Ministry

Confidence for the Storms (Psalm 27)

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

During a storm in life, people often look back to the calm moments before everything turned chaotic.  It is strange to look back on a moment of tranquility when you had no idea what was about to take place.  Psalm 27 reflects that experience.  In the first half of the Psalm, David appears to be filled with faith and peace.  Then, in the second half, there is more than a hint of fear in his words.  Where other psalms begin with fear and end with faith, this psalm seems to reverse that pattern.

However, it may be helpful to see the psalm differently, not as part 1 followed by part 2, but as an outer layer and an inner layer.  In the outer layer, David seems gripped by the reality of God’s greatness.  He knows that God is greater than any enemy.  He has seen it in the past, and he has confidence for the future.  “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (v 1)

He begins the psalm stating that God is the refuge of his heart (translated “life”), and his heart will not fear, even in the face of enemies, armies, and wars!  (Psalm 27:1-3)  Then at the conclusion of the psalm, he declares confidence in his future experience of the goodness of God and calls on others to strengthen their hearts by waiting for the LORD.  (Psalm 27:13-14)

We live in tumultuous times.  Whether we are in an active war zone or not, it seems that most of us are living in countries where tensions are running high.  How can we have confidence in the Lord, strengthening our hearts as we wait for Him?  Perhaps it is not enough to know that our God is bigger than our enemies, although that is undoubtedly true. Perhaps we should examine what happens in the inner layer of this psalm.

In verse 4, David describes his devotional determination to dwell in the house of the LORD and gaze upon the beauty of the LORD.  It is in the security of God’s presence that he can get to know God for who He is.  To be close to God is to be hidden in God’s shelter, concealed in His tent, lifted on a rock.  The word translated as “shelter” carries the sense of a lion’s lair.  Is there anywhere safer, presuming the Lion is good and is for you?

The secret to confidence in God is to meet God in the secret place.  To gaze upon Him.  To know Him.  Jonathan Edwards wrote of Christ that He “has infinite loveliness to win and draw our love.”  He went on to say that the angels in heaven, who can look on His face all the time, have never run out of reason to praise Him, even to this day.  How lovely He must be!  And so it is that we too can draw near to God in the person of Christ, and day after day, gaze upon the face of our God. 

In fact, in troubled and tumultuous times, our people need us to do just that.  If we are going to lead our families, our ministries, our churches, then we need to be spending time hiding in God’s presence, gazing on and getting to know the “light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)

Not only does David declare that he will seek God’s face, but God invites him to do so.  It is a bit like playing hide and seek with a small child.  Hide and seek is a classic children’s game.  One person counts to 100, while the other players hide.  Then the seeker goes hunting for the hidden.  It can be frustrating if the players are too creative.  But when you play the game with a toddler, it can be so much fun.  They want to be found!  All you need to do is say out loud what you are thinking, “I am thinking she might be behind the armchair?”  And a little voice will giggle behind the curtain.  “Is she behind the television?”  And a little voice will say, “No!”  It is all about the moment of discovery, the unbridled joy when two faces meet.

“Seek my face,” God says.  And as leaders of God’s people, may the cry of our hearts be, “Your face, O LORD, do I seek.”  We need to gaze on the beauty of His character to have confidence in His strength.  The greatest one is for us, so let’s not hold back.  Draw near, gaze, and grow in confidence.  Fearful times will come, but faith-filled leaders will emerge from God’s presence confident and ready.

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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.

Getting Stuck in Sermon Prep (Podcast Post 7)

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

I was chatting about preaching with a friend on Sunday after preaching in his church. We talked about ways we sometimes get stuck.

Sometimes, the outline won’t quite work, and we keep looking at the text until eventually something clicks. Once it clicks, we can’t understand how we could not see the passage’s logic before.

Sometimes, the details of the message are the issue. What illustrations would work? How can I introduce the sermon? And so on. Again, the breakthrough moment is always a real relief and cause for rejoicing.

Sometimes, everything seems jammed up, and we simply can’t get the sermon to work.

In the latest episode of the podcast, Mike and I discuss seven specific logjams and offer some ideas that might help you break through the next time you get stuck.

But here is a thought: let’s be careful not to see the ideal as a jam-free future. While logjams can feel like hard work, there is also a blessing in them. Without the logjam, there might not be the desperate prayer. Without prayer, there would not be sweet moments of answered prayer as God lifts us in preparation for Sunday.

Transitions Matter! (Podcast Post – Episode 4)

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Is there a small detail in your preaching that would yield disproportionate fruit if you gave it some attention?  Maybe even a “non-content” element of preaching that would make your biblical content land with more precision and penetration?  The answer is, yes, absolutely.  Give some thought to your transitions!

As I listen to sermons in the classes I teach, it is often the transitions between points that either let a sermon down or help a sermon land with force.  Each transition is an opportunity to give breathing space (for fast-paced preachers), or assurance of progress (for more ponderous presenters), as well as a re-entry point for distracted listeners, and an opportunity to restate the main idea at a key moment in the sermon.  Then, of course, there is the main function of a good transition: to set up the next point in the sermon!

Transitions are small moments with big impact. In sporting terms, transitions provide assists so that the sermon points can score goals. Every coach knows the person giving the assist will get less glory but is critical to the team’s success.

So, hopefully, I have convinced you that transitions matter.  Feel free to go to your next sermon and think through how each transition could be most effective.  Or, if you want five specific suggestions on how to transition well, please check out this Bitesize episode on The Biblical Preaching Podcast!

Please do follow the podcast on your preferred podcast directory, or subscribe to the YouTube channel. Thank you for helping get the word out about the podcast!

Compelling Conclusions: 5 Ineffective Ingredients (Podcast Post – Episode 2)

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A compelling conclusion contains three ingredients: a look back, a look forward, and a definite finish.  However, many sermon conclusions are harmed by extra ingredients.  Here are a few to watch out for and avoid when bringing your sermon down to its landing.

1. The conclusion is not the place for new information.  Do not go deeper into the text, nor bring in extra scholarship at this point in the sermon.  A helpful story or quote could be helpful, but remember that you are trying to finish, not trying to add more to the message.

2. The conclusion is not the place for emotional manipulation.  Do not try to ramp up the emotion at the end of the message.  Let the affective force of the text do its work in the body of the message.  While there is scope for enthusiasm and encouragement, listeners are rightly wary of added emotion designed only to stir response at the end of a message.  It feels manipulative, so don’t do it.

3. The conclusion is not the place for an untrusting final effort.  You have prayerfully prepared and presented God’s Word.  Trust the Word and trust the Spirit.  Do not think that if you just give one last push, then you will be able to push people into a response.  Sometimes a brief message review can become one last try to drive the truth home to the listeners.  This final and added push, often generated by the apparent lack of responsiveness in the listeners, is not faith-filled but is a fleshly effort to achieve a goal that is not ours to achieve.  The Lord brings the growth.

4. The conclusion is not the place for a discouraging, downbeat fade towards the finish.  A sea of apparently unresponsive faces can be pretty disheartening.  But the conclusion is not the time to show your discouragement.  If the listeners sense it in your tone, or see it in your face, then your conclusion will undo the good that may be present but invisible.  Again, trust God to change lives, even if it feels like a failure in this moment.

5. The conclusion is not the place for disconnected applications.  Some preachers feel the conclusion is a special moment to throw extra applications at their listeners.  Don’t do it.  After a message on prayer, don’t add in an extra “Oh, and also be sure to tell someone about Jesus this week and invite them to next Sunday’s special event.” 

For a fuller explanation of the three ingredients for compelling conclusions and Peter’s acronym to remember them, please watch the video or listen to the podcast.  We appreciate any help getting the word out about this new resource – thank you in advance for any likes, comments, reviews, follows, shares, and prayers!

To follow the Podcast, click here for Apple, or here for Spotify.

Why Biblical Preaching? (Podcast Post for Episode 1)

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The Biblical Preaching Podcast is live!  My plan is to build on episodes with blog posts here so that you can get extra content on the blog, but also hopefully want to check out either the podcast or the related videos on YouTube.

In Episode 1, we discuss “Why Biblical Preaching?” 

People often raise the issue of a changing society.  The logic is simple – our world is changing at a rapid rate.  Technology is advancing faster than ever; people are bombarded with highly stimulating, rapidly moving content, and consumers access information differently than they did even a few years ago.  Therefore, many say that a verbal monologue delivered to a gathered congregation must be a mode of communication that should be consigned to history.  Spurgeon’s Victorian England may have needed preachers, and maybe Lloyd-Jones’ twentieth-century London required preachers, but surely we now live in a different world?

In the first part of the podcast, we discuss the question, “why preaching?”  We mention three reasons:

1. Because of the Biblical example – From Moses and Joshua, through the times of the Old Testament prophets, to the ministry of Jesus and the apostles in the early church, the consistent example is that of spoken messages pointing people to God’s person and purpose in this world.

Note: The world of the Bible is not monolithic.  There were vast shifts and changes between the preaching of Moses in Sinai, and the message of Joshua in the Promised Land, to the proclamation of Paul in Athens or Miletus.  And yet, through all the rising and falling of great empires, the shifting of cultures, the progression in God’s plan of history, still the pattern is consistent.  God’s messengers spoke a word that changed lives and shifted history.  It could be considered arrogant to think that our brief period of change should override millennia of shifting contexts in which preaching was a primary means of God working in the world.

2. Because of Biblical instruction – Paul’s final letter, written to Timothy, closes with the instruction to preach the Word.  It is fascinating that he does not focus on spectacular spiritual gifts or any other possible emphases for continuing ministry beyond his own time.  Instead, he urges Timothy to prioritize reading God’s Word and preaching it!  In other places, we can see instruction that would lead us to consider preaching as a critical component of gospel ministry.

3. Because of theological reality – What is God like?  He is a revealing, speaking and incarnational God.  In preaching, we see all persons of the Trinity in action – the Father’s loving initiative driving the whole mission of God in this world; the Son’s revealing of his Father and rescuing of humanity is the focus of both Scriptural and biblical preaching; and the Spirit woos, convicts and changes hearts through preaching.  In the podcast, I note how preaching (in this case, including spoken testimony), plays a key role in the story of salvation.  Where humanity fell into sin by doubting the word of an apparently absent God, so God wins a redeemed people back based not on a great show of power but based on the apparent weakness of words spoken in the kingdom of darkness.

In the second part of the podcast, we get into why we use the label “Biblical Preaching” and whether that is the same as “Expository Preaching.”  I will let you listen to the podcast to find out more!  Please check out the podcast, follow it on your podcast platform of choice, and thank you in advance for every interaction with the podcast or YouTube clip, as it helps the algorithm spread the content to more people.  Positive reviews are invaluable as we get the podcast going – thank you!

Click here to find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and click here to find it on Spotify, or search for The Biblical Preaching Podcast on whatever app you use to find podcasts. And here is the YouTube video if you like to watch:

Are We Trying To Be Too Clever?

/ Peter Mead / 4 Comments

With 2024 now consigned to the history books, we are launching into 2025.  Inevitably, a new year tends to bring at least a small burst of new energy.  Externally, we may joke about others joining gyms and going through the standard routine of resolution and then inevitable failure.  However, we may still feel motivated internally to start the year well.  So, what is your approach to the new year?

I think we often look for sophisticated solutions to complicated problems.  Are we trying to be too clever?  In reality, the basics are usually the most fruitful focus.

For instance, we assume that taking a new and obscure supplement or getting a new piece of exercise equipment will help us achieve our health goals.  But we will probably accomplish a lot more by focusing on eating whole foods, moving more, and sleeping better.

Or, we can think that our ministry challenges will be unlocked by a key lesson we have never encountered before, so we hunt for the book or the seminar that will bring that critical insight.  But 2025 will be far more fruitful if we focus on hearing from God, praying, and investing in people.  These things are the basic stuff of ministry.

And what about on a personal level?  I think we would all benefit from a “back to basics” mindset as we launch into another new year:

Relationally – It is really about time.  Spend time with your spouse, children, and key friends (and there may be some other meaningful relationships, perhaps your parents).  The world is continuing to bombard us with time-saving technology that seems to suck all time away from meaningful relationships.  So make the deliberate and courageously counter-cultural step of going for a walk with your spouse, getting on the floor to have fun with your child, taking your teen out for lunch, or sharing some downtime with a friend.  If necessary, turn your phone off too – this “appointment” may be the most important in your day. 

Theologically – A few years ago, I wrote the book Foundations.  I looked at the apostles’ speeches in Acts.  I demonstrated how their first concerns were to answer foundational questions rather than to impress their listeners with sophisticated complexity.  I am more convinced than ever that our theological energy is best spent chasing four basic questions: what is God like?  What does it mean to be human?  What is our problem?  What is God’s solution to our problem?  As we prayerfully pursue better answers to these basic root questions, we will find abundant fruit all over the tree of our lives.

Spiritually – And if your spiritual health is critical for all aspects of your ministry in the home and beyond, what would a “back to basics” approach look like?  It isn’t complicated.  Surely it means hearing from God by being in the Word, speaking to God in prayer, responding to God in worship, and ensuring you invest in authentic and life-giving relationships with other believers, too.

Every year, in the UK, we have to take our cars for the annual “health check” required of every vehicle on the road.  We occasionally get a token physical “health check” from our medical system.  Why not take the New Year as an opportunity to take stock of the basics of life?  It may not seem very sophisticated or feel particularly clever.  Still, actually, it is the basic changes that bear the most fruit.

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Coming soon . . . a new podcast for all who preach or care about biblical preaching – watch this space!

Needed: An Army of Mary/Marthas

/ Peter Mead / 2 Comments

At the end of Luke 10, the little story of Jesus’ visit to Bethany is a witness against much of evangelical activity.  Jesus had nowhere to lay his head during those ministry years, but he did have a home away from home in Bethany.  Just a few miles from Jerusalem, Jesus seemed to have a familiar place to stay with his close friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

On this occasion, Martha was interrupted making dinner for two or three by a knock on the door.  Thirteen tired men had just arrived.  Dutifully, she returned to the kitchen to turn a meal for two or three into a meal for fifteen or sixteen people.  I’m sure Martha was pretty adept at performing miracles in her kitchen.  Still, on this particular day, nothing was working as it should.  The fire gave off smoke but no heat.  The salt had run out.  The flour spilled.  The onions had gone past their point of usefulness.  Martha was frustrated.

Looking for Mary, she found her sitting at Jesus’ feet in the main room.  Martha lost it.  In one quick outburst, she rebuked the guest of honour and then inappropriately issued a command at him.  Everyone would have felt the tension in that room.

But Jesus responded with grace and clarity, “Martha, Martha, you are upset about many things, but only one thing is necessary.  Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)

What Was Martha’s Mistake?  Everyone knows that Martha got it wrong, but many seem confused by her error.  Was Martha simply wrong for being busy?  Not at all!  Before you preach against a Martha spirit in your church or ministry, be careful; your ministry would not exist if it weren’t for the hard-working pragmatists who carry so much on their shoulders.  It is not wrong to be busy with ministry work.  In fact, we need more people to be motivated to join the church’s efforts.

Now, this portrayal of Martha as busy and bitter is common.  Some children’s Bible storybooks paint Martha as sour and driven, with a stern look and her hair tied back in a tight bun.  Meanwhile, Mary often looks like a young model, lounging with a big smile near Jesus.  This depiction is so unfair.

Martha’s mistake was not being busy.  It was a matter of priority.  In the previous passage, Jesus meets a lawyer who wants to know about eternal life.  They discuss “love God, love neighbour” – the Jesus ethic the lawyer had picked up on.  (That episode focused on the lawyer clarifying who his neighbour was.)  In the following passage, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray with this pattern: God first, neighbour second.  So what about the Martha incident?  Well, she was loving her neighbours – all thirteen of them! 

The problem was not that Martha was loving her neighbour, but she had not first prioritized loving her Lord.  Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and let him minister to her.  Martha busied herself, loving her neighbours.  Such an approach was unsustainable, and the cracks soon started to show.

The Signs of “Doing a Martha” will soon show when we do what Martha did.  The pressure rises, and the steam starts to whistle.  A little comment from the side gets a sharp response.  A little setback in our task unleashes the tension that others feel.  It doesn’t take much.  When you or I are doing ministry in our own strength, people will sense it because they will be on the receiving end.  It could be a little practical task or a big ministry duty.  It doesn’t matter.  When we are running on empty, those around us will start giving us extra space.  They will avoid getting in our way.  They might even start to ask us if we are okay. 

Doing a Martha ongoingly will go beyond sharp responses to emotional and spiritual burnout.  But praise God that the signs will tend to show much earlier.  The question is, are you willing to hear when others raise concerns with you?  It is easy to dismiss the little tensions.  After all, you have thirteen extra people to feed.  And nobody else is doing it!

When you bring tension to a room, the atmosphere becomes thicker.  When you find yourself “justifiably” rebuking and commanding the guest of honour, it is time to think of Mary and Martha.  Specifically, it is time to think of Jesus’ gracious response to Martha.

The Evangelical Excuse Does Not Cut It – I am sure Martha would have been an excellent evangelical, and she would have probably said what most of us would say if challenged about this.  “Yes, I know I need to spend time with God, but you need to understand that I am loving God by loving my neighbour!”  It sounds good, but it does not change the point of the story.  We all need to get these things in order. 

Suppose we allow God to minister to us first by sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to him.  In that case, we will be like a bucket filled from above, filled to the brim, and running over to others.  That makes for sustainable ministry!

Suppose we do not allow God to minister to us first but insist on being busy.  In that case, we will love our neighbours from an emptying bucket.  We will run out of fuel.  We will start to burn those around us with our tension releases.  And ultimately, we will grind to a halt.  We cannot self-sustain any ministry!

Conclusion – It is so simple, but we must learn this lesson!  Love God first by listening to him.  Spend time in his word.  Spend time sitting at his feet.  Let the Lord minister to you before you head out for the day to minister to others.  Love God, then love your neighbour.  Get that out of order, and everyone around you will spot it before you do.  What we need today, as always, is a whole army of pragmatic Marthas, ready to serve and prepared to love their neighbour because they have first been an army of devoted Marys.  Love God, then love your neighbour.

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