I was asked by long-time fellow blogger John Brand if he could interview me about the subject of preaching. Here it is:
John’s site is www.preachersonpreaching.net (or here for the Facebook page).
Ministry
John Wesley’s Advice – Part 4
The final part of the list of John Wesley’s advice to preachers. Points 1-2, and 3-5, and 6-8 are already covered.
9. Take care to avoid anything awkward or affected either in your gesture or pronunciation. It is interesting to see this from Wesley. I tend to think of affected pronunciation as being related to vocal projection in vast unamplified venues – a concern that we no longer have. But that would not be the only reason for it. There is the awkwardness that comes from feeling self-conscious, or from attempts to be theatrical, or from a learned “pulpit voice” that attempts to sound more “hallowed.” To connect with coal miners on Hanham Mount in the 18th century, or normal people anywhere today, it is better to communicate naturally and authentically. Nobody likes listening to an actor. Actually, the reason real actors are so good at what they do is that they convey that natural communication as someone they are not. As preachers, our only goal is to convey natural communication as someone who we are!
10. Don’t just say ‘I read only the Bible’ in order to preach, read the most useful books, and that regularly and constantly… at least five hours in twenty-four… or return to your trade. Can I be brief on this one? I don’t know, but I suspect he wouldn’t include social media surfing in that at least five-hour goal. Once we limit this to book reading, then it does feel like a big ask for many today. Perhaps we should take this away and ponder it. Are we neglectful of our calling, responsibility and opportunity to not give ourselves to as much reading as we should? (And if you are a “lay preacher” – you can determine the appropriate goal for your circumstance.)
11. There is no need to throw away old sermons just because they are old – the best can be reused. I agree. I would add that when reusing a sermon, it is helpful to spend some time refreshing it and making sure that it is current in your heart and not just present in your notes.
12. Never preach without doors when you can with any conveniency preach within. This is the advice that probably needs the most pondering. For Wesley, his move to preaching outdoors was radical and had huge implications for his church relationships. But once he got known for it, it is intriguing to think about this advice. Maybe the point for us is not so much about whether we preach indoors or outside. Perhaps the point is to not allow anything we do to become a gimmick. Don’t get known for something and then keep working that thing to the detriment of what really matters. Be a preacher of the Word. End of. Once you get known for a specific type of sermon, a particular location(!), a specific type of biblical text, or even a specific subject, then you have to reckon with this point of advice from John Wesley. What does this mean for you and me? Maybe nothing at the moment, but it is a good one to prayerfully ponder.
There we go! All done. I have enjoyed thinking through these brief thoughts. I hope that has been helpful for you, too.
Running on Fumes
When a car has very little fuel in the tank, we say it is running on fumes. It is moving forward, but warning signs indicate the vehicle is in trouble. It won’t go very far unless something changes. And the something is simple – it needs fuel.
The same thing happens with Christians too. They give the impression of keeping on spiritually, engaging with the church, and so on. But there are warning signs, and they won’t go very far unless something changes. Again, the something that needs to change is relatively simple – they need fuel. Simply being around Christians and using Christian language is not enough. Without a vital personal relationship with Christ, they are merely running on the fumes of Christianity.
Warning Signs – In a car, you have warning lights on the dashboard to alert you to an issue before it becomes a problem. If you proceed far enough, the engine will start to sputter and make unusual noises. What are the warning signs when a Christian is running on the fumes of Christianity?
- Loss of Joy – There are many reasons for a loss of joy, so do not assume that the spiritual tank is always empty when joy fades. However, any warning light is a reason to investigate. Indeed, when someone’s tank lacks the fuel needed, delight in the things of God and church life will only come in fits and starts. The classic biblical example is Martha in Luke 10:38-42 – she was doing the right thing, but the joy was gone.
- Alternate Fuels – Is work or a hobby suddenly becoming more significant? Are they starting to find motivation and purpose in something other than Christ in a way that was not true earlier in their Christian journey? Alternative fuels are attractive because someone struggling will see the alternative as more readily accessible and the goals more attainable.
- Blaming the Church – It is very rare to hear someone drifting from church life and being honest, “Oh, I am staying away because I am not fuelling my soul, and so I feel awkward being around other Christians right now.” It is much easier to talk about how the church does not meet their needs, and they don’t fit, the programs are not helpful, the other people don’t like them, etc. Not every person being critical of the church is in a bad place personally, but many are.
- Verbal Paper Cuts – Sometimes it is not the full force explosions that hurt, but the subtle paper cuts. Someone in a low place spiritually will often make little paper cuts with their words. Little bits of gossip. Little criticisms. Little digs. Maybe nothing significant enough to confront or challenge, but enough to leave you feeling that sting of an open wound when they walk away.
- Emotional Outbursts – Sometimes, things do come out in full force explosions. And, like a cornered animal, someone feeling spiritually empty can lash out and attack rather than admit their need and open themselves up to help from others.
Emergency Measures – What do you do when someone is running on empty and about to run out of fuel and grind to a halt?
- Re-Fuel – To be blunt, they need to be in the Word of God and allow Him to minister to them. But they may struggle to feed themselves if they have let their tank get too low. Perhaps a friend can help them get into the Word and start back into a healthy pattern.
- Recognize the Emergency – How often do we pridefully persist on our path, ignoring all the warning signs? Many a stranded motorist thought they could go a little farther before stopping for fuel. Part of solving the problem will be humbly admitting the problem. As long as pride continues to stir excuses and explanations, the fuel cap remains in place. They must humbly acknowledge how they have allowed themselves to drift, how they have arrogantly felt they did not need to be in the Word personally, or how another sin has built a blockage between them and God. Whether that is a giant skeleton in the closet or the “respectable” sin of personal pride, confession will be like a doorway to help for the struggling believer.
- Reach out for Help – These are in the reverse order. We need to be fuelled again, but often that won’t happen until the nature of the problem is recognized, and often that is hard to achieve without first calling out for help from another. If you see the warning signs in a friend, encourage them to face the reality of their situation. If you are desperate, you could point them to this post and ask if it resonates with them because you are concerned. If you see warning signs in yourself, then get a friend immediately. We tend to think that a renewed effort in my quiet times, or perhaps some alternative, will fix the issue. A thimble of fuel won’t get you too far. Call a friend and walk through it with someone.
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Check out a Psalm from this week for your encouragement:
Your Job is to Make Words Clear
When I used to live close to London I sometimes visited the British Library. There you can see some amazing treasures, such as Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Alexandrinus. It is amazing to see such ancient books, but they are not the easiest things to read and understand. For one, they were written in uncials: ITISNOTEASYTOREADTEXTWITHOUTGAPSORPUNCTUATION. Oh, and they are in Greek, just to add to the challenge.
Thankfully we don’t have to read Greek text written in uncials (unless we want to, then praise God that we can access so much!) We are blessed to have the Bible very accurately translated into our language and readily affordable (or free online). They even add in spaces, lower case letters, punctuation, etc. How blessed we are! I suppose I should also mention the chapter and verse divisions, which save a lot of time. And there are the somewhat and sometimes helpful section headings.
But remember that to many people in our churches today, the text feels as inaccessible as an ancient uncial codex! To many, it feels like a big block of text with thousands of words running into each other.
And so the preacher goes to work each week, diligently studying a passage in order to first understand it, and then to preach it. That work moves from the initial simplicity of familiar words, through the complexity of trying to grasp an author’s flow of thought, and out into the warm sunshine of studied simplicity. Hopefully, the preacher is then in a place to make sense of the flow of thought, to identify the major thoughts and to see the supporting role of each subordinate thought. The passage no longer feels like a random set of instructions and assertions.
When we preach our task includes the need to make a string of words clear. We don’t have to start with an uncial script, but to all intents and purposes, we practically are. Listeners hearing a string of verses often grasp very little during their first exposure. As we preach we look for ways to emphasize the main thoughts, we look for ways to demonstrate how the “support material” in the text explains, proves and/or applies the main thoughts. Without technical jargon, our preaching needs to verbally achieve the formation of something like a clausal layout in the minds and hearts of our listeners. Certainly, by the time we are done preaching, they should not see the text as a string of random words or thoughts . . . it should be much clearer than that!
Preaching goes way beyond clarification of the meaning of a string of words. But preaching won’t go anywhere good if it bypasses this critical element of the task.
Burnout Warning
I was asked by a friend why so many people are burning out these days. Whether it is a moral fall, a mental breakdown, or a ministry burnout, the frequency seems to be increasing. Why?
I remember speaking with several friends some years ago. They had all gone through a ministry burnout in the previous years. Their circumstances were different, but they had some things in common. One spoke of two particularly stressful issues in the church that hit at the same time. He said that one would have been hard, but survivable, however, the two together created a perfect storm that took its toll on him.
I suspect that right now many are living with half a perfect storm already raging. This means that many are susceptible to the impact of another stressor that, if faced alone, might not be so damaging.
Let’s imagine that Pastor A was recently bereaved, or had a child with cancer, or some other significant emotional weight that was taking its toll. He might seem to be handling a difficult situation well, but any friends with sensitivity to his situation would want to protect him from a second heavy load hitting at the same time. Now would not be a good time for him to also face new and persistent criticism in his ministry, false accusation, a crisis in the church leadership team, or whatever. We certainly cannot control circumstances and often the second or even third weighty stress factor will combine. And sometimes we watch men and women serving God who somehow, by God’s grace, are able to weather the worst of seasons without some form of burnout. But many do not.
I think we should be realistic about contributing factors, sensitive to underlying stressors, and proactive in our care for one another.
Contributing factors – people involved in ministry may well be more susceptible to burnout. Why? Because there is a unique pressure not to be. After all, if Person B is hit by a perfect storm of stressors, they might go to the doctor, get a prescription for something, and get signed off from work. When they recover, they can go back to their job. If they lose their job, there is usually another similar one out there for them. But for Pastor A, there are some unique pressures of ministry – the person in ministry is expected to have unique access to God’s sustaining power, plus they don’t want to let others down (often because they love the people they are serving), they feel they are not supposed to resort to medication, also that the church will suffer if they stop doing their job for a season because the church is not prepared for a sudden “sabbatical,” and if they do burnout there may be no way back into the vocation to which they have given their life – and then how can they provide for their family? Plenty of people in ministry carry stresses in life that we humans are not created to carry alone.
Underlying stressors – some stresses are more obvious. When a church is filled with division and tensions, that can be obvious. When a family member is suffering from a serious illness, people tend to be aware of that. When an ageing parent has had to move into the family home or a difficult season is entered with a teenage child, or the person is diagnosed with a serious health condition, etc., then others tend to know. Some stressors are more obvious and the person carrying that load might receive some extra support and help (although I am amazed how often churches expect ministry folks to just carry the extra load and press on!)
But there are also underlying stressors that tend to be less obvious. Some have always been in the ministry mix: financial anxiety (who cares enough to ask the questions, because the person in ministry will tend to feel unable to raise it), marital tension (again, those in ministry can fear opening up about struggles because of multiplied consequences), private sin struggles (same again), ministry team tensions, chronic health concerns, parenting challenges, etc. Any one of these can weigh on the soul of the minister and become half of a perfect storm, just waiting for another stressor to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, as it were.
And currently, there are new underlying stressors that we cannot ignore. In the last five years or so, we are experiencing a hyper-fast change in our culture, as well as two years of Covid-19, of course. Many are living with an ongoing, underlying weight of stress. There is anxiety from a culture that no longer needs to wait for a mistake to pounce – the preacher is already on record over many years for believing things now considered “hate speech” that can lead to being cancelled retroactively. There may be anger at the injustice of the new morality that is taking over society (academia, the media, social media, etc.) – a new morality that determines what can and cannot be believed, spoken and shared. The loss of free speech and the death of healthy debate weighs heavily on some: if you disagree, then there are many ready to label you with the worst labels and who might also seek to eliminate your opportunity to express your opinion. And when people in our own churches are trained to act in this destructive manner, more and more people will be carrying growing anxiety and/or anger within.
Covid-19 has been ongoing stress for those in ministry. There was initial uncertainty about the virus. Then there was the government interference in church world that most of us have never experienced before. Where we can work, what we must wear, whether we can gather to worship, if we can sing, even when we can walk outside and workout, what medical procedure we must receive, who we can welcome into our homes, etc – these are unprecedented measures. We have had to adapt continually in ministry: going online, in person with restrictions, changing rules, etc. while trying to lead congregations that might hold very different views on what is happening, and what should be happening. Many have lived in fear of the virus, others in fear of the government response, and far too often, in fear of each other.
As we move forward we are now in a different and divided world. Many in ministry are living with some combination of underlying anxiety and anger (at the injustices that are either flagged or suppressed, the lack of transparency over pandemic decision-making, the apparent disintegration of civil liberties in western countries, etc.) We will be ministering in a context that is becoming increasingly antagonistic to the Christian faith, with increasing controls on information, communication, thought, etc. Then there are new chronic illnesses that we are told have always been there. And just to add to the stress – lots of people are ready to dismiss any concerns because they are reliably informed by the media that everything is normal, and every fear is irrational (apart from the officially sanctioned fears, of course).
Be Proactive – What should we do to help prevent the rising levels of burnout, breakdown, and flame out in ministry (and other spheres too)? This post is already far too long, so perhaps I will just say this: be proactive. If you suspect your pastor is carrying underlying anxiety, tension, or even anger, then be proactive. Pray for them, but also talk to them. Make sure they are not carrying burdens alone. They tend to be ever ready to draw alongside others in the challenges of life. Make sure someone draws alongside them too.
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Preaching in Troubled Times
“The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” (Psalm 9:9)
Troubled times can be caused by global pandemics, national disasters, or more local challenges on a city or church level. In this world we will have trouble. And when trouble comes, the preacher gets to point people to God’s Word to find the comfort and to stir the response of faith that is needed. The problem is, we don’t do ministry in a case study. People don’t tend to respond in a textbook fashion when problems come. Just a few verses after the one above comes Psalm 10:1 – “Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” By definition, these seasons of ministry are not easy, but here are five important things to keep in mind:
1. The Preacher’s Relationship with God – Be Healthy. Maybe it is obvious, but it bears stating. You need to be in a healthy place to have the reserves to serve others effectively. Remember Martha. She was trying to do the right thing, but somehow she had gotten the two great commandments out of order. She was doing the classic evangelical mistake – “loving God by loving others.” It is unsustainable. Be sure to sit at Jesus’ feet and let him minister to you before you continue to minister to others. (And remember that being healthy is not just spiritual . . . what about sleep, exercise, diet? What about emotionally and relationally?)
2. The Preacher’s Relationship with Listeners – Be Sensitive. Remember that different people react in different ways to the same crisis. Listening to our culture it would be easy to only address the fear of dying in the current pandemic. But for some their concern is finance, employment, other vulnerable people, loneliness, mental health, etc. We need to know what is really going on with the people we preach to, and they need to know that we are real too. Be appropriately transparent. A crisis is a time to offer strength and stability, but don’t come across as Superman. You are allowed to struggle too, just invite others into a faithful response and share the journey together. When troubles hit, people tend to pull back. Be sure to pursue connections with people in your church. You may not see them on Sunday (or may not be allowed to meet in some strange circumstances), but you still have a phone. There are ways to stay connected. We need to do that if we are to preach effectively.
3. The Listener’s Relationship with Circumstances – Be Hopeful. In the midst of crisis people need to have perspective. It is not helpful to dismiss a crisis. I remember a lecturer on 9/11 being dismissive of the situation (it didn’t help!) But do offer perspective with gentleness. Remember also that people have troubles that are not “the trouble” too. I am waiting for someone to fix our hot water boiler right now . . . that is not a Covid-19 issue, but it is today’s issue in our house! People still have other health concerns during a pandemic, people still have marital struggles during a war, people still struggle with parenting during a natural disaster. In the midst of it all, cast a vision. Could God be teaching us to pray like we have never prayed before? Is God growing greater depth and dependence on him in our church? Maybe God is shaking the culture to wake it up to spiritual realities? (Don’t make prophetic pronouncements, just help people to look on their circumstances in light of Scripture.)
4. The Listener’s Relationship with God – Be “Evangelistic.” There will be people who are not yet believers and the crisis might be the perfect moment . . . point them to Jesus. There will be people who have been believers for years and they too need to be pointed to Jesus. Help people to know that God is who they need and he can be accessed through the Bible. That is, be biblical. Don’t jettison your biblical preaching in order to offer personal wisdom, or to drift into political proclamation, or to distract people with empty entertainment. You may need to preach from somewhere else in the Bible, but do preach the Bible.
5. The Preacher and Preaching – Be Adaptable. Your eight month series in Ezekiel may not be appropriate when a crisis hits. It is ok to suspend a series and be a bit more targeted when necessary. After 9/11 a significant proportion of preachers just continued their series. That was a big missed opportunity to show love, care and a word from God in a key moment. So you may need to adapt your content, and you may also need to adapt your approach. In the last year many of us have learned to use new technology, to preach to camera, to shift to a mixed setting with some people present and others watching at home. Crises, big and small, tend to invite adaptability. By all means do things differently, just don’t disappear.
What would you add? What things are helpful to ponder during challenging times?
How Long to Prepare a Sermon?
A good sermon should leave people thinking about God rather than how long it took you to prepare it, but still, the question does arise. Some people have a very definite view on how long sermon preparation should take: a certain number of hours for a certain length of sermon. In reality, life is not so simple. Here are several factors to keep in mind:
A. A shorter sermon may take longer to prepare. We can’t just say it takes an hour for every minute of sermon, or whatever. In reality I can preach an hour long sermon fairly easily, but a twelve minute sermon takes much more effort to craft.
B. Every sermon is different. One passage may be effectively new ground for me to study, while another passage may be very familiar from previous teaching and preaching ministry. One congregation may feel straightforward, while another, or the same one on another week, may feel like a minefield of potential traps to carefully navigate.
C. It is impossible to measure the pre-study. I might take however many hours to work on a message for this Sunday. But what about the time I took on the same passage some years ago? What about the years of life experience and study of other related passages? What about the years I spent in the classroom laying a foundation of understanding? There really is a lifetime feeding into any sermon.
D. No preacher lives in a vacuum. Real life happens, which means preparation is never predictable. Even if you plan well, the realities and crises of church, family and home have a habit of crowding in anyway. There will be times when we all have to stand and preach with a profound sense of preparation deficit (and that is not something that it generally helps to broadcast in your introduction).
I suppose it is worth asking the question: who is asking the question?
If a listener has appreciated the sermon and is interested, figure out how to accept the encouragement of their appreciation and turn the focus back onto the object of your sermon. Don’t let your ego jump into the conversation and hold centre stage. It really isn’t about you, is it?
If a church is asking the question because they want to know what is appropriate to give by way of reimbursement for time invested, then perhaps ponder these quick thoughts: (1) Preaching has cost the preacher, so reimburse generously. (2) If you are unable to reimburse generously, rest assured that all good preachers are motivated by serving God rather than gaining income (but it might be kind to be honest with them ahead of time – they do have bills to pay too). (3) If the preacher is asking about how much they will receive, or setting a fee, usually this indicates something is not right. Be wary. (4) If you are worried about being too generous, remember that the preacher can always give excess funds away (and if you don’t trust them to be good stewards of money, why are you letting them near the pulpit anyway?) You probably don’t withhold business from an optometrist, a plumber, or a surgeon in case they end up with too much, so why hesitate to be generous with a preacher?
If a preacher is asking the question about time, then I am hesitant to give a definitive answer. What if he simply can’t dedicate the time that I can? What if he needs to dedicate longer to be ready? Here is a simple two-part answer:
1. As much time as it takes – to prayerfully select a passage, study the passage in context, determine passage purpose and idea, then evaluate congregation, define message purpose, craft the message idea, design the preaching strategy (outline) and fill in the details, then also prayerfully preach through the message a few times. Realistically that could add up to quite a bit of time.
2. As much time as you have – You must take into account the reality of life: ministry pressures, other responsibilities, leaking pipes, family illnesses, hospital visits with your injured child, late night crisis counseling with dear friends in marital meltdown, and so on. God knows about these things and perhaps sometimes allows them to keep us from trusting in our preparation routine. If you procrastinate preparation and only take a couple of hours, that’s between you and the Lord (in which case, repent and get things right before moving forward!) But if life hits and you honestly only have limited time, God surely knows and will carry you through.
One thing that I know from many thousands of hours of sermon preparation over the years. It may be a struggle, even a battle at times, but every moment is a privilege.
Seven Benefits of a Slow-Burn Project
A lot of ministry happens on fairly short notice. The weekly rhythm keeps ticking like a metronome, and it tends to get interrupted by emergencies. Church emergencies, outside ministry requests, family issues, as well as things going wrong in the house, etc., there is always something pressing. This is why sermon preparation tends to fit into the few days before Sunday. And sometimes it is like a game of Tetris making it fit!
If you don’t already have one, consider adding one more thing to your load. A slow-burn, no-pressure, long-term project. Something that motivates you biblically and theologically.
Here are seven benefits of this kind of approach:
- Redeem the time without stress. When people talk about redeeming the time, it sometimes becomes a frantic multi-tasking that ends up costing us sanity and productivity. Having a slow-burn project allows you to use ten minutes here and there in a way that feels enriching rather than annoying.
- Read different materials. I don’t tend to have the time to read journal articles when I am preparing a sermon. But with a slow-burn project I can accumulate and gradually engage with different types of materials.
- Get assistance in your research. It is rarely helpful to ask around for a resource when sermon prep is pressing (other than going to that friend who has a good commentary to borrow, of course). But with this kind of project I find that I ask more random people if anything comes to mind and sometimes get some very helpful things in return.
- Dig deeper into the text. When Sunday is coming, the sermon has to come sooner. But with a long-term project there is room to analyse the biblical text more thoroughly. If you have enough Greek or Hebrew you can really dig in and dwell in the text. You can become really familiar with a passage, its parsing, its logic, its nuances, its uniqueness. No pressure. No rush. (And if you are probing something theological or historical, you can probe so much deeper there too.)
- Find schedule-shifting motivation. When there isn’t a deadline pressing you on a project, there will be times when that project lies almost dormant. And other times when you feel that spark that motivates you to move other things out of the way in order to make progress on the project. That is always the best kind of pressure, the kind that builds up inside your soul to give attention to something that is motivating you.
- There may be a surprising ministry outcome. Don’t rush this part, but a slow project can yield surprising fruit. Obviously there may be a sermon or a series to be had, but don’t rush into that. Could there be a seminar or workshop that would help others? It could also be a magazine, or journal, article. Maybe it will move you into an academic season and become a thesis or dissertation. Perhaps a book.
- There will be a welcome personal outcome. Whether or not your slow-burn project yields an outcome in terms of specific ministry, it will yield all the great fruits of long-term pondering on and dwelling in God’s Word. It may be that it sparks an interest in another aspect of Scripture, or a writer from church history, or an aspect of theology, that becomes heart food for a future season of life and ministry. The slow-burn project may yield an outcome of real value for others, but it will almost certainly do something even deeper in you.
What slow-burn long-term project have you found has had a big impact in your life and ministry?
Endurance
We all knew this would be a long and difficult winter. The COVID-19 global crisis did not end quickly last spring, and so we knew this winter would be challenging. The pandemic is discouraging, the various government lockdowns many of us are living under are draining, and even when we look beyond the health news, the rest of what is going on is not uplifting. As it says in Hebrews 10:26 – “You have need of endurance.”
When I was in school, I enjoyed all of the sports except for cross-country running. It was a miserable experience. It was lonely, it was uncomfortable, and it was disheartening. I could not understand anyone enjoying that weekly run around the perimeter of the school grounds.
Fast forward almost thirty years and I began to find myself enjoying the odd Park Run. I am no runner, by any stretch of the imagination, but the Park Run event was different. This weekly global event resulted in hundreds of people gathering together on a Saturday morning to run the standard 5km in my local park. The community feel meant that everyone encouraged everyone else. And at strategic locations on the course there were the Park Run marshals, smiling volunteers in high-visibility vests that would clap and encourage us to keep going.
In our church, we have said that we want this winter to feel more like a Park Run than my cross-country experience from school days. It will be a difficult season either way, but it need not be miserable, lonely, and disheartening. As believers we have each other, and we need each other, to encourage us to keep pressing on through a difficult season. And as believers we also need the Park Run marshals: strategically placed personal encouragement for the race that is marked out for us. So, each Sunday, our church has heard from a book of the Bible offering that special encouragement to keep on going, like a strategically located Park Run marshal.
Here are three quick encouragements to help us during this difficult time:
- God the Father understands our need for encouragement. In Romans 15:5 he is called the God of endurance and encouragement. Just before that, Paul refers to how God invests in our endurance through the encouragement of Scripture. God is an active participant in the challenges we face and he wants to help us.
- God the Son knows exactly how we feel in tough times. We are not asked to run a race that God has not run already. So, in Hebrews 12:1-2 it says that we have a race marked out for us, but it also says we run it while looking to Jesus, who has already run his race and sat down at the right hand of the Father. Our forerunner, our champion, is Jesus – the one who has first run and suffered for us.
- God the Spirit is given to us – exactly what we need when we are exhausted. In John 14-16, Jesus speaks to his disciples at a time when they are discouraged, drained, fearful, and concerned for the future. Jesus points them to knowing the Father and to their need to remain connected with the Son. What’s more, Jesus makes it clear that they are to receive another Helper, the Holy Spirit, for their difficult days to come. In Romans, when Paul talks about suffering and the need for hope, he then goes on to speak of the help and empowerment of the Spirit (see Romans 5:5; 8:26ff, 15:13, etc.)
The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are all active participants in our lives this winter. The world will tell us to look within and to find in ourselves the resolute fortitude to keep pressing on. This is simply not enough. Maybe the world can give a taste of the mutual support that a community can offer in tough times. But what the world cannot give is the unique reality of fellowship with the Trinity.
Yes, in Romans 5, we are called to persevere in the midst of suffering, knowing that our suffering produces endurance, and character, and hope. But this is not just a passage telling us to dig deeper and hang in there. Immediately, in verse 5, Paul reinforces this endurance by referencing the active participation of the Spirit inside us.
In that upper room, in John 14-16, Jesus urges his disciples to obey him and live for him in the difficult days ahead. But Jesus does not give a team talk that is full of enthusiasm and motivation, but with no practical help. Jesus points them to the participation of the Trinity in their experience, and at the beginning, middle, and end of that section he urges them to do the most logical thing of all in turbulent times: to ask. Ask God for help. Ask God according to his will. Ask God when the world hates you. Ask.
We cannot get through 2021 alone, but God does not ask us to get through it alone. Instead, we are encouraged to get through it together: together with other believers, and together with God.
Maybe 2021 will be a year that stretches some of us in ways we have never been stretched before. Let’s pray that the challenges of 2021 will push us up close against God. May this be a year when we learn to lean on God as never before. May this be a year when we learn to pray to God as never before. And may this be a year when our strength to endure obviously comes not from within us, but from someone who is at work in and through us.
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Here is a clip from an interview with Neil Todman, pastor of Headley Park Church in Bristol. See video description for information on how to access the full interview.
Strange Authority Speakers: 12 Concerns
Some time ago I heard someone speaking that I had never heard of before. I watched with a growing sense of dismay. What bothered me so much? I have pondered this speaker as well as others I have heard in the past, and have concluded that the unifying thread in my concerns was this: the strange authority with which this person spoke.
I am thinking out loud in this post, trying to help myself figure it out. Here are some concerning features of that strange authority that may be helpful to ponder. If any of these are true of your ministry, I would urge you to honestly talk through this post with a church leader or two. If several of these are true of someone you listen to, maybe you shouldn’t be listening to them?
1. Having to declare their authority generally means they are not an authority. If you speak your subject well, then people will recognize your authority. But speak of your authority on a subject and people may feel that you are trying to make it so.
2. Factual errors do not belong in the pulpit. I scratched my head as one speaker declared something about my country that is simply not true. A factual error may be just a single sentence in passing, but it undermines credibility for every other statement that is made.
3. Poor handling of Scripture is an indication of immaturity at best. You may not know the technical hermeneutical or exegetical label for the error, but when statements about the Bible seem curiously unusual, unique, or novel, you do well to be suspicious. “Let me show you something you have never seen before…” or “God showed me a deeper meaning in this verse…” or “this doesn’t mean what it has always been understood to mean…” – all red flag statements that I have heard from “strange authority” speakers. A slight interpretation misfire here and there is probably true of us all (especially in our early days). Blatant lack of exegetical accuracy, however, should always fire a warning flare!
4. The Bible is stunningly relevant, but don’t make it sensationally so. When the Bible is used, out of context, to point to something so current and contemporary that people are supposed to gasp in appreciation, the discerning will raise an eyebrow of concern. When the Bible is carefully handled and presented appropriately, the relevance to the lives of even the most mature and discerning of listeners will be deeply felt and lastingly appreciated. Sadly, the undiscerning will praise sensational speakers enough to fan the flames of their ministry.
5. A speaker can’t assume knowledge, but please don’t assume ignorance. “If you study this subject like I have…” or “If you study the whole Bible you will see…” or “If you read John’s Gospel through 200 times you will start to notice…” (Again, three statements I have heard from “strange authority” speakers over the years.) We cannot assume knowledge in our listeners, or we will speak over their heads. But if we assume ignorance, we may sound patronizing or condescending.
6. Being condescending in tone does not mean the speaker is above their listeners. Tone is subjective and so someone who is confident may seem arrogant to someone else, or condescending to someone else. But if the listeners (plural) are feeling talked down to as a collective group, then something is not right. It indicates that a strange feeling of authority may be present in the mind of the speaker.
7. Ignorance is invisible in the mirror, but we all need to find out how much we don’t know. In one particular case I joined the message several minutes in, but within a minute it was evident that the speaker was not biblically educated. Another time I bought a book at a retreat, before returning it because it was filled with errors and typos. A seminary education is not a requirement for all. I have known some “self-taught” people that I respect very highly. But I have also heard some stunning ignorance and errors from speakers. Strangely, these people often have the greatest confidence in what they are saying. It isn’t easy, but it is helpful to try to find out what we don’t know.
8. Differentiate helpful and unhelpful credibility indicators. There is a credibility that comes from a position in a church or in a respected ministry, as well as degrees from respected institutions, or publications from respected publishers. But beware of echo chamber credibility. Years ago I heard a speaker who had a couple of travelling “fans” who came to our church retreat just to hear him speak. They were convinced he was the greatest Bible teacher around. After hearing him, many of us, including the church leadership, were not convinced. His ministry had a following. His ministry self-published his books. He was well known. But, something wasn’t right. Having a group of followers at conferences, or on social media, is not the same as having credibility and a genuine platform.
9. A strange authority speaker may try to sell their subject, instead of actually saying something. The best way to sell your bakery is to give people a taste of a perfect croissant, not a presentation on why baked goods are the most important food of all. In the same way, even if you are asked to motivate listeners for a specific subject, that doesn’t mean you have to just enthuse about the subject. Give them a taste of something good. Biblical teaching on family relations? On origins? On end-times? On spiritual gifts? On church growth? Whatever the subject, don’t just enthuse about the subject. Actually show what the Bible says on a particular aspect of the subject and how that makes a difference. Once people enjoy a croissant, they are likely to try the baguette or the custard slice.
10. Whatever the subject, evaluate the direction of gaze. At the end of the presentation, are listeners thinking about the speaker, about their ministry, about signing up for their mailing list? Are they thinking about themselves and how they need to learn more or try harder? Or do listeners have the gaze of their hearts fixed on Christ in a genuinely helpful and transformative way?
11. Where is the accountability? Strange authority speakers will tend to make much of God’s influence on their ministry. However, their human accountability will tend to be difficult to pin down. A handful of less informed fans forming a token board is not sufficient. Are there church leaders and people of real standing caring pastorally for this speaker? If someone had a concern, who would they go to? Would they be confident of being heard?
12. Does their ministry stir concerned prayer? God really uses some specialist speakers, and even some quite quirky speakers. Pray for people who have a speaking ministry. And when something doesn’t feel right, pray then too. Pray before you raise concerns with them, or their ministry. Pray before you talk about them to a church leader or responsible person. Pray for God to help them grow, or to help them go. In some cases God’s people would be better served without that person doing their ministry. God is more than able to answer that prayer. It may not be clear what you can do, or if you should do anything at all, but you can pray.
What would you add to this list?
Biblical Preaching 