The Preached Word . . . Over Time

What would happen if the Word of God was rightly preached in markedly nominal churches? I can imagine three things happening over time: 

1. many Christians would grow quickly and the church would thus be strengthened
2. many would leave because of the change that followed this new emphasis or because they dislike truth
3. many would be saved

This truth is one I am happy to review and meditate on--for it appears increasingly glorious to me in this season. May I be found faithful to the Word over time, over the long haul.

"O watch over me, that I may watch over them"

May all minister of the gospel and shepherds of Christ’s church learn to echo Orton when he prays: “O my soul! thy account is great: it is high time that it be got into better order. Lord, I hope thou knowest, I am desirous of approving myself a faithful servant of Thee and of souls. O watch over me, that I may watch over them; and then all will be well” (Charles Bridges The Christian Ministry 349).

Language in Preaching

Vivid language in preaching is its own kind of illustration.

HT: Jim Hamilton's Sermons

Faithfulness in Pastoral Labor

In pastoral ministry, faithfulness and obedience aren't merely immediate, existing only in the here and now. They are long term. A category is needed for faithfulness and for obedience over time. For example, the righteous and justified use of corrective church discipline may not be the way of faithfulness now, especially if there is not a culture of formative discipline and discipleship. Excommunicating non-attenders may need to happen, but wisdom may say wait. Long term faithfulness looks like patiently establishing a culture of discipleship and then pursuing corrective discipline as needed.

Such wisdom requires both a clear vision of ministry and this category of 'delayed' faithfulness and obedience.

"Father, I need a long term, big picture view of faithfulness and obedience in pastoral ministry. Give me wisdom, I am lacking. Amen."

Staff Meetings at CHBC

In the spring of 2008, I had the privelege of interning at Capitol Hill Baptist Church. The follow post was written in the latter part of that year. Since perspective is helpful and many will never enjoy one of these meetings, I post it now--at long last--to serve you as you consider your own church's staff meetings.
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CHBC Staff Meeting

• The pastoral staff sit at the table. Interns create an outer circle around them, generally just listening in.
• The weekly meetings usually run just over 2 hours.

(1) Mark hands out his junk mail which might be of interest. Some gems, lots of trash.

(2) A prayer focus is given (linked to the focus for the next Sunday gather).
(3) Passage to be preached the next Sunday is read aloud.
(4) The staff prays through the passage and one page from the member directory.
(5) The calendar for the next month plus is gone through week by week so all are on the same page and fully informed.
(6) Each staff member presents their printed agendas for the week to come and any items to raise.
(7) All are asked about lunch plans and stragglers are paired up.
(8) The staff meeting is closed in prayer.

The Indicative/Imperative Relationship and the Old Testament's If/Then Statements: An Impasse? -- Part 1

I am in the middle of a 9 week overview series on the book of Deuteronomy. The significant structure, declarative nature, and theological depth of the book make it a favorite to study and a real joy to teach. But it also provides a few challenges to the Christian reader. The conditional 'if/then' statements are one such challenge. In their positive form, they basically follow this pattern: 'If you obey, then you will receive....'

The indicative/imperative relationship provides a useful paradigm for understanding God's relationship to his people and for his people's relationship to Himself.

In the NT, this relationship is often explicit in the text and always implicit in the literary and/or theological context. In Paul, the relationship can be seen within the structure of whole epistles (Romans [1-11/12-16] and Ephesians [1-3/4-6]) and within countless single sentences. Of the latter, Galatians 5:1 is a clear example.
--Indicative: "For freedom Christ has set us free;"
--Imperative: "stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery."

Oftentimes the NT authors use 'therefore' to clearly mark the imperative as a subordinate inference of the indicative. Whether or not such a marker is present, the relationship is always "indicative; therefore, imperative." It is never "imperative; therefore, indicative." Theologically, the relationship is always "You are accepted by God in Christ; therefore, obey" and never "You obey; therefore, you are accepted by God."

But what about the OT? Does this indicative/imperative relationship require the Christian gospel for its indicative truths? Is it thus necessarily unique to the NT? Or do the OT authors use other indicative truths to ground their imperatives? If so, are the indicative truths always implicitly redemptive? That is, does the OT always follow this same indicative/imperative relationship implicitly, if not explicitly?

To put it frankly, how does one handle the common 'if/then' sentences, especially in the Torah? Aren't these conditional sentences antithetical to the indicative/imperative relationship patterned in the NT?

To answer these question, I'd like to use Deuteronomy as my test case. In posts to follow, focus will be given to the general stipulations of chapters 5-11 and to the conditional (if/then) formulas repeated throughout Deuteronomy.