The Pilgrim Pastor

Spurgeon once stated that “When you see a man with a great deal of religion displayed in his shop window, you may depend upon it; he keeps a very small stock of it within.”  For the last several weeks I have been studying and preaching through sermons dealing with the contrast in the Bible between true and false religion.  In the process I have either discovered or become more acquainted with several important biblical principles on the subject.

In fact, this sermon series has prompted my desire to preach another sermon series on the biblical underpinnings of the Congregational Way and why it matters so much to true religion in biblical terms.

When you boil down what makes biblical religion true religion you find out that it is barely even appropriate to call true religion by that name.  Religion becomes potentially a very ugly term which Christ followers rightly abhor!  False religion is about pride.  Legalism is the exercise of so many fools who think themselves both humble and wise – which is evidence that they are neither.

It’s a funny thing about humility, as soon as you think you have it, you boast of it and it vanishes.  Wisdom similarly flees from those who are foolish enough so as to boast of having attained it. 

Pure religion is the activity of God glorifying Himself in us.  Listen to that statement.  Re-Read it.  Pure religion is the activity of God glorifying himself in us!  Pure religion begins and ends with God, not me! Not you!  Not them!  God alone is the chief object of worship, glory, and authority. 

In other words, God glorifies Himself in us to the extent that we recognize His worth and as a consequence we submit to His will and put His worth on display.  The central task of the preacher is to put the glory of God on display in worship and teaching and to encourage God’s people to do the same in their lives.  Our religious obligation is to rest in God’s sovereign provision of grace and allow His grace to work and reign in our lives.   

In Colossians 1:27-29 the Apostle Paul writes that “God wanted to make known to them the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him by instructing and teaching all people with all wisdom so that we may present every person mature in Christ. Toward this goal I also labor, struggling according to his power that powerfully works in me.” (NET)

Off with false religion!  Off with legalistic devotion to rites and rituals!  Step into the riskier waters of allowing love to reign, grace to work, and God to be glorified in us…

Pilgrim Pastor… repenting of my religion… 

Among my favorite old worn yellow paged well used books is a title from a bygone era called “The Christian Preacher.”  It comes from a once standard publication from the early 1900’s called the International Theological Library.  It was written in 1921 by a minister and professor of ministry named Alfred Ernest Garvie. 

Speaking of various techniques preachers use to craft and create sermons, he says that “It is not novelty of subject, but freshness of treatment for which the pulpit calls.” (The Christian Preacher, 261)  

There is but one foundation for Christian preaching just as there is but one source for Christian living. In preaching we don’t’ need novel subject matter but fresh treatment of plain biblical truth!  In Christian living, friend, we don’t need to seek out a bigger better church in order to grow, we don’t need to do more for God to find satisfaction in Him, we need to take a fresh look at the Bible and be willing to apply it to the real circumstances of our lives.

The kinds of questions Jesus asks of us are simple, plain.  “Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26 NIV84)

The Gospel is simple, though it isn’t easy.  It took the blood of Christ to secure salvation and we receive by grace alone.  We don’t need new ideas but fresh eyes when we look at true ones.

Pilgrim Pastor… treating the Word of God as a treasure as though seeing it for the first time…

I have now fully transitioned to my new assignment from the Lord as Pastor of Cypress Chapel Christian Church in Suffolk, VA.  This is a wonderful church!  It is filled with down to earth and genuine people who love God, their Church, and their Preacher.  That’s what folks call a Pastor in the South – “Preacher.”  Surely there is more to the Pastor’s role than preaching, but it is a central part of his role and it is right at the heart of the trust relationship that exists in healthy churches.

I have and continue to work hard to hone preaching skill.  I read journals, listen to other preachers from local pastors like me to evangelists to well known preachers.  My Doctorate is in expository preaching.  There are always tools and techniques to be added and adjusted.  Novice to veteran preacher alike knows the value of strong oration.  In some sense, we “make a living” with our words.

There is one thing that cannot easily be taught.  I am convinced that it is this one thing that eludes many who are unsuccessful or only moderately successful in their preaching ministry.  It is intangible and it grows.  Trust.  The most successful preaching grows out of a life of integrity, faithfulness, and godliness. 

Great preaching is great because the window into the soul and heart have been opened both in the hearer and in the preacher through mutual trust.  Out of sincerity of life the preacher earns the right to ask the hearer to open her heart to the Word of God which the preacher earnestly presses into the audience.  In honest willingness to hear the truth of God the audience invites the preacher to open up not only the Word of God but His life and heart to share what impact that Word has had upon Him.

Preaching is a dance, not a science.  Deep preaching flows from many things: quality technique, theological education, strong spiritual formation, valid exposition of the Scriptures, dependence upon the Holy Spirit, the supernatural work of God.  All of these matter but trust is the spark which ignites them.

I love being called preacher.  I love it because I love preaching and I love God’s people.  I love it even more because it alludes to the deeper things of this dance of serving and shepherding a fellowship of Christian believers – a dance of trust that ushers in a life of growing in Christ together!

Pilgrim Pastor… depending upon the Lord to deepen the life of faith in the local church… 

I was asked recently: “Is Perry Stone is a reliable Preacher / Teacher?”  In a near vain attempt to locate any decent Christian television programming, I have watched his "Manna Fest" program a number of times.  I have always had somewhat mixed feelings about his ministry, though I continue to watch him on occasion.  My short answer is that I am of the opinion that he is reliable but must be viewed with caution.  While some people have written articles online calling him an out and out prosperity preacher charlatan on the order of a Creflo Dollar, I can find no evidence to support that claim.  He runs in questionable circles, being affiliated with so many prosperity preachers through TBN, I'll grant that, but he seems to be in an altogether different category of television preacher than Oral Roberts or Kenneth Copeland who are pretty obviously telling you to put your dime into the God slot machine to get out a dollar.  At any rate, it was a good question and here is what I hope is a good answer:  

In 1 John 4:1 the Bible says to us:  “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (NIV)  Rather than take any preacher’s words at face value, believers everywhere are instructed to ensure that the words of their teachers are consistent with the Word of God.  Sadly, many modern Christians lack a great deal of discernment.  False teaching abounds and believers are led astray, confused, and their faith weakened by it. 

This passage goes on to say that “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:2-4 NIV) 

This writer has watched several episodes of Perry Stone’s “Manna Fest” broadcast which is on regularly on Christian Television, examined his ministry website (www.voe.org), and read some material which others have written and posted about Perry Stone on the internet.  It is a difficult and humbling task for a pastor and teacher, such as the writer of this answer, to ever examine the teaching ministry of another brother in Christ.  Such a task should be done with great humility and in keeping with the Word of God.  By all indications Perry Stone is a genuine believer and his interests in teaching the Word of God are sincere.  However, we cannot possibly comment as to Perry Stone’s personal integrity, sincerity, or calling from God.  We can only accurately speak to the consistency between what he teaches and what the Bible teaches. 

Among popular television preachers, Perry Stone is among the very best in terms of doctrinal consistency and apparent sincerity.  While we cannot recommend Perry Stone’s preaching as unreservedly good or reliable, for the following reasons, if considered with discernment, there is a lot of helpful information coming out of Perry Stone’s ministry.  Is he a reliable preacher?  Yes, with caution.

The foci Perry Stone’s ministry is Hebraic roots of the Christian faith and the imminent return of Jesus Christ.   His teaching broadcasts are routinely filmed on location in Israel.  To his credit, he presents a great deal of information about modern day Israel that is highly informative to viewers.  He also presents a great deal of information about what life was like in the times of Jesus that may help his viewers to better contextualize the New Testament within the scope of its original audience, setting, etc.  The trouble is that while Perry Stone presents a great deal of accurate information, he routinely makes prophetic (and other) connections that the text does not necessitate or warrant.  It is not possible to read the newspaper in one hand and predict future events with the Bible in the other.  Much of this is purely speculation.   Perry Stone focuses so heavily upon the imminent return of Christ that citation of a specific example is hardly necessary.  It is nearly every broadcast multiple times.  One must understand that there are often competing and legitimate views in opposition to Perry Stone’s interpretation of biblical prophecy.  While much of what he says may be entirely accurate as it relates to present day Israel, as with all Bible teaching, viewers are encouraged to later read the specific passages he cites in connection with modern events and circumstances in Israel and check his interpretation against reliable Bible commentaries and with one’s own local pastor.  It is possible when one’s focus is so centrally upon Bible prophecy to read the second coming of Christ into every passage of Scripture and every newsworthy event. 

To Perry Stone’s credit, he is following our Lord’s admonishment to pay attention and be prepared for the time of His coming.  “It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak.” (Luke 12:38 NIV)  We do well to study what the word of God says with regard to the second coming of Christ.  Jesus says to us, “You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Luke 12:40 NIV)  To take this passage in historical context, it means that we obviously will not know exactly when Jesus will return regardless of how much we study.  Yet, the passage is telling us to live as though it could come at any time.  Perry Stone’s prophetic emphasis could potentially feed into the all too common attitude of many modern Christians to which Evangelist Leonard Ravenhill pointed when he wrote that “We believers are the light of the world (Matt. 5:14), and judgment must still begin “at the house of the Lord.” I dare any preacher to start a crusade to clean up the Church.  The Apostle Paul, storming the gates of hell, cried, “I press toward the mark.” Believers today have the attitude, “Relax and be raptured.” (Leonard Ravenhill, Revival God's Way (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethany House Publishers, 1984), 57.)  While Perry Stone touches on many biblical aspects of the second coming the possible links  between current events and Bible prophecy, we would simply caution a viewer to not take such possible connections as overly dogmatic.  Perry stone is prone to make a great deal out of very loose connections between various biblical passages and current events.  The imminent return of Christ is a central teaching of the Christian faith but we must proceed with caution lest we fall off course and neglect the more pressing matters of following  Jesus and doing the work He has called us to do today.  (Matthew 5:13-16, Mark 16:15)

Another element of Perry Stone’s preaching which must be taken into account is his majority theological bias.  To use the phrase bias is not at all intended as a slight to him.  We all have some sort of theological lens through which we interpret the Bible.  Obviously, the goal of personal Bible study and theological pursuit among pastors and scholars is to develop theological concepts and understandings that are most closely aligned with the Bible; thus making those lenses as clear and unbiased as possible.  The admirable aim of only “preaching the Bible” is a goal shared by all honest Bible teachers and students which we all meet to varying extents.  Perry Stone teaches from an unashamedly Pentecostal or Charismatic perspective.  He believes in and seeks the full manifestation of the so-called sign gifts of the Holy Spirit which are spoken of in the New Testament.  

Perry Stone often uses straw men arguments when discussing this matter.  He will prop up a caricature of those who disagree with him on this matter and then combat them with his view that every person should seek and be “baptized in the Holy Spirit.”  This doctrine is also known as the second blessing.  This is the majority view of Pentecostal Christians.  This view asserts that after such a time as believers receive Christ by faith and are brought into the body of Christ by faith, for those who seek it, there is a second work of God’s Holy Spirit – known as the Baptism in the Holy Spirit – which is accompanied by the outward sign of speaking in unknown tongues, or other languages that the person speaking has never learned.  Interestingly, with the exception of occasional claims to the contrary with little supportive documentation, these languages are not discernable as any known language modern or ancient.  They sound like babble.  While we do not question the sincerity or salvation of Charismatic believers, this practice and view is highly problematic with Bible teaching on many levels.

First, while the Apostles did speak with unknown tongues as recorded in Acts 2:4, the operative element of the speaking in unknown languages is that the languages were unknown to those who spoke them but known to those who heard them.  What transpire today are unknown languages being spoken and unknown languages being heard.  While this writer is not arguing that God no longer performs miracles, there is an obvious inconsistency between what happened in the book of Acts and what happens in modern day Pentecostal churches.  In the account that follows we see that those in the crowds on that day in Acts chapter 2 heard the Gospel proclaimed in their own language.  (Acts 2:6-12)  Many of these people were compelled toward belief in the Gospel and were converted.  (Acts 2:37-41)  That is not consistent with what occurs today in Charismatic settings.  A man preaches and as he preaches he occasionally speaks in an unknown language to both him and the audience and no one is converted on this basis.  On the Perry Stone broadcast as recently as the date of the writing of this present paper, a guest on the “Manna Fest” broadcast claims to have spoken in tongues and as a result someone was converted.  Such claims are common but evidence of them is seldom produced.

A person of a Charismatic theological persuasion would not likely be troubled by this perspective of Perry Stone’s ministry.  However, to teach the necessity of the second blessing of the Holy Spirit is to imply that the salvation experience is somehow insufficient.  This is not the case.  Every believer who is saved by faith in Jesus Christ is filled with the Holy Spirit and equipped for spiritual empowerment.  A life of growing submission to the will of God is the means of increased spiritual power, not a second work of grace.  It is growth through trials that brings spiritual maturity and empowerment.  “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:2-5 NIV)  There are no shortcuts to spiritual power.  It comes through trials and affliction, through prayer and submission, and through study of God’s Word and application of it to our lives.

The Holy Spirit moved in a specifically powerful way in the first century in order to establish the word of the Apostles and thereby establish the Church.  “In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets.” (Ephesians 3:4-5 NIV)  However, that is no longer the normative pattern for the work of the Holy Spirit.  He does not demonstrate the power of God as often outwardly miraculously.  He works through the Church as we follow Jesus by faith.  God still performs miracles but they not as routinely as outwardly expressive as they were in the early church.  A viewer of Perry Stone who is not of a Charismatic persuasion should be aware that he is teaching from this particular bias so as to properly interpret much of what he says. 

Again, Perry Stone is reliable so far as he appears to be teaching with proper motives and does use the Scriptures as a foundation for his teaching.  While he is prone to strong assumptions with regard to the current events and Bible prophecy, his emphasis is upon the Scriptures, though with a sometimes loose interpretive method(s) employed.  Unlike many preachers who appear on television, this writer can find no evidence to support the claims of some who have accused him of being a prosperity preacher on their websites.  Prosperity preachers by definition claim that God will bless you with financial gain if you send them money as a “seed of faith” for a blessing from God.  This is not the focus of Perry Stone’s ministry at all.  He does solicit funds for his ministry and sell materials but it does cost a high amount of money to provide ministry through television media.

In the humble opinion of this writer, Perry Stone is reliable, given that a viewer comes to the television with a clear understanding of his theological leanings, intends to check what is taught against the teaching of the Bible, and that the viewer is in regular participation in the worship and teaching life of a local biblical church.  Television ministries can help as supplemental instruction and provide useful and interesting insights and perspectives on the Bible.  However, unless a person is absolutely not able to attend worship and teaching at a local Bible based church, no Christian should without the regular participation in a local church.  “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV)

Pilgrim Pastor

The famed reformer, Martin Luther, said this of the task of preaching:  “He that has but one word of God before him,and out of that word cannot make a sermon, can never be a preacher.”

The preacher has but one task, to exposit the Word of God in order that it may be applied to the lives of his listeners.  His audience is the people of God but his grader is God Himself.  We don’t preach to please men but God and when God is glorified He transforms lives through the honest labors of faithful men in the pulpit. The power is in the Word.  Our task it to put God in Christ through Scripture on display. 

Pilgrim Pastor… loving people, aiming to please God. 

I am almost done preaching through the book of Romans.  Here is a thought for expository preaching: It can be done by preaching one verse from this book and one verse from that book in a non-systematic way, but, preaching & teaching through a complete book of the Bible is like completing a sentence, finishing a thought, or saying your peace in one conversation.

Preaching a verse here and a verse there is a bit like writing someone a letter then tearing it up and mailing it to them one piece at time and not necessarily in proper order.  It is much clearer to read a letter from start to finish. 

Rather than seeking out texts which lend themselves well to eloquent sermons and expedient ideas, pulpit workers need to concern themselves most with matters of clarity and completeness – preaching the whole counsel of God with lucidity and a sense of urgency. “Eloquence is vehement simplicity.” RichardCecil (1748–1810)

There is a right way and wrong way to do things...  More specifically there is a thoughtful way and a hasty way to do things! My three year old son Ephram calls himself “Pastor Ephram.”  He has every intention, at least for now, of pursuing full time ministry when he grows up. He even has a complete wardrobe of “pastor clothes” as he refers to them.  When he is not wearing his latest superman or batman pajamas, he has suits and ties just his size, although he usually shows up to church wearing with one of my ties dangling just below his knee caps. 

Yesterday while he and my five year old son Sebastian assisted me in the grocery store, he proved my point about a right and a hasty way to things. Sebastian and I were calmly examining his shopping list to ensure that we didn’t forget the most important items – marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate for a backyard bbq round of S’mores.  Meanwhile Pastor Ephram, who is slightly taller than a parking stump, decided all on his own initiative to “gently place,” uhhh… I mean heave like a discus thrower, a carton of 18 eggs into the cart!  17 of them broke.  1 remained intact.

His reply to my rebuke, "Well daaaaaaad... we neeeeeeeded them..." Should the lord actually lead him into ministry, my advice to him then will be similar to my chastisement that day in the store.  Slow down and do it right. I've taught you that it is ok to ask for help. In other words, get training. Anything worth doing is worth taking the time to prepare for.  “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.” (II Timothy 2:15-16 KJV) 

We don’t need intellectual elites in the pulpit. However, we do need trained pastors who understand the difference being pleasing God and men; between proclaiming truth and earning favor; shaking hands after a worship service, for example, as an extension of the service of ministry to the people of God, not fishing for a pat on the back.  Not everyone is going to like every sermon.  Not everyone should like every sermon! While a preacher hopes for his sermons to be received on their own merit and used by God, some sermons should be challenging, exposited from challenging Bible texts, to the point that they bring conviction.  

Pastor Ephram, I will say, Seek respect as an honest expository preacher more than to be liked as a jovial preacher.  It is good to be loved but faithfulness is a higher virtue than likability.  Make Christ the center of your preaching because He is the gospel! I am afraid for my son though, in light of all of the abuses and lack of plain, honest, biblical preaching in our day.  It may well get worse before it gets better.  When that day comes, Pastor Ephram may have to stand in very short company in the gate of biblical faithfulness.  

Yet stand he must and so must we all.  Truth is immortal. (visa-vi Balthasar Hubmaier) 

(http://brad.chando.net/2007/01/28/truth-is-immortal/)