Midwestern Magazine - Issue 48 by Midwestern Seminary

The Art of PREACHING

Adorning the Gospel Through Faithful Proclamation

Jason K. Allen

Jared Bumpers

Phil Newton

Patrick Schreiner

Icame to faith in Christ during my freshman year of college, and while still in college, I sensed a call to ministry. It was during that season of life that my desire to know God’s Word grew into a desire to preach God’s Word. I saw the effects that preaching had upon mine and others’ sanctification. Thus, I wanted to be a minister of God’s Word to see people grow into maturity in Christ.

But faithful preaching doesn’t just happen. Pastors must continually grow in their study and ability to proclaim God’s Word helpfully and accurately. That’s why Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” Perfecting the art of preaching is faithfully preaching the text.

Outside our faculty offices at Midwestern Seminary, we have inscribed on the wall, “Guard what has been entrusted to you” (1 Tim. 6:20). This is a reminder for us who teach God’s Word in the classroom that we have been given a profound stewardship from God. Likewise, those who preach God’s Word from the pulpit on every Lord’s Day

have this same stewardship from God, and we must not take that stewardship lightly.

Therefore, I am delighted to bring to you this edition of the Midwestern Magazine titled, “The Art of Preaching.” You will hear from Dr. Phil Newton on preaching in community, Dr. Patrick Schreiner on preaching Christ in every sermon, and Dr. Jared Bumpers on preaching pastorally.

It is my prayer for you that this magazine will edify you, equip you, and help you to bring Christ glory in your preaching. May He use this for your current ministry and for your ministry in the years to come.

Sincerely,

JASON K. ALLEN, PH.D. President, Professor of Preaching & Pastoral Ministry Midwestern Baptist

Theological Seminary Spurgeon College

ADMINISTRATION

Jason K. Allen

PRESIDENT

Jason G. Duesing PROVOST

James J. Kragenbring

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADMINISTRATION

Camden Pulliam

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL RELATIONS

EDITORIAL

Brett Fredenberg

CHIEF EDITOR

Michaela Classen

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

T. Patrick Hudson

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Kody Gibson VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS

ART

Hyacin Todd

Logan Wade LAYOUT & DESIGN

Zach Walker

Daniel Dickerson PHOTOGRAPHERS

5001 N. Oak Trafficway Kansas City, MO 64118 (816) 414-3700

Midwestern Seminary maintains professional and academic accreditation with three accrediting associations: The Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) in the United States and Canada, The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC), and The Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE).

EDITOR’S NOTE

“For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:5–6).

The preaching of the Word is a theological event. As the Apostle Paul articulates, those who preach the gospel reflect the Father who spoke forth the Word at the beginning of time. This very Word still accomplishes the Father’s work in the power of the Spirit. The call to preach the Word, then, should be met with as much sober-mindedness and reverence as it is with passion and devotion.

In this 48th issue of the Midwestern Magazine, we explore the art of preaching. Our aim is to encourage pastors to adorn the gospel in their preaching— avoiding the ditches of “lofty speech” (1 Cor. 2:1) on one side and “careless words” (Matt. 12:36) on the other.

Charles Spurgeon guides us toward this goal saying, “Preaching should not only convey the truth but do so in a way that reflects the beauty of the gospel.” To steward the preaching task well and to faithfully reflect the goodness of the God who speaks, the preacher must approach his task with diligent preparation and a commitment to excellence.

For these reasons, I am deeply grateful to the contributors in this issue— faithful men and gifted preachers—for their commitment to training the next generation of preachers for the Church. To Drs. Jason Allen, Phil Newton, Patrick Schreiner, and Jared Bumpers, thank you for sharing your wisdom for the good of the Church.

As with every good endeavor, this issue comes to fruition through the faithful efforts of a gifted team. I want to give special thanks to Hyacin Todd, Logan Wade, and Michaela Classen, whose devotion to the Lord is evident on every page.

May this issue, “The Art of Preaching: Adorning the Gospel Through Faithful Proclamation,” encourage you to declare and display the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

For the Church,

Brett Fredenberg Chief Editor, Midwestern Magazine Managing Editor, For the Church Director of Marketing &

Content Strategy

mbts

midwestern.seminary

midwesternseminary

ADMISSIONS: admissions@mbts.edu | (816) 414-3733

COMMUNICATIONS: communications@mbts.edu | (816) 414-3708

INSTITUTIONAL RELATIONS: ir@mbts.edu | (816) 414-3720

SUBSCRIBE to Midwestern’s weekly e-mail newsletter, The Midwestern Weekly, at mbts.edu/subscribe.

by JASON K. ALLEN

To stand before God’s people and unpack the oracles of God is an exhilarating and profoundly rewarding task, but it can also be a frightening one, especially for new preachers. There’s simply no way to camouflage a lack of comfort in the pulpit.

Whether it’s due to inadequate preparation, limited gifting, or simply being a novice, to be unsure of oneself or one’s sermon is no way to

preach. The most effective preachers deliver sermons with confidence and certainty in their calling. This confidence and certainty grows over the years but only if you continually cultivate your ability to preach.

In the midst of the 2008 global financial crisis, Warren Buffet famously observed, “It’s when the tide goes out that you see who’s skinny dipping.” Buffet was reflecting on the banks and investment firms that had insufficient capital

to meet their financial obligations during the Great Recession, but his observation applies to the ministry as well. When you stand before God’s people with Bible in hand, the tide goes out. In those moments, when you attempt to speak on behalf of God, all will see the veracity of your calling to preach.

For pastors, preaching and teaching God’s Word has a way of stripping us all bare; it exposes us and puts our gifting—or lack

thereof—on public display. You can’t finesse your way through a sermon with polished appearance, warm people skills, or seminary credentials alone. In the moment of truth, your ability to teach and preach God’s Word reveals much about your calling.

This is the way it should be. Those called to the ministry are called to a ministry of the Word. This clarifying stipulation both challenges and reassures us. Those whom God

has truly called, He has truly gifted for the task. Every pastor must be gifted to teach the Word, and every qualified pastor is.

This is so important because the health of the church rises or falls with the pulpit. Literally, lives are at stake. I know this is a debatable statement in parts of today’s church culture, but it is nevertheless true.

WHY PREACHING?

Preaching is God’s divinely ordained means for communicating His Word, for nourishing His church, and for redeeming a people for Himself. Other ministerial activities may complement preaching, but no ministerial activity should displace preaching.

As Spurgeon warned: “I do not look for any other means of converting men beyond the simple preaching of the gospel and the opening of men’s ears to hear it. The moment the church of God shall despise the pulpit, God will despise her. It has been through the ministry that the Lord has always been pleased to revive and bless his churches.”

God had one Son, and He made Him a preacher. Scripture tells us, “Jesus came . . . preaching,” and then He sent His disciples out to preach (Mark 1:14; see also Matt. 28:16–20). From the prophets of old, to Pentecost, to the end of the age, preaching is God’s appointed means to convey His message. This concept is rather straightforward, and so is the answer to the question of what the pastor is supposed to preach.

PREACH THE WORD

Every preacher can readily identify with the apostle Paul’s binding charge to Timothy, “Preach the word” (2 Tim. 4:2). This command is situated at the end of Paul’s final letter to his son in the faith, Timothy. It encapsulates the broader biblical expectation that ministers faithfully discharge their responsibilities of preaching and teaching the Word.

As Paul wrote 2 Timothy, he knew his death was near. Christians were being persecuted. False prophets plagued the church. Many who named Christ as Savior were falling away. Timothy himself was vacillating and questioning his call. Thus, Paul wrote his final letter, as the parting words of a dying man, to a distressed church and a discouraged son.

In this salutary charge he commanded Timothy, “Preach the word.” This exhortation occurs—explicitly and implicitly—throughout Scripture but nowhere more conspicuously than 2 Timothy 4:2. And it appears with added momentum because of its context in the book and in the lives of Paul, Timothy, and the church. There is a degree of narrowing earnestness, of focused deliberateness from Paul, to Timothy, to us.

In 2 Timothy 3, Paul documents the catastrophic effects of man’s sinfulness and presents the ministerial antidote—preaching God’s Word, which is inspired, inerrant, authoritative, and sufficient. We are called to “preach the word” because the days are evil and the Scriptures are powerful. For preachers, 2 Timothy 4:2 has a certain romance to it—a magnetic pull calling us back again and again to our central responsibility.

The call to preach—in light of so many problems in the society and the church—may appear simplistic, but it is God’s instruction. To preach means “to herald, to lift up one’s voice, to proclaim.” It is to speak boldly, without fear, to make truth known.

Again, Paul’s charge to “preach the word” is not complex. This beautiful simplicity adds an unmistakable clarity to the instruction. There is no need to clarify which word or whose word. Rather, we are called to preach the Word, God’s Word. In fact, the premise of preaching the Word is built on the entire canon of Scripture, and it roars throughout this book.

If you are not convinced of Scripture—its truthfulness, authority, relevance, and power—then you will be disinclined to preach the Word. You may look to it for sermon points because that is what evangelical preachers are to do, but you’ll never let the Word be the point and points of your sermon.

Though we have the rather straightforward command to preach the Word, this command cannot be obeyed if some essential ingredients of preaching are lacking.

ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS OF PREACHING

While a quick wit, booming voice, and strong selfpresentation can be helpful (or sometimes harmful) elements, two key ingredients must be present in

faithful preaching: the study of the Word and the proclamation of the Word. To emphasize either to the de-emphasis of the other is to err. In your preparation you must maintain intentional balance.

Some pastors more naturally enjoy the process of preparing sermons. They enjoy digging into the text of Scripture, rightly interpreting it, constructing an exegetical outline, and stitching together a sermon. This is good and necessary, and no one should enter the pulpit without having delved into the text.

If you are one who doesn’t enjoy sermon preparation at all, then you should perhaps consider some other form of Christian service. You can only talk yourself up about the importance of thorough sermon preparation for so long. Eventually fatigue and distraction will set in, and you will begin to settle for below-average work. This may be a slow fade at first, but the result is that the health of the church will suffer.

If the desire for faithful sermon preparation is there but the motivation some weeks is lacking, then you must pray. Ask God to rekindle your affection for His Word. Ask Him to strengthen your mind and to give you clarity in the text. Ask Him for the willpower to remain in your seat until you figure out what the text means.

While some naturally enjoy sermon preparation, others more naturally enjoy proclamation. The act of preaching itself animates them. They enjoy delivering the Word to God’s people.

My hunch, though, is that there are probably fewer preachers who fit this category as compared to the previous one. This may be the case for a couple reasons. On the one hand, a lot of

preachers are so concerned with getting the text right that they don’t leave much time to consider how best to deliver its truth. They don’t strive for excellence in delivery because they don’t leave time to practice delivery.

On the other hand, those whose personalities are more inclined to the study may simply have more introverted personalities. For these preachers the physical act of preaching the Word may be draining. But again, this is no excuse. If you find yourself in this category, pray each time you preach that the Spirit of God would fill you with the energy necessary for the task, and watch how He will increase your capacity to do so through months and years of repetition.

To summarize, pursue a deep and thorough study of God’s Word with a thoughtful and poignant delivery. Great preachers excel at both, and you should cultivate both ingredients in your own pulpit ministry.

CONCLUSION

Like any other ability, preaching and teaching God’s Word is a developed skill—a skill given by the Spirit of God, yes—but you must pursue maturity and excellence throughout your ministry of the Word. When the tide runs out, don’t be left exposed. Determine to stand strong and confident before God’s people.

JASON K. ALLEN | President, Professor of Preaching and Pastoral Ministry

REVEALING JESUS IN ALL OF SCRIPTURE

by PATRICK SCHREINER

Ihave been told, and I agree with the sentiment, that if Christ is not in your sermon, it is not by any definition a “Christian” sermon.

I submit to you that the essential element of Christian exegesis is unfolding the Scripture, as Jesus did, by relating all of it to Him (Luke 24:44; John 5:39). Everything in Scripture that comes before Christ is a singular progression toward Him, and everything that comes after Him points back to Him. As Charles Spurgeon said, “From every text in Scripture, there is a road to the metropolis of the Scriptures, that is Christ.”

This has been the view of Christians for seventeen hundred years. Early interpreters called this an allegorical reading, while modern interpreters sometimes call it a typological reading. Maybe we could most simply call it a Christological reading.

A Christological reading is a way of interpreting or understanding Scripture that affirms there is an “everexpanding network of patterns and associations” that unite in Christ, as helpfully put in the book Sanctified Vision. This reading is possible because God has providentially ordered history to comprise patterns and signs that point to His ultimate revelation in the Son. This truth is especially important when we are reading

or preaching the Old Testament, wherein Christ has not yet come to earth. How can a preacher pursue a Christological reading of Scripture in his sermon? Below are five things to look for when preparing to preach.

PROMISES

First, and most obviously, we ought to look for promises in the Old Testament that point forward to Christ. Paul in 2 Corinthians

1: 20 says, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him!” Then there are texts like Matthew 1:22–23, where Jesus’ birth is said to fulfill the promise of Isaiah 7:3 that “a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel.” Paul affirms that Jesus is the stumbling stone from Isaiah 28:16 and Psalm 118:22 (Rom. 9:23). Hebrews says the words spoken in Psalm 110:1 are fulfilled in Jesus (Heb. 1:13). As the biblical authors did, we must see Christ where the Old Testament promises point to Him.

Many interpreters see Christ in the promises, but there is so much more.

PLIGHT

Second, we ought to look to how the text points to a plight—or a sin problem—for which Christ is the solution. Regarding the law, Paul says that Christ became the curse for us by being nailed on the tree (Gal. 3:13). Regarding the priesthood, Hebrews says Christ is our priest who fulfilled what was lacking in the priesthood (Heb. 7–8). Regarding the King, Matthew tells us of Christ the King who truly delivers us from our enemies (Matt. 1:21). Regarding the Levitical system, Hebrews tells us Jesus’ blood is better than that of animals (Heb. 10:4, 11–14). Regarding the human race, Jesus is the new Adam who resisted temptation. Regarding Israel, Jesus is truly the light to the nations. Anytime we see failure in the Old Testament, we can look forward to the time of Jesus and see how He satisfies what was lacking.

PATTERNS

Third, we ought to look for larger patterns in narratives that Christ repeats. In 1 Peter, the prophets predicted the “sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories” (1 Pet. 1:11). This is one of the main patterns we should be looking for sorrow to splendor. Jesus points to the same pattern in Luke 24:46–49: “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” Again, the pattern is suffering and glory, but Luke adds another step proclamation.

Therefore, anytime we see a pattern like this we should think of Christ. For example, Joseph goes from being in prison to being seated at the right hand of Pharaoh (Gen. 41:39–41). Jesus goes from dying on a Roman cross to being exalted to the right hand of the Father. While Joseph is exalted in a true sense in Pharaoh’s court, Jesus is exalted in an ironic way upon the Roman cross as they mock Him with a crown of thorns, royal robe, and scepter (Matt. 27:27–31).

PARTICULARS

Fourth, if some of these other aspects are found in the text, then we can also begin to look at the particulars in a text that point to Jesus. In this step, we begin to focus on details in the narratives. In 1 Corinthians 10: 4, Paul says the Rock in the wilderness was Christ. In Galatians, he says Christ is the “seed” that was promised (Gal. 3:16), and in 1 Corinthians he says Christ is the Passover lamb (1 Cor. 5:7). Peter says Christ is the “stone” that the builders rejected (1 Pet. 2:4). The author of Hebrews says Christ is priest, the sacrificial lamb, and the temple (Heb. 9:11–12). Revelation says Christ is the Lamb and the Lion (Rev. 5:5,12).

If we return to the story of Joseph, we can see that both Jesus and Joseph are stripped of their

clothes, both put in the earth to rot, both raised from the pit, both sold for pieces of silver, both faithful in the midst of temptation, both falsely accused, and both numbered with the transgressors. They both stand before foreign rulers, both save their rebellious brothers, both give bread to the hungry, and both die in a land not their own.

PRESENCE

Finally, and maybe the most neglected aspect of Christological reading, is to look for Christ as actually present in the text. Theologians have called these appearances of Jesus in the Old Testament “Christophanies.”

For example, while we shouldn’t deny that Paul’s reading in 1 Corinthians of Jesus as the rock is pointing ahead to Christ, I think it is also more than that. Paul affirms that Christ was the Rock (1 Cor. 10:4). The use of the imperfect Greek verb eimi shows that Paul probably has the pre-existence of Christ in mind and not simply a typological connection. Early interpreters press for the “real presence” of Christ in this text and many others. They saw Christ in the man who wrestled with Jacob, in the man who met Abraham at the oak of Mamre, and in the man who met Joshua beside Jericho. The church fathers asserted Christ is not only prefigured in the Scriptures but is prior to His figures.

Christ was “really ontologically” present in events narrated in the Old Testament. As preachers, we must recover this reading so that we may show our churches their Savior in the texts we preach.

CONCLUSION

TO MISS THE CHRISTOLOGICAL

THREAD IS TO MISS THE DIVINE POINT OF THE BIBLE.

To read and preach the Scriptures Christologically, we need to follow the interpretive practices of the biblical authors. Many of the above points coincide, but I have divided them out so that one can more easily know what to look for. Additionally, it is important that we not contradict the literal sense of Scripture when performing Christological interpretation. The Christological sense of Scripture is protected by a contextual reading. If our Christological reading goes against the literal, contextual, or canonical sense, then we should be warned that we might be misinterpreting.

Having said that, while many ask the question of when we have gone too far with Christological interpretation, fewer ask what we miss if we neglect to read the Bible this way. I think the dangers of under-reading and missing Christ are far worse than over-reading. Obviously, we don’t want to do either, but to miss the Christological thread is to miss the divine point of the Bible. To miss the divine point of the Bible is to miss its message of God’s redemption in Christ for sinners. That is something none of us, neither reader nor preacher, wants to do

Paul affirms that the Triune God was with Israel all along, even though this was not completely disclosed until Christ came. This is why he can say that Christ was the bread they ate, the water they drank, and the Rock they drank from (1 Cor. 10:1–4). For Paul, Christ is already present before He arrives. Much modern biblical scholarship has failed to appreciate the significance of the Christian tradition’s belief that, to use Bogdan Bucur’s words in Scripture Re-Envisioned,

PATRICK SCHREINER | Associate Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology, Gene and Jo Downing Endowed Chair of Biblical Studies, Director of The Residency Ph.D. Program

by PHIL NEWTON

Arecent story highlighting one NFL quarterback reveals a key principle for preaching. Though achieving AllAmerican and Heisman Trophy honors in college, this quarterback admitted he still has much to learn. He continues to welcome and act upon input from his coaches and teammates. Instead of operating in isolation, he practices his craft in community. I’m convinced that this quarterback understands something quite biblical. We best mature in life and ministry in the context of our community’s contributions.

This principle holds true for the pulpit, where the stakes are much higher. Pastors are not multi-million-dollar performers but men of God called to shepherd His flock through the ministry of His Word (Acts 20:28). No responsibility is weightier than to give an account to the Lord of the Church for how we’ve cared for His redeemed people (Heb. 13:17).

An isolationist mentality in the pulpit hinders effective gospel proclamation. Pastors learn, develop, and mature as expositors in God’s provision of community. How exactly does community help to shape pastoral preaching? Let’s consider three aspects of pastors in community.

Pastors in Plurality Provide a Nurturing Community

When Jesus sent the twelve and the seventy-two, He did so in plurality. He trained and honed them together as disciples. When He sent them out, He did so in pairs (Luke 9, 10). Why? Together, the disciples could hold one another accountable, sharpen one another in conversations, evaluate

one another in gospel talks, and encourage one another to continue in faithfulness.

When Paul and Barnabas retraced their steps at the end of their first missionary journey, they “appointed elders [plural] for them in every church” (Acts 14:23). Paul uses the same plurality language when instructing his apostolic representatives in Ephesus and Crete to ensure they partner with faithful men to serve as elders (1 Tim. 5:17; Titus 1:5). Peter also uses plural terminology with the elders serving in Asia Minor churches (1 Pet. 5:1–4).

Elders serving local churches in the ministry of the Word are never to be isolationists in their labors. No one man has all the abilities or insights necessary for the church to flourish. Each needs others for sharpening, shepherding, and preaching.

Does this mean a plural pastoral structure demands each man share an equal load in

“Elders serving local churches in the ministry of the Word are never to be isolationists in their labors. No one man has all the abilities or insights necessary for the church to flourish.”

the preaching? Not at all. Each brother has his gifts, strengths, and abilities, with some leaning more heavily into pulpit ministry. Yet all have responsibility for what comes from the pulpit, as elders paying attention to the flock (Acts 20:28). That responsibility works out in

praying for those who preach, advising the primary preachers on the congregation’s spiritual needs, and discussing the sermons with a view to improving clarity, comprehension, and doctrinal fidelity. Who better to point out the preacher’s unnecessary verbiage, distracting habits, and doctrinal mistakes than his fellow shepherds?

Fourteen years into pastoral ministry, I discovered how the gift of elders sharpens my preaching. Even when I occasionally disagreed with a critique, I began to see a new insight or idea emerge as I prepared the next sermon. Admittedly, seminary training and years of preaching can morph into a siloed approach to the pulpit through the temptation of believing we’ve “arrived.” But no pastor has arrived in the way he handles the Word. He needs the plurality of godly men around him to nurture him in his vital role for the church.

Silas had to be willing to listen without interruption, clarify what they taught, and demonstrate with theological precision what they had preached—all with a humble spirit. And they did. And many of the Bereans believed the good news (Acts 17:12).

How may we model the humble, teachable spirit necessary for those engaged in preaching God’s Word? Another instance in Acts provides a good example. When Paul left for Ephesus, he took Priscilla and Aquila, with whom he had worked side-byside as tentmakers in Corinth.

“No pastor has arrived in the way he handles the Word. He needs the plurality of godly men around him to nurture him in his vital role for the church.”

Pastoral Teachability Flourishes in Community

Every pastor desires a Berean community as his audience (Acts 17:10–15). Consider what the Bereans did. “They received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11). They listened and received the Word but weren’t satisfied by only hearing the exposition. They examined the Scriptures to see if Paul and Silas’s messages rang true to God’s Word. The Bereans exemplify accountability in community. Paul and Silas tag-teamed in preaching and likely tag-teamed in answering queries into their gospel preaching. As they received questions, Paul and Silas could not be defensive as though infallible in their teaching. They had to show not only boldness with the message but humility as messengers. Paul and

During that time, Apollos, an Alexandrian Jew, came into Ephesus, eloquently preaching the way of Christ. But he lacked knowledge on some truths about Christ. Despite his distinction as the only one called “an eloquent man” in Acts, the tentmakers offered him correction.

He demonstrated teachability, as Priscilla and Aquila “explained to him the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18: 26). As a result, he gained the joyful commendation of the church, and in his later preaching, “He greatly helped those who through grace had believed…showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus” (Acts 18:27–28).

For many years in pastoring, I both offered and received preaching critiques, especially with those I was mentoring. Rarely did anyone bristle at the critiques. Instead, they listened, wanting to improve in handling the Word before God’s people. Their humble, teachable hearts showed the right spirit to mature in preaching. I am now a member in another church where my pastors regularly ask me to critique their preaching. This kind of teachability encourages me in what the Lord is doing in them, for it demonstrates their desire to grow in proclaiming Scripture with increasing faithfulness.

Pastoral Mentoring Sharpens Preaching in Community

Timothy represented Paul to the Corinthian church, teaching them as Paul had mentored him (1 Cor. 4:17). Timothy learned to preach as he, Paul, and Silas teamed to preach to the Corinthians (2 Cor. 1:19). Paul’s mentoring shaped Timothy for effective pastoral preaching (2 Tim. 3:10–14). Paul did not immediately turn Timothy loose when Paul began his second missionary journey (Acts 16:1–5). He trained and mentored Timothy, reinforcing truth and gospel practice, and gave Timothy opportunities under his eye. Finally, in Berea, Paul left Timothy with Silas to continue the work (Acts 17:15). The mentor had prepared his trainee to serve with effectiveness. Yet evidence in 1 and 2 Timothy shows that Paul never quit mentoring his son in the faith.

Pastors have an opportunity to train men in their congregations to teach and preach. Mentoring these men toward the goal of serving the congregation sharpens potential elders, pastors, and missionaries to labor in local churches. It is in the community of trainees and congregational members, faithfully affirming and sharpening those who preach, that these men grow in their preaching abilities. A lead pastor sets the example by inviting the men he mentors to speak into his life regarding his preaching. This kind of mutual honing bears fruit in life and ministry.

Conclusion

One of my mentors called preaching an art, implying that there is always room for improving one’s pulpit artistry. Rather than take a siloed approach to preaching, where the preacher listens only to himself and his own self-reflection, the preacher should recognize the community of faithful followers of Jesus who can sharpen and hone him as he opens the Word for God’s people. In this way, the “one another” passages to love, admonish, and encourage each other can be practiced with those who stand to herald God’s Word.

PHIL NEWTON | Director of Pastoral Care and Mentoring, The Pillar Network

PREACHING

as a

SHEPHERD

FEEDING THE FLOCK THROUGH PASTORAL TEACHING

by JARED BUMPERS

“THE FIRST AND PRINCIPAL DUTY OF A PASTOR, IS TO FEED THE FLOCK BY DILIGENT PREACHING OF THE WORD.”

John Owen was one of the most prominent English theologians of the 17th century. A profound thinker and prolific author, Owen also served as a pastor and stands as a model pastor-theologian. In The True Nature of a Gospel Church and Its Government, Owen boldly asserted, “The first and principal duty of a pastor, is to feed the flock by diligent preaching of the word . . . This work and duty, therefore, as was said, is essential unto the office of a pastor. A man is a pastor unto them whom he feeds by pastoral teaching, and to no more. And he that doth not so feed, is no pastor.” Owen emphasized the centrality of preaching in pastoral ministry—shepherds must feed their flock! A failure to preach the Word was a dereliction of duty for the pastor, and the only way pastors would be able to “give a comfortable account of the pastoral office at the last day,” in Owen’s words, was to pursue the preaching of God’s Word with relentless effort.

Yet Owen’s point was not merely that pastors should prioritize preaching God’s Word but that pastors should feed their flock “by pastoral teaching.” Owen’s conception of preaching is tied to the model of the pastor as a shepherd who faithfully feeds the flock of God. What is involved in pastoral teaching, or what I

JOHN OWEN

would call “preaching as a shepherd”? How should pastors who are resolved to follow Peter’s exhortation to “shepherd the flock of God that is among you” approach the task of preaching? Let me suggest five requirements for “pastoral teaching,” drawn from and expanding on Owen’s work.

1. DEMONSTRATE SPIRITUAL MATURITY AND INSIGHT INTO THE MYSTERIES OF THE GOSPEL

The first requirement of the pastor who desires to shepherd through preaching is a certain degree of spiritual maturity and insight into the mysteries of the gospel. Owen warned against pastors “who do not have some degree of eminency” in spiritual insight, concluding that these pastors “cannot be useful to lead them (their congregation) on to perfection.” However, pastors who are spiritually mature and have spiritual insight are able to declare “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20: 27) and to preach the “unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8) to their flock. Declaring “the whole counsel of God” ensures the breadth of the preacher’s pulpit ministry, while preaching “the unsearchable riches of Christ” ensures the depth of the preacher’s pulpit ministry. Therefore, pastors who wish to feed their flock via pastoral teaching must pursue spiritual maturity and insight into the mysteries of the gospel. They must love God’s Word deeply, study God’s Word faithfully, and obey God’s Word consistently, which leads to the second requirement of pastoral teaching.

2. EMBODY YOUR MESSAGE

TO YOUR CONGREGATION

Second, pastors should shepherd the flock by embodying the message they preach. The shepherd not only teaches with his words, but he also teaches with his actions. His life is a lesson, or example, to the flock. This is why, in the Pastoral Epistles, Paul repeatedly emphasizes the conduct of the man of God in close proximity to the

faithful teaching ministry of the man of God (cf. 1 Tim. 4:11–16; 5:17–25; 6:2b–16; 2 Tim. 2:22–26; Titus 2:7–8). However, to embody the message, the faithful shepherd must preach to himself and seek to obey the teachings of Scripture in his own life before preaching these truths to his congregation. As Owen put it, “A man preacheth that sermon only well unto others which preacheth itself in his own soul.” Indeed, the pastor’s life will either reinforce the truth of the sermon or undermine the truth of the sermon. Thus, pastors who wish to shepherd their flock through pastoral preaching must seek to live out the message in their own lives.

3. POSSESS THE SKILLS

NECESSARY TO RIGHTLY INTERPRET GOD’S WORD

The third requirement for pastoral teaching is the ability to rightly interpret God’s Word. Owen cited 2 Timothy 2:15 as proof that shepherds need “skill to divide the word aright.” The ability to divide the Word rightly is connected to the requirements for pastoral office. A man who does not possess the skill to interpret God’s Word rightly is not “able to teach” (1 Tim. 3:2) or “give instruction in sound doctrine” (Titus 1:9), which means he is not qualified to be a pastor. Conversely, the man who possesses the skill to divide the Word rightly is able to teach faithfully and may be qualified to be a pastor if he meets the other requirements outlined in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.

Yet Owen was not merely concerned with accuracy in pastoral teaching; he was concerned with priority in pastoral teaching. Shepherds should strive to “find out what is real, substantial, and meet food for the souls of the hearers” when studying God’s Word so they can prepare spiritually beneficial meals for their listeners. This requires what I call “prioritization” in preaching. While the preacher could say many things about the text, he is selective in what he says, focusing on the central truths of the text and those spiritual realities that impact his listeners most directly. The skill to interpret the Word rightly and prioritize the main

truths of the text for the spiritual benefits of the listeners is a key requirement of pastoral teaching.

4. SPEAK TO THE PRESSING ISSUES IN YOUR CONGREGATION

Fourth, pastoral teaching requires the shepherd to speak to his congregation and address the issues that are facing them. Owen chided pastors who do not consider their congregation when preparing and delivering sermons, humorously commenting that they “preach at random, uncertainly fighting, like those that beat at the air.” He encouraged pastors instead to preach “as near as may be with respect unto all the individual members of the church.” This requirement is at the heart of pastoral preaching. The shepherd does not preach to people in general; he preaches to specific people— those in his flock. He knows their names and faces. He knows their strengths and weaknesses, their struggles and temptations, and their spiritual growth or decline. However, the shepherd must spend time with his flock if he desires to preach this way. Through weddings, funerals, hospital visits, anniversary celebrations, birthday parties, counseling sessions, pre- and post-church conversations, and a host of other interactions, the shepherd gets to know his flock and is able to preach in a distinctly pastoral way.

5. PREACH WITH EVIDENT PASSION FOR GOD’S GLORY AND AN EVIDENT LOVE FOR YOUR FLOCK

The final requirement of pastoral preaching is to preach with a passion for God’s glory and a love for God’s people. Long before John Piper wrote The Supremacy of God in Preaching , John Owen declared that pastoral preaching should be “constantly accompanied with the evidence of zeal for the glory of God.” A pastor should not expect his congregation to be zealous for God’s glory if he himself is not zealous for God’s glory, but a pastor

who delights in God’s glory and passionately preaches of God’s glory will cultivate a desire for God’s glory in the lives of his listeners. Moreover, the pastor must possess and demonstrate a love for his congregation; his preaching should be motivated by God’s glory and a love for God’s people. The pastor should strive to be able to say the same thing to his congregation that Paul said to the Thessalonian believers: “So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us” (1 Thess. 2:8).

CONCLUSION

Pastors are shepherds who are called to feed their flocks via pastoral teaching. This requires pastors to demonstrate spiritual maturity, embody their messages, rightly handle God’s Word, speak to their congregations, and preach with zeal for God’s glory and love for God’s people, which should cause us to ask, “Who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Cor. 2: 16). Thankfully, God does not leave us on our own. He equips and enables those He calls to shepherd His flock. So let these requirements “stir up all ministers unto fervent prayer for supplies of divine aids and assistance,” as Owen wrote, and encourage God-called men to shepherd God’s flock through pastoral teaching.

JARED BUMPERS | Assistant Professor of Preaching and Evangelism, For the Church Cohorts Faculty Coordinator

Biblical Preaching for the Church with the Church

In the spring of 2024, Midwestern Seminary received a $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to establish the Midwestern Institute for Preaching and Preachers. The institute aims to encourage, train, and resource current and aspiring preachers to proclaim the Word of God with an ever-increasing joy in the task, a growing skill in the craft, and a supportive community of partners in ministry. As a special feature of the institute, several workshops with leading preachers will be offered throughout each year, both on Midwestern Seminary’s campus and in regional cities, where current and aspiring preachers can gather for training and mutual sharpening.

LEARN MORE. preachingandpreachers.org

FAQs from Preachers on Preaching

“What is one piece of advice you have for aspiring preachers?”

Meet KEANON HURST

After completing his undergraduate and M.Div. degrees in 2023 through the Spurgeon College Accelerate program, Keanon Hurst and his family moved more than 2,600 miles from Kansas City to Ketchikan, Alaska, where he serves in pastoral ministry at White Cliff Church. Keanon and his wife, Ruth, have four children.

MBTS Tell us about your church and your current role there.

KEANON HURST I am currently serving as a pastoral apprentice through the Alaska Baptist Resource Network at White Cliff Church in Ketchikan. I have been called to pastor Shannon Park Baptist Church in Fairbanks, Alaska, and will be moving there with my family soon. White Cliff Church is pastored by my fellow Midwestern Seminary graduate, Alan McElroy. The church is made up of 50 members who are united together through our faith in Christ. My apprenticeship has consisted of preaching, teaching, studying, serving the church, observing pastoral care, and learning under the elders to prepare and equip me for future ministry in Alaska.

MBTS How did God lead you to pursue pastoral ministry and seminary?

KEANON Before becoming a Christian, my life was consumed with drugs and alcohol, and at age 35, the Lord radically saved me. At that point, all I knew was the life of an addict, so I decided to pursue a degree in drug and alcohol counseling. During this program, I was growing in Christ and started seeing that while drug and alcohol counseling can achieve the result of helping people get sober, it gives them no true and lasting hope. I became convinced that the help I wanted to give people was the gospel and that the best avenue to do so was in the context of the local church. As I had been studying the Bible on my own and with my pastor and desired to have more formal training to equip me to serve the church, seminary was the logical next step for me.

MBTS In what ways did your local church in Kansas City help form and equip you for ministry during your time in seminary?

KEANON My wife and I were members at Wornall Road Baptist Church and grew in our love for the local church during our time there. We were embraced as family even though our time there was brief. Wornall has many phenomenal leaders who prioritize training and equipping men and women for ministry, and we benefited from their faithfulness. I was able to serve in many capacities and participated in a pastoral internship with other men who were training for ministry. The opportunity to build relationships with the pastors at Wornall helped confirm my call to ministry and gave me an up-close picture of what it means to serve faithfully in the local church in both hard and joy-filled times.

MBTS What has been the most encouraging aspect thus far of serving the local church through preaching and pastoral ministry?

KEANON In my time at White Cliff Church, I have grown in preaching through the encouragement and feedback of our elders and congregation. By getting to know individually the people I am preaching to, I have begun to learn how to apply the passage to the needs of our local church rather than just make a generic Christian application. This practice has challenged me to think deeper about the text and give more meaningful application while preaching and teaching. True and lasting change happens every day in the lives of ordinary people who are plugged into and invested in their local church. It is a privilege to have an upfront role in this change and growth in people’s lives through pastoral ministry.

Fellowship Kansas City

LOCATION: KANSAS CITY, MO

Fellowship Kansas City launched 11 years ago with a mission to reach Kansas City’s Northland with the gospel of Jesus Christ. For its first three years of ministry, Fellowship KC met on the campus of Midwestern Seminary, until relocating in 2016 to its current location in Parkville, Missouri. Under the leadership of Senior Pastor Tyler Wilkins, Fellowship KC pursues the Great Commission with the goal to reach 250,000 people in Kansas City's Northland.

MBTS Tell us about the history of Fellowship KC and how the Lord called you to serve there.

TYLER WILKINS Fellowship Kansas City began as a church plant out of Lenexa Baptist Church in August 2013. With a vision to reach the greater Kansas City area with the gospel, FKC has always aimed to accomplish this goal through reproducible discipleship in the local church. Through God’s kindness and grace, our church has seen continual spiritual and numeric growth since its inception.

God called my wife and me to FKC as laypersons while I was a student at Midwestern Seminary. As God was calling me to pastoral ministry, He also provided opportunities for me to be discipled in the church. After several years of faithful membership, the church ordained me as an associate pastor. Then, in July 2022, the Lord called me into the role of senior pastor here. It has been such a joy to be trained and developed for pastoral ministry in the context of the local church and then to be called to serve at the very church in which I was trained.

MBTS In what ways have you seen Fellowship KC contribute to the formation of future pastors and preachers?

TYLER My experience at FKC is representative of a culture of pastoral development that has been here since our inception. It is our Scriptural conviction that healthy churches produce future healthy pastors. At FKC, we offer a multi-year pastoral fellow training program for Midwestern Seminary students. During their time in seminary, these men not only serve the local church, but they also receive practical ministry and preaching experience. Our aim is to see these men best prepared for pastoral ministry upon graduation.

Our pastoral fellows go through this program in community with other fellows. My prayer is that they would develop lifelong friendships with these other men that they could call upon decades in the future for encouragement.

MBTS As a pastor, what factors do you consider in deciding what sermon series or books of the Bible to preach through in your church?

TYLER I want our church members to receive a balanced diet of all of God’s Word. Each calendar year, I make sure that we are preaching through books in both the Old Testament and New Testament as well as covering a variety of Scriptural genres.

Additionally, I try diligently to never undervalue the discipline of prayer. FKC is God’s church far more than it is mine. He knows the congregation infinitely better than I do, as He knows His Word infinitely better than I do. Thus, I encourage myself, as I do any pastor, to devote every aspect of preaching and teaching to prayer.

MBTS For those called to preach, what encouragement would you offer to help them steward the task well?

TYLER The calling is worth it! I have not imagined a more glorious calling in life, nor have I read in the Scriptures a more glorious calling than preaching the gospel. Devote your life to it. Let preaching Christ be first place above everything else in your life.

Charles H. Spurgeon once proclaimed, “Never was man blamed in heaven for preaching Christ too much.” For preachers and those who aspire to preach, let us all devote our lives to this feat. Let us attempt to be one day found guilty before our Lord of “preaching Christ too much.”

Meet JOEL VANCIL

Joel Vancil serves as church planter and pastor of Church of the Redeemer in Ashley, Illinois. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in historical theology at Midwestern Seminary, where he previously earned his undergraduate and M.Div. degrees through the Spurgeon College Accelerate program.

MBTS What led you to pursue a Ph.D. in historical theology at Midwestern, and how do you hope to use your studies for the Church?

JOEL VANCIL As a church planter, I have a heart for the many unchurched regions of the Midwest, so geography and accessibility played an important factor. The Global Campus at Midwestern

Seminary allowed me to interact with professors and classmates while continuing to serve my local church. Studying under professors such as Dr. Kidd, Dr. McMullen, and Dr. Duesing while reading their works was a great joy. It was Midwestern’s Global Campus options and convenient location that first caught my attention as an undergraduate student; and it is the experience, intellect,

and character of Midwestern’s professors that convinced me to remain with the school on this next step of my academic career.

I am also a firm believer in the seminary’s mission to be for the Church . As a pastor, I have a responsibility to “equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:16). Every aspect of Midwestern seeks to serve that end.

MBTS In what ways has your seminary education shaped your approach to preaching and pastoral ministry?

JOEL My seminary education has helped me to be more well-rounded. I have more tools in my tool belt, as well as a deeper love and appreciation for the church. A practical example is preaching. Prior to seminary, I had a difficult time organizing my thoughts in biblical exposition. Oftentimes, my preaching sounded more like a commentary of the text than a sermon. Through Dr. Allen’s expository preaching course and Dr. Awbrey’s subsequent preaching lab, I developed the art of crafting an introduction, organizing an exegetical outline into a homiletical outline with clear and concise points that arise from the main point of the text, and landing the sermon with a practical conclusion. I was helped to simply explain, illustrate, and apply the biblical text.

MBTS Tell us about how God led you into church planting.

JOEL God called me to pastoral ministry when I was 20 years old. As a farm boy from the rural Midwest, I initially saw myself as more of a revitalization and replant guy. I fell in love with what the Lord was doing through men such as Mark Clifton in places like Linwood, Kansas, and I desired to see fresh life breathed into small, dying churches across the heartland. I had been pastoring in this setting for nearly a decade when the Lord began to prick my heart with the fact

that many communities don’t have churches to revitalize or replant. Several of these communities are within a few miles of where I was raised.

As I prayed about this, I began to zero in on the little town of Ashley, Illinois. Historically, Ashley was home to both a United Methodist congregation and a Southern Baptist congregation. However, both churches disbanded in recent years, leaving the town with no gospel presence. What Ashley needed was its own community church where locals proclaim the gospel to each other and live out the gospel in community. I came to be convinced that church planting is biblical evangelism, and I realized that bringing the gospel to communities like Ashley was going to require more gospel-centered churches raised up in these communities.

MBTS What advice would you give to pastors who desire to pursue more theological education while balancing the demands of full-time ministry?

JOEL Do it! I am a part-time, tri-vocational church planter, teaching high school and managing the family farm. Although the juggle is heavy, every minute is worth it. You will appreciate the accountability of being given a subject to study and books to read. Pastors need this discipline. Iron sharpens iron (Prov. 27:17).

Pastors, we have been called to the great task of proclaiming the wonderful riches of our infinite God. One of my favorite passages of Scripture is Matthew 13:52: “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” We have at our disposal infinite treasures both new and old. Let us never become weary of going deep into the mine and doing the hard work of theological education so that we may come forth every week to our people and say, “Look what I have found! Look at the infinite treasures of Christ!” We must always be digging, learning, and proclaiming the new and old treasures of Christ. My advice, therefore, is simple: do it.

Meet

ALEX MORRISON

Alex Morrison came to Spurgeon College to pursue an M.Div. through the Accelerate program. As a student, he became involved in Fusion, helping lead students on overseas missions. Upon graduating, he and his soon-to-be wife hope to serve overseas with the International Mission Board as they continue in a faithful walk with Christ.

MBTS What experiences at Spurgeon College have most impacted you and equipped you to serve the Kingdom?

ALEX MORRISON I was most impacted through a combination of what I learned in class, relationships with professors, and ministry opportunities offered at Spurgeon College. What I learned in class grew my personal faith and therefore strengthened my ability to minister to others. My professors were not only faithful examples; they were friends and mentors who shaped me and gave advice that made me who I

am. Finally, I was able to take what I learned from class and be faithful to the Great Commission while serving over summer breaks with GenSend, Fusion, and World Changers.

MBTS How did you become involved in the Fusion program, and what roles have you had?

ALEX I learned about Fusion through the students I became friends with while living in the Residence Hall and taking on-campus classes. I was interested in overseas missions, so each summer was a step toward discerning whether

that was where God was guiding me. During my first summer at the seminary, I served in San Diego through GenSend. Then Fusion allowed me to partner with an intern on a team and go to Turkey the following summer. After that, I was blessed with the opportunity to be a Fusion Advocate and lead a team to Madagascar.

MBTS What has been most formative about leading and working alongside others in disciple-making?

ALEX Of the many things I could list, living in the life-on-life discipleship of Fusion grew my faith by helping me see hidden sins in my life, teaching me perseverance through trials, and showing me the glory of God when others were sanctified or saved. In America, we live in a very individualistic culture, and I think many of us are blind to it. I was, until I went overseas with Fusion and lived in other countries full of hospitality. In Fusion, God completely reversed my focus from myself to Him and others. Living in a community where I cannot make a single individualistic decision but must always consider the wants and needs of my team was the furnace I needed to destroy my pride and selfishness.

Throughout my time here, my view of God grew, and I learned that perseverance in the faith was sustained not only through my one-on-one relationship with God, but also by the believers around me. I learned that my weakness displays the glory of God and that bringing my weakness to others is crucial for conquering spiritual battles.

Disciple-making is a blessing because you get a front-row seat to see God’s glory. When you are rejected, you see the glory of God’s grace that you, a sinner, can even believe in God and aren’t lost. When people are saved, you have the privilege of witnessing the complete life-change and joy that come from a relationship with Christ. In sanctification, after the long wrestling with God against sin, watching the Holy Spirit destroy sin in other’s lives is worth all the difficulty.

MBTS For high school students who sense a call to ministry, what advice would you give to help them prepare and pursue it faithfully?

ALEX First, they should look to the end; they should discern the purpose and end of their life. Is it to glorify God and serve others in a way that fulfills the Great Commission? They should examine the lives of faithful leaders in the area of ministry they desire to pursue and seek to imitate their example. Next, they should look inward to assess their character, their walk with God, and their giftings. A person’s walk directly affects the people they minister to. If there is corruption in a person’s heart, there will be corruption in that person’s actions. Finally, they should look to God’s means of guidance: reading the Word daily, praying, seeking counsel from their local church and mentors who know them, and researching and reading books on discerning their calling. God will speak through these means and guide their steps. They must hold their plans loosely and submit to the Lord’s timing and guidance.

MBTS How did you come to pursue the field of biblical spirituality?

DONALD S. WHITNEY My dad was a wonderful example of consistent Christian living. Part of his example was that of a daily Bible reader. Moreover, my childhood church emphasized daily Bible reading. About a month or so after I went

DONALD S. WHITNEY

Professor of Biblical Spirituality and John H. Powell Endowed Chair of Pastoral Ministry at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Donald S. Whitney is the Professor of Biblical Spirituality and John H. Powell Endowed Chair of Pastoral Ministry at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He served at Midwestern Seminary in a similar position from 1995 to 2005, and then as Professor of Biblical Spirituality and Associate Dean at Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, from 2005 to 2024. He has authored nine books, including Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life and Praying the Bible , and he is a popular conference speaker, especially on personal and congregational spirituality. Dr. Whitney also serves as the founder and president of The Center for Biblical Spirituality. He holds a Ph.D. in theology from the University of the Free State in South Africa and a D.Min. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Prior to his ministry as a seminary professor, he was pastor of Glenfield Baptist Church in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, for almost 15 years. Altogether, he has served local churches in pastoral ministry for 24 years. Dr. Whitney lives with his wife, Caffy, in Kansas City, Missouri. They have a married daughter, Laurelen, and five grandchildren.

to college, I visited a Christian bookstore and bought a book on prayer. Though I did not know what they were called, the Lord was cultivating in me an interest in the spiritual disciplines.

I thrived spiritually in seminary. I read the biography of George Müller, and it revolutionized my prayer life. At the end of my first semester, I married Caffy.

Only heaven will reveal how much her own devotion to the disciplines and support of my growing interest in the study of them contributed to me becoming a professor of biblical spirituality.

During those years, I connected with Dr. T.W. Hunt who remained a father in ministry to me until his death a few years ago. He was revered for his personal holiness and was the most prayerful man I’ve ever known.

In my last week at seminary, I stumbled across a new book that introduced me to the term “spiritual disciplines” and pulled together a lot of threads for me. I devoured books and recordings that related to the disciplines and Christian living, and my preaching reflected those emphases. I enrolled in a D.Min. program, and out of a project for a seminar came the outlines that resulted in my first book, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life.

MBTS How does preaching relate to the spiritual disciplines?

DR. WHITNEY Preaching—along with teaching, discipling, and modeling—is one way God has revealed in Scripture for a pastor to communicate what the Bible says about the spiritual disciplines. Pastors should preach about the spiritual disciplines when they find them in the text and look for ways to make applications related to the spiritual disciplines when appropriate.

Although teaching, discipling, and modeling are other Scriptural ways of shepherding people regarding the disciplines, in preaching, pastors can do them all. Even a sermon illustration that begins, “In my personal Bible reading the other day,” teaches that Bible intake is an important practice for all Christians, implies that this is what disciples of Jesus should do, and fulfills the biblical mandate for pastors to be “examples to the flock” (1 Pet. 5:3).

MBTS How has your time in pastoral ministry influenced your approach to teaching in seminary?

DR. WHITNEY Altogether I’ve spent 24 years in pastoral ministry. Some were part-time, but most were fulltime, including almost 15 years as pastor of an SBC

church in the Chicago area. This ministry experience, along with 70 years of active participation in local churches, has made it impossible for me to teach in a seminary classroom without applying the instruction to ministry in the church.

By God’s grace, I am a lifelong churchman. I was even taken to church Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night for nine months before I was born. The family of God is my family. My ministry as a seminary professor is, ultimately, for the glory of God and for my family—for the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

MBTS What encouragement would you offer to seminary students and pastors for cultivating healthy spiritual disciplines amid the demands of ministry life?

DR. WHITNEY It is essential that seminary students maintain a personal devotional life and not consider their classroom work a substitute. The same is true for pastors who can be tempted to let their sermon preparation function as a replacement for personal spiritual disciplines. Both students and pastors must remember they are Christians first and students or pastors second. As Christians, they need to feed their souls and commune with God in the ways that all Christians should.

The interpersonal spiritual disciplines mandate a student’s active involvement in a local church throughout their time in seminary. Pastors engage in most of the interpersonal disciplines simply as part of their job. But they must be careful to participate in them wholeheartedly and not merely as an obligation. Pastors may also find a group of other pastors with whom they can profit from the discipline of biblical koinonia, talking about God and the things of God, and discuss preaching and pastoral issues. Pastors can benefit from the right kinds of conferences where they can hear the Word preached and worship God as a part of the congregation, unburdened by the responsibilities of leadership. The biblical spiritual disciplines are the God-given means whereby all Christians are to experience and enjoy God and grow in Christlikeness. All believers, including seminary students and pastors, need both.

Like Treasure Hidden in a Field

How God Called Bill and Connie Jenkins to Invest in His Kingdom

Growing up in small-town Pennsylvania, Bill Jenkins dreamed of owning a farm.

Upon graduating high school in 1963, he took a career aptitude test and received farmer as his top score. His second highest score was businessman.

“You’re going to be a businessman,” his mother told him in response to his scores, “so you can afford to be a farmer.”

Following her advice, Bill received a scholarship to New York University where he earned his Master of Business

Administration in 1968. From New York City, he moved into a 46-year investment career that eventually landed him in a high-rise office in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. With his view taken up by concrete and steel, the rural life Bill dreamed of could not have appeared farther from reach.

Yet through his career, God was leading him— not simply to a farm, but to fields He was planting to the ends of the earth.

Treasures on Earth

Bill grew up knowing Christ, but he did not always connect his faith to his aspirations. “I was always a believer. I always went to church,” he remembers. “But when I started out in my business career, I was not focused on God.”

With a keen interest in the stock market and a proven aptitude for his work, he sought, in the early decades of his career, to distinguish himself in business and accumulate wealth.

Bill met his wife, Connie, while working in Louisville—he in common stocks, she in bond trading. She was a mother of three from Kentucky. In the early years of their marriage, as they led a blended family with four sons, Bill and Connie determined that what their family needed most to thrive was, as Connie put it, “Wide open

Bill and Connie Jenkins have been an ongoing source of encouragement and support to Midwestern Seminary. Through their extraordinary generosity, Bill and Connie made the Spurgeon Library possible in 2015, and they led the effort to fund its acquisition of the Heritage Collection in 2023. Bill and Connie live in Paoli, Indiana, where they attend First Baptist Church and are blessed with four grown sons and five grandchildren.

spaces to roam.” They needed a place where their youngest boys could have fun and their family could bond through sharing everyday work together.

So, they moved to a farm.

They made their home on 1,000 acres in the small town of Paoli, Indiana, nestled among the cornfields and cow pastures of Orange County, an hour north of Bill’s job in Louisville. Here, the farm’s hilly landscape afforded the Jenkins family plenty of room to explore—along with hay to bale, wood to chop, and basketball to play in the barn. Bill’s childhood dream had come true.

But he and Connie soon came to realize that the dream was not the destination.

Buying the Field

It began with Connie. “When my last son left home, I was looking for something,” she remembers. For her, the farm had not been a lifelong dream. “We were only supposed to stay until our youngest son was 18.”

When that day passed and found Bill and Connie still on the farm, Connie began to consider what else God might be leading her to do. “I thought about going back to school,” she recalls. “I attended church regularly, and I felt the Lord calling me to something. I just wasn’t sure what it was.”

She called Southern Seminary, just an hour down the road in Louisville. They told her about a women’s ministry institute soon to be launched, and she enrolled.

Around that time, Bill began to feel a similar longing. Though he had his farm and the successful business career that afforded it, he felt a growing sense that God had equipped him with financial success for something more.

It was the late summer of 2001. Bill’s career was flourishing. Their children were grown and out of the house, the eldest son in the military. Bill and Connie attended church faithfully. Their congregation needed a new sanctuary. Situated in a county with a poverty line beneath the national average, the church struggled to raise the funds.

Then, on a Tuesday morning in September, Bill and Connie woke to the news of a terrorist attack in New York City.

Along with millions of other Americans, they thought the world was coming to an end.

In the cloud of devastation left by 9/11, the calling for which God had been preparing Bill and Connie came into focus.

“We really don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring,” Connie thought. “If the world does end, we

want our money to have had a Kingdom impact.”

She approached Bill with an idea: They could pay for the church’s new sanctuary.

“The moment she mentioned it,” Bill recalls, “my whole focus changed. Before I was trying to accumulate wealth, but at that moment I started thinking about what I was going to do with it.”

Immediately he agreed with Connie’s idea. “That’s what we want to do,” he said. “That meets our purpose in life, praising God and helping others.”

The sanctuary building project for Paoli Christian Church became the first major initiative Bill and Connie funded. The calling they realized that day in 2001 grew to involve additional projects in which they invested, all of which would yield a harvest both for the Kingdom and for Bill and Connie themselves.

Investing in the Kingdom

Christians ministering among Muslim peoples. Named in their honor, the Jenkins Center for the Christian Understanding of Islam launched in 2014. The Center provides evangelism training, scholarly resources, and mission opportunities for students, missionaries, and pastors.

Through their work with Southern Seminary, Bill and Connie became acquainted with Jason Allen, who served there at the time as vice president for institutional advancement and executive director of the Southern Seminary Foundation. “Jason understood our values and what we believed our purpose was,” Connie shared.

When Allen assumed the presidency of Midwestern Seminary, the seminary was in possession of Charles Spurgeon’s personal library, boxed up in a basement with no place to be displayed nor any funding to construct one. Allen brought to Midwestern Seminary a vision to bring the massive collection into its own library, where it could be properly preserved, displayed, and mined by scholars for the Church’s benefit for years to come.

Connie graduated from Southern Seminary’s Women’s Ministry Institute in 2003 and 2007 with two certificates in women’s biblical studies. Her academic experience planted in the Jenkins family a vision for investing in biblically rooted, flourishing institutions.

In 2010, Bill and Connie contributed to a new Christian studies center at Bill’s undergraduate alma mater, Grove City College. The building, Rathburn Hall, would offer a location to serve the spiritual needs of students on campus, including a venue to host conferences and retreats.

Next, the Jenkins family returned to Southern Seminary, giving to its initiative to provide expanded equipping for

When he shared this vision with Bill and Connie, they were immediately on board. “It wasn’t difficult for us to understand the magnitude of Spurgeon’s collection,” Connie remembers. “It needed a home.”

In 2015, Midwestern Seminary officially dedicated the Spurgeon Library, singlehandedly funded by Bill and Connie Jenkins. In 2023, Bill and Connie furthered their support of Charles Spurgeon’s legacy through the Spurgeon Library by contributing to Midwestern Seminary’s acquisition of the Heritage Collection from Spurgeon’s College UK.

Since then, Bill and Connie have given funds to support the construction of the Scharnberg Business and Communication Center at Cedarville University in

Cedarville, Ohio, where Connie also gives her time as a trustee. The Center houses the Robert W. Plaster School of Business and was officially dedicated in August 2024.

Receiving a Hundredfold

Bill and Connie see their calling as giving away what God has given them to support His Kingdom purposes.

“What we have is really not ours,” Connie says. “What we have is to share and to serve others in order to glorify God.”

Though Bill once sought to distinguish himself by the yield of his investments, he now seeks to distinguish himself by his willingness to give those yields away. He follows God’s call to be rich in good works, seeking to live by the words of 1 Timothy 6:17–19.

In a similar way, when Connie sought to discern what God was calling her into, she pursued training for women’s ministry. Through her training, she discovered that God had gifted her to help extend the ministry of others.

Treasures in Heaven

Today, Connie and Bill enjoy life on their farm. Connie gardens and cans green beans, and Bill, who retired from business in 2013, tends to the farm equipment and loves to hunt deer on their land. Three of their sons live on the property. Their eldest son returned from military service and now serves as Bill and Connie’s pastor. Their grandchildren, like their boys before, enjoy roaming Bill and Connie’s 1,000 acres, stopping in from time to time to enjoy ice cream with their Grammy.

Recently, Connie found herself saying to Bill, “One thing I look forward to in heaven is to sit at the Lord’s table and meet all of those who will have been impacted by the Spurgeon Library. I want them to tell me their stories—what they did with what they gained, and how they impacted others’ lives.”

As they have followed God’s call on their lives, Bill and Connie recognize many blessings He has multiplied to them on the journey. Through the initiatives they have given to, they have gained friendships, have seen God supply more blessings for them to give away, and have received much joy as a result.

On top of that, they have gained a deep appreciation for God’s grace in appointing everyday people to be part of the Kingdom He is building and the family He is redeeming over all the earth.

As Bill and Connie look forward to seeing God’s Kingdom purposes come to full fruition in glory, they marvel at the grace of being called to participate.

“Of all the people in the world and of all the wealth across the globe, God chose to connect the Spurgeon Library to a northeastern Yankee and a girl from Kentucky. We’re just out here in the country picking tomatoes,” Connie laughs. “We were used by God, and we are so thankful we’ve been called for such a time as this.”

By Michaela Classen Associate Editor, For the Church Editorial and Email Marketing Manager, Midwestern Seminary

You were created for a purpose. Live your life for the Kingdom.

Recent News

The latest news and events from Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College

SIZEMORE LECTURES

MARCH 5–6, 2024 D. A. Carson delivered the annual Sizemore Lectures at Midwestern Seminary, addressing the New Testament use of the Old Testament in Hebrews. His time on campus included two lectures in chapel and a Q&A luncheon with President Allen.

SPURGEON KNIGHTS MAKE HISTORY

MARCH 16, 2024 The Spurgeon College Men’s Basketball team placed third in the NCCAA DII National Tournament, where senior Jude Warren was named the National Player of the Year in the division.

INTERPRETING THE BIBLE COURSE

MARCH 22, 2024 In a new three-part course from For the Church Institute, Dr. Todd Chipman shows how to use literature, history, and theology to understand and interpret Scripture. The course is available for free online, along with a variety of additional courses for individuals and groups.

APRIL 11, 2024 Dr. Whitney was elected to serve on faculty as Professor of Biblical Spirituality in the John H. Powell Endowed Chair of Pastoral Ministry. Dr. Whitney’s election highlights the Seminary’s commitment to developing men and women who reflect Christ in their churches, families, and personal lives.

SPURGEON LIBRARY REDEDICATION

APRIL 9, 2024 During the Spring Trustee Meeting, the Spurgeon Library unveiled new additions from the recently acquired Charles Spurgeon Heritage Collection. President Jason Allen recognized key individuals and organizations who participated in the acquisition; “These artifacts, books, and documents are very special not only to us, but to Christians around the world.”

DONALD S. WHITNEY JOINS FACULTY

9MARKS AT MIDWESTERN

APRIL 16–17, 2024 Midwestern Seminary partnered with 9Marks to host a conference aimed at providing a biblical understanding of church membership and cultivating meaningful membership practices in the local church.

SPRING COMMENCEMENT

MAY 3, 2024 “Wherever you go, you do not go alone,” said President Jason Allen, addressing the 260 spring graduates of Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College. “You go into a church that Christ is building. You go to be faithful to the name of Christ with the Spirit working in you and through you.”

SPURGEON LIBRARY CONFERENCE

APRIL 24, 2024 Michael Reeves, President of Union Theological Seminary, served as one of the plenary speakers for the 2024 Spurgeon Library Conference. The conference was held in the Spurgeon Library and featured additional keynote presentations from professors Thomas Kidd and Geoff Chang.

MEET ON THE LAWN

AUGUST 16, 2024 Local ministry leaders joined students, faculty, and their families to kick off the semester at Meet on the Lawn, which featured dessert, a kids’ zone, and a concert by Kings Kaleidoscope.

MBTS AT SBC24

JUNE 9–12, 2024 Midwestern Seminary hosted two events at the SBC24 annual meeting: the Alumni & Friends Luncheon and the FTC Micro-Conference, both featuring worship led by Sandra McCracken.

FOR THE CHURCH NATIONAL CONFERENCE

SEPTEMBER 23–24, 2024 Midwestern Seminary welcomed more than 1,000 pastors and ministry leaders to campus for the 2024 For the Church National Conference.This year's conference focused on the theme, “Faithful: Serving the Most Beautiful People on Earth.”

Our FacultyWrites For the Church

DELIGHTING IN THE OLD TESTAMENT: THROUGH CHRIST AND FOR CHRIST

JASON S. DEROUCHIE | FEBRUARY 13, 2024 (CROSSWAY)

Jason S. DeRouchie, Research Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Theology, offers Old Testament scholarship for the Church in Delighting in the Old Testament: Through Christ and For Christ. In this book, DeRouchie guides Christians biblically and practically to understand the Old Testament in light of Christ and enjoy its ongoing relevance for their lives and God’s glory.

THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST: AN EXEGETICAL AND THEOLOGICAL READING PATRICK SCHREINER | FEBRUARY 27, 2024 (BAKER ACADEMIC)

Patrick Schreiner, Associate Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology, released The Transfiguration of Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Reading to explore the significance of the transfiguration. Schreiner’s book shows how the transfiguration showcases Christ’s glory and illuminates the promised hope for Christians to be re-made in His image.

THE STORIED LIFE: CHRISTIAN WRITING AS ART AND WORSHIP JARED C. WILSON | MAY 7, 2024 (ZONDERVAN)

Jared C. Wilson, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Author in Residence, released his twenty-seventh book, The Storied Life: Christian Writing as Art and Worship . In The Storied Life , Wilson explores the themes of writing and story, offering spiritual and practical insights to help readers see the power of story in the Christian life and grow in the skill of writing for God’s glory.

CHRIST OUR ALL: POEMS FOR THE CHRISTIAN PILGRIM GEOFFREY CHANG | MAY 15, 2024 (B&H ACADEMIC)

Geoffrey Chang, Curator of the Spurgeon Library and Assistant Professor of Church History and Historical Theology, compiled hundreds of Charles Spurgeon’s original poems in Christ Our All: Poems for the Christian Pilgrim . Reflecting themes of prayer, heaven, salvation, and God’s faithfulness, the collection includes 186 poems never before published.

THE DIVINE CHRISTOLOGY OF THE APOSTLE PAUL: RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT

JOHN J. R. LEE | MAY 28, 2024 (IVP ACADEMIC)

John J. R. Lee, Professor of New Testament, coauthored The Divine Christology of the Apostle Paul: Retrospect and Prospect with fellow New Testament scholars Chris Bruno and Thomas R. Schreiner. Engaging recent scholarship on Paul’s epistles, the book examines the New Testament to show pastors, scholars, and lay readers that Paul identified Jesus as the God of Israel.

PREACHING AND THE GREAT COMMISSION

JASON K. ALLEN | JUNE 4, 2024 (B&H)

President Jason K. Allen compiled two new volumes of Charles Spurgeon’s sermons centered on the themes Preaching and The Great Commission . Each volume contains six sermons, offering current and aspiring preachers a model to follow in the dominant theme of Spurgeon’s preaching: the central importance of Christ and His sacrificial death to save sinners.

SPRING PREVIEW DAY

SECONDHAND SOCIAL

SPRING PICNIC

FUSION COMMISSIONING

HYMN SING WITH MATT BOSWELL

UK STUDY TOUR

SPURGEON COLLEGE COHORT CLOSING CEREMONY

SBC24

SPURGEON COLLEGE COHORT OLYMPICS

NCCAA DII NATIONAL TOURNAMENT RUN

BASKETBALL TAILGATE

CHURCH PLANTING SUMMIT

SPURGEON LIBRARY CONFERENCE WITH MICHAEL REEVES

SCUDDER LECTURE WITH TONY REINKE

NORTH OAK COLLECTIVE IN CHAPEL

FTC WORKSHOP WITH GUIDESTONE

Gospel-Centered Preaching

by ROSS FERGUSON

While attending Heriot-Watt University, I took a public speaking class. The course led students to produce and effectively deliver a public speech on any given subject. A well-crafted and excellently delivered speech can certainly produce results; at the very least an applause would be warranted. Although a response is given, it is usually short-lived— and even the best of speeches will soon be forgotten. These emotional responses rely on a rousing speech. Therein lies the problem: When we apply the principles of a public speaking class to preaching, we can expect short-lived emotional responses but no real transformation in the lives of our hearers. When it comes to preaching, we need a different set of principles. To see a significant and eternal difference in the lives of our churches, we need gospel-centered preaching.

What Is the Gospel?

Before we consider how the gospel impacts preaching, we must first understand what the gospel is. The gospel simply means good

news. When it comes to Scripture, the gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ, and it is the point of the whole Bible. God made all things perfect (Gen. 1–2), yet sin entered the world through the actions of Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:6). With a broken covenant, sin impacts all mankind (Rom. 3:23). God, being just, must punish sin and declares that mankind faces death (Rom. 6:23).

Yet God, in His eternal redemptive plan, sent Jesus, fully God and fully man, to this world (John 3:16). He lived a perfect, sinless life; in so doing, He could be a perfect sacrificial lamb (Heb. 10:12). By God’s will, Jesus suffered to the point of death on the cross. His death was the punishment that we should have paid (Mark 15:37–39). He was buried but three days later rose from the dead. Through His resurrection, Jesus is able to offer life and a relationship with God to all who would place their faith in Him (John 10:10). It is good news for sinners that they have a way to deal a death blow to their sin and have their brokenness forgiven. The gospel can be described in many

ways, but it must always include the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as the way to the Father. The condemned, through faith in Jesus, find forgiveness and rest.

What Is Gospel-Centered Preaching?

Edmund Clowney in his book Preaching Christ in All of Scripture states clearly that “gospel preaching presents Jesus.” Many preachers will present anything but Jesus. Two prevalent ways to preach are moralistic and pragmatic. Moralistic preaching considers the do’s and do not’s that Christians should live by. Pragmatic preaching is leaning into promises fulfilled if you do a certain activity (usually obedience to the law). In each of these ways, the preacher presents to the congregation a road map to God, which centers on behaviors. Specifically, these behaviors consider what you as the individual can and should do. In other words, much preaching places the person at the center and God on the outside as something we must work toward.

Gospel-centered preaching puts Jesus at the center of not only the message but the entire story arc. It is the good news of salvation in Jesus that radiates out, touching everything and transforming all from the inside out. What makes one a Christian? Faith in Christ. Therefore, what makes a sermon Christian? Christ must be presented. Otherwise, we are simply delivering a speech or lecture that would fit well in a public speaking class. Yet, gospelcentered preaching is not simply stating the story of the gospel or reminding people about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The sermon and the preacher are fueled by the gospel itself; without it their message is dead. Yes, the preacher must present Jesus, but not in a stale recitation of the facts. The preacher must proclaim the good news with passion and in anticipation that lives will be transformed.

The preacher is presenting Jesus, and it is Jesus who speaks to the heart of the sinner. In gospelcentered preaching, we must be careful not to enact the roles of Jesus. It is only He that can save mankind. The preacher has no power outside the message he preaches. The preacher has no wisdom outside the Word of God. Therefore, the preacher must present the good news of Jesus as Savior and friend of sinners, or the preacher leaves the lost damned in their sin.

As the preacher prepares his sermon in a gospel-centered

approach, he will find that the presence of Jesus unifies his message. All of Scripture points to Jesus and the finished work of the cross. Therefore, all Scripturebased sermons must point to Jesus. The preacher is then able to deliver an expositional sermon and find not only that Jesus will be magnified, but that the good news of salvation in His name will be evident to the hearer. It is this type of preaching that delivers the promises of God in Jesus, whereas pragmatism and moralism simply deliver a list of unattainable tasks that lead the sinner to deeper despair. It is not wrong to show clear expectations of obedience in Scripture. However, we do not obey because we think that our keeping of the checklist saves; we preach that Jesus saves through faith and transforms our hearts to want to obey. Gospel-centered preaching makes obedience a gift. The Holy Spirit gifts us the desire to obey in order to glorify God. Suddenly, we are preaching obedience as a joyous walk with Christ rather than a cumbersome step to trip over.

What Should I Expect?

If I deliver a good speech, my expectation is that I would receive a round of applause. So, when we preach gospelcentered sermons, what should we expect? There are two distinct outcomes we should expect from gospel-centered preaching.

The first is the salvation of the sinner. We know that believing comes through the hearing of

the Word (Rom. 10:14–15). As we preach gospel-centered sermons, we present Jesus in and through whom the lost are to believe. We therefore anticipate souls to be saved, for individuals in the congregation to face toward Jesus and be welcomed into the family of God.

The second expectation is that believers in Christ will be renewed and refreshed. We know that the yoke and burden of Jesus is light (Matt. 11:28–30). In the gospel, believers are reminded that Jesus forgives and then carries us to the Father. We can rest in the knowledge that He is changing our hearts and renewing our minds. We are being sanctified through the gospel. In preaching the gospel as central, we radiate the message that Jesus sustains and that He is always enough to satisfy. Hearers of the gospel will be released from the burden of the law and into the gracious arms of Jesus.

Gospel-centered preaching recognizes that Jesus is the central message of Scripture. The sermon is fueled by this message and seeks to powerfully transform the lives of those who hear. Presenting anything else will leave the lost damned. Presenting Jesus in a winsome and loving manner will lead many souls to an eternal relationship with their Creator. Preach expositional sermons, but preach with the power of the gospel at the center.

Pastoring is Tortoise Work: A Lesson for the Young and Aspiring

by TYLER GREENE

I recently asked a fellow pastor I know and trust, “What’s one quality you believe is indispensable for an effective pastor?” After a moment’s thought, his answer came: patience.

If you aspire to pastoral ministry, you likely envision yourself preaching the Word and rightly administering the sacraments. Perhaps you also envision counseling sessions, praying with those who hurt, and leading the ministries of the church. All good things, no doubt. But have you taken time to consider the kind of patience these things actually require? Have you envisioned yourself learning the hard lesson of

being patient and moving slowly? If you would rather not, then one of two things will eventually happen after you enter ministry: You will be crushed, or you will change.

When I was in my twenties and aspiring to the pastorate, I gave little to no serious consideration to my need for patience. And on certain days, I find that I can still be this way. Pastors, like most people, struggle with impatience concerning life’s circumstantial ambiguities, those unresolved things we are chagrined to live with. Ministry is so filled with such ambiguities that a pastor must learn what do to with

them. As much as I may not like it, pastoring is slow, steady work. It is “tortoise work,” not “hare work.”

Of course, a temptation every pastor faces is that of “making things happen.” According to Zack Eswine, our tendency is to do “large things in famous ways as fast and as efficiently as [we] can.” I’ve found that this very thing is widely incentivized, often marketed to me as the model of ministry success. After all, pastors who are thought to “make stuff happen” are the ones who get book deals and amass high follower counts on social media..

Is this the kind of pastor I must be? After you experience enough ministry setbacks, that question answers itself. It doesn’t take long for the hopedfor glitz and glamor of pastoring to fade. You’re then left with the reality that much of your pastoral success is measured by something you didn’t expect: capacity for patience amidst the crises, criticisms, controversies, and conflicts that beset congregational life.

As a young man aspiring to the noble task of pastoring, do you recognize your need to learn patience? Do you see in yourself a tendency to idolize immediacy? Are you frustrated when things don’t happen as quickly as you expect? Consider two observations, both drawn from events described in the book of 1 Samuel.

First observation: Bad things almost always come from impatience. The text provides two examples. First, the people of Israel are impatient for a king (1 Sam. 8:4–6, 19–20). Because of their insistence upon being like other nations and the impatience which accompanies such insistence, Israel ends up with Saul, an epic monarchical failure. Second, once king, Saul acts with haste. At one point, he is impatient for Samuel to arrive in Gilgal. Panicked and unable to wait any longer, he takes matters into his own hands, offering a sacrifice he was not authorized to make (1 Sam. 13:8–14). The divinely ordained expiration date of his kingship is now immanent. Impatience triggers the downfall.

Second observation: Better things—the best things even— tend to come with time. The ark of the covenant remains at Kiriath-jearim for 20 years, at which time the people of Israel are ripe for renewal under Samuel’s leadership (1 Sam. 7:1–4). The absence of the ark, a material emblem of Yahweh’s presence among Israel, becomes felt. They’d had their fill of what the Baals and Ashtaroth had to offer.

So the people begin to lament and long for Yahweh’s presence. But to reach this point, it took time. Conditions for spiritual renewal almost always develop gradually. When a widespread return to God takes place, it is often preceded by years of preparation, an extended time of God working patiently in quiet, unseen places. Yahweh is not one to rush the achievement of His purposes. He is satisfied to play the long game.

Ecclesiastes 7:8b thus seems a fitly spoken word for us, whether we aspire to ministry or have already “arrived.” It says, “Better is the patient in spirit than the proud in spirit.” The contrast here is striking. Pride is the antithesis of patience. This reveals what lurks beneath impatience— Israel’s, Saul’s, and ours.

Let’s be honest. Much too often, “making things happen” is a fruit of nascent pride. The proud in spirit feel they must force a quick fix when faced with prolonged circumstantial ambiguity. They are compulsive and cannot trust God with what they do not understand about

His timing. Too self-interested to wait, they attempt to supplant His unhurried work. However, God honors those who wait patiently upon Him. Humility accompanies the learning of this lesson. Ultimately, a pastor does not control his ministry circumstances. And our best efforts to eliminate the ambiguity of our ministry circumstances may well make things worse.

To pastor effectively, then, learn to feel at home in the reality that your circumstances are a matter of divine purview. God makes things happen, and most of the time it is not ours to know the what and the when of His good providence; the secret things belong to Yahweh (Deut. 29:29). He will cause His purposes to prevail at a time of His sovereign choosing. He will bring resolution to life’s ambiguities in accordance with His wisdom. We must not only learn to accept this; we must learn to embrace it with a heart that is quiet and full of trust.

Mark these things well, all who aspire to such a noble task. God’s ways are not our ways. In His always-wise estimation, the best things come with time. Therefore, alongside your study of Scripture, theology, preaching, and ministry methods, befriend patience also. Though often underestimated, it will be your pastoral superpower. Slow and steady wins the race.

9 Biblical Methods for Encouraging One Another

by CALEB DAVIS

1. Tell Others How God Is Working Through Them

Paul tells the Thessalonians, “ You became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. For the word of the Lord rang out from you , not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that your faith in God has gone out” (1 Thess. 1:7–8, emphasis added throughout). Often, we are blind to the good things God is doing through us. It may be because we always feel there is more to do, because we see the imperfect nature of what we’ve done, or simply because people don’t take the time to notice and appreciate us. But God is working through us. When we see this truth, we are led to thankfulness for the joy of participating with God, and we want to endure. Show people how God is using them.

2. Show Others How God Is Working in Their Life

“The testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you

eagerly wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end” (1 Cor. 1:6–8). God is always working for the good of those who love Him. Yes, life is hard, but too often this is our only focus—the negatives, pain, and brokenness are hyperreal. But there is more to the story. Show people the evidence that God is active, present, and involved in their lives. Show people that God is doing good.

3. Tell People How You See God Growing and Changing Them

“Therefore, we don’t need to say anything, for they themselves report what kind of reception we had from you: how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath” (1 Thess. 1:8–10). In the day to day, people can feel stuck, as though they are making little to no progress. Sometimes we doubt that God wants to change us, has changed us, or can

change us. We often need an outside voice to help us see where we have come from and to celebrate the changes God has made in us. God is sanctifying His people; show them where you see their growth.

4. Praise the Good You See People Doing

Paul says, “I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers, because I hear of your love for all the saints and the faith that you have in the Lord Jesus…I have great joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother” (Philem. 4–7). Much of our good is unseen. Many of our faults are magnified, by ourselves and others. It is too easy to correct error and presume good. Instead, we must thank and celebrate the good we see in others.

5. Remind People God Sees the Good They Are Doing

Likewise, we shouldn’t just say that we see the good that people do. We must remind them that God sees their work and is pleased. “For God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you demonstrated for his name by serving the saints— and by continuing to serve them” (Heb. 6:10).

Imagine if we all had fresh in our minds that, though our work is unseen by many, God sees the time we volunteer at church, our care for crying babies in the middle of the night, our interceding for others, and our sacrificial generosity. God sees it and delights. Let’s remind one another!

6. Declare to Others the Truth of Who They Are

We all struggle with our identity. We are tempted to vacillate between self-righteousness when we are doing well and despair when we are missing the mark. The secular world often seeks to affirm our identity by telling us how great and worthy we are. But this is hopelessly empty. Our identity is more than our greatness. Our identity is rooted in who God has been and will be to us. We need to declare to one another who we really are: “To those who are the called, loved by God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ” (Jude 1–2).

7. Thank People for Being a Blessing to You

“I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer” (Phil. 1:3–6). “For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? Indeed you are our glory and joy!” (1 Thess. 2:19–20). We may think people know how much they mean to us, but they do not. Sometimes people will say something like, “This goes without saying,” or, “I know you know this,” and then offer some encouragement. But I’ve never seen someone respond, “Yeah, yeah, yeah of course.” No, they are profoundly moved. We should be effusive in thanking others for the blessings they are to us.

8. Highlight the Character of God You See in Others

God is renewing each of us more and more into the image of Christ. This means Christians are displaying reflections of God continually. Through others we see a picture of God’s kindness, hospitality, faithfulness, service, boldness, and more. Tell others what you see. “About brotherly love: You don’t need me to write you because you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. In fact, you are doing this toward all the brothers and sisters in the entire region of Macedonia” (1 Thess. 4:9–10).

9. Publicly Recognize the Contributions of Others

Let us not only privately praise others. Like sharing a meal with friends, sharing an encouragement is always better with others. “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church in Cenchreae. So you should welcome her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints and assist her in whatever matter she may require your help. For indeed she has been a benefactor of many—and of me also” (Rom. 16:1–2). Whether in writing, a small group, an introduction, or a Sunday service, give the encouragement of public recognition and honor.

Preaching should not only convey the truth but do so in a way that reflects the beauty of the Gospel.

CHARLES SPURGEON

800.944.MBTS (6287) MBTS.EDU