Aug 14
23
I will give you Pastors
Jeremiah 3:15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
I have heard someone say that the age of the local church is past and that there is no longer any use for God-ordained Pastors. It is easy for a weed to speak this way, because it can thrive upon that which is natural, without any tending, but the flower of God’s planting is not so. It is what it is because of the continual attention and masterful touch of the Husbandman.
The Master Gardener takes great care to continually water, prune, protect, defend from parasites and walk among His garden. He uses the same means He always has in order to accomplish this: Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.
Since God gave gifts unto men, and men as gifts in order to accomplish these spiritual things, are we expected to believe that He no longer desires to bring His people to maturity, unity and greater knowledge in Christ, or that He has found a better way to do it that He has not revealed in His Book? The language of the goat is absurd to the sheep. The goat may wander and scrounge and eat whatever scrap lay in their path, but the great Shepherd tenderly loves His sheep, and so He still says to His men, in the timeless language of His glorious word, “If you love Me, feed my sheep.” Chris Cunningham.
—-
What a lesson is here for ministers!
(J. C. Philpot, “The Wisdom of Men and the Power
of God” Please forward this ‘gem’ to your pastors!)
“And my speech and my preaching were not
with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but
in demonstration of the Spirit and of power”
1 Cor. 2:4
The word “enticing” is as we now say, “persuasive.”
It includes, therefore, every branch of skillful oratory,
whether it be logical reasoning to convince our
understanding—or appeals to our feelings to stir up
our passions—or new and striking ideas to delight
our intellect—or beautiful and eloquent language to
please and captivate our imagination.
All these “enticing words” of man’s wisdom—the very
things which our popular preachers most speak and aim
at—this great apostle renounced, discarded, and rejected!
He might have used them all if he liked. He possessed
an almost unequalled share of natural ability and great
learning—a singularly keen, penetrating intellect—a
wonderful command of the Greek language—a flow of
ideas most varied, striking, and original—and powers of
oratory and eloquence such as have been given to few.
He might therefore have used enticing words of man’s
wisdom, had he wished or thought it right to do so—but
he would not. He saw what deceptiveness was in them,
and at best they were mere arts of oratory. He saw that
these enticing words—though they might . . .
touch the natural feelings,
work upon the passions,
captivate the imagination,
convince the understanding,
persuade the judgment, and to a certain extent force
their way into men’s minds—yet when all was done that
could thus be done, it was merely man’s wisdom which
had done it.
Earthly wisdom cannot communicate heavenly faith.
Paul would not therefore use enticing words of man’s
wisdom, whether it were force of logical argument, or
appeal to natural passions, or the charms of vivid
eloquence, or the beauty of poetical composition, or
the subtle nicety of well arranged sentences. He would
not use any of these enticing words of man’s wisdom
to draw people into a profession of religion—when their
heart was not really touched by God’s grace, or their
consciences wrought upon by a divine power.
He came to win souls for Jesus Christ, not converts
to his own powers of oratorical persuasion—to turn
men from darkness to light, and from the power of
Satan unto God—not to charm their ears by poetry
and eloquence—but to bring them out of the vilest
of sins that they might be washed, sanctified, and
justified by the Spirit of God—and not entertain
or amuse their minds while sin and Satan still
maintained dominion in their hearts!
All the labor spent in bringing together a church
and congregation of professing people by the power
of logical argument and appeals to their natural
consciences would be utterly lost, as regards fruit
for eternity—for a profession so induced by him and
so made by them would leave them just as they were . . .
in all the depths of unregeneracy,
with their sins unpardoned,
their persons unjustified,
and their souls unsanctified.
He therefore discarded all these ways of winning
over converts—as deceitful to the souls of men,
and as dishonoring to God.
It required much grace to do this—to throw aside
what he might have used, and renounce what most
men, as gifted as he, would have gladly used.
What a lesson is here for ministers!
How anxious are some men to shine as great
preachers! How they covet and often aim at
some grand display of what they call eloquence
to charm their hearers—and win praise and honor
to self!
How others try to argue men into religion, or by
appealing to their natural feelings, sometimes to
frighten them with pictures of hell, and sometimes
to allure them by descriptions of heaven.
But all such arts, for they are no better, must be
discarded by a true servant of God. Only the Spirit
can reveal Christ, taking of the things of Christ, and
showing them unto us, applying the word with power
to our hearts, and bringing the sweetness, reality,
and blessedness of divine things into our soul.
“And my speech and my preaching were not
with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in
demonstration of the Spirit and of power.”
Unless we have a measure of the same demonstration
of the Spirit, all that is said by us in the pulpit drops to
the ground—it has no real effect—there is no true or
abiding fruit—no fruit unto eternal life. If there be in it
some enticing words of man’s wisdom, it may please
the mind of those who are gratified by such arts—it may
stimulate and occupy the attention for the time—but
there it ceases, and all that has been heard fades away
like a dream of the night.
—
Man-made ministers!
From Spurgeon’s, “The Two Effects of the Gospel”
The ministry has been very often degraded into a ‘trade’.
They are ‘selected by man’, they are crammed with literature;
they are educated up to a certain point; they are turned out
ready dressed; and persons call them ‘ministers’.
I wish them all God-speed, every one of them; for as
good Joseph Irons used to say, “God be with many of them,
if it be only to make them hold their tongues.”
Man-made ministers are of no use in this world,
and the sooner we get rid of them the better.
—
A faithful minister
(Letters of John Newton)
“He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.” Colossians 4:7
Dear fellow pastor,
You have desired a good work—may the Lord give you the desires of your heart. May He give you . . .
the wisdom of Daniel,
the meekness of Moses,
the courage of Joshua,
the zeal of Paul, and
that self-abasement and humility which Job and Isaiah felt—when they not only had heard of Him by the hearing of the ear—but when they saw His glory, and abhorred themselves in dust and ashes!
May you be taught of God—for none teaches like Him—and come forth an able minister of the New Covenant, well instructed rightly to divide and faithfully to distribute the Word of truth.
In the school of Christ, you will have to learn some lessons which are not very pleasant to flesh and blood. You must learn to labor, to run, to fight, to wrestle—and many other hard exercises—some of which will try your strength, and others your patience.
You know the common expression, ‘a jack of all trades’. I am sure a minister had need be such a one:
a brave soldier,
an alert watchman,
a caring shepherd,
a hardworking farmer,
a skillful builder,
a wise counselor,
a competent physician,
and a loving nurse.
But do not be discouraged—you have a wonderful and a gracious Master, who does not only give instructions—but power and ability! He engages that His grace shall be sufficient, at all times and in all circumstances, for those who simply give themselves up to His teaching and His service.
“Be an example to all believers . . .
in what you teach,
in the way you live,
in your love, your faith, and your purity.”
1 Timothy 4:12
~ ~ ~ ~
THE BELIEVER’S SUFFICIENCY OF GOD
“Then I said, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak–for I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child–for you shall go to all that I shall send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Be not afraid of their faces–for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.”–Jer. 1:6-8
Such was the spirit, and such the prayer, of the weeping prophet Jeremiah, in view of the great mission to which God now called him. How instructive the words! Learn, my soul, this, among other lessons taught by His servant, that before the Lord exalts, He lays us low; before He places a believer in some position of distinction in the Church, or calls him to any great and holy service in the world, He first empties him of all vain and foolish conceit of his own wisdom, power, and holiness; imbuing him with a lowly, obedient, and docile spirit; acknowledging, “Lord, I am but a child; I know not how to go out or how to come in.” Is the Lord thus dealing with you, my soul? is He mowing down by His Spirit your fancied strength, worthiness, and importance? or, is He causing you to pass through some fiery trial, and the flame scorching and consuming? Accept this discipline of God as but intended to prepare you for a higher office, a holier mission, greater usefulness in the Church and the world, for which, in the purpose of His grace, He has ordained you. By this training of sorrow and suffering and emptying, you shall become a “vessel unto honor, sanctified and fit for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”
“You shall go to all that I shall send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Be not afraid, for I am with you, to deliver you, says the Lord.” This “thus says the Lord” is enough to quell every fear, to meet every objection, and to inspire the timid servant of the Lord with a giant’s strength, and a martyr’s fortitude in the “kingdom and patience of Christ.” “I am with you, says the Lord.” You may shrink at the call of God from a sense of personal unfitness; you may plead your educational deficiency–your lack of wisdom–of years–or of eloquence–exclaiming, “Lord, I know not how to speak, or how to act, for I am but a child in knowledge, in experience, in strength;”–but, listen to the word of the Lord, “Fear not, I am with you.” Enough! O my Lord, put forth Your hand and touch my mouth as You did Your servant Jeremiah, clothing and sanctifying my tongue with heavenly wisdom and grace, that, with a power and a wisdom higher and holier than my own, I may speak a word for You, for Christ, for truth.
Learn, my soul, that in all holy service for God and for man, your true sufficiency is of God. Ever be anxious only to obey His call, to go where He shall send you, to speak what He shall command you, not afraid of the stern look, and frowning brow, and angry countenance of man; for your God is with you to defend you, and to give you a mouth and wisdom, such as all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay or resist. In all your needs, trials, and service, do not forget, O my soul, that it has pleased the Father that all fullness of grace, and wisdom, and strength, and sympathy, should dwell in Jesus. To Him repair with every need, spiritual and temporal. Draw frequently and largely from this inexhaustible Treasury, living by faith as a personal pensioner upon His personal bounty. He can make you strong to bear, eloquent to speak, patient to endure, meek to suffer, wise as the serpent, harmless as the dove, a lamb in your gentleness, a giant in your might, a martyr in your fortitude. “With Christ strengthening me, I can do all things.” “My grace is sufficient for you.” Forward, then, in duty, forward in service, forward in suffering, mortifying the flesh, crucifying the world, resisting the devil, strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and realizing moment by moment that, “as your day is so shall your strength be.” “OUR SUFFICIENCY IS OF GOD.”
“One trial more must yet be past, One pang–the keenest and the last;
And when, with brow convulsed and pale, My feeble, quivering heart-strings fail,
Redeemer! grant my soul to see That, ‘as her days, her strength shall be.'” Octavius Winslow