Category: Leadership

The Unity of the Faith

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Our passage today was from Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church (Ephesians 4:11-13), regarding the Minister’s Goal.

There are Five Functions Listed (Ephesians 4:11)

  1. Apostles – Ephesians 4:11 – divinely appointed representatives
  2. Prophets – Ephesians 4:11 – proclaimers of God’s Word
  3. Evangelists – Ephesians 4:11 – bearers of the good news
  4. Pastor and Teachers – Ephesians 4:11 – caretakers for God’s people (these are listed as one office with two functions – notice the natural bonding of these two in the text)

The Nature of these Five Functions (Ephesians 4:11)

  1. Some are gifted to deal with situations
    1. Apostles – to guide the church in ways it ought to go
    2. Prophets – to guide the church in what it ought to know
  2. Some are gifted to deal with sinners – evangelists
  3. Some are gifted to deal with the saints
    1. Pastors – tending the flock of God
    2. Teachers – teaching the flock of God

The Need for these Five Functions  (Ephesians 4:12-13)

  1. Purpose  – Ephesians 4:12 – perfecting, completing, equipping
  2. Period  – Ephesians 4:13 – until such as time in the future
    1. Attaining unity of the faith
    2. Attaining the knowledge of the Son of God
    3. Attaining maturity
    4. Attaining the measure of the statue of Christ

Outline of Ephesians 4:1-16

  1. Spiritual Unity – Ephesians 4:1-6
    1. Calling – Ephesians 4:1
    2. Conduct – Ephesians 4:2-3
    3. Confession – Ephesians 4:4-6
  2. Spiritual Diversity – Ephesians 4:7-12
    1. Variety of gifts – Ephesians 4:7-10
    2. Variety of responsibilities – Ephesians 4:11-12
  3. Spiritual Maturity – Ephesians 4:13-16
    1. Christlikeness toward maturity – Ephesians 4:13
    2. Conviction toward doctrinal stability – Ephesians 4:13-14
    3. Conversation toward truth spoken in love – Ephesians 4:15
    4. Contribution of the saints working together – Ephesians 4:16

Personal Impressions:

  1. The challenge to build up the saints – Ephesians 4:12 – developing other is a pivotal priority. What will I do to build up the next generation who will replace me?
  2. The commitment to spiritual growth – Ephesians 4:13 – defining what a fully devoted disciple of Jesus looks like. This puts the end goal in front of us at the beginning.
  3. The conviction of sound doctrine – Ephesians 4:14 – stability, confidence, and correction.
  4. The command for genuine relationships – Ephesians 4:15 – speaking truth, growing up, recognizing the head of the body is Jesus.
  5. The community of faith working together – Ephesians 4:16 – all these gifted people properly working together, causing growth in the body.

Ken Pruitt’s Observation and Challenge:

  1. Leadership Redefined – Ephesians 4:11
    1. Which office/ministry defines my heart?
    2. How is shepherding and teaching related?
    3. How am I equipping others for the work of ministry?
    4. How can I focus less on doing, and more on developing?
  2. Unity Redefined – Ephesians 4:12
    1. How can I participate in building up others?
    2. How am I equipping and preparing others for ministries in the future, not just for the immediate task at hand?
    3. Unity will occur when all of God’s people are fulfilling their personal and corporate callings.
  3. Goals Redefined – Ephesians 4:13
    1. How can we move forward in Christ?
    2. What does maturity look like?
  4. Processes Redefined – Ephesians 4:15-16 – speaking truth, growing up, fitting together, working together. This is what we will call a directional vision, putting an intentional emphasis on equipping the saints. Where do our volunteers fit in this triangle illustration? How will we invest in leaders more than investing in individual?
    1. Modify our vocabulary – be mindful of the way we describe things or label things.
      1. Make no distinction between laity and professional clergy, we are all ministers of the gospel.
      2. Train for managers more than for employees.
      3. Move toward multiplication over addition of leaders.
    2. Question our procedures – are we functioning in the best way possible? Are there things that can change? How will we best prepare and train others to carry on?
    3. Restate our purpose – these are the appointed expressions of church ministries given by Jesus himself. If culture become the rule (even for the church), how will we change culture?
    4. Embrace feedback – negotiate with others about what I can do in order to get better. Do not simply find and enlist people to fill slots, but share the vision and opportunity that is before them in this task or ministry.

The Pipeline Conference Observation: this is an interview with Todd Adkins on the Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast – (find episode 133).

  1. Delegation: we have long talked about delegating leadership, not only the responsibility of the task but the authority that goes with it. Moses and Jethro are a foundational example.
  2. Dumping: what often happens is that we end up dumping the tasks that we just don’t have time to do or even want to do. It gets the task off your plate but no one is passionate about it.
  3. Development: the new standard is to develop leaders who will take your place; so who is a part of my next generation who will lead the ministry when I am gone?

We Do Not Lose Heart

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Today we read through 2 Corinthians 4:1-18 in order to glean insight from Paul on our commitment for ministry.

First, I noticed the WE statements:

  1. We have renounced – 2 Corinthians 4:2 – disgraceful, underhanded ways
  2. We refuse – 2 Corinthians 4:2 – to practice cunning or tamper with God’s Word
  3. We would commend – 2 Corinthians 4:2 – ourselves to everyone’s conscience
  4. We proclaim – 2 Corinthians 4:5 – not ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord
  5. We possess – 2 Corinthians 4:7 – this treasure in earthen vessels
  6. We are – 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 – afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, struck down
  7. We have – 2 Corinthians 4:13 – the same spirit of faith
  8. We believe – 2 Corinthians 4:13
  9. We speak – 2 Corinthians 4:13
  10. We do not lose heart – 2 Corinthians 4:1, 16
  11. We anticipate – 2 Corinthians 4:18 – look not at the see, but the unseen

Second, see the contrasts:

  1. Sight of God | Veiled – 2 Corinthians 4:2b-3
  2. Blinded | Seeing – 2 Corinthians 4:4
  3. proclaim self | Proclaim Jesus – 2 Corinthians 4:5
  4. Darkness | Light – 2 Corinthians 4:6
  5. Treasure | Jars of clay – 2 Corinthians 4:7
  6. Death | Life – 2 Corinthians 4:10-12 (three times)
  7. Momentary light affliction | Eternal weight of glory – 2 Corinthians 4:17
  8. Seen | Unseen – 2 Corinthians 4:18
  9. Institutionalism (business model) | Organism (body model)
    1. Since we like to bring order out of chaos, we tend to develop systems to solve problems, therefore institutionalism creeps into the church, too.
    2. How can we move from the sacred and acceptable institution toward the organic?

Observations:

  1. Chose relationships over protocol, policies, and procedures.
  2. The purpose of our ministry – 2 Corinthians 4:15 – for your sake, that as grace extends to more people, it may increase thanksgiving and glory to God.
  3. It may be hard serving where we are, but we are able to overcome.
  4. There is a difference between ministry as our calling and ministry are our career – we can retire from a career, but we cannot retire from a calling.
  5. Life may be hard, and persecution may come, but as a sinner, hell really is better than I deserve.
  6. The god of this word has blinded people, so their salvation is beyond my control.
  7. We must proclaim Jesus as Lord, and leave the results to God.
  8. Paul challenges us to believe and then speak – 2 Corinthians 4:13
  9. Always remember that Christ comes before the church – raise your kids in Christ, do not raise them in church.
  10. Our service involves sacrifice: we are in this together – same faith, same ministry, same purpose, same hardship – our people will also need encouragement in ministry.
  11. Who is the WE? (Plural, Paul, other leaders, KGBC). Who is the YOU? (Corinthians and all believers, KGBC). Paul challenges all of us to be involved in ministry, even when it gets hard.

Application (from pastor Ken):

  1. Foundation of God’s Word: the truth and light of his word, that knowledge was in the glory of God in the face of Christ, drives out commitment.
  2. Incarnational Ministry: that Christ is in me and he is seen in my life, mercy, ministry, death works in us, while we have human deficits, Christ is being made known through our frailty.
  3. Integrity of Genuine Faith: don’t lose heart, be encouraged – persevere since we don’t want to disappoint our Father.

Outline:

  1. How to Handle the Scripture – 2 Corinthians 4:1-7
    1. Practiced by Paul the Apostle – 2 Corinthians 4:1-2, 5-7
      1. Not using secret or shameful methods – 2 Corinthians 4:1-2
      2. Not distorting the message – 2 Corinthians 4:2
      3. Not preaching himself, but Christ – 2 Corinthians 4:5
      4. Not as a vase but a jar of clay – 2 Corinthians 4:6-7
      5. Not from us, but from God alone – 2 Corinthians 4:7
    2. Practiced by Satan the Accuser – 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 – blinding people, preventing them from seeing the light of the gospel
  2. How to Handle Suffering – 2 Corinthians 4:8-18
    1. The Reality of Suffering – 2 Corinthians 4:8-9
      1. Pressured but not distressed – 2 Corinthians 4:8a
      2. Perplexed but not desperate – 2 Corinthians 4:8b
      3. Persecuted but not disowned – 2 Corinthians 4:9a
      4. Prostrated but not defeated – 2 Corinthians 4:9b
    2. The Reaction to Suffering – 2 Corinthians 4:10-13
      1. Experiencing the death and life of Christ – 2 Corinthians 4:10-12
      2. Expressing the same faith – 2 Corinthians 4:13
    3. The Rewards of Suffering – 2 Corinthians 4:14-18
      1. The Future: a resurrected body – 2 Corinthians 4:14
        1. Raised with him – 2 Corinthians 4:14a
        2. Presented with him – 2 Corinthians 4:14b
      2. The Present: a renewed body – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
        1. Outer decay | inner men renewed – 2 Corinthians 4:16
        2. Momentary affliction | Eternal weight of Glory – 2 Corinthians 4:17 (focus on Preparing us)
        3. The seen | the Unseen – 2 Corinthians 4:18

From Warren Wiersbe:

The Glory of Salvation (2 Corinthians 4:1–6). Unlike the legalists who had invaded the church, Paul had nothing to hide. The Jewish religious system veiled the gospel, but Paul sought to reveal the gospel. The image is taken from Genesis 1:1-3 and transferred from the old creation to the new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The Glory of Service (2 Corinthians 4:7–12). Paul paid a price for his ministry, but the legalists went about collecting honors (2 Corinthians 4:3:1). We are vessels; the treasure of the gospel life within is important. As vessels, we must be clean and available for His use (2 Timothy 2:20-21).

The Glory of Suffering (2 Corinthians 4:13-18). Jesus suffered and turned that suffering into glory; by faith, we can do the same thing. It is not wrong to care for the outward person, so long as you recognize that it is perishing. Concentrate on the inner person. It is the invisible that is imperishable. The best is yet to come

Personal and Public Renewal

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Today the staff focused on a passage of Scripture this morning and had a great discussion; Acts 4:1-13. The title was the Minister’s Devotional Life, focusing on the phrase, “if we are being examined,” from the life of Peter and John before the religious leaders in Jerusalem.

The first reading was to focus on a key word or phrase in relation to our personal life, then another reading through the passage focusing on what this might mean for our corporate life at King’s Grant.

Here are a few of my observations before we discussed the passage:

  1. Anger – Acts 4:1-2
  2. Arrest – Acts 4:3
  3. Addition – Acts 4:4
  4. Answer – Acts 4:10

Another broad outline for this section could be:

  1. Problems – Acts 4:1-4 – religious leaders and incredible numbers
  2. Priests – Acts 4:5-7 – the adversaries
  3. Power – Acts 4:8-9 – the miracle
  4. Proof – Acts 4:10 – the healed man
  5. Prophecy – Acts 4:11, quoting Psalm 118:22 regarding Jesus’ rejection
  6. Priority – Acts 4:12 – no other name
  7. Pardon – Acts 4:12 – salvation
  8. Perception – Acts 4:13 – just ordinary men

Connection with the Text:

  1. Personally, what God is saying to me…
    1. Teach the people – Acts 4:2
    2. Proclaim the resurrection – Acts 4:2
    3. Be filled with the Holy Spirit – Acts 4:8
    4. Exhibit boldness – Acts 4:13
    5. Exhibit authenticity and genuineness – Acts 4:13
  2. Publically, what God may have for King’s Grant…
    1. People need to hear the Word of God – Acts 4:4
    2. People who hear would believe – Acts 4:4
    3. People would connect theology with practicality
    4. People would recognize that members have been with Jesus

Personal Reflection:

  1. May I teach and proclaim Jesus in every opportunity
  2. May I be filled with the Holy Spirit and consistently make Christ known
  3. May I be bold and give evidence of having been with Jesus
  4. May I have a renewed sense of urgency in sharing the gospel and equipping others in their ministry of reconciliation
  5. May I see individual who have needs rather than only see the crowds

Staff and Church Issues:

  1. Our journey is ordained by God, for each of us – we are on this staff for a reason
  2. Don’t assume that we know where God wants us to be, but listen for his voice and recognize his leading
  3. God speaks in a group, not just to individuals
  4. The apostles were examined – the church is not without its critics
  5. Peter and John were uneducated and untrained men – God can use each and every one of us as he sees fit
  6. We are also called to take risks – get out of our comfort zones, and challenge our people to do the same
  7. Peter called the religious leaders, “The Builders” (Acts 4:11, quoting Psalm 118:22) which seems to parallel that older, founding members may desire to protect the established system that was built and resist the changes that an encounter with Christ may bring.
  8. There tends to be a chasm of discontent – between the kingdoms of men and the Kingdom of God – perspectives, preferences, and concepts.
  9. Our motivation for ministry must be in the area of mending and restoring. How can we help the establishment to choose fruit over potential risk?

Church With an Equipping Culture

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A Church with an Equipping Culture is…

  1. Being diligent to work together as a unified team (Ephesians 4:1-6)
  2. Doing spiritual gift assessment, affirmation & placement (Ephesians 4:7-10)
  3. Expecting its staff to be Equippers rather than “the Ministers” (Ephesians 4:11)
  4. Releasing its members to do the “work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:12)
  5. Seeing people become more like Christ (Ephesians 4:13)
  6. Producing new converts who are becoming doctrinally sound (Ephesians 4:14)
  7. Speaking the truth in love to one another (Ephesians 4:15)
  8. Experiencing growth through every member contributing (Ephesians 4:16)

[print_link] [email_link] [Based on my classes with Richard D. Leineweber, Jr. c. 2000]

Choosing a New Pastor

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Choosing a new pastor HAS to be different than an episode of The Bachelor, and let me tell you why.

It was disturbing to recently see a handout that takes the reader through the pastor search committee process. While much was in order and took the reader through the logical and practical steps in the process, there was a disturbing and concerning section that I want to address. Perhaps just writing this is therapy for me, because once the committee begins its work, I have no influence whatsoever on how they conduct their business.

One block in the process is to “narrow the field down to 6-10 potential candidates.” Certainly this is all well and good. But the next step was to “check all references” which is not so good. I am a fan of checking references, but at the proper time. After checking references, then the field is “narrowed to 3-4 top candidates,” and then visiting and interviews take place. As I read this, all I could think about was The Bachelor TV show.

While I have only seen commercials and never the show, the premise is for a room full of women to be wooed and seduced by a handsome eligible bachelor. The process involves a series of dates, conversations, and decisions. The show is known for its famous scene of giving a rose to the ones that move forward in the process, eliminating those who don’t make the cut.

Point of clarification: the following is written in general masculine for simplicity in language. I do not want to write him/her for every pronoun used.

Doing this to a potential pastor is simply not right. Contacting references before the candidate is in serious consideration is premature. The candidate is now vulnerable to those in his current position, should they find out a search committee is considering him. Everyone in the candidate’s circles of influence begin thinking he is perhaps on his way out, asking questions, and damaging his current ministry, especially if he does not “get the rose” eliminating him from the competition.

The simple fact that he is in a “competition” is humiliating enough; imagine yourself being courted my someone. You’re interested and think this could lead to something like a life-long commitment, only to discover down the road he has been dating other people all this time and chose someone else over you. Besides, a potential pastor wants to know that God has led you to him, rather than you’re throwing the dice hoping for the best.

So, how should this pastor search be done? After all of the preliminary stuff like congregational survey and church profile, when the time comes to get to the business of looking at candidates, I suggest this process (beginning with much prayer and seeking God’s direction).

  1. Gather resumes from multiple sources: local association or state convention; recommendations from people you trust; sites like ministermatching.com, etc. Beware of resumes that come from churches, groups, or individuals whose theology, methodology, or ecclesiology is not a good fit for our church.
  2. Copies of these confidential resumes are distributed to committee members to read and review. Messages on tape or mp3 are distributed as well.
  3. Each member picks out their top ten candidates based on the criteria for which they are seeking.
  4. In committee, everyone explains their selections to the rest of the group, and perhaps narrowing the field by pooling the candidates that many of the members have in common.
  5. Once you get to the top five choices, the committee puts these in priority order, and agree that candidate number one is the first to pursue.
  6. A visit is made to that pastor’s church to hear him preach live; no official committee contact is made. Make sure to call the church (like any guest might) to make sure the pastor is preaching that Sunday, and ask the time of the service. And don’t sit together as a group; don’t be obvious.
  7. The committee then decides if they want to contact him for an in-person interview.
  8. If all is satisfactory after the interview, then the committee requests confidential references. These reference should be called, not sent a reference form.
  9. If there are NO red flags at this point, the committee decides whether to extend and invitation for the candidate to visit the church, in private with the committee rather than publicly. The candidate and spouse visit the church and see the community to get a sense of who we are, and get a little of our history and the flavor of the church. The candidate may decide at this point to continue in the process or feel led that this is not the place.
  10. If there ARE red flags in the references or the interview, the committee may decide to move toward candidate number two. We thank candidate number one for his time and consideration but communicate that the committee decided it is not a good fit for the congregation.
  11. My recommendation is to work with one person at a time until such a time that God closes that door.

Once a candidate is unanimously selected, the committee is responsible to organize a “visit weekend,” in public, gathering with various groups within the congregation at various times for meeting, greeting, and questioning. Sunday is preaching day at the church. Then at a called business meeting, perhaps later that evening, the church would decide whether or not to extend a call that the candidate.

This is not The Bachelor, and these are solid reasons why we should employ a different method to select a new pastor.

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A Leader Worth Following?

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Church and life can turn believers into consumers, spending all our resources and time on ourselves. There is frustration on how to lead people beyond traditional church. How to lead your people to be on mission? The key: LIVE IT or you have no hope to LEAD IT.

First Corinthians 4:15-16, 11:1 – Lead by example. The word guardian or tutor means NANNY, someone caring for you for the moment but is not a permanent fixture. We can pick and choose from so many teachers, blogs, pastors, podcasts, but a nanny is not a father. A father is invested into the lives of his children. We are to be real flesh and blood leaders to our people.

We cannot lead a missional community if we are not on mission ourselves. If I asked people to imitate me, perhaps they would learn how to prepare sermons and attend meetings. Quite convicting talk by Jen Hatmaker.

Servant Leadership

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There is a lot of talk about leadership, but one resource I have experienced is called, “Lead Like Jesus” by Ken Blanchard. He promotes Jesus as the extreme example of leadership, servant leadership.

Do you have what it takes to be a servant leader? Let’s take a look at John 2:1-11 for a few principles.

In this story we learn of the time when Jesus attended a wedding with his brand new disciples. The host of the wedding ran out of wine. From this story and others from Jesus’ life, we find what it means to be a servant leader.

Servant leaders serve at all times: Even as an honored guest, Jesus was “on the clock” to serve the people around him. When people come to a wedding, they expect to be served! Jesus didn’t come to the wedding expecting to serve, but he served anyway.

Servant leaders take initiative: Even though Mary brought the matter to his attention (John 2:3), Jesus knew what needed to be done to meet the need. Notice in John 2:9 that the wedding host is not present for the miracle; Jesus performs this miraculous event without the wedding manager’s knowledge or consent. Jesus knew what needed to be done, and does it, behind the scenes. When you see something that needs to be done, do you take action or assume someone else will take care of it? Don’t reason within yourself that it is someone else’s job to do it. See the need; meet the need; call for help if your need it (which enlists others into service).

Servant leaders know their resources: When the need arose for more wine at the wedding, Jesus looked around and discovered those six stone jars (John 2:6). A servant leader never has excuses for why something can’t be done, but rather is a problem-solver who looks for ways to use old resources or discovers new ways to meet a need.

Servant leaders serve with excellence: When the banquet master at the wedding feast drank the wine that Jesus had produced, he said it was the best (John 2:10)! There’s no such thing as “good enough” with a servant leader, because this kind of leader is always striving to do his or her very best.

Servant leaders are not concerned with who gets the credit: Jesus was so behind the scenes with this miracle that the host goes to the bridegroom to brag about the quality of this recent discovery of wine (John 2:10). How many of us would have corrected the host to make sure Jesus got the credit? John 2:9 tells us that the other servants knew from where the wine had come (but did not tell the host). I think this happened because servant leaders take joy in the act of service, not who gets the credit.

Servant leaders serve thankfully, not grudgingly: In another event in the life of Jesus (John 6:11) he took the loaves of bread and gave thanks. He didn’t grab them, sigh heavily, and begin breaking them impatiently. He graciously paused to give thanks to his father. When you serve thankfully, your volunteers and your ministry will be blessed in abundance.

So how do you measure up? Determine which areas need strengthening and what you can do to move forward. Servant-style leadership begins with a spirit of genuine humility. Are you an open vessel ready to be filled with whatever God has for you to build up his kingdom?

How to Build Trust

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People will not follow you if you cannot be trusted, it is the foundation for doing ministry. Trust is the critical component for healthy and effective relationships and teams. David Horsager writes, “As trust within an organization increases, so do output, morale, productivity and loyalty” (in his book The Trust Edge).

Horsager suggest eight pillars for building (or rebuilding) trust with the people you lead. Think about how these principles transfer to the church world.

How do you rate in these trust-building qualities:

Clarity: This is straight from Simple Church, the message and process must be clear or people will not get on board. People trust leaders who provide clear communication, whether it’s vision for a new ministry or program goals.

Compassion: This is a lesson straight from Jesus himself, who had compassion people in need. It’s why everyone liked Mother Teresa, but you don’t have to be a saint to show people you care.

Character: This has been defined by Bill Hybels as, “the person you are when no one is looking.” We must do what’s right, not what’s easy. This may be a deal breaker if you don’t show your team biblical integrity. There is a reason I like this quality coming before competency; we so often emphasize competency and training for the task that we sacrifice the quality of character. Jesus invested into his disciples, not only for competency in the task, but also character. We must develop people.

Competency: Training is so important in the ministry; we want people to be successful in what they do, and sometimes just a little training will get them on the right path toward a fruitful ministry. You don’t have to be an expert is everything, but make sure you stay on top of your primary ministry focus. On the negative side, why do people so often resist training?

Contribution: People want to trust that you’ll get the job done, and get it done right. Don’t settle for less than your best. The body of Christ all working together makes “the body” of Christ, never minimize your contribution to the whole; everyone is important.

Commitment: The quickest way to build trust is to make and keep your commitments. Think about all the people you trusted to do what they said they were going to do, now think of those who fell through, failing to keep their commitments.

Connection: As John Maxwell teaches, “everyone communicates, few connect.” It’s all about relationships. Connect with those you lead, as friends, not just as workers accomplishing a task. Volunteers will walk away from a task sooner than they’ll abandon a relationship.

Consistency: It’s why we trust a restaurant franchise; we get the same food in Bangkok as in Birmingham. Leadership consistency lets people know you’re dependable.

DARING PROPOSITION: Ask your team members which of these trust-builders you demonstrate most, and which ones need improvement. Your commitment to trust-building will model this value and create a strong ministry team.

Bear Bryant’s Secret of Success

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Leadership is so important. Jesus was the greatest model of leadership and Ken Blanchard has developed seminars and written books on how we can Lead Like Jesus.

I recently read about legendary football coach of Alabama’s Crimson Tide, Bear Bryant, who once said: I’m just a plowhand from Arkansas, but I have learned how to hold a team together. How to lift some men up, how to calm others down, until finally they’ve got one heartbeat together, a team. There’s just three things I’d ever say:

  • If anything goes bad, I did it.
  • If anything goes semi-good, then we did it.
  • If anything goes real good, then you did it.

Sheep Are Led, Not Driven

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I was recently reading some A. W. Tozer on leadership; very sobering and needed in American cultural Christianity…

Cattle are driven; sheep are led; and our Lord compares his people to sheep, not to cattle.
It is especially important that Christian ministers know the law of the leader—that he can lead others only as far as he himself has gone.

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For he is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.—Psalm 95:6-7

The minister must EXPERIENCE what he would teach or he will find himself in the impossible position of trying to drive sheep. For this reason he should seek to CULTIVATE his OWN heart before he attempts to preach to the hearts of others.

If he tries to bring them into a heart knowledge of truth which he has not actually experienced he will SURELY FAIL. In his frustration he may attempt to drive them; and scarcely anything is so disheartening as the sight of a vexed and confused shepherd using the lash on his bewildered flock in a vain attempt to persuade them to go on beyond the point to which he himself has attained.

The law of the leader tells us who are preachers that it is better to cultivate our souls than our voices. It is better to polish our hearts than our pulpit manners, though if the first has been done well and successfully it may be profitable for us to do the second. We cannot take our people beyond where we ourselves have been, and it thus becomes vitally important that we be men of God in the last and highest sense of that term.

[ The Price of Neglect, 151-153 ]