Church

Rest: A Dirty Word

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

For many pastors, ministry leaders, and preachers, rest seems like a dirty word. 

Of course, we will affirm its importance in others’ lives.  The overloaded person in our church, who is starting to show signs of cracking, should take rest more seriously.  The marriage, which is under a lot of stress and showing signs of wear, would do well to take some time out to recuperate and reconnect.  Even the church leader down the road should incorporate rest into the rhythm of life and ministry.  But when it comes to the person in the mirror, some of us tend to resist our own advice.

We probably know the biblical case for the sabbath – that weekly rhythm of work and rest, the day set apart for honouring God not only through our worship but also through our faith-filled cessation of striving.  We may also know about the Old Testament lesson of giving land a season of rest and what happened when Israel didn’t follow God’s instruction in that regard.

Then there is the New Testament’s far more familiar ground to cover.  Think of Jesus taking time away from the crowds to be with his Father.  Or the example of Martha, who was so busy loving her neighbour that she failed to love the Lord as her priority.  Yes, she was busily serving in the kitchen. Still, Mary had chosen the top priority – she was sitting at Jesus’ feet, letting him minister to her.  It wasn’t just Martha’s cooking that was steaming; it was her as well when she came into the gathering, making the atmosphere feel immediately tense and awkward.

We know what the Bible says.  We know that it applies to others.  We can see the need for rest in those around us as their attitudes reflect Martha’s bad day.  But all too often, we cannot see the issue in ourselves.

I’m sure there are all sorts of psychological reasons why we feel exempt from the instruction to rest.  Maybe our identity is caught up in being busy?  Perhaps we are addicted to the adrenaline that comes with pressure, deadlines and crises?  Or our addiction might be to being needed by others, being the vital cog in the machine, or just being busily distracted from some personal inner emptiness? 

In Acts 6:4, the apostles recognised the danger posed by the growing demands of ministry.  The danger was that they would not be able to devote themselves to the Word and to prayer.  On my recent sabbatical, I read The Unhurried Pastor by Croft and Martin.  They pointed out that the church leader needs to guard time for the essential foundation of ministry.  That is not email, text messages, committee meetings, planning meetings, paperwork, organisation, administration, etc.  All of these have their place, and ministry will involve a variety of work behind the scenes and with people.  But the essential foundation is the Word, prayer, and contemplation.  Do these have their proper place in our ministry rhythms?

I read another book, a collection of mini-biographies by Warren Wiersbe.  He mentioned several times an elder statesman who repeatedly advised other pastors to take two months off from the pulpit every summer.  That was at the start of the last century.  For most preachers and church leaders today, two months away would be a rare sabbatical, not an annual vacation.  Nevertheless, it does provoke the thought – would my ministry be more effective if I gave it room to breathe?

I did not realise how much a sabbatical would bless my soul.  I did not feel like I needed it.  And yet, I am thanking God for the extended break away from ministry responsibility that we were given at the start of the year.  I am thanking God that we were able to be away from home so that the switch-off could be complete.  And I am thanking God that we chose to switch off rather than use the time away from normal responsibilities to take on more (like teaching elsewhere or writing). 

The blessing of an extended break away from home may feel impossible in your circumstances, I understand that for many reasons.  You can still pray about the possibility and see what God does.  But in the meantime, how about your next day off?  When is it?  How will it be a day off?  What will you switch off?  What will you do that is life-giving to you spiritually, physically, emotionally, and relationally? 

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Preaching to Build the Church

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

I recently returned from a three-month sabbatical.  What an incredible blessing that time was for our family – time to rest, time to grow closer to God, time to focus on our marriage.  After being in full-time ministry for over two decades, it was our first extended break.  We thank God, our church, and all who helped to make it such a blessed time.

One of the side benefits of this time was the opportunity to visit about 13 different churches.  I often see other churches, but as a visiting speaker.  That’s different.  Being an unknown guest allowed me to observe, notice, appreciate, and learn.  We went to churches of all sizes (from 40 in the pews to tens of thousands over multiple services), various backgrounds, unique stories, and diverse strengths.  (We also didn’t go to a few churches because they did not indicate when they meet – not on their sign, no phone number or website!)

Here are three big takeaways from this season of church visits:

1. Christ is building His church!

    It is easy for us all to get so caught up in our own local church or our own church network that we lose sight of what God is doing around the world.  We worshipped in drafty warehouses, historic buildings, tired functional buildings, stunning modern buildings, and a basketball arena.  We sang and listened alongside tens and alongside thousands.  We heard preachers with massive podcast followings, preachers with decades of experience, and a preacher without training faithfully filling the pulpit because the pastor had recently been promoted to glory.  In different settings, with different crowds, different musical styles, and different preachers, the Gospel is being preached, and the church is being built.  We saw so many baptisms; it was hugely encouraging.  In our own setting, we may be encouraged or discouraged, or some combination of the two.  But let’s remember that Jesus promised to build His church, and He continues to do exactly that across the world.

    2. Preach the word to build the church!

    I met with one pastor who quickly became a friend.  He told me of a church that had gone from hundreds every Sunday to a handful of people in less than twenty years.  Why?  They had given up on preaching truth.  On the other hand, two of the churches we visited are notable for their courage in going against the cultural tide and daring to be outspokenly biblical.  I know many who would not share their courage or boldness.  And yet one church was adding extra campuses to its ministry, while the other was desperately trying to add the parking spaces needed to accommodate the growth in attendance.  Compromise on the Scriptures, and a church has nothing to offer.  Dare to preach the Gospel boldly and not shy away from graciously addressing difficult subjects, and the church seems to grow.

    3. Preach to reach the world; don’t just preach to the church!

    I noticed how many preachers seemed to miss one key group of people in their preaching.  They preached to their congregations, in some cases offering clear, bold vision, faithful Bible teaching, and challenging applications aimed at specific groups in the church.  But in many cases (not all), they did not clearly address guests and unbelievers.  It seems to me that there are a couple of good reasons to preach in such a way that guests and unbelievers feel seen and valued.  First, because there may be guests and unbelievers present.  What is the benefit of assuming everyone present is already saved and following Christ?  Guests can show up on any Sunday (assuming there is a way to find out when the church is meeting!).  Why miss the opportunity to present the Gospel to them?  The second reason is that people in the church might be willing to invite neighbours and colleagues.  However, to invite people, they need to trust that their guests will feel seen and valued.  People generally will not risk relationships on inconsistently welcoming and irrelevant church services.  How we preach when no guests are present will influence whether church members invite guests in the future.

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    Christmas Podcast Discussions

    / Peter Mead / Leave a comment

    As I mentioned before, my good friends at Fellowship of Wildwood in Missouri are giving away copies of Pleased to Dwell as part of their pre-Christmas outreach this year. Alongside the book, they have a weekly reading and a discussion. So here are the first three discussions.

    Discussion 1: The Presence of the Promiser

    Discussion 2: We Do Not Face Sin Alone

    Discussion 3: The Birth of the Baby

    I hope these are encouraging. There is one more coming in the next few days. Have a wonderful Christmas!

    Christmas Podcast – week 1

    / Peter Mead / 3 Comments

    My good friends at Fellowship of Wildwood in Missouri are giving away copies of Pleased to Dwell as part of their pre-Christmas outreach this year. Alongside the book, they have a weekly reading and a discussion about an aspect of it. Here is the first reading:

    And here is the first discussion:

    I will post the others on here, but feel free to subscribe to their channel and see them as soon as they come out. Thanks so much!

    Podcast Catch-Up: Insights for Preachers

    / Peter Mead / Leave a comment

    The last couple of months have been busy, to say the least. A conference with Josiah Venture in Czech Republic, the European Leadership Forum in Poland, two family weddings, two baptism services in the midst of a busy season at church – these all added up to not sharing much on this site. So, it is time for a catch-up on the podcast. What has been happening since the last post that was linked to an episode?

    Mike and I discussed the various kinds of interruptions that can add some intricate dynamics to a preaching event. We also talked through the most basic sermon preparation process. While there is plenty of potential for complexity in the area of sermon preparation, we wanted to make sure the basic process is clear.

    We have had quite a few bitesize episodes, including Peter on 5 Aspects of Natural Delivery, The Four Worlds of the Preacher, and Preaching Without Notes. (I will write another post on that subject soon!) Mike shared about the courage to confront yourself, and the potential poison of preaching ministry.

    Along the way, we also had a couple of episodes hearing from Si Munsie of Life Church, Southampton. (Click here for part 1 on preaching to real people, and here for part 2 where we think about past employment and preaching.) And this week, we have part 1 of my interview with Andy Paterson, currently pastoring in Hong Kong – a fascinating conversation with a very experienced pastor-preacher! We have some great interviews lined up in the next months too.

    So my apologies for being quieter on here and social media in recent weeks. We really do appreciate every encouraging comment, both in person and online. If you are able to subscribe on YouTube and in whatever podcast platform you use (eg Spotify or Apple), that really does help. Also, every like, comment, share, etc., is massively appreciated. Thank you for helping to get this podcast off the ground!

    Biblical Ministry?

    / Peter Mead / 2 Comments

    Most people in Christian ministry would like to think they have a biblical ministry.  But what does that mean?  Is it simply an evaluation of whether what they do is in the Bible?  Or maybe better, an assessment of whether their values and methodology reflect biblical qualities?  This would be a good question to ponder prayerfully.

    Let’s take a few minutes and consider what role the Bible plays in your ministry.  I will start with some troubling ones I have observed, then move on to better options.  I have seen all of the troubling Bible roles over the years.  Perhaps one or two have crept into my ministry at times.  How about you?

    5 Troubling Bible Roles:

    1. Token Requirement – This is where a Christian ministry uses the Bible here and there because it is expected or required.  The driving energy for the ministry comes from the individual’s drive, the rhythm of habit and tradition, or the necessity of keeping their position.  But the Bible seems inert, a lifeless requirement quoted here and there to endorse what is happening in the ministry.

    2. Quotes and Springboards – This is a slightly more specific version of number 1.  This is where the Bible gets used to either endorse the message or to launch the message.  Please understand me: the Bible is capable of both roles.  However, in this case, it feels more used than living.  The person makes their point, then adds a proof-text.  Or the preacher reads a bit of the Bible, then launches away from it to preach what is essentially their own set of thoughts (often leaving the Bible far behind in the process).

    3. Magic Charm – This is where the Bible is used superstitiously to “guarantee” the effectiveness of the ministry.  The people of Judah treated the temple as a guarantee in the days of Jeremiah, but they didn’t know what God was doing in their day.  So, Christian ministries can hold up the Bible or quote a verse, thereby guaranteeing that their ministry should be successful.  Again, the Bible seems to be used rather than alive.

    4. Blunt Weapon – This is where the Bible gets used without precision.  Instead of being the sharp scalpel wielded by a careful and kind surgeon, biblical words get plucked out of context and used for delivering blows to the poor recipients.  Without God’s grace, character or plan, and tangible reliance on the Holy Spirit’s work in the heart, the Bible gets used to beat people into behavioural submission.

    5. Self-Support – Maybe you have come across this one too?  It is where the person doing the ministry uses the Bible to affirm their personal limitations and quirks.  Instead of being humble, teachable, and open to help, the minister quotes the Bible to self-affirm, self-support, and defend from criticism or concern. 

    5 Better Bible Roles:

    A. A Rule Book (An Instruction Manual) – I will start here because this could easily slip into the troubling list above.  It is good to recognise the authority the Bible has in life, ministry, etc.  We should be looking to see what God’s Word has to say about each issue we face and each difficulty we navigate.  At the same time, I hope you can also feel the awkwardness that can come when the Bible is seen as just a rule book, an instruction manual, or a guide for life.  It can so easily lose its vitality and begin to feel lifeless – one common factor in the list of troubling Bible roles.  So yes, the Bible does have authority, and we should submit to what it says, but let’s not be satisfied with that.  Let’s go on to the rest of this list!

    B. An Inspiring Book – Again, this could be an inadequate label.  Sometimes, a work of art can inspire those beholding it, but the Bible is much more than a well-written collection of books.  It is inspired by God, meaning it uniquely comes from God, breathed out by him.  The writers were not just inspired by something divine, pulling out a pen to try to capture their feelings at that moment.  They wrote Scripture, carried along by the Holy Spirit, giving us the unique Word of God.  And if anything that has ever been written should stir our hearts and change our lives, it is God’s inspired and uniquely inspiring Word.

    C. An Equipping Book – Whatever your ministry may be, the Bible has been given to you so that you may be “thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2Tim.3:17)  Whatever your ministry may be, if it is biblical, there will be an element of helping equip others for life and ministry.  When the Bible is active in a ministry, both the one doing the ministry and the recipients of that ministry will be fashioned and formed for ministry in some way by the life-changing Word of God.

    D. A Life-Giving Book – Because the Word of God is alive, it is also life-giving.  An encounter with biblical ministry can draw a dead heart to Christ, it can call back a drifting believer, it can motivate greater godliness, inspire Christlike sacrifice, launch cross-cultural missionaries, lift drooping hands, strengthen weak knees, and comfort the grieving believer.  When people encountered the Word of God incarnate (Jesus), their lives were changed.  In the Gospels, many people meet Jesus and leave more alive than when they came.  The same can and should be true of biblical ministry.  After all, the Word of God inspired (i.e. the Bible), is a life-giving book.  Biblical ministry should result in many leaving more alive than when they came.

    E. A Him Book – Jesus rebuked the Jewish leaders for thinking they were so Scripture-saturated that they knew God and had life.  His rebuke?  They thought they would find life in diligent Scriptural study, but the Scriptures were “about me” (see John 5:37-40).  Above all else, the Bible’s role in life and ministry is to reveal God to us, ultimately in the person of Jesus Christ.  While we may treat the Bible as a me-book (what I need to learn for my life), actually, it is a Him book (whom I need to meet to know life).  As someone involved in ministry, I need to come to the Bible and look for Him. 

    My God, I need you.  More than I need anything else, I need you.  As I open your Word on my own, show me your heart, your character, your plan, your Son.  Captivate my heart afresh with yours.  Then, by your grace, would you allow me to share that life with others in my ministry?  May they see you because they need you, just as I need you.  Amen!

    Final thought – One time, a friend and supporter gave me a very generous gift.  I still remember his words close to three decades later: “When others speak, I can tell they are repeating their notes from when they went to seminary.  When you speak, I get the sense that you have been studying the Bible fresh.”  I pray that I will not grow stale but have a freshness to my preaching.  Let’s encourage one another in that!

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    Click here to listen to a recent episode of The Biblical Preaching Podcast. Please subscribe to the YouTube channel, or follow on Spotify, Apple, etc. We would love to stay connected as we think about preaching together:

    James and the Greatest Gap

    / Peter Mead / Leave a comment

    The book of James is a fascinatingly practical epistle. Some have called it the Sermon on the Mount in letter form. On the one hand, we shouldn’t expect anything less than practical from the son of a carpenter. On the other hand, we don’t want to miss the profound theological thrust of the letter.

    After addressing issues of suffering, true religion, favouritism, the use of the tongue, and the right kind of wisdom, we arrive at James chapter 4. Now, James drills below the practical matters of the letter. Yes, there is a gap between conduct and confession, which seems to bother James. We could frame this as a gap between past habits and new identity, but James presents a more significant gap that we must face.

    In James 4:1-3, he goes below the surface to explain what is going on and what is going wrong with his readers. Why do they have conflict? Very simply, it is because of the passions that bubble away inside them. Their conflict comes from their wants, like shoppers fighting to get bargains at the opening of a sale, like children fighting over the happy meals in McDonald’s, or even like chicks pushing to be in prime position to receive the worm from the mother that is bringing food into the nest . . . we clash, because we want.

    It is encouraging to see James give a glimpse of the heart of our Father. We only need to ask since he is willing to feed us. So, the problem is inside each one of us – our selfish desires cause havoc in our lives.

    What is the solution? Our world and Western tradition tend to tell us that self-control is the solution to our passions. Yes, we have an engine that moves us along, but we need to get a grip on the steering wheel and take control of ourselves. Interestingly, James does not instruct his readers to get a grip. Instead, he gives them a glimpse of what is happening inside God.

    In James 4:4-6, we see inside God’s heart. What do we find? We see his jealousy over his people; he calls them “adulteresses.” James is not focusing on the women of the church; he is focusing on the people of the church, who are the bride of Christ. As the bride of Christ, we are flirting with the world. And God’s heart is grieved. It is jealously yearning for us to come back to him.

    Here is the real gap that we need to face. Not just the gap between our conduct and our confession, nor even the gap between our past habits and our new identity. It is the growing gap between our hearts and his. Where there is unfaithfulness, God yearns for us to return. Where there is drift, God yearns for us to come close.

    James 4 is like God has sat us down in a chair and confronted us with our drift. “What is going on?” We seem to be far from him. We seem to be motivated by other things. It may be overt unfaithfulness, or it may be signs of drift. It may be something that is not bad in itself, but it has become more important than him. Our career, bank balance, hobbies, favourite sports team. Just as we see in Hebrews 12:1-2, there is sin that entangles and everything that hinders—bad things, “good things,” but alternatives to him.

    So, how do we respond when God lovingly confronts us for the drift in our spiritual marriage? If we stick out our chests and get defensive, claiming the right to define our spiritual health on our terms, then we reek of pride. God opposes the proud (James 4:6), but will we humbly admit the drift?

    In James 4:7-10, we have the wonderful invitation. If we humble ourselves, submit to God, and resist the devil, we can draw near to God. We deserve his rejection, but that was also true before the cross. God loves us and gave Jesus to win our hearts to him. And as we drift, he continues to love us and waits with arms open to welcome us back to him. There may need to be mourning and grief over our unfaithfulness. Turning to our heavenly bridegroom should break our hearts as we see our waywardness and drift. But as we resist the devil and repent, turning back to our bridegroom, we will find that he also draws near to us.

    The most critical gap in Christianity is the gap that can develop between our hearts and his. He may take James 4, sit us down in a chair, and confront us with our adulterous drift. But he does so lovingly, longingly yearning for our hearts to draw near to him. And as we do, he will draw near to us.

    Hallelujah! What a saviour we have. 

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    Please check out the new Biblical Preaching Podcast – in this episode, Peter Mead and Mike Chalmers discuss the four most important questions for all in ministry:

    Preaching to a Mixed Crowd – Part 3

    / Peter Mead / Leave a comment

    So we have covered five principles for preaching to a mixed crowd in part 1, and in part 2.  Now, I’d like to share a starter guide to evaluating the mix that makes up your congregation.  Take this list and prayerfully think through it, making notes about the different groups in your church.  Consider which groups are bigger, and which are smaller but still present.  Then, perhaps share your thoughts with someone else involved in the leadership of your church.  Together, you will be able to pray for your church and preach more effectively to your church.

    1. Believers and not-yet-believers – what is the mix?  How would you describe the believers?  How would you describe the not-yet-believers?

    2. Bible literate and Bible unaware – what is the range of biblical awareness in your church?  Where do the majority currently stand on that continuum?

    3. Churched and unchurched (guests/newcomers) – how often do you get visitors coming to the church?  Do people feel confident to bring guests along? 

    4. Mix of ages in the church – what is the proportion of children, youth, students, young adults, established adults, older working-aged adults, retirees, and older seniors?

    5. Lifestages in the church – as you consider the ages, how would you describe the life stages?  Are people out of work, jumping between jobs, established in their careers?  Are the empty nesters settled or struggling?  What is the nature of the life experience of the seniors in the church?

    6. The gender mix in the church – there are two options, but what do you observe about numbers?  In couples where only one is a believer, which gender is typically a believer? 

    7. Education and employment – what type and level of education do people have in the church?  How many had no higher education?  What about university educated?  What about vocationally trained?  Or higher degrees?  What type of employment do people have?  How financially stable and secure are the households in the congregation?

    8. Family dynamics – consider the make-up of the church in terms of married and single.  Are the married couples doing well relationally?  And what about the single people?  How many are content long-term single, disappointed long-term single, young adults, newly single by divorce, etc.?  And what about parents?  Parents of young, of teens, of adults?  Broken marriages?  Blended families?  What about those with responsibilities for elderly parents?

    9. Nationality and culture – how many of the church are local first language speakers?  What about non-local first-language speakers?  And non-local second language speakers?  Are internationals newly arrived or more settled? Are the internationals from various nations, or are there larger groups from specific countries? What are the dynamics within those groups and between the groups?

    10. Is the congregation typical of the locality, or is the congregation “travelling in” to a central hub?  Do people live in the community the church is trying to reach?  Where do guests come from?  Are guests able to connect with church regulars?

    11. What other factors come to mind as you evaluate your congregation?

    If you haven’t seen it yet, please check out our discussion about preaching to a mixed crowd on The Biblical Preaching Podcast.

    Preaching to a Mixed Crowd – Part 2

    / Peter Mead / Leave a comment

    When we preach, we always have a mixed crowd, so we are thinking about five principles to help us preach effectively. Yesterday, we started by affirming that it is possible to preach effectively to a mixed crowd and by assuming that we have a greater mix than we can see. (Remember, for our discussion of different mixes at play, please check out the latest episode of The Biblical Preaching Podcast.)

    So, continuing our list:

    3. We need to learn about our listeners.  When it comes to our own church, we can consider several levels of analysis.  We can think about the culture in which our church exists and the specifics of the locality.  Is it urban, suburban, or rural?  Is it close to the cultural centre of society or at a distance from what is happening in the “big smoke?”  Then we can think about our congregation: What are the typical profiles of people?  Are there many people in a certain age and stage of life?  What about typical education levels or employment types?  There is a more specific analysis, too – pastorally, to get to know the individual people and families in the church.  (As a guest speaker, you may only be able to analyse the level of culture, locality, and a brief guess at typical profile, but your preaching will still be better for it!)

    4. We need to preach sermons that aim to land in the lives of our listeners.  It is tempting to preach generic biblical truth and hope that listeners will grab hold of that truth for themselves.  Don’t settle for vague generalisations.  Our task is not only to be comfortable in the world of the biblical text but also to be targeted in our relevance to specific situations.  Listeners will translate and personalise specifics but allow generalisations to float on by. Authentic expository preaching is not only faithful to the biblical text, but it also requires effective communication from the preacher that emphasizes relevance to the listener.  True expository preaching also relies on God to be at work:

    5. We need to pray for God to work in a profoundly personal way.  We know that God cares about congregations with an awareness of the groupings within that congregation.  Take, for instance, how God inspired Paul to give Titus specific instructions for each group in the church (Titus 2:1-10), or to help Timothy think about different groups in the Ephesian church (1 Timothy 5:1-2).  We know that God cares about individuals (for instance, see Psalm 17:6-8).  And we can be confident that God wants to continue his work in his people and complete what he has begun (Philippians 1:6).  So let’s be sure to pray that as we preach, God will land the message in very targeted and specific ways in those that hear us.

    Please check out the conversation on the latest episode of the podcast. We really appreciate any help in getting the word out about this new resource. In the next post, I will offer a starter guide for evaluating the mix that makes up your congregation.

    Preaching to a Mixed Crowd – Part 1

    / Peter Mead / Leave a comment

    We always preach to a mixed crowd.  The mix may differ, but the one thing we can be sure of is that there will be a mix.  Older and younger, male and female, biblically aware, newcomers to the Bible, church regulars and guests, and so on.  In fact, in the latest episode of The Biblical Preaching Podcast, we work through six types of mix that we often have in our churches.

    In this series of posts, I will share five principles to think through as preachers:

    1. We must believe the Bible can be effectively presented to mixed groups simultaneously.  Traditionally, many churches have targeted their preaching at either believers or not-yet-believers.  So you might have an evangelistic event and a Bible study separately.  However, it is possible to preach the Bible to believers and non-believers simultaneously.  And if we do that, we might avoid some of the mistakes that come from assuming Christians have moved past the gospel (see Galatians 3:1-3 for a strong warning on this!)

    2. We should assume a greater mix than we can see in a congregation.  There are two reasons for this.  First, because there is a greater mix than we can see.  People may look similar on the outside but be very different in reality.  And second, we should assume a greater mix because we want a greater mix than we can see.  For example, how will people in a small church that often has no guests present be confident to bring guests in?  One way will be for the preacher to consistently preach as if guests are present so that church members grow in confidence that they can bring a guest and it won’t feel awkward.  Preach to the mix you have, and preach for the mix you want.

    Click here to see the episode on YouTube.  Come back tomorrow for the rest of the principles in this series.