Being a small church Pastor in the 21st century

6 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:

As a pastor I do a lot more than giving myself continually to prayer and ministry of the word, and that is life in a small church in a world that doesn’t value church... or is it?  Recently, a well meaning Christian, brought up a ministry I have done some work for but he wanted more done.  He brought up “putting feet to our prayers.”  There is some truth and there is some deception in that statement.  The truth is, don’t pray for people to come to church or get saved, if you are not inviting or witnessing.  God generally won’t answer a prayer like that.  The great commission and expansion of it in Acts 1 is oriented on us doing something.  Yet as a pastor, there is a danger.  If I miss visiting someone I get, “I’m disappointed in you,” or if one of the myriad of ministries I’m involved in could be better, I often get advice on what I should be doing... more:)  I’m not against visitation or being an administrator but in 21^st century America, but this simple passage in Acts 6 goes unnoticed.  I’m a part-time pastor who is a coach, writer, father, husband, release time teacher, youth leader assistant, Awana Commander, and community member.  I’m not complaining, I love those roles!  I’m not complaining about my church, for they are okay with me doing these things:)  But I wonder if people see me as superman more than a fellow brother-in-Christ.  Yes, I need to be doing the Lord’s work, but as a pastor, what is that work?  Most American Christians would list feeding the poor (the role God gave deacons ((what Baptists have renamed Trustees)), fixing the church, visiting the sick and elderly, being out among the youth, being a community member, doing funerals and weddings, and so on.  I find it interesting that the focus of a pastor is supposed to be prayer and word... the opposite of doing the role of a Levite in the OT.  I’m not too good to do such necessary jobs and in a small church, where we all wear many hats, I think it is good for a pastor to be involved in such tasks.  But Biblically these things are not to be my focus.  I once explained this to a Pastor and he was resistant to what I was saying.  “They were the pastor to thousands,” he said slowly, “we don’t even pastor a hundred.”  That sounds good but listen to I Timothy 4:13-16.  “13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.  15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.  16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”  Biblically speaking, teaching the Bible and praying are my primary jobs.  Most Christians would agree with this but yet they act like they want a Martha attitude in the ministry and not a Mary one.  I’ve literally been asked what I’m going to do to replace graduating teens, to reach our entire area for Christ, or to meet financial needs.  I do many youth programs, do outreach, and have done fundraisers for our new Youth Center, but I’m just one person.  When I say, “We need to pray about it,” sometimes it feels like people think, “Yeah, sure, but what are we REALLY going to do about it.”  Sometimes I spend my week literally preaching to the lost and I get a “we’re not reaching the lost speech!” from a fellow believer.  Or if no one gets saved at that ministry that year it is a total failure.  The answer tends to be “we need to do things like churches did years ago,” or “we need to do new things like (fill in the blank with some pastor with a best seller on how to fix the church).” 

I used to be brethren as a child, so maybe I have a different perspective.  Brethren despise Pastors and feel that we hamstring the body of Christ.  They feel like we are the hired gun, doing things the people should be doing.  This is a deep conviction of theirs.  You can hear it in their voice and see it in their face as they tell you the dangers of having a “professional pastor.”  I disagree with them, obviously... I am a pastor.  Yet some of the dangers they warned about are common in Baptist churches.  

This is hardly just a Christian tendency.  As a coach, we can be having so much success during the year and I still hear what league team I should be patterning our program after or the latest coaching theories.  “Just make them run ten miles,” some say, with no comprehension of what that actually means.  Some wish they had a better coach from a rival school.  Whether a pastor, a coach, or whatever you are, you will be always second guessed or criticized.  But for a pastor, there should be a difference.  God’s Word should weigh in on my role and function.  I don’t read anything in God’s word about hospital visitation, feeding the poor (as a pastor), marrying people, or burying them.  I’m glad to do these things but they are not my primary job.  What is my job?  “ Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.”  Most believers would be like, “Obviously!” but it is only a head knowledge.  If the church goes down the tubes it is the pastor's fault.  If the lost aren’t being saved, it is the pastor's fault.  If something doesn’t get done, it is pastor's fault.  So very little value is actually placed on my preaching and prayer life.  That is life in the ministry in 2019 in the United States.

Inviting People to Church Part I

Title: Inviting People to Church
Part I

Marketing.  As a solo author, I know the struggles in this area, and some churches are aware of the battles of marketing too (a good many churches are struggling with apathy or discouragement to try to do marketing).  BUT you don’t need an expensive (possibly unsaved organization) to help you.  God’s word has already laid out the problems we will face and how to overcome them.  God warns us the rich are not that interested in him.  HE is interested in them, he loves them too, but they do not generally seek him (Matthew 19:23).  In the parable of the wedding feast, the King's servants, go out and get the poor (people who are more likely to need help than be able to give it, Pr. 14:20), the maimed (people who don’t measure up to NORMAL people I Corinthians 12:22), the blind (“useless” people - Ephesians 4:28), and the lame (those who can’t do very much for our “organization”).  Then they are told to go grab everyone else.  (Warning: This shows you the answer to your budget problems is NOT higher attendance:)  Many Christians, especially those in conservative culture, tend to adopt everything unsaved conservatives say because they agree with us on a few Biblical issues.  There is a HUGE difference between us.  We should not be working to “get ahead” but for a treasure beyond this life (Matthew 6:20-21).  We are similar to conservatives in that we have high work ethic, jobs tend to like us, but it is because of Christ (Col. 3:23), not to get wealthy or become more “successful.”  The world does not understand that kind of motivation.  It understands Socialism and Communism (man’s attempt to make everything “fair”) and it understands “the desire to get ahead” Capitalism.  It will not understand people who are working hard to be successful beyond this life.  Our problem is we don’t realize that the rich have no desire for heaven.  In our culture, even our middle-class is very rich compared to other countries.  God already warned us that people that have money will be too wrapped up in 1. Future business opportunities, present work, or life happiness (especially family).  “Yeah, I’ll come to church sometime,” they say too wrapped up in this life.  2. Every day business "I have to work on Sundays" or 3. Family time.  "That is our only day to relax!"  These are the three excuses in the parable.  1. "I've just bought a field" (Future potential) 2. "I just bought a yoke of oxen and need to break them in (current work) 3. "I just got married" (family time).  I hear these excuses all the time but God isn't interested in them.  They are the excuses of a rich culture too busy to spend time with their creator!

The Parable of the Sower

Title: The Parable of the Sower

Text: Mark 4

I was having devotions this morning and read the parable of the Sower.  Does it bother you what the Lord says in verses 11-13?  Especially verse 11 where Jesus states, “11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:”, does that seem fair to you?  Why would Jesus do that?  First of all notice verse 1.  Jesus was teaching a great multitude from a boat.  Jesus had walked on water, so why didn’t he do that here?  Why not just walk out on the water, turn around and teach?  For that matter why not just do the transfiguration of Matthew 17 right there in front of the huge crowd?  Moses and Elijah could appear out on the water with Jesus and his glory revealed to the masses?  Why not thousands of angels visible overhead like what the Shepherds saw after Christ’s birth?  I think the reason is that the closer you draw to the Lord, the more you see his power in a way the world never does.  It’s not that the Lord Jesus desires the world to miss who he is.  He says in I Timothy 2:3-4, “in the sight of God our Saviour; 3 For this is good and acceptable  4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”  I have felt the joy of the Lord like an irresistible flood flowing through me.  It’s not that others couldn’t have this, even believers, it is that they are walking their own path.  They give lip service to the Lord but effectively their life is about this life and what they can get out of it and this makes their life unfruitful...the very point of the parable of the Sower!  The Lord has done miracles for me and worked things out that others will never know about or even if they did would probably just rationalize away.  After all, when God the Father talked from the air to Jesus Christ the crowd reacted oddly, “The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.” (John 12:29).  Angels from Heaven are going to warn people in the future not to take the Mark of the Beast and they will anyway (Revelation 14:6-11).

Jesus implies that these parables could have been understood by the disciples when he says, “13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?”  Mary, Lazarus’ sister, understood Jesus was going to die when the disciples were clueless.  The Centurion understood Christ when he says to him, “8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.  9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.”  Christ is very impressed with the insight and faith of the man.  Didn’t Jesus said, “Seek and you will find?”  Doesn’t the Bible say if you lack wisdom, ask God?  What does Jesus say to the two disciples on the road after his resurrection?  “25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:  26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?  27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”  When the religious leaders say that Jesus cast out demons with the devil’s power what does Jesus say?  (Matthew 12) “25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:  26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?  27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.  28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.  29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.  30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.  31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.”  What in the context of this conversation was “blasphemy of the Holy Ghost” or what many call “The Unpardonable Sin”?  It is the Holy Spirit bringing to their attention through the Word of God that Jesus is preaching and through his power, that this is the Messiah, the Son of David, and God in the flesh!  What do they do with that silent witness?  They ignore it or suppress it and start saying awful things about Christ.  The only sin God won’t forgive is not accepting Jesus as your Savior, which is what the Spirit was prompting these men to do.

Understanding these things help us with the parable.  God’s Word is entering hearts with the power of the Holy Spirit and it is being resisted.  Today Satan is beginning to be seen as a hero.  He’s a TV star in a police procedural with the plot outline being, “Lucifer Morningstar has decided he's had enough of being the dutiful servant in Hell and decides to spend some time on Earth to better understand humanity. He settles in Los Angeles - the City of Angels. Lucifer, bored from his sulking life in hell, comes to live in Los Angeles.”  Satan (formerly called Lucifer) is a mass murderer that makes Hitler look like a ineffective child in comparison.  He loves to appear as an angel of light, “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14).  Can you imagine if a major TV station ran a new police procedural called, “Hitler!”  On the show, Hitler wearies of the death camps and goes to the future, living in LA and solves crimes.  The show runs jokes about the gas chambers killing Jews, Christians, and gay people.  No would stand for that.  Yet having a show about the most evil being in human history has been described by critics as, “Lucifer's got sex appeal, but the show's hackneyed cop procedural format undermines a potentially entertaining premise.”  Why do I bring Satan up?  Because in the parable of the Sower he is the first one that attacks the sown seed.  He flat out steals it from people’s hearts.  In a day where Atheists are trying to get schools to have Satan clubs because they think Satan is a great mythical rebel, that has great qualities they miss reality.  The real devil is a murderous psychopath who plots the destruction of as many human lives and nations as he can.  The Bible says he is a thief who comes to destroy, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)  Satan and his army of evil spirits whisper in people’s ears, “Oh, you don’t want to go to church.  You’re so tired.”  As the Bible is being preached he insists, “This is so BORING!”  When truth is being presented, he rolls his eyes and mutters in ears, “All the smart people don’t believe this!  Please don’t tell me you are falling for it!”   He has seen Almighty God but he whispers in the Atheists ear, “There is no God!”  A person starting to consider the claims of the Bible he laughs, “Come on!  There are so many religions in the world and Christianity is so fragmented!  Are you really falling for this religious junk?”  He steals with no other purpose than to destroy human life.  Unlike a mass murder who can only steal your life, he is trying to get people to burn forever, because he hates humans.  He doesn’t even like people that work for him.  When God asked the demons at the end of I Kings who was going to kill Ahab they didn’t say, “Nothing doing God!  We love that guy!  He works for us!”  No.  They are all trying to get the job!  They can’t wait to kill him!

The soil with shallow roots, I’ve seen many times.  These kinds of seed grow up in church or come to the Lord as an adult and are very enthusiastic for a time.  Then the world comes and mocks them.  “You really believe in a creation story?  All scientists believe in Evolution!  You believe in a world wide flood?  Are you stupid?  You think abortion is evil?  You think that various lifestyle decisions are evil?  You obviously hate women and you are an evil, hateful person!”  They fall away and say things like, “I don’t believe that stuff anymore.” 

The last and most dangerous one is the love of a secular life.  Why do Christians think they can ignore the Lord’s house (which Jesus Christ invented) and not read their Bible, and God will be okay with that?  The riches and tasks of this life overwhelm the Word of God and they stop bearing fruit.  I’m all for living life to the fullest but only with Jesus Christ at your side!  Christian marriages are falling apart, many times not because of their partner but because of your relationship with Christ!  Parents and Grandparents model that God’s house is a LOW priority and that the Bible is stupid.  Oh, they don’t say that or believe that but they model it none the less!  Thousands of people who know better are chasing their own will in America today and NOT God’s will.  Millions of children and grandchildren will go to Hell due to the apathy of the adults in their lives. 

Thinking about Christ's Return

Title: Thinking about Christ’s Return

I am a dispensationalist.  Some of you have no idea what I am talking about, others of you just shrugged, a few nod excitedly, and a minority of you are hissing with a cross up and preparing the holy water:)  I have sparred with people of the post-millennial persuasion over the years.  My favorite was when I was working at Dennys, a young guy found out I was a dispensationalist.  I don’t know how he figured that out, unless it was he knew what college I attended, but news flash, not everyone there was a dispensationalist.  Anyway, this guy discovered I was the bad guy...or at the least very wrong!  He proudly told me I’m a covenantalist!  I took that in stride.  A few days later we got our chance to talk about it.  Unlike the articulate, theologically astute people that I have clashed with over the years, this kid had no idea what he was talking about.  I finally said to him, “You need to go to your church, learn what you believe, and then come back to me.”  He wasn't happy with that but he dropped the argument.

I have also sparred with post-trib and mid-trib believers but I don’t think I’ve ever talked to a pre-wrath or amillennial.  It’s funny teaching Sunday School, calmly explaining that there are great Christians that do not believe in a future seven year tribulation.  Boy do I get some odd looks! 

Do you know what I have learned though?  Although theology is important, do you know what really matters?  Believing with all of your heart that, Jesus Christ is going to return, and that you will give an account of your life!  Every born again Christian holds this as true!  Matthew 26:64, “Jesus said to him, ‘You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.’”  Revelation 22:20, “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”  John 14:3, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”  Titus 2:13, Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,”  Matthew 16:27, “For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.”  Hebrews 9:28, “So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”  I Thessalonians 5:23, “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The other thing you have to realize is that tied to Jesus coming back, is the Great White Throne Judgment and hell.  Believers may debate the time difference between these two events but we know it is going to happen.  Jesus talks a fair amount in the gospels of those going into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Jesus claimed he was the only way to heaven and I believe him!  John 14:6, “ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”  I hope you have repented of your sins and made Jesus your God or in Christian speak, “your Lord and Savior.”  It is very important that you do so!

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” (John 1:12)  Simple words that a born again person is very familiar with, but oh, so powerful.  I remember the day I was adopted by an earthly father, John Essigmann.  (My name used to be Adrian Lane.  I love my adopted father but the name he gave me is quite a handful!  Last night when Autumn was announced as winning different events in indoor track.  The announcer stumbled over her name...twice:)  I was asked by the judge if I wanted John Essigmann to be my father.  I said I did.  That changed my life.  The phrase, “Your not my dad,” is a common complaint in a world where marriages are imploding left and right.  John Essigmann didn’t start out as my father but he became my dad and I’m so blessed that he did!  I owe so much to him!  Your heavenly father wants to adopt you out of Satan’s Kingdom.  Don’t be proud.  Let your creator in your life and accept the God of the Bible as your God.  I obeyed my dad, John Essigmann, and we should obey our heavenly father!  You can start obeying with going to church this week.  What?  Jesus said, “I will build MY church.”  When you blow church off you spit in God's face and tell the creator that you know better.  Austinburg Baptist, the church I Pastor at, in the world.  There are many fine pastors and places.  (We have a reputation in PA for being THAT church, as in we are CRAZY...from what I have heard through the grapevine:)  You need to go to a church that believes we are all sinners, only Jesus can save you from sin, that you must be born again, and that the Bible is God’s Word.  I hope you will respect your creator’s wishes and put aside what you want to obey him!

I was reading Matthew 16 and 17 this morning when two thoughts it me. One was that Jesus famous rebuke to Peter, "Get thee behind me Satan," is followed up with "you are not setting you mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." ESV (Leland's Bible was handy this morning...I don't like the print size:) Boy, that hits home. Peter and the disciples were on the ground floor of something big. It would be like if I had bought stock in Nintendo, Marvel Movies, or the USA Today Newspaper before they got successful. Peter probably imagined Jesus taking the throne of David and ruling at that time. The disciples clearly thought this because in Acts they ask Jesus before he leaves, "6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" But God had such different plans and those plans were amazing!! Peter, a poor fisherman, did awesome things! He escaped a prison in which he was guarded like he was in super max! He healed a lame man and brought a woman back to life! He became the leader of a movement that went from one city to a global reach. A student's college professor uses Peter as an example of why the Bible isn't true. "How could an unschooled fisherman do such a thing?" she argued! I don't know if the student trusted in my answer or the professors, but clearly the professor does not grasp the power of Almighty God! Anyway, this is so true in our lives. We have big plans sometimes. When God tells us directly that he has other plans we need to respect that and realize his way is the best way!

The other thought was Peter's wanting to build a tent for Jesus, Elijah, and Moses. God the Father rebukes Peter and refocuses him on Jesus. Peter got distracted by his admiration of two of God's servants that he missed the importance of Christ. I get this sometimes as a Pastor or people will feel this way about our church. I immediately try to warn them that the church or I will let them down at some point...only Christ will never fail! If you have gotten discouraged about your Pastor in that he has clay feet or you think he is a poor fit, or your church...you need to shift your focus. If Jesus is the focus then you will not need to be disappointed. You may need to forgive me or the church or work things out but you will have peace.