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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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?

Accepting Forgiveness

For whatever reasons, we humans are driven by our feelings. What does forgiveness feel like? is an issue that must be examined.

“I don’t feel forgiven” is something that runs through the minds of most of us. The consequences of dumb things we have done remain with us. I have in my memory bank images of things I have done that I am deeply ashamed of and try as I might, I cannot erase them. These have become part of who I am. And maybe, just maybe, that is a good thing.

Forgiveness—feeling or fact?

If I feel I am forgivendoes that mean I am forgiven?

If I don’t feel I am forgiven does that mean I am not forgiven?

What part do our emotions play in our Christian life? It seems, for many, emotions and feelings are akin to spiritual realities and affirm, or not, the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It seems to me that relying on our emotions and feelings opens the door to error and the possibility of being deceived. After all, where in the whole of the Bible do we find that our feelings have anything to do with spiritual realities?

If forgiveness is a feeling, then I cannot ever be sure I am forgiven. What a terrible place to find ourselves. Guilt can be unrelenting and tortuous; it can drive us mad. Since we know this cannot possibly be the will of our Father in heaven, then we must rethink our view of forgiveness.

Forgiveness, biblically speaking, is a fact and not a feeling. It is firmly based upon the work of Jesus Christ dying on the cross. He put away our sin, completely. The writer of Hebrews says, “He (Jesus) has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:26).

Jesus, dying and receiving all of our sin upon Himself, was buried and all our sin is buried with Him. Certainly, we will admit this great reality is beyond our ability to grasp. Yet the putting away of sin is central to all of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.

The imagery of baptism

To be baptized is to be plunged or dunked or immersed. Biblical baptism, which is being plunged into or dunked or immersed in water, is the image of what happens to the Christian at the moment of conversion. Water baptism is not a magical ritual whereby sin is removed and cancelled, rather, it is a representation of a spiritual reality. Here is the person standing in a river, a lake, a stream, an ocean, a swimming pool, a baptistry in a church building, and this person is laid under the water, buried in the water, and raised up again.

   The point is that sin is buried; it is gone, it is washed away; it is all and completely forgiven. Upon this truth we make our stand.

The accuser

Christians have an enemy who accuses them that they are not Christians and safe in Christ. This threat is rendered impotent based on Revelation 12:10 and numbers of other passages: “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.”

To which accuser are we most vulnerable, ourselves or Satan? And the answer is both, and. No matter, the accusations come at us. For me, when I hear some people slam me for things that happened in the past, sometimes occurring decades ago, I do not think they are demonized. However, I do question that they know the power of the cross and the extreme love the Father has for His children

            Early on I would be devastated when the accusations would come. Now not so much though I may cringe a bit. Strangely, or maybe not so strangely, I am more sensitive to my sin now than ever before. Early on I even questioned my conversion, now though I know I have been born again and my sin is washed away and forgiven. This is where I will stand.

Acutely aware of sin

 Now a follower of Jesus for fifty-five years I still am a sinner. Remember, all our sin is forgiven, even those we have not committed, yet. Once again, we encounter an unresolvable paradox. Totally forgiven yet needing to confess our sin as such comes to our awareness is a paradox, two truths existing side by side but never join or resolved. Strangely, or maybe not so strangely, I am more sensitive to my sin now than ever before.

            I am not sure how to go about explaining this; it is something I experience. Little things that happen ever so innocuously, a slight, a boast, a slightly exaggerated statement, or leaving out matter that should have been stated, not spending enough time with someone, being in a hurry to do what I want to do, a judgmental look or thought, and the list could go on and on. I am busy sinning.

What will I do? In a kind of a prayer without kneeling, closing the eyes, or folding the hands, I say a little prayer in process, “Please forgive me Father, have mercy upon me.”

            In the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Publican in the KJV) in Luke 19:9-14 is an ancient prayer, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” (verse 13) Our congregation at Miller Avenue prays an ancient version of it every Sunday. We have put it to music and sing it twice, just before we receive the Bread and the Cup. Our version is: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” This is, as far as I know, the oldest Christian prayer found outside the Bible itself.

            Jesus’ conclusion to the parable, and the primary point of the comparison is: “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other.” (verse 14)

“Justified” is a perfect passive participle. The grammar Jesus used is so very important. Perfect tense means that an act has occurred which results go on forever. Passive voice means that the subject is acted upon, that is, the subject did absolutely nothing to earn any result.

            The tax collector, big sinner in everyone’s eyes for they were Jews who sold out to Rome and extorted money beyond the normal tax due and pocketed it. This traitor went home completely forgiven, though others might accuse him and the devil attempt to defeat him, regardless of the tax collector’s feelings, his sin was gone. And it was all an act of God.

Accepting forgiveness

By faith we accept the forgiveness we have in Christ. If forgiveness is something we can achieve on our own, then forgiveness is fleeting. I have to challenge myself to stand at the foot of the cross when I am tempted to accuse myself or accept accusations from our enemy and those who are under his sway. Despite my feelings, regardless of the unbiblical bits of data that flit through my brain, I know I am forgiven.

Standing firm on this reality keeps us healthy. It is biblical Christianity all the way.

Foreword

If you had lived two thousand years ago and had the

privilege to meet Jesus face to face, there are a couple

of words I doubt you would use to describe your

experience. Regardless of your theological perspective,

no matter what your spiritual or emotional state, you

would probably never say that Jesus was boring or

irrelevant.

Jesus challenged his friends and angered his foes.

He inspired, healed and loved the people around him,

like no one before or since. Yet many pastors who claim

to be followers of Jesus conduct meetings in his name

that are often boring and irrelevant. What is worse is

that some pastors live their lives without the health

and vitality that characterized the life of Jesus. This

should not be so.

I went to a friend’s wedding a while ago that

reminded me why I quit going to church for several

years as a teenager. The building was beautiful, but

the wedding itself started late and dragged on for an

hour. I couldn’t wait for it to be over.

Another wedding I attended more recently

brought laughter, tears and joy to everyone involved.

A religious service has great power to inspire us when

it is conducted in a relevant, personal way. The same

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For Pastors

can be said about the life of a minister. Some Christian

leaders live depressed and frustrated lives. They lack

the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit. There is a

great need for those who lead God’s people to learn

the wisdom, which can enable them to be fruitful. This

book is filled with Kent Philpott’s practical insights

that helped me when I first met him almost thirty years

ago.

I was a confused twenty-year-old when I met

Kent in May of 1970. His living room in San Rafael,

California was crowded with young people singing

praises and studying the Bible. The “Jesus Movement”

was just starting in Northern California and Kent was

in the center of it.

Kent had opened up his home for Bible studies

and evangelism around the clock. We were drawn

together by curiosity, adventure and the Spirit of God.

Kent had gone to seminary where he had become

grounded in the truth that a whole new generation was

hungry to learn. He led meetings with a guitar in his

hands and preached in a language we could relate to.

Through relevant Bible teaching and counseling

with prayer, Kent helped hundreds of young people

enter the Kingdom of God. He steered us away from

the cults and talked us through our trials.

As the ministry grew, we started numerous Bible

studies, discipleship houses and Christian bookstores.

In 1972, we started a church. By 1976 we had four

churches. These churches grew and began their own

mission outreaches. During those years we went

through numerous struggles and trials. We saw leaders

rise and fall. We made mistakes and learned many

lessons the hard way.

Much of the fruit of those years remains, not in

any one church or organization, but in hundreds of

v

people, now middle aged, who are faithfully serving

the Lord around the country.

As my pastor and friend, Kent helped me to grow

and mature. He gave me training and opportunities,

which prepared me for a lifetime of ministry. Kent

understands the practical steps pastors and ministers

need to take to build a fruitful ministry. His wisdom

and counsel in this book will be a treasure for everyone

who seeks to influence people the way Jesus did.

Mark Buckley, pastor

Living Streams Christian Church,

Phoenix, Arizona

Confession is Good for You

Christians do not have to pretend they do the right thing all the time. Perfect we are not. Neither do we have a ‘license’ to sin, as some accuse us. Our desire is to be careful followers of Jesus. Before going any further, it is important to consider a very interesting paradox we find in Scripture.

The paradox involving confession

A paradox is two truths that run parallel to each other like the rails of a railroad track. They are laid right next to each other but never intersect. This is a pretty fair definition of a paradox. And confession definitely involves a paradox.

One rail of the tract is the fact that all of our sin has been placed on Jesus when He died on the cross. Our sin was then buried, or put away, with Jesus in His tomb; and it is utterly and completely gone. And that is all of our sin, past, present, and future. Yes, all of our sinning, past, present, and future is already covered by the blood of Jesus.

            The second rail is that we are to continue to confess our sin despite the fact all of the sin has been forgiven. Paradox?

This is where personal and ongoing confession comes in. Let us examine a key passage of Scripture, that of 1 John 1:8-2:2.

First, 1 John 1:8-10:

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

The “ifs” in bold (my work) above are in Greek grammar what are called “future more probable” conditional clauses. So then, it is possible that a Christian may say they have no sin and if they do, it is big mistake. Such denial means we have to carry guilt around, and doing so eventually damages us both spiritually and emotionally. Over time, guilt multiples, self-condemnation sets in, and relationships are undermined

            We see the paradox then: We are forgiven yet still need to confess our sin—both at the same time.

            Later on, John writes, “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). Out of God’s love for us, He does not want us to carry around the weight of unforgiven sin. This is why confession is good for us. Our ongoing sin is not to be ignored, it is to be confessed. And not just simply, “Lord, forgive me, a sinner” but to name them one by one, the circumstances, instances, maybe down to the details.

Confession, one to another

James, the half-brother of Jesus and first pastor of the Jerusalem Church, wrote, “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16). This opens up something different from the foregoing. Now confession is made directly to others, even to those, especially to those we have sinned against. Instead of settling for broken relationships, the attempt is made to heal breaches as they develop, and we all know, they develop.

            Caution is advised when it comes to confessing sins one to another. The gifts of wisdom and humility vital here. We are careful not to accuse, blame, or gossip in making confession. In addition, over sensitivity must be avoided, but healthy relationships, especially within the family and the church, are critical.

The great Judge is merciful

Christians do not have to hide from God, nor anyone else for that matter. Even if one commits a really big sin, still there is forgiveness. This is a lesson I learned from talking with convicts at San Quentin Prison over thirty-two years as a volunteer there. Murder, rape, and other such, are no bar from total and complete forgiveness though it may take a long while for the freedom of forgiveness sets in. Our Father God never stops loving us and, of course, we cannot fully grasp this, we can only struggle to believe and accept it this enormous truth. Indeed, others will remember our sin, even accuse and blame us and far into the future, but not the Judge of all. He actually forgets our sin.

            One of the enduring images I have carried with me over the decades is that I am standing before God at the Day of Judgment, but He does not see me since Jesus is standing right in front of me. The Judge only sees Jesus His beloved Son. I am completely hidden in Christ.

Knowing this solid biblical truth, I have confidence to live my life freely and without the burden of guilt and shame. I have done some pretty ugly things, stuff others will still bring up, for whatever reasons, but I know I am covered in the shed blood of Jesus. And this is not a psychological invention of mine, it is a truth straight from the Word of God.

Second now, 1 John 2:1:

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

            Notice the “if” again. It is that same construction, a third-class conditional clause as before. John means that we will likely sin, and if and when, we have the best lawyer there is to argue our case, which always results in complete acquittal. Jesus is our advocate, our counselor, our attorney.

            As we mature in our Christian lives this truth becomes very precious to us. We go through difficult times, sometimes lasting over considerable periods of time. For whatever reasons, we do some really dumb things, so much so that we are tempted to think our heavenly Father is angry at us and rejects us. NO, and NO, and NO. Wrong thinking. This is the way of a fallen world, but we are not of the world any longer. We will not let anything, or anyone separate us from the love of Christ. Here is how Paul put it in Romans 8:38-39:

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, not things present not 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 does this all mean? One thing is clear: we do not fear to confess our sin to God. He is the ultimate Father.

            I have five children and I would not ever want to add to their burden if they should do something egregious. Not at all, my desire would be to make whole again and this is our Father who is in heaven desire.

A final word of encouragement

Confession is good for us. No matter how often, and it is of course, daily, we have full access to the throne of grace. That sin, and every one, Jesus took upon Himself, is gone forever already and the delight of the Father is to remind us of that very fact.

Foreword

I have served as pastor of a small church for over

twenty-one years. My congregation is still among those

churches with an active membership barely above one

hundred. If you are a pastor of a church with less than

150 active and tithing members, this book will teach

you more than you will ever learn in a traditional

seminary.

I earned three Masters degrees and one Doctorate

from a well-known and fully accredited seminary. I was

well schooled in the principles of Biblical

interpretation; I learned Greek and Hebrew from some

of the best teachers. I studied church history and

systematic theology. The one thing I was not prepared

for was ministry in a small church. Since most churches

are small churches, you would think that the average

seminary would do a good job preparing its students

for ministry in the small congregation. However, many

theological institutions will not prepare you for what

you will face in a small church.

This book will do more for the average pastor of a

small congregation than years of training in a traditional

school. The book is very practical. Kent should have

written this book twenty years ago. It would have saved

me countless sleepless nights. Some of the ideas are

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For Pastors

radical but solidly biblical and theologically sound. The

most important thing about this book is that it is very

practical. It is written in the format of “books for

dummies.” The wisdom shared by Philpott is priceless.

The book is full of practical ideas gained by the

author’s own experience as pastor of a small church.

Of all the books I have read on the small church, this

is the only book written specifically for the pastor of a

small congregation. Whether you are seminary trained

or not, I highly recommend this book as a “must” for

your personal library.

Emmanuel Akognon

President and Academic Dean

Southern Marin Bible Institute

Marin City, California