the Apostles’ doctrine is

communicated to the Church. (see Acts 2:42)

How is the Bible taught? One answer is: it must be

taught in context. This is more complicated and

important than it might first appear, and I am going to

present, though briefly, one reason why the Bible’s

context must be clearly defined.

We must see that the cultural and religious context

of both the Old and New Testaments is Jewish.

Philosophers reference two fundamentally distinct

mindsets or ways of thinking about the world— a

Jewish, Hebrew or eastern mindset and the western

mindset. These are two differing ways of approaching

almost everything, and this is particularly important

when it comes to the Bible.

The Jewish or Hebrew mindset understands, for

instance, that to say “in the name of Jesus” is to be

making reference to the person and work of Jesus in

totality including His deity and humanness, His death

on the cross, His burial, His resurrection, and His

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For Pastors

ascension. When the Christian says, “in the name of

Jesus” this is what should be meant. This is the Hebrew

mindset.

In contrast, the western mindset would take “in the

name of Jesus” in a much more literal fashion that

almost approaches a magical way of thinking. The

phrase is thought to have power in itself, in its very

utterance. If the phrase is not pronounced at the end

of a prayer, for example, the prayer would be considered

ineffectual—this is a “western” view of prayer. The

western mindset, that more literal approach to the

Scripture, has been popular only for the last couple of

hundred years. But it has almost become normative in

many branches of evangelical Christianity.

In order to adequately teach the Bible then it must

be put in its Jewish context. It is helpful, additionally,

for the teacher of the Bible to understand the life and

times of the Bible writers. There are many other points

on teaching the Bible that can not be made in this short

chapter.

The learning of and teaching of the Bible is a

lifelong enterprise. If a pastor does not read the biblical

languages, Hebrew and Greek, other tools can be used

to compensate. A good concordance—an exhaustive

concordance—is essential. A Bible atlas will find good

use. I think it is important to have an interlinear Bible,

both the Hebrew-English Old Testament and the

Greek-English New Testament. I have known pastors

to gradually pick up a considerable command of the

biblical languages using interlinear Bibles. Bible

dictionaries are very useful. Commentaries of the Bible

as a whole and of individual books, especially those

that incorporate analysis of the languages, can be

obtained. I do not accept commentary as truth certainly.

On occasion, I have consulted many commentaries on

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On Teaching the Bible

an issue and never agreed with a one. But they can be

instructive even if they only serve to clarify what it is

that must be rejected.

More and more I like to consult Spurgeon on a

passage of Scripture. If a pastor is blessed to have

Spurgeon’s sermons, indexes will locate what Spurgeon

said about many texts.

Bible study tools are fairly expensive. I imagine if

I had to replace essential study tools I now have the

cost would be around $2000, not an insignificant sum

but a worthwhile investment.

I spend nearly as much time preparing for a Bible

study with three or four people as I will for the Sunday

morning service. I must admit that I am the one who

benefits most. Preparation for Bible teaching and

preaching is a most valuable and profitable time. Study

of Scripture is what I love second most about the

pastoral ministry.

My preference is to teach the Bible verse-by-verse.

I am not particularly concerned with covering a certain

amount of material. One verse may supply enough for

an entire study; sometimes a whole chapter may be

covered. But more than likely a paragraph or two will

be gone over in any case.

In the Bible studies I teach I do not make an effort

to be entertaining, I merely seek to expose the

Scripture. The truth of the Bible is enough; it is not

necessary for me to be exciting. Of course, it is no virtue

to be boring.

The Scripture must be dealt with as it really is.

Some parts of it are difficult to understand. The Bible

teacher must be able to admit when a particular passage

is difficult, even obscure. Any teacher of the Word who

has been at it for a time will adopt a humble approach

to the Bible. One of the most annoying tendencies of

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For Pastors

a teacher is the intimation of extraordinary knowledge

of the Scripture. Being willing to admit to a lack of

understanding of a passage or concept or saying is

becoming of the Bible teacher. Often I will present

contrary views on a passage and even seem, for didactic

reasons, to champion them.

It is the Holy Spirit who must impress the truth

upon any hearer. The teacher, then, relies upon God’s

Spirit to be the real teacher though every effort is made

to handle the Word of God appropriately and honestly.

Teaching the Bible from the pulpit is a favorite form

of preaching because the gospel is on every page. My

preaching is sometimes very much like teaching though

I believe the two are different. Teaching is exposing

the Scripture, preaching is applying it to the converted

and unconverted. Teaching from Scripture becomes a

sermon when the truth of it is applied to the hearers.

At Miller Avenue we have a “Bible Exposition,” which

is verse by verse teaching of the Scripture. Then a

hymn is sung before the sermon is presented.

I do not consider myself to be much of a preacher

though I strive to be the best preacher I can be.

Preaching and teaching go together, both are essential.

I think it is accurate to say that I have placed my

emphasis on teaching. My feeling is that if I can

communicate the Scripture then I am moving along

toward fulfilling my pastoral responsibilities.

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On Teaching the Bible

         

  Do you see a difference between teaching and

preaching?

  How do you see yourself in terms of strengths and

weaknesses?

  Do you take any pleasure in teaching the Scripture?