An Elder Accused - Tuesday with Timothy # 67

1 Timothy 5:19-25  Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.  (20)  Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.  (21)  I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.  (22)  Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.  (23)  Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.  (24)  Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.  (25)  Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid.

First, I want to set forth some propositions that this passage teaches, then we'll come back and examine them.

1. The elder needs to be trusted.
2. There will be false allegations made against the pastor.
3. Accusations against elders are serious.
4. The pastor is not a perfect man
5. The elder is a sinner and is not above discipline. 

In a perfect world, people will appreciate a man who desires to help souls in their pilgrimage. The church will not only shout Amen when the preacher says "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" but understand that reproof, correction, and instruction usually comes with a little sting when he is talking about our sins. But we are not in a perfect world and sometimes feelings get hurt. People get offended. Sometimes false converts try to ruin the ministry of the man that offended and the weapon they use is false accusation. Sometimes false teachers attempt to ruin the man to get rid of the message. Often unbelievers and religious hypocrites hate Christ and take their ire out on Christ's men. Read the Pauline epistles and you'll see that the Elders will be accused of wrongdoing or evil because of the truth. In light of these realities, the church is not to receive accusations without witnesses. Even if it is a church member who makes the accusation. The whole point of chapter 3 was to find men of character, men the church can trust. You cannot take the word of the first person that complains about the preacher and then insist that he defend himself on every charge. If you cannot trust your pastor, why is he your pastor?

The pastor shouldn't have to defend himself against every little accusation someone wants to throw at him. The church should be understanding that this is going to happen. This protects the pastor, the ministry, and the church. The demand for witnesses presupposes trust. I'm not talking about blind trust or being a sycophant, but trusting you pastor to be a man of God and not trusting anyone and everyone more than him. If the church believes every accusation thrown and their elders that would mean they trust everyone but their elders. Think about that. If you believe every bad thing someone hurls at your pastor and think every accusation is cause for dismissal, then you do not trust the man. How can a man effectively preach, help, exhort, rebuke, and exhort if you cannot trust him, at all? The church should assume the best from their pastor and the pastor should be considered innocent until proven guilty and the standard of evidence is high. One person with a grudge should not be able to derail the ministry. A false allegation is a terrible sin against any Christian. There is more at stake when the pastor is accused because it not only affects the man, but also the church, the churches witness, and the name of Christ. The church is going to need more than just a disgruntled person throwing accusations around to take action against their pastor. 

Them that sin, rebuke before all. The elder is not above sin, nor is he above the church. The church does have the duty and the authority to discipline the pastor if he sins. If the elder is guilty, and it is proven, he needs to be rebuked. Public sins need public rebuke. Church discipline has a twofold effect: it brings the sinner to a point of decision/repentance and warns others of the consequence of sin. When sin is committed, the church has two options. They can discipline the guilty or punish the innocent. Churches, in their desire to be compassionate to the guilty, forget that ignoring sins can punish those who were harmed and sinned against. So if a false accusation persists against the pastor, but the church is being compassionate to the trouble maker, they have punished the pastor and made a culture of false witness. By not defending their pastor they have allowed the false accusations to stick and to gain ground. However, if the pastor sins, and it is proven, but the church ignores it out of compassion, then those the pastor has sinned against are punished.

This is a serious issue. Paul charges Timothy before God the Father, God the Son, and all the holy angels in Heaven, that he must observe these matters of church discipline. Timothy cannot overlook the sin of anyone in the church, no matter who they are and how long they have been there. For shame on the church that has double standards in church discipline. For shame if there are some people who are disciplined with the shake of the head and a pious quoting of 1 John 2:19 while others are allowed to do and and live however they please. God is watching.

Which brings us back to the qualifications of the elder. That is why it is so important for the church to examine, not only the man's doctrine, but his life. The ordination of a man is no light thing. When you lay hands on a man and ordain him, the man and the church is putting their stamp of approval on him and his ministry. To lay hands on a man who does not have the moral character to be a pastor, you have done yourself, the church, and the ministry great harm. Make sure due diligence is taken before selecting a man to be an elder. I understand the tradition behind a counsel of visiting elders in the ordination process, but out of town preachers cannot judge a man's life and character if they only know him from fellowship meetings. This is a matter for the church, and I'm afraid that it isn't taken as seriously as it should be.

The church needs to judge herself. I'll just add this because of the day and time in which we live. The church deals with all sin issues. Skipping church for a few months is not a felony, even though it is a sin. However, some sins are also criminal issues. Not all sins are crimes, but when the sin in question is a crime, then the church must get the authorities involved. Being a Christian is not a get out of jail free card.

Preaching & Preachers: The Preacher, part 2

Chapter 6 of Lloyd-Jones book Preaching & Preachers deals with the preacher himself. The second section deals with how a church can know if a man is called to preach. It is the churches responsibility, after all, to train, ordain, and send out preachers, so there must be some way to know if a man can be a preacher. The man must:

1. Filled with the Spirit
2. Have a godly character
3. Have wisdom
4. Have patience and forbearance 
5. Have an understanding of people and human nature
6. He must have the mental ability 
7. He must have the gift of speech

George Herbert's Prayer before a Sermon

"Thou hast exalted thy mercy above all things,

and hast made our salvation,

not our punishment,

thy glory:

So that then where sin abounded,

not death but grace superabounded

-- accordingly, when we had sinned beyond any help

in heaven or earth,

then thou saidest,

Lo, I come."

George Herbert

The Pearl of Great Price by Lewis Kiger

C.H. Spurgeon was a well-known and respected 19^th Century preacher in England. In his biography, a story is told of an eye-opening event with a well-to-do and prominent citizen of London.

Spurgeon was strolling down the city streets one day when he met this youthful well-dressed man. In short order, the privileged young man informed the preacher that he had obtained everything that was needed in life. He proudly stated that he was young, healthy and had become a lucrative business man. After a few moments, the seasoned preacher asked, “that’s well enough, but do you know the Lord? Are you a Christian?” The affluent man answered, “What need do I have of that? That has no interest for me.” Spurgeon then asked, “Sir, will you accompany me for a few moments?” The man reluctantly agreed.

Down the street they went and entered into a dilapidated apartment building. They walked up two flights of stairs and knocked on the door of this tiny apartment. Minutes passed slowly as they stood waiting for a response. The impatient young man was eager to move on with his busy day but eventually the door gingerly opened. Standing there, hunched over, was an elderly lady. Her face was wrinkled by the years and her body crippled with arthritis. She was delighted to have visitors, one being her pastor. It was obvious by the cold room and ragged conditions that the lady was very poor. With pain making each step nearly unbearable, she eased back across the barren apartment and onto her bed.

Once settled, she expressed to the men how grateful she was for the generosity of her church and the Lord’s people. “Why if it wasn’t for them, I couldn’t even afford this little apartment,” she whispered. Spurgeon, knowing what she would say, inquired, “Sister, what do you have to look forward to in this life?” “Nothing, nothing on this earth” she responded.

The wise old preacher then asked, “Sister, the man I have brought with me today has youth, vigor, wealth and a prosperous future, but he does not have Christ. If you could, would you be willing to trade places with him?”

In spite of the throbbing pain, the old woman sat up in her bed, turned toward her guests and with a look of shock and confusion she boldly exclaimed, “Trade places with him? Never!” 

Reader, if you have never trusted Christ it does not matter how much wealth or vitality you have, you are a spiritual pauper.

Jesus uses the parable found in Matthew 13:45-46 to illustrate that eternal life is of greater value than anything else on earth. In the parable, our Lord states that the kingdom of God is like a merchant man seeking fine pearls. After finding a single pearl of enormous value, the merchant goes and sells all he has in order to obtain this one pearl.

The narrative teaches us that this merchant man considered this one single pearl worth more than everything else he owned. He was willing to sell everything in order to purchase this solitary prize. Such is the kingdom of God.

John Everett Millais

Entering into the kingdom of Christ is the single greatest treasure there is. Nothing is worth more. Christ’s kingdom is so precious that we should be willing to sell everything, or leave everything behind in order to obtain it.

Of course, we know that entrance into this glorious kingdom cannot be bought with money. A parable is simply an illustration. Parables are descriptive and not prescriptive. In other words, no amount of money, penance, or sacrament can purchase entrance into God’s kingdom. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

Perhaps you have been searching for something to satisfy the emptiness inside you. One Bible scholar has said, that every human has a “God-shaped hole” in them, that only He can fill. Every person that has trusted in the sinless life, sacrificial death and glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins, feel just exactly like the old lady in the story. There is nothing we would exchange for eternal life. It is the Pearl of Great Price.

Have you found it?

Pastor Lewis Kiger

Memorial Heights Baptist Church

svdbygrace2@roadrunner.com

Simeon's Hope

It had been four hundred years since there had been a prophet in Israel. The nation was now under the rule of king Herod and under the thumb of the mighty Roman Empire. They were a long way from king David and the glories of Solomon’s reign. The ruling class in the priesthood preached a doctrine of legalism. They had forsaken the truth of God’s way of salvation of grace through faith found in the law and the prophets. But in Jerusalem, there lived a man named Simeon, and he was grieving. He mourned over the sinfulness of his countrymen. He grieved over the condition of the nation. He was disturbed and troubled over the state of his own soul. There was no solace in possible political reform or military upheaval against Rome. There was no comfort in Herod’s reign or the temple he built, because the longer Herod lived, the more cruel and wicked he became. As the Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees jockeyed for position and power and as the politicians maneuvered back and forth for power, Simeon a devout man of God was growing old and looking for his only hope, the "consolation of Israel" (Luke2:25). The Old Testament promised a time of blessing when the Messiah came. All Jews longed for the promised epoch when Israel would be a land of blessing where swords would be beat into plowshares, and spears into pruning-hooks. They dreamed of the time when they would be free, when the wolf would dwell with the lamb and there would be peace in Israel.

Simeon knew this consolation was not a time, but a person. Until that person came, there was no hope. Simeon knew all the nations of earth would be blessed through the seed of Abraham. He knew that the Seed of David would sit on the throne in Jerusalem and have an everlasting kingdom. He knew that the servant of Jehovah would be wounded for our transgressions and be acquainted with our grief. Simeon had hope in the consolation of Israel – the Christ. His soul longed to see the Lord and nothing else would satisfy that longing. Our consolation, our comfort, our hope is found in Christ Jesus the Lord as well. Everyone wants to go to Heaven, but very few want Christ. Everybody wants to be free from pain and to live in peace forever with friends and loved ones, but on their own terms. Everyone wants the blessings Jesus provides, just without Jesus. But Simeon was right. Our only consolation is found in Christ. As Simeon laid eyes on Jesus for the first time he said "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,  Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;  A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel (Luke 2:29-32 ). Simeon was ready to die because he had seen Jesus. Can you say that?

Preaching & Preachers: The Preacher

Chapter 6 of Lloyd-Jones book Preaching & Preachers deals with the preacher himself. We will just examine the first section today, which deals with the call of the preacher. MLJ suggests that the call to the ministry begins with an internal disturbance of spirit when the man desires to preach and then an external suggestion from others that know him and watch him that perhaps God has called him into the ministry. Next there is a concern for the souls of others, that they too know the God of the Bible. He also repeats Spurgeon's advice that if you feel called to be a preacher, try to do something else. Stay out of the ministry, if you can. Only the man that can do nothing else but preach is called to the ministry. Then he should know he must preach, but feel unworthy to the task and almost have to be drug into the ministry.

I'm going to push back a little here because there is really no Scripture for most of this. No where does the Bible say to try not to preach and to try not to serve God in the ministry. Spurgeon's advice sounds very spiritual, but where in the Bible do you find that even hinted? Which preacher (besides Jonah) labors and struggles by telling God, no, I will not preach your word? The Bible tells us that a man will desire the work of the ministry (I Timothy 3:1) and then it is the churches job to confirm this calling by examining the man's life and ministry (I Timothy 3:2-7). If the man is not cut out for preaching and the pastor and the church knows it, then they should stop him.

It seems to me the Biblical pattern is if you desire to preach, go to the church with that desire, go to the pastor and make that desire known. If the church and the pastor believe that you have the knowledge and a sufficient understanding of the gospel, then preach the word and begin to study and prepare, learn how to preach. Find opportunities to preach, in church, out of church, in nursing homes, on the street, etc. If you then see that you were mistaken or the church sees that you don't have those gifts, at least the word of God and the gospel was published. But how else could a church ever decide if a man was fit for pastoral ministry unless he preached? How can you get better at preaching unless you preach? But, to be fair, I'm sure Lloyd-Jones and Spurgeon, because they were great preachers and had much success, had a lot more young men desire to follow them into the ministry than a smaller church would.

The Parable of the Wheat and Tares by Lewis Kiger

“I’m not going to some church and sit there with a bunch of hypocrites,” he barked.

To which I gently but, boldly replied, “But you are content to stay home, ignore the Gospel, and spend eternity in hell with those same hypocrites?”

You should have seen the look on his face. It was as if, it was the first time the thought had occurred to him.

This is a portion of a conversation I had with a co-worker some years ago. It wasn’t as bad as it sounds, honest it wasn’t.

We had become friends in the short time I had worked there and I felt comfortable enough to be that straightforward with him.

All I did was invite him to church and stated that we would love to have him visit sometime. But it provoked a strong and animated reaction. Sadly, I soon learned that my friend/co-worker had (along with many others) been enduring the shameful conduct of another employee who also claimed to be a Christian. This man alleged to be very active in his local church, yet his behavior in the workplace was often distasteful and dishonoring to God.

My friend said quite frankly, “If that is what a Christian is, then I don’t want to be one.” Unfortunately, after working there for only a few weeks, I understood what he meant. And even more disturbing, it didn’t take me long to realize that he had some justification for feeling that way.

Undeniably, not everyone who confesses to be a disciple of Christ is truly saved. There are many who “talk the talk,” but do not “walk the walk.” Not that any of us are perfect or sinless, but tragically there are multitudes who claim the name of Christ but are merely imposters.

Jesus affirms this truth by the use of a familiar example. He knew that within this world there would be those who are truly born-again converts, and those who just “look the part.”

In Matthew 13:24-30 and verses 36-43, we learn that there is indeed an adversary of all that is good and holy and he yearns to inflict harm on the kingdom of Christ. One means by which the wicked one does this is by sowing tares among the wheat.

In an agrarian society, one depending upon farming and agriculture for its livelihood, this parable would have been easily understood. For someone to sow tares (or weeds) among wheat was an act of agroterrorism. It was a blatant assault against the future wellbeing of a people. There were even laws forbidding such.

In the parable Christ shares, there was a man out sowing good seed in his field anxiously anticipating a bountiful harvest, but unbeknownst to him, an enemy also comes and sows tares in the field.

The Greek word that Christ uses for tares is the word “darnels.” A common but inedible weed that was prevalent in Palestine. These darnels were also called “bastard wheat” because they look so much like the real thing. In fact, it isn’t until they began to bloom, or until the head appears that they can be distinguished from actual wheat.

Later learning that the field has been sabotaged, the field workers ask the owner if they should try to separate the tares from the wheat. He replies by telling them no, instead allow both to continue to grow, and at harvest time the reapers will separate them. Then the bundles of weeds will be burned while the sheaves of wheat stored in the barn. 

Christ uses this earthly story to teach a heavenly lesson.

From Christ’s own interpretation we learn that God sovereignly allows tares to grow among His wheat. Unlike the land-owner, Jesus is aware of their presence. Yet He also realizes that, given time, their true nature will be made manifest. Time will bear out whether they are useful wheat or useless tares.

At the appointed time, when the harvest comes, He will send His holy angels to separate them and the tares will be cast into the lake of fire.

Readers, this world is made up of believers, unbelievers and make-believers. Which are you?

Yes, it is true that there are many hypocrites around and unfortunately some of them are sitting on church pews. And yes, they do damage to the cause of Christ. But don’t let the hypocrisy of some keep you from trusting in Christ.

Being too virtuous to sit beside hypocrites at church, the ballfield, a restaurant, or anywhere else will not garner you favor with God.

Ultimately, we will only give an account for ourselves.

Lewis Kiger

Memorial Heights Baptist Church

svdbygrace2@roadrunner.com

Grieve Not the Spirit

Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Christian, do you ever stop to think that your sin grieves the Spirit of God? The great crime of our times is being offensive. That's about the only thing our society will not tolerate, offending people. But what about offending God?  Are you more concerned about what offends you rather than what offends God? Our rebellion offends our friend, the Holy Spirit. It is a sad consequence of bad doctrine  when the Spirit is viewed as a power or a force and not the third person of the Trinity.

Grieving the Spirit is when we are not cultivating the fruit of love, peace, and joy, but are sowing the seeds of hatred and bitterness. We grieve the Spirit when we are unforgiving and uncompassionate. Rather than renewing our minds in the Word, we choose to continue to do what is right in our own eyes. Instead of being lead by the Holy Spirit, we follow the leadership of the corrupt old nature. Instead of speaking truth, you grieve the Spirit by speaking lies. You choose to  give place to the devil when we are the temple of God. You can't help if the Devil comes knocking on your door, but you don't have to let him in and make him comfortable. You grieve the Spirit speaking corrupt communication rather than edifying words of grace and  thanksgiving. You grieve the Spirit when you walk after the course of this world instead of walking in love, after Christ. When the you desire fellowship of the ungodly instead of fellowship with God. You offend the Spirit when you ignore Him before makings decisions by not reading the Bible to know the will of the Lord and to prove was is acceptable to him. When you covet what doesn’t belong to you instead of being content with what God has given;  or when you make idols out of things, or people, you have grieved God the Spirit.   

Christian, this grief of the Spirit presupposes a relationship. He is grieved because He loves you. From the moment of the new birth, when the Spirit of God gives life, the Blessed Spirit never leaves the child of God. The Spirit gives life, faith, strength, hope, endurance, peace, patience, joy, and keeps on giving our whole life. The Spirit who sovereignly came to you in resurrection power to quicken you from death to life; the Spirit that graciously gave you faith and drew you to Christ, loves you. You grieve the Spirit that desires your sanctification. You offend Him who gently leads you in righteousness. You grieve the Spirit that is longsuffering with you when you are disobedient and patient with you when you are stubborn. It would not occur to a Christian to blaspheme or defame, or offend the Father or the Son. When was the last time you thought that your sin offends the Spirit of God?

Preaching & Preachers: The Act of Preaching part 2

Update: I haven't forgotten about or given up on this project. I hit my head in a pretty nasty fall a few months ago and have developed post-concussion syndrome. Not to get into too much about it, but I'm having difficulty writing. I have sermons and writing assignments that I have to complete first and at times, takes me much longer than it usually does. I appreciate the patience, and sorry for the delay and if the posts don't come as regularly as I had hoped.

We continue our series of reading through M.D.Loyd-Jones classic Preaching and Preachers. This chapter presents 11 elements of preaching that Lloyd Jones considers vital to the act of preaching. We covered the first four last time.

1. Action
2. Authority 
3. Freedom
4. Receiving from the Congregation
5. Seriousness
6. Zeal
7. Warmth
8. Rapport
9. Urgency
10. Pathos
11. Power

Seriousness - The preacher is dealing with the souls of men. Matters of eternal consequence. This is no laughing matter and preaching is no joke. You can be full of passion and be serious. Whatever the delivery style, the people must know that he knows, believes, and means what he says. Lloyd-Jones cautions that serious does not mean boring. 

Zeal -  "If [the preacher] has not been gripped nobody else will be." The preacher must be consumed with the truth and anxious to deliver it. He wants others to hear and believe what has consumed his heart in the study of Scripture. The preacher must be involved, he must be a witness of what he preaches, not just an advocate relating true things, being detached from the congregation and the truths presented. 

Warmth - The preacher needs to feel the truths that he speaks. He gives example of Paul and Whitefield who wept over souls. Very convicting section. 

Rapport - He doesn't give much thought to this section, but this is a very important truth. The truth doesn't change based upon who you are preaching to, but the way you preach it might change. Preach to those the Lord has given you, not those you WISH the Lord has given you. 

Urgency - We never know if this is the last message we will ever preach, or those listening to us will ever hear another message before heading off into eternity. Now is the time, today is the day. Be urgent in your preaching. 

Pathos - The whole point of preaching is to persuade people to follow and believe. Why are you preaching if you are not trying to persuade? Richard Cecil said "To love to preach is one thing, to love those to whom we preach is quite another". Pathos comes from a love of God's people and a love of God's truth. When these two are combined, you will have pathos. MLJ stresses that truth does not produce just intellectual insight, but there is emotion when understanding the truth. 

Power - There must be power or it isn't preaching because preaching declaring the living Word of God. You must have light and heat.

In this chapter, we get his famous definition of preaching. "What is preaching? Logic on fire! Eloquent reason!" 

The slanderer! The backbiter!

From Octavius Winslow's, "The Power of the Tongue"

Copied from Grace Gems, which is a great website.

The slanderer is not merely the idle gossip, he is more. He is the inventor, or, what is equally criminal, he is the propagator of calumny itself! Envious of a rival, resolved upon shading the luster, or bent upon the total extinguishment of a star circling in a wider and brighter orbit than his own, he either coins, or propagates a lie injurious to the character of some public servant of God, or the reputation and happiness of some private individual moving in the quiet and unobtrusive walks of usefulness.

Is there not death in this unhallowed use of the tongue? Is there not 'slaying power' in that false report, that base insinuation, that cruel surmise, that "Soft buzzing slander, that eats an honest name"? Most assuredly! The treacherous moth is not a more insidious and dangerous foe to the beautiful fabric it secretly and slowly destroys; nor the worm a more searching and wasting enemy of the costly vellum whose heart it pierces and devours, than he whose tongue is sharper than a sword, "Cutting honest throats by whispers."

It has been remarked that against slander there is no effectual armor of defense. Nothing is easier than to invent a slander, and nothing more difficult than to annihilate it. It generally selects for its victims the most good and worthy, as the birds peck at and destroy the best and loveliest fruit. I do not think that Tophet boasts of a darker fiend, or man can deplore a fouler foe than he who deals in it. Like the Indian, it dips its arrows in deadly poison; like Judas, it betrays the innocent with the kiss of villainy. Assassination is its employment, the guiltless its victims, ruin its sport, and the loud laugh of hell its reward!

It is a moral pestilence veiled in darkness; a thousand fall beside it and ten thousand at its right hand, so unmercifully and deeply wounded as often never to recover the anguish of heart it has occasioned.

The backbiter is the destroyer of the absent one. Of all evil speaking this is, perhaps, the lowest, the most cruel and dastardly. Taking advantage of the defenseless position of his victim, asserting behind his back what he would not dare to utter before his face; by dark insinuations, by mysterious innuendoes, by a tragic tone; the backbiter will give affected importance and authenticity to what all the while he knows to be unfounded in truth; and by this despicable means do serious and, perhaps, irreparable injury to the character and good name of an innocent, and, it may be, useful servant of the Lord; who, by his absence, is precluded from either defending his innocence or confounding his calumniator.

How sad and unenviable the character of the slanderer, the whisperer, the backbiter, the talebearer, the gossip! What are all these but domestic pests; propagators of a social moral plague?

"Save me, O Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues." Psalm 120:2

The Parable of the Mustard Seed by Lewis Kiger

Massive palaces begin with one single block. Trees so enormous that your arms can’t stretch around, started as a tiny sapling. Vast cities with mammoth skyscrapers that touch the clouds and neighborhoods that extend for miles and populate millions, all began with a few people living out of tents or shacks.

Similarly, the glorious kingdom of God began out of relative obscurity. With a handful of mostly uneducated men and shunned women from the backwaters of the Roman Empire, came this fledgling little faction that God has used to turn the world upside down. 

This is the lesson of the Parable of the Mustard Seed. Christ would teach his disciples by use of this earthly illustration that, while they had the humblest of beginnings, His empire was going to grow far beyond what their natural eyes could see.

In Matthew 13:31-32 we read these words, “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, the kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.”

Photo Credit: Scarletina

It is understood that the “mustard seed” was the smallest herb-bearing seed in all of Israel. While it is true that there are other seeds that are actually smaller than the mustard seed identified today, none of them would have been known or used by the Jewish people. So, it is folly to try and accuse the Lord of misspeaking. Besides, Christ was not giving a lesson on botany (although He could have), instead He was teaching about His kingdom.

The mustard seed is about the size of the tip of a ball point pen. If, like me, you owned and loved a BB gun as a kid, you know just how small a BB is. But, a mustard seed is about one quarter that size. 

Yet, when planted and fully grown, a mustard plant can become the largest bush in the garden. From a tiny little seed, this plant can become as high as 12-15 feet tall. There are reports from the Middle East of birds nesting in its tangled vines and even of men riding their horses underneath the branches of the Mustard plant.

When compared to all others, it is like a tree. Contrast it to wheat or barley which only grow a few feet high with a shingle shoot, and the mustard seed increases far beyond these others.

This is the simple message of the parable.

The kingdom will begin small and seem insignificant to the eyes of the world. But, it will not stay that way. Despite the hard-hearts of the unrepentant, in spite of false conversions, and regardless of Satanic opposition; God’s kingdom is going to flourish.

The Gracious Teacher tells His young disciples not to lose heart. While they may seem weak and feeble, their Spirit-empowered work is going to grow and become great. Jesus tells them, do not judge my kingdom by the size of the seed, but rather envision what it can become. That little mustard seed may seem fragile and frail, but it has huge potential.

This should continue to encourage us in His kingdom work today. We are all prone to judge only by what our eyes can see, when we ought rather to walk by faith, and not by sight. Like the early church, we may feel like nothing of significance is being accomplished. We may think that God is not working. Yet this parable reminds us that God’s sovereign design remains.

The Kingdom of God has extended to the four corners of this globe. It has reached farther and grown greater than anyone could have ever imagined. It has reached into the hearts of an innumerable host and turned their lives around. Even some of those who have sought to destroy it have heard the Gospel and found an eternal home in the branches of Christ’s Kingdom. Christ’s spiritual reign has spread to every tongue, tribe and nation. It continues to grow today.

Dear reader, the only question that remains, is whether you are a part of this Kingdom? Have you, by faith trusted in the finished work of Christ and become a part of this growing glorious kingdom? I pray you have.

Pastor Lewis Kiger
Memorial Heights Baptist Church
svdbygrace2@roadrunner.com

The Prince of Peace

 Everywhere this man went, trouble followed him. He walked to the House of God to worship and often when he left, the parishioners were so mad they couldn’t see straight. He would enter a peaceful town, and walk out of a rioting town. He would go to a festival where everyone is having a good time; by the time he finished talking he succeeded in ruining everyone’s fun. Not only did he cause problems in the house of God and in the public square, but he caused problems in people’s families and personal lives. His friends were the same way. They were so notorious that townships banned them from their cities. They incited several riots and got themselves arrested for disturbing the peace. This man and his compatriots would purposefully agitate people, especially people in authority. If you had to give this man a title, or a nickname, what would you call him? Isaiah called him the Prince of Peace.  What!?! Peace? That's the last thing you would call a man who brings arguments, fights, riots, and general unrest; but that is exactly who Jesus is.  Jesus is the man that brought trouble.

Stoning of St. Stephen by Rembrandt

How do we square that circle? It depends on what we mean by peace. There is a peace that is just the absence of outward conflict. It’s more like a truce than peace. You may dislike your neighbor, but are polite and gracious to “keep the peace” or, in other words, prevent a fight. True peace gets to the root of the problem rather than preventing the symptoms. Peace is the absence of strife and sin. Why is there war and fighting and conflict? It is because of sin. When there is a lack of peace, whether it be in the home, in the workplace, in the government, or in the battlefield, you can be sure there is sin. The only way to broker peace, a true peace, is to get rid of the point of contention. The sin must be dealt with. When Jesus came, so did conflict. Why? Because he brought truth and shined the light of righteousness on the darkness of sin and the darkness went to war against the light. But as the Prince of Peace, Jesus came not to be a nice guy, but to deal with the sin problem. A nice guy would have come and not caused any trouble. He would have likely left town and been hailed a wonderful person, a nice man, very polite. The Prince of Peace was not a nice guy. Jesus did not come to make you feel good, but to save. We are at war with God in our hearts, and the only way to have peace with God is if the Prince of Peace deals with and settles the sin issue, once and for all. The Prince of Peace could only bring peace by disrupting and disturbing those souls settled in their sins so they would repent, turn to Christ and have peace.

Isaiah 9:6-7  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Or Fried Chicken

"Years ago I heard the story of an old preacher who told a group of younger preachers to remember that they would die. “They are going to put you in a box,” he said, “and put the box in the ground, and throw dirt on your face, and then go back to the church and eat potato salad.”

The Conviction to Lead by Al Mohler

The Parable of the Sower by Lewis Kiger

One major problem with the many proposed methods of church growth so prevalent among Evangelicalism today, is that it seeks to make the Word of God more palatable to the carnal tastes of men. However, this is a vain effort of the human mind to use fleshly means to reach the spiritually dead. 1 Corinthians 2:14 states, “The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

If “church-growth gurus” would study the Parable of the Sower, they would quickly learn the problem is not with the seed, it is with the soil. In other words, there is nothing wrong with the Word, nor can it be genetically altered to appease lost sinners. The heart of the issue is an issue of the heart.  

This is one of the rare parables that is found in all three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8.) Its repetition among the inspired writers confirms its importance.

In one of His very first parables, Christ compares those who share the Gospel to a sower out sowing seed in his field. The Master Teacher then goes on to say that the seed is the Word and that the soil represents the heart or soul of the individual. Other significant details shared in the parable are noteworthy, yet I will caution my reader not to try and make too much of every character mentioned and miss the basic lesson that Christ is teaching. It is tempting to allegorize the parables (and many do) and overlook the main point.

Christ is using this earthly story to teach a heavenly lesson. He is preparing His disciples for the

The Sower by James Tissot

difficult and often disappointing ministry that lay before them. To a group of men who mistakenly thought the arrival of the King meant the immediate arrival of the Messianic kingdom, Christ would clarify that their message is not going to be as popular as they might expect.

They will go out and sow the seed. Some of it will fall on the beaten path as hard as concrete. Before that seed has any hope of rooting, the birds of the air come and snatch it away. Others will seemingly receive the seed and sprout up quickly, but when the sun rises and the heat of the day bears down, the shoot will fade away not having enough earth to nourish it. Further yet, several will appear to have life and be growing, but the weeds and thorns will choke out the seed, and it will become barren. Lest His fledgling evangelists lose hope, Christ encourages them by saying, “But some of the seed fell on good ground. And it sprang up, increased and yielded fruit. Some thirty-fold, some sixty-fold, some a hundred-fold.”

This was Christ’s illustration, and behind closed doors He gave its interpretation to the Apostles.

Jesus explains some will reject the message instantly. That is just a fact of life. Others may seem to be committed converts, but when trials or troubles come, they quickly turn away showing they were not true believers. There are also those, who seem to have spiritual life, but when they must choose between serving God and serving this world it becomes evident they too were just make-believers. BUT, (and thank God for it) there are some who will hear the Gospel message. The seed will fall on good ground and they will become faithful and productive Christians. Even though not all will yield the same harvest, or are not as faithful as another, still the continued crop of fruit bears evidence that they are true believers.

The lesson our Lord would have us learn, is this; even though not all will hear, some will. So, don’t stop sowing the seed! We don’t need “bait-and-switch Gospel gimmicks,” we just need to sow the seed. There are some who God the Holy Spirit will prepare their hearts to receive the Word and we need to be faithful to sow the seed that He may give the increase.

Dear reader, has the Word of God taken root within you? Has your faith stood the test of trials and temptations? Do you continue to bear fruit for the glory of your Maker? If not, I pray that the Holy Spirit would break-up the barren ground of your heart, so that you are able to receive the glorious Good News that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.

Pastor Lewis Kiger

Memorial Heights Baptist Church
svdbygrace2@roadrunner.com

Churches That Leave Their First Love

In Revelation 2:1-7, Jesus sends a message to the church in the city of Ephesus. It is amazing to consider the fall of Ephesus in light of all they were doing right. This church had a lot going for it, they were doing many good works in the name of our Lord Jesus. From the outside, they looked like the model church, but Jesus, the Great Physician, diagnosed a heart problem. They had left their first love. Ephesus was a doctrinally strong church, they didn't tolerate false doctrine, they were a hard working church, they were a sanctified church, and they were a bold and earnestly contending church.  But as Jesus said "nevertheless I have somewhat against thee". Jesus tells them they left their first love.

The first love is our love for God. We are to love God with our whole being. This doctrinally sound group's love had grown cold. A love of truth without a love for “the Truth” is not pleasing unto God. They had a love for the church without a fiery love for the Head of the church. They held to doctrine, but it had become simply a teaching to them. If Jesus is not the primary love and motivating factor in the church, the church has left its beloved and lost its focus. They left Him in their heart, but not in their actions. They were doing the right things and preaching true things, and maybe even for the right reason. But their hearts had grown cold to the person of Jesus. We should love the Church because Christ loves it, and not for any other reason.  We can’t love the work more than the one we are working for.

How can we avoid such an error? Fellowship and communion with the one you love. If you want to grow in your love of Jesus, you need to meet with Him. You need to commune with Jesus in prayer. You need to listen to Jesus speaking to you in His word. You need to walk with Jesus in your life. You need to obey Jesus as your Lord.  When you read your Bible, read it to hear your Lord. When you go to church, prepare your heart before you get there. Pray for the preacher, pray for yourself that you'll be able to receive the message. When you get to church, come expecting to receive a blessing. Sing out unto the Lord, thinking about the lyrics of the hymns. Bring your Bible to church and read along, listen intently, and apply the truth to your heart. When you go back home, think about the service and what you heard. The cares of the world  can choke out our first love. You can backslide by falling into open sin, but you can also backslide sitting in the pew every Sunday, or even from behind the pulpit, if you are simply going through the motions without a love of Jesus Christ. 

The Act of Preaching

We continue our series of reading through M.D.Loyd-Jones classic Preaching and Preachers. And we are now on Chapter 5, part 1. By the way, you still have time to pick up a copy and join me.

This chapter presents 11 elements of preaching that Lloyd Jones considers vital to the act of preaching.

1. Action
2. Authority 
3. Freedom
4. Receiving from the Congregation
5. Seriousness
6. Zeal
7. Warmth
8. Rapport
9. Urgency
10. Pathos
11. Power

Action - this involves the whole person. Preaching is more than "giving a talk" but is the truth delivered through the personality of the whole man.

Authority. "The preacher should never be apologetic, he should never give the impression that he is speaking by their leave as it were; he should not be tentatively putting forward certain suggestions and ideas...He is a man, who is there to declare; he is a man under commission and under authority." Note that when a person tries to undercut the preacher, they first attack this very point by attacking the man they are trying to undercut the authority of his words. 

Freedom. Lloyd-Jones is speaking of pulpit freedom. He mentions what I think many have experienced, when fresh thoughts and a liberty of mind comes in the preaching act and the man feels particularly blessed. Applications of truth come to mind that never crossed our minds in the study. "Preaching should be always under the Spirit - His power and control..." Sometimes the best things I say when preaching come to my mind as I am preaching and that is the Spirit's work. You have to be free to ditch the outline, if need be. 

Next time, we'll consider some of the other points.