Seedplots

In this series of postings, I’m slowly working my way through Charles Bridges’ classic book Christian Ministry.

Christian Ministry (Charles Bridges) – Chapter 7b

In Chapter 7 Bridges writes about preparation for leadership of God’s people.  Chapter 7 in his book is longer than the previous six chapters combined.

Bridges bases this chapter on the proposition that

A season of preparation – employed in storing the mind with Scriptural doctrine and in directing it to devotional and practical purposes, – in habits of self-communion and converse with God and in the exercise of active godliness, will turn to most profitable account throughout the course of a protracted ministry (pg 44).

Bridges identifies four aspects of preparation as important and devotes a section of chapter 7 to each of these aspects: Habits of General Study (pg 44-67), Special Study of the Scriptures (pg 68-80), Habits of Special Prayer (pg 81-85) and Employment in the Cure of Souls (pg 85-89).  In this posting I summarize his second section.

Special Study of the Scriptures
In the previous section Bridges wrote about study in general. Here he turns his attention to the importance for those who lead God’s people of developing ongoing habits of the study of Scripture, or, as he puts it, “the enlightened and fruitful study of the word of God.” He notes insightfully,

The intellectual excitement of literary or theological study needs much watchfulness lest it should deaden the freshness of our mind to the more spiritual study of the Scriptures (pg 68).

By study, Bridges means close, detailed study. He quotes from a biography of Matthew Henry to make his point,

Men get wisdom by books, but wisdom towards God is to be gotten out of God’s book; and that by digging. Most men do but walk over the surface of it, and pick up here and there a flower. Few dig into it. Read over other books to help you understand that book. Fetch your prayers and sermons from thence. The volume of inspiration is a full fountain, every overflowing , and hath always something new (footnote 1, pg 68).

Special study of the Scriptures involves both close, detailed study and continual reading of large portions of Scripture,

While continuing the study of Divine truth, it is also of vast moment to keep up the daily reading of considerable portions of the pure word of God and so to keep Scriptural truth (as it has been observed) continually revolving in the mind. It will be the only effective preservative against the taint and deterioration, which the mind might otherwise receive from reading human authors (pg 69).

The proper attitude toward Scripture is important as we study it. Bridges describes it as “the patient investigating spirit of the miner, digging into hidden treasure.” We are to “read Scripture with such exactness as to weigh every expression, and the connexion, as if I were about to preach upon every verse; and then to apply the result to my own case, character, experience and conduct, as if it had been directly addressed to me” (quoting Scott).

In the past three postings I’ve written about three ways we who lead God’s people can take steps to “guard our hearts” in ministry.

I’ve mentioned the importance of God-centered motives, the need to stay cross-centered in our lives and ministry, and the challenge we face to become Bible-centered in our lives and service for God.

Today I end this series with a closing challenge.

A Closing Challenge

In Scripture, only a portion of those who led God’s people finished their ministry well. Professor Clinton, whose research I mentioned yesterday, claims that the number is around 30%. That means that 70% of those involved in spiritual leaders did not finish well in their lives and ministry. That is a very sobering statistic. It causes us to ask – How will my service for God end? It is something worth pondering.

To a large degree, the answer to that question depends on my “guarding my heart.” The quality of my relationship with God is linked with the quality of my service for him.

Several years ago I read the testimony of a Christian worker serving in the Middle East. It’s one of those stories that lodged itself in my mind and I often find myself thinking again about what he wrote. He’s just a short excerpt from his story,

I tried to analyze those who had been successful evangelists in our context. Something about them was attractive to non-believers, but I couldn’t figure out what it was.

First, I notice they were people of the Bible. They loved their Bibles and when someone asked them a question, they instinctively opened their bibles and gave them the answer. Second, others experienced them as men or women of God. Their life with God was an integral part of their entire life.

I knew however, that there was something else, a third characteristic they all had in common but I couldn’t figure out what it was. An older brother helped me find the missing piece. He told me, “I’ll tell you what makes all of them fruitful in ministry… It is the cross. Look once more at the life stories of each of those people you are examining. You will find that each of them passed through some sort of crisis that broke them – an experience where their only hope was in God, an experience that caused them to die to themselves… He was right. I began to understand that what made them attractive to unbelievers was the presence of God in their lives. And for that to happen, God had to break them.[1]

[1] Roland Miller, “The ” in MMC: The Messenger, the Message and the Community. 2006. www.rmuller.com

In this series of postings, I’m slowly working my way through Charles Bridges’ classic book Christian Ministry.

.

Christian Ministry (Charles Bridges) – Chapter 7c

In Chapter 7 Bridges writes about preparation for leadership of God’s people.  Chapter 7 in his book is longer than the previous six chapters combined. Bridges bases this chapter on the proposition that

A season of preparation – employed in storing the mind with Scriptural doctrine and in directing it to devotional and practical purposes, – in habits of self-communion and converse with God and in the exercise of active godliness, will turn to most profitable account throughout the course of a protracted ministry (pg 44).

Bridges identifies four aspects of preparation as important and devotes a section of chapter 7 to each of these aspects: Habits of General Study (pg 44-67), Special Study of the Scriptures (pg 68-80), Habits of Special Prayer (pg 81-85) and Employment in the Cure of Souls (pg 85-89).  In this posting I summarize his third and fourth section.

Habits of Special Prayer
Bridges then moves on, in his description of the key areas of preparation for a leader of God’s people to the matter of prayer. “The greatest and hardest preparation,” writes Bridges, “is within” (pg 82). We need to learn to pray well because of the tendency of our hearts toward disappointment, discouragement and despondency – a problem than can only be overcome “by prayer and fasting.”

Entrance into this great work without the spirit of prayer, would be to go into “a most fearful warfare at our own charges.” The kingdom of Satan would have little to apprehend from an attack of literature, or from any systematic mechanism of external form. The outworks might be stormed, but the citadel would remain impregnable…

Bridges stresses the link between prayer and faith,

The Christian Ministry is a work of faith; and that it may be a work of faith, it must be a work of prayer. Prayer obtains faith, while faith in its reaction quickens to increasing earnestness of prayer. Thus spiritual, enlightened, and encouraging view of the Ministry flow from the habit of diligent waiting on God (pg 84).

During this time a preparation for leadership of God’s people, it is important that a person develop habits of regular prayer as well habits of… “Retirement consecrated to the sole purpose of contemplating the work and separating himself to its service.” A “man of special prayer,” writes Bridges, “will be a man of special faith and faith is the power which enables “the worm to thresh the mountains” (Isaiah 41:14,15).

Employment in the Cure of Souls
Habits of study and prayer are foundational, but by themselves are not enough. A person also must learn how to help others spiritually during the period of preparation for ministry. The ministry is not, he observes, "a work of contemplation but of active, anxious, devoted employment" (pg 88).  Bridges uses the metaphor of exercise to develop this point,

The want of exercise is as hurtful to the spiritual as to the bodily system; nor will studious habits circulate with beneficial influence, unless their results are operative in Christian activity.

This is gained, argues Bridges, through involvement in ministry that "exercises the natural capacities of the young probationer, increases his store of experience and imparts considerable benefit to the church and reciprocal advantage to himself" (pg 86).  It is only in this way that a person gains,

Insight into the real condition of the future subjects of the parochial ministration and the acquaintance with their modes of expression, their peculiar difficulties and temptations, the causes of their ignorance, the wisest and most successful avenues of approach to them (pg 86).

Bridges makes several suggests that flow out of his context – a person can gain experience through working in a Sunday School, through instruction of the poor, and through visitation of the sick (pg 86-87).  He suggests a person begin with ministry to his own family, then neighbors and friends.  Let God, he writes, "expand the circle of influence and field of opportunity."

What Bridges describes is often neglect and instead there occurs a "very rapid transition from the studies of the University to the services of the Sanctuary."  This "does not often appear desirable" – surely "some interval of active retirement is needed to divert the mind from its former course into a more observant and consecrated habit of action."  If this is not possible, he suggests, "an interval of inspection or initiation into the routine of the work under the superintendence of a judicious and experienced Pastor (pg 89):

Converse with experienced and exercises Christians would offer many advantages.  The habit of religious conversation would contribute, even more than private study, to the enlargement of the mind; and much would be acquired in this field of observation and incipient engages which no other medium could adequately supply.

This is the third of a three part series on three ways that we who lead God’s people can “guard our hearts” (Proverbs 4:23).

“Guarding our hearts” in ministry helps insure we will finish our life and ministry well and not “disqualify” ourselves. I’ve already written about the need for "God-centered" motives in ministry and for "cross-centered" living. Today I’m looking at a third way of “guarding our hearts” as we lead God’s people – that of living in God’s Word.

3. Is the Word of God "dwelling richly in me"?

Professor J. Robert Clinton and his students carried out a comprehensive study of over 1,200 spiritual leaders. As they examined the results of this research, one things was clear: Those spiritual workers who finished their ministry well were people whose ministry was grounded in Scripture. Dr. Clinton writes,

The Word of God is true and last’s forever (Isaiah 40:8). It equips me to lead God’s people (2 Timothy 3:16-17). If I work to become a Bible-centered leader who uses God’s word in ministry with confidence, then I can be sure that my service for God will have lasting results.[1]

I think one of the greatest challenges in ministry, especially in parts of the world where the work goes ahead slowly, is that of holding on to hope in God and confidence in the message entrusted to us (i.e. the gospel). This is especially difficult when we don’t see many visible results in ministry. Being "filled with hope" is possible, in such cases, only through faith and trust in God. But where does such faith come from?

Faith, when what we are trust God for is not visible, is based on God’s promises. And God’s promises are found in our Bibles. This is one of the reasons why life in God’s Word is so important for those who lead God’s people. We guard our harts when we find nourishment for our souls in the Bible.

[1] J. Robert Clinton, Having a Ministry that Lasts. Barnabas Publishers. 1997. A sampling Clinton’s writings are available for download at: http://www.bobbyclinton.com/articles/

In this series of postings, I’m slowly working my way through Charles Bridges’ classic book Christian Ministry.

.

Christian Ministry (Charles Bridges) – Chapter 7a

In Chapter 7 Bridges writes about preparation for leadership of God’s people.  Chapter 7 in his book is longer than the previous six chapters combined. Bridges bases this chapter on the proposition that

A season of preparation – employed in storing the mind with Scriptural doctrine and in directing it to devotional and practical purposes, – in habits of self-communion and converse with God and in the exercise of active godliness, will turn to most profitable account throughout the course of a protracted ministry (pg 44).

Bridges identifies four aspects of preparation as important and devotes a section of chapter 7 to each of these aspects: Habits of General Study (pg 44-67), Special Study of the Scriptures (pg 68-80), Habits of Special Prayer (pg 81-85) and Employment in the Cure of Souls (pg 85-89).  In this posting I summarize his first section.

Habits of General Study
A time of concentrated study is useful preparation for a lifetime of ministry both for knowledge gained through that study and for the habits formed during the course of study. Bridges writes,

Even when the pursuit of academical distinctions is passed by, the daily exercises of regularity, discipline, and self-denial, furnish an effectual safe-guard against the detrimental influence of mental and possibly also religious dissipation (pg 48).

Bridges singles out the study of Scriptural doctrine, Church history and especially Pastoral Theology as crucial subjects of study in preparation for leadership of God’s people. In urging the importance of study on younger potential Christian leaders, Bridges uses the apostle Paul as an example. Disciplined study, notes Bridges is important, not just in preparation for ministry but as an ongoing practice in ministry, "It is of great moment, that the habit of study as far as possible, be maintained through life. For the most part, the ground work only has been laid – "If we live only on old stores, we shall never enlarge our knowledge" (pg 65). Bridges commends President Edward’s advice to us:

My method of study from my first beginning the work of the Ministry, has been very much by writing; applying myself in this way to improve every important hint, pursuing the clue to the utmost, when anything in reading, meditation or conversation has been suggested to my mind that seemed to promise light in any weighty point; thus penning what appeared to me my best thoughts on innumerable subjects, for my own benefit. The longer I prosecuted my studies in this method, the more habitual it became and the more pleasant and profitable I found it.

Bridges ends this section with a great quote,

Not to read or study at all is to tempt God; to do nothing but study is to forget the Ministry; to study only to glory in one’s knowledge is a shameful vanity; to study in search of the means to flatter sinners, a deplorable prevarication; but to store one’s mind with the knowledge proper to the saints by study and by prayer, and to diffuse that knowledge in solid instruction and practical exhortations – this is to be a prudent, zealous and laborious Minister (pg 67).

Some time ago my wife and I started listening to a series of audio biographies of famous Christian leaders.

John Piper has presented these yearly over the past 20 years at his church’s yearly pastor’s conferences and the recordings are available online here.

Here are two lessons I’ve learned through listening to this series:

Lesson 1
I learned that it is important to read “outside our generation.” Each generation has it own strengths and weakness  — and its own blind spots.  We seem to automatically think that “new is better.” Perhaps with technology this is true – the realm of ideas is different.  New is not always better!  As a fish isn’t aware of the water it swims in, so we are unaware of our cultural blind spots until we step out of our culture and view our world from a different vantage point. When we read “outside our generation” we quickly spot the “blind spots” of that age…  How could they have been so blind? we ask.   It is when we are enabled to stand outside of day and age that we begin to be aware of our own blind splits.  Reading older classics can help us do that.

As a result of this lesson, I made a mental resolution to try reading outside my generation (in spite of my inward resistance to “old” books).

Lesson 2
I learned about the power of the beauty of Christ and his glory to give us a longing for holiness and bring us to repentance. My natural inclination is to think that we promote holy living by preaching and teaching against sin. That is true, but it’s only “one side of the story.” Putting the emphasis there easily slides into legalism . . . “to be a good Christian you have to do this, and this and this …”

What was new to me was the realization that the more we see who Christ is, the more we become aware of our own sinfulness (a good thing!  “Blessed are the pour in Spirit,” Jesus said) and mourn over it (i.e. repent, “Blessed are those who mourn”).  This fills us with a fresh longing to please God who did so much for us on the cross (“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness”).

The result is a very different motivation for holy living; one which isn’t legalistic and condemning of those “less holy” than us.

On Monday I began a three part series on three ways that we who lead God’s people can “guard our hearts” (Proverbs 4:23).

“Guarding our hearts” in ministry helps insure we will finish our life and ministry well and not “disqualify” ourselves.

In Part 1  I wrote about one way of “guarding our hearts” – that of living for God’s glory. Today I look at a second way
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2. Living a “Cross-Centered Life”

The message of the cross is not only for unbelievers. One of the best ways of “guarding our hearts”  is by living a cross-centered life. The cross is the true foundation for a life of discipleship.

Following Jesus (the meaning of discipleship), means walking the “way of the cross” i.e. “daily taking up your cross” (as Jesus put it), and following “in his steps” (Luke 9:23; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Peter 2:21).

When we overemphasize the benefits and blessings that God offers those who are “children of the King” we will “find it strange” when suffering enters our lives.  Theologians call this an “over realized eschatology.”  Peter warned the believers he was writing in his first epistle of this very thing (1 Peter 4:12).

An awareness that life with Christ, lived in the power of his resurrection, includes participation in the “fellowship of his sufferings” (Philippians 3:10) greatly benefits spiritual leaders, especially when things don’t go as they had hoped in ministry.

The cross is the central point of reference for believers because of our continual need for God’s grace. Even believers need the ongoing grace of God.  We sin.  Daily we find ourselves in need of the blood of Jesus his Son to continually cleanse us from all sin (1 John 1:7). That is what makes ongoing fellowship with God and his Son, and with other believers, possible. It is “at the cross” that we find ongoing cleansing from sin.

A cross-centered life both encourages us and humbles us. It frees us from the need to always be right. It liberates us from the need to cover our sin. It helps us be open and honest with other believers. It also frees us from those wearying and futile efforts to try to gain favor God by more and more effort and commitment. Living that way puts us under a burden we cannot carry and robs us of joy in life and ministry. Jesus, in his work on the cross, has satisfied the righteous demands of the Father. In him we are accepted by God.

There is a tendency today, on the part of some Bible teachers, to emphasize the Kingdom of God. This is right and good, if it at the same time we highlight the centrality of the cross, for believers and unbelievers alike. In the Bible they go together. Some teachers separate the two and pit them against each other. Don’t fall into that trap. We are called to boast in the cross of Jesus Christ (Galatians 6:14). The cross will the object of our praise and worship even in eternity (Revelation 5:9)!

C.J. Mahaney’s advice is for those who desire to “guard their hearts,

“The first priority of a spiritual leader is to care for his own soul before God, to grow in love for our Savior and to grow in thankfulness for his sacrifice on the cross for our sin.”

Currently reading  . . .

What are you reading this week?
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The Letters to Timothy And Titus, Philip Towner,  2006, Eerdmans
I’m slowly reading through Towner’s notes on 1 Timothy. This is commentary is a recent addition to the New International Commentary on the New Testament series.

Seek the Welfare of the City: Christians as Benefactors and Citizens (First-Century Christians in the Graeco-Roman World), Bruce Winter,  1994, Eerdmans
This is a scholarly study of role and obligations of Christians as benefactors and citizens in society, based on ancient literary and nonliterary sources.  Winter concludes that “Contrary to the popular perception that early Christians withdrew from society and sought to maintain a low profile, Christians living in Gentile regions of the Roman empire were challenged by Paul in the New Testament epistles to “engage the societies in which they lived and, to the degree they could, help upbuild them and provide benefactions to them.”

Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography,  Iain Murray, 1988, Banner of Truth
Earlier this year I read Marsden’s biography of Edwards.  This book is quite different.  Read together the two complement each other.  Edward’s world was so different from ours, yet I continued to be amazed and how relevant some of the issues Edward’s struggled are today.

Current listening . . .

What are you listening to this week?

In recent days my mp3 listening has included talks and lectures from …

• Mini-series – Gender issues and 1 Timothy 2 D.A. Carson (Link).
  
• “Theology of World Missions” course, Peter Kuzmic (Link).
  
• Total Church training seminar Steve Timmons (Link)
  

Jesus’ Church in many parts of the world is growing at an astonishing speed. Perhaps the greatest challenge she faces is the shortage of spiritual workers. One leader noted,

"In our context, many leaders give up because of discouragement. An even greater number remain in ministry, but are no longer growing. They have reached a point of spiritual stagnation. Unfortunately, there are also those who fall into sin and bring shame to the name of Christ."

This is not a new problem. Even in the first century, Paul wrote Timothy, "All [my spiritual co-workers] who are in Asia turned away from me" (2 Timothy 1:15).

We who lead God’s people would do well to ask ourselves, "How will I finish my ministry?" The answer to that question is connected to my current obedience to a well known verse from Proverbs, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. In the next three postings I’ll suggest three areas of life where it is important that we "guard our hearts."

1. Do I live and serve with the goal of bringing glory to God?

Why am I serving as a spiritual leader? If I’m doing it to please people or so that people will praise me as a good person, then I’m walking on shaky ground. If that’s my motivation for serving, then when ministry goes well, I will think well of myself – "I must be doing pretty well as a spiritual leader." That makes me vulnerable to the temptation to pride, and the temptation to be critical of others. If my work as a spiritual leader is not going well, I’ll end up vulnerable to discouragement and depression and be tempted to become angry at those I’m leading for their "disobedience to God."

The only proper motivation for leading the people of God is that of pleasing God, of working to see his name "hallowed." When I live and work with this as my goal, everything else finds its proper place. My desire to bring glory and praise to God serves as an anchor in the life of a spiritual worker and makes possible faithful, perseverant, lifelong service for God.

Why are you serving God? Repentance over false motives in ministry is one way we can "guard our hearts."

One of the challenges facing those who lead God’s people is that of getting guidance from God for ministry.

Some advocate a strategic planning approach and build their case on the biblical teaching about wisdom. Others argue that God is the great “orchestrator” of his mission and that most breakthroughs in the advance of God’s mission happen in ways quite unrelated to our planning and strategy.

Who is correct?  Well, there is no “simple” answer.  There is a place and a time for both approach – it is not right to cast these two approaches into an “either-or” choice.  I was challenged to think again about these questions as I listened  to a recent conference talk by Tim Chester (here’s the link).  He advocates at “plan the next step” approach.   I think what he says is basically correct, but again, it even in his formulation, it’s not “either-or” but “both-and.”

I remember years ago being challenged to think about these issues by the life and ministry of Francis and Edith Schaeffer. Early on in their ministry, in response to what they believed was God’s leading, they resigned from their denominational mission society, started a new “organization” (L’Abri) with no promised financial backing, and moved to a tiny village in the Swiss Alps.

He and his wife refused to map out the future of organization they had just started using “strategic planning.” Instead, they based L’Abri on four principles:

• We will pray that God would send people of his choice and keep others away
• We will pray that God would send enough money to pay the bills
• We will pray that God would lead step by step and unfold his plan for the work
• We pray that God would send helpers of his choice as the work grows

Many of their friends warned them they were throwing away their lives and future – that the influence they had begun to exert in their denomination was over. Yet from that obscure location, in a totally unplanned and unexpected way, Francis Schaeffer ended up having more influence on the emerging evangelical leaders of his day than anyone else in his generation.

Were they right in their approach?  What about “strategic planning”? Isn’t it “good stewardship” to plan ahead and set “faith targets” in ministry?  Or should we depend on “impressions” and a sense of God’s leading in ministry?  Or something else?  These are important, challenging, and difficult questions for Christian leaders.

Currently reading  . . .

What are you reading this week?

The Letters to Timothy And Titus, Philip Towner,  2006, Eerdmans
I’m slowly reading through Towner’s notes on 1 Timothy. This is commentary is a recent addition to the New International Commentary on the New Testament series. 

The Covenants of Promise: A Theology of the Old Testament Covenants, Thomas McComiskey,  1985, Baker
I’m rereading sections of this older book.

Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography,  Iain Murray, 1988, Banner of Truth
Earlier this year I read Marsden’s biography of Edwards.  This book is quite different.  Read together the two complement each other.  Edward’s world was so different from ours, yet I continued to be amazed and how relevant some of the issues Edward’s struggled are today.

In last Monday’s posting, I noted that the concept of “discipleship” is understood in quite different ways by people in Christian circles.

Here are several of the more popular understandings:

1)  A Serious Attempt to Imitate Christ
After persecution of Christians became widespread in the Roman Empire, Church fathers such as Ignatius emphasized the importance of faithfulness to Christ in the face of death.

“Only those who are obedient prove to be disciples and the conclusive proof is obedience to the point of death,” he wrote.   “Being a perfect disciple of Christ means imitating Christ in his Passion.”

Anthony and the desert Fathers further developed this line of thinking, calling Christians who were serious about following Jesus (i.e. “perfect discipleship”) to a monastic life (which they termed “unbloody martyrdom”). This theme was picked up by monastic writers in the Middle Ages.  Bernard of Clairvaux, for example, considered monastic life necessary for true discipleship, i.e. an imitation of the poverty, humility and charity of the earthly Jesus.

This understanding of discipleship as “a serious attempt to imitate Christ” is often appears in Roman Catholic writers. A classic expression of this emphasis is found in the devotional book Imitation of Christ, one of the most widely read books ever written.  In modern times, Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s famous book, The Cost of Discipleship, similarly calls believers to “radical discipleship.”

2)  A Structured Training Program for Young Christians
Others use the term discipleship to refer to the practice of using a set of “training materials” or “discipleship material” with a new believer or a young believer.  A classic example would be the Ten Basic Steps booklets produced by Campus Crusade for Christ.

Discipleship means that an older Christian (i.e. somebody already “discipled”) goes through these materials with new believers (either individually or in a small group).  In this understanding, discipleship follows evangelism.  It is something you “do” with new believers who are not yet “established” in their faith.  When a person has been through the “training program” they have been “discipled.”

3)  A Training Process aimed at Transforming Christians into Mature, Stable Believers
An older use of the term, which has its roots in the ministry of Dawson Trotman and the organization he founded called “The Navigators” divides believers into two groups – ordinary Christians and “disciples.” “Disciples” are mature, stable Christians who are active in sharing their faith with others. Discipleship is a mentoring method, usually “one-on-one,” used to transform ordinary believers into “disciples.” In this approach, mentors sometimes refer to those whom they are mentoring (”discipling”) as their disciples. Waylon Moore provides a good example of this usage:

Not every saved person is Christ’s disciple but a disciple is a certain kind of Christian, a Christian who . . . is involved in the word of God on a continual basis, . . . who lays down his life for others, . . . and who abides daily in a fruit-bearing union with Christ. . . Disciplemaking is a workable method . . .  Evangelism makes converts, follow-up makes disciples (Multiplying Disciples. The New Testament Method of Church Growth, 1981)

An extreme form of this usage developed in the Charismatic renewal movement.  Four leaders in the movement, Don Basham, Derek Prince, Charles Simpson and Bob Mumford, influenced perhaps by Juan Carlos Ortiz’s book Disciple, started a movement emphasizing total accountability and submission to church leaders.  This became known as the “Shepherding Movement” and led to excesses of abuse and manipulation.

4)  The Ongoing Nurture and Teaching of Christians
This fourth understanding of discipleship is probably the most common way of understanding of discipleship among evangelical believers. Mission is thought to have two components – evangelism and discipleship.  Evangelism comes first. When individuals respond to the call of the gospel in repentance and faith, they need to be taught. That process of nurture and teaching is typically referred to as discipleship.

Discipleship, in this usage, is either what we do to help younger believers grow in their faith, or something they do as an expression of their faith.  Leaders who emphasize this understanding often point to the root meaning of the term translated “disciple” in the New Testament:  “It simply means one who is a learner or a pupil.”

Conclusion
The problem with all of these understandings of discipleship, as I noted yesterday, is that in the New Testament, the verses that speak of “making disciples” refer to something that includes both evangelism and instruction – instruction that continues until a person is “obeying all that Jesus commanded.”  To make sense of the Biblical data, a broad definition is needed.

I wrote on recent posting on God’s guidance in ministry. Another factor that is part of the mix of God’s guidance is the face that sometimes (often ?) God puts us in situations that require us to “wait on God.”

It is interesting to trace the theme of “waiting on God” through the Psalms and in the lives of Old Testament characters.

What emerges is the impression that God is not in a hurry. We are.

John Piper, in a great sermon called Battling the Impatience of Unbelief, commented,

The opposite of impatience is a deepening, sweetening willingness to stand in the place that God has appointed or to move at the pace that God has appointed…to stand in God’s place or go at his pace.  God often moves at a slower pace than we want him to move.

Looking back, one of the disciplines that has significantly helped me grow is the habit of Scripture Memory.  I’ve memorized Scripture at different period in my life.  Looking back at those periods I’ve noticed that it has always led to spiritual growth.  So why don’t I do it more?  That’s what I ask myself.

What about you?  You’ve probably tried it in the past.  Why not re-start Scripture Memory?  It fills our mind with God’s Word and causes us to meditate on Scripture in the “in-between” moments of our lives.

If you don’t know where to start – here’s a simple method.  Download Andrew Davis’ Scripture Memory booklet (Click here), choose a chapter in the Bible, and follow Pastor Davis’ simple method.  It’s not hard and it works.

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Excuses for not Memorizing Scripture

1.  I don’t have a good memory
You have a better memory than you think you do.  Think of all the numbers and names you know.

2.  It will take up too much time; I am too busy
This is the most efficient use of your time.  It will bless you in everything you do.  Invest your life in the Word of God.

3. I am too lazy, and it’s hard work
The secret to memorization is repetition over time.  Repeat, and repeat, and repeat over months.  It is hard work, but it is worth doing.

4.  I am not very interested; it seems boring
Could the word of God really be boring to you if you are justified by faith?  You haven’t seen the glories of the word of God.

5.  I have tried it before, and it never really worked
Try it again.

6.  I might become prideful
No, you will become prideful, so memorize verses on pride to humble you.

7  I don’t know how to do it
It is simply repetition over time.

(from Andrew Davis  – original link)

In this series of postings, I’m slowly working my way through Charles Bridges’ classic book Christian Ministry.

Response to Chapter 3 of Christian Ministry
(Charles Bridges)

In Chapter 3, Bridges writes about purpose or aim of Christian Ministry. He discusses the various metaphors used in Scripture to describe the people of God and relates these to the work of ministry.
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I think Bridges is right on target when he insists that it is the ministry of God’s Word, empowered by the Spirit of God, that accomplishes God work.

The focus of Scripture, however, is on the Word of God, not on the “office” or person ministering the Word (i.e. the Minister). Those who lead God’s people, especially those who “work hard at preaching and teacher,” have an important role, but not the exclusive role that Bridges seems to insist on when he writes:

“Christian Ministry” is … the appointed channel of communication from the head to the body in its several members, by which the spiritual life is first imparted, and subsequently maintained…” (pg 13).

If I understanding him correction, this would mean that evangelism occurs only as “Christian Ministers” minister the Word, and that spiritual growth occurs only through the teaching / preaching ministry of “Christian Ministers.”

In the account of the spread of the gospel in Acts, the gospel often spreads into new areas through the witness of new believers (for example, Acts 8:4, “those who had been scattered went about preaching the word” – the references is to everyone but the apostles, who function, in Bridges’ book as “prototype” Christian Ministers).

He is pushing his point too far when he contends that Ministers are “first link of means in the chain of salvation, so that without a Ministry there should be no hearing of the word – consequently no faith in the only Saviour” (pg 14).

The same is true of growth in Christian maturity. In Ephesians 4:14-16, the body (congregation of believers) grows as all of God’s people participate in the “the work of ministry” (vs. 12). This is described in vs. 15 as “speaking the truth in love.” When ?”when each part (i.e. every believer in the congregation, not just the Minister) is working properly.. the body grows so that it builds itself up in love” (vs 16).

I like Bridges approach to using the Biblical metaphors to help illuminate the role of leadership among the people of God. This is a helpful exercise, though more care needs to be taken to interpret and use the metaphors in the way they are used in Scripture.

For example, the Body metaphor is used in Scripture, in reference to the Jesus’ church, in two ways – the emphasize that life of the people of God comes from the head (i.e. Jesus), and to emphasize the interrelated diversity (many parts, one body, every part is needed) of each member of the congregation.

As far as I can determine, there is not even a hint of what Bridges is saying in the New Testament passages that speak of the Church as the body of Christ. The closest the New Testament comes to this is Col. 1:22-27, but the thought is not Paul providing the link between Christ and the church. Paul is instead called the “servant” (NASV) or “minister” (ESV) of the church and the emphasis is on the need to suffer in that capacity. I take this to be a shifting of metaphors from the Church as the Body of Christ, to Paul’s calling to share in the ministry of the (OT) Suffering Servant.

His use of the Flock / Shepherd metaphor is good, though I think the Biblical usage of this metaphor is broader.

I’m not satisfied with his use of the Household metaphor. His quote comes from Jesus’ discourse in Matthew 24 – which functions as an illustration of the need to be “watchful” – the context has nothing to do with a congregation of believers. Instead this metaphor is used in the epistles (along with Building), to emphasize the importance of the one foundation (Jesus), and (along with that of a Family) to illustrate the way believers are to relate to each other.

I can’t find City used in the NT as a metaphor for a congregation of believers – though by extension perhaps Matthew 5:14 might be pressed into service. But here the metaphor has nothing to do with leadership but with the lives of believers.

Treaty of Peace refer primarily to apostolic / evangelistic ministry, it seems to me, not to congregations of believers.

In conclusion, I think this examination of metaphors could be very helpful, but Bridges’ analysis is not done carefully enough.

Daily seeking guidance from God is a key task of those who lead God’s people.  One of my favorite verses on the subject is found in Colossians 1.

Paul prayed for the believers in that city that they might be “filled (on a regular basis – present tense) with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

Paul was praying that God would give them a knowledge of his will that would enable them to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.” Although the word “daily guidance” is not used here, the concept is in view.

When we know and do God’s will, daily, then we please God, bear fruit and increase in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1:10).

C.J. Mahaney, in his series on planning, roles, and goals, begins with this spiritual discipline of seeking God’s guidance.  If we are not doing the right things, even the most successful time management skills will be worthless.  His comments are helpful:

Given the active presence of pride and self-sufficiency in my life, it is imperative for me at the outset of each day to devote time to humbling myself before the Lord and acknowledging my dependence upon him for all that awaits me.  As I devote myself to this spiritual discipline, the words of Proverbs 3:5-7 frequently inform my meditation and prayer:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

The exposition of these verses by nineteenth-century pastor Charles Bridges in his commentary on Proverbs is helpful and insightful.  Bridges writes: “He loves to be consulted. Therefore take all thy difficulties to be resolved by him. Be in the habit of going to him in the first place – before self-will, self-pleasing, self-wisdom, human friends, convenience, expediency. Before any of these have been consulted go to God at once. Consider no circumstances too clear to need his direction.  In all thy ways, small as well as great; in all thy concerns, personal or relative, temporal or eternal, let him be supreme.”   Charles Bridges (1794-1869), from A Commentary on Proverbs (Banner of Truth, 1846/1968)  pp. 24-25.