5 Subtle Pastoral ‘Treasure Shifts’ to Beware

As I continue to work through Paul Tripp’s highly-diagnostic book, Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry, the Spirit sheds light on areas of my heart and life where biblical truth needs to be applied. Chapter Seven is entitled War Zones because it confronts the kingdom battle taking place in the pastor’s heart. In this chapter, Tripp exposes five treasure shifts that commonly take place in the pastor’s heart without him being aware of it. First, Tripp identifies the treasure shift; then he explains what he means and, finally, he applies it to himself. Each of us will profit greatly by following his example.

1. IDENTITY: Moving from identity in Christ to identity in ministry. “In pastoral ministry, it is very tempting to look horizontally for what you already have been given in Christ. It is possible to be a pastor and a functional identity amnesiac….Rather than the hope and courage that come from resting in my identity in Christ, my ministry becomes captured and shaped by the treasure of a series of temporary horizontal affirmations of my value and worth.”
2. MATURITY: Defining spiritual well-being not by the mirror of the Word but by ministry. “It is tempting to allow a shift to take place in the way that I evaluate my maturity as a pastor. Rather than living with a deep neediness for the continued operation of grace in my own heart, I begin, because of experience and success in ministry, to view myself as more mature than I actually am.”
3. REPUTATION: Shifting from a ministry shaped by zeal for the reputation of Christ to a ministry shaped by hunger for the praise of people. “My ministry should be functionally motivated by the glory of Christ, that his fame would be known by more and more people, and that together we would all know practically what it means to submit to his lordship. Instead, my ministry becomes seduced by the treasure of my own reputation.”    Continue at Paul Tautges

Pastors Leaving Their Flocks

A particularly sensitive subject concerns the issue of pastors leaving their local ministry for another ministry.  In today’s ecclesiastical climate, including confessionally Reformed churches, we are facing a serious problem because of pastors treating the ministry as if they are professionals. The ministry today has more in common with worldly advancement than it does with some of the principles we find in the Scriptures.

This topic is something the Puritans were not silent about. John Owen, the so-called “Prince of the Puritans” – and I happen to think he is rightly called the “Prince” – remarks that the reason the early church had great ‘provisions’ against moving from one congregation to another is due to the practice of ‘professionalism’. Owen writes:

“for when some churches were increased in members, reputation, privileges, and wealth, above others, it grew an ordinary practice for the bishops to design and endeavor their own removal from a less unto a greater benefice” (Works, 16:94).

As we say here in Canada, plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. The practice of the early church has much to teach us moderns. Owen continues, “[t]his is so severely interdicted in the councils of Nice and Chalcedon as that they would not allow that a man might be a bishop or presbyter in any other place but only in the church wherein he was originally ordained; and, therefore, if any did so remove themselves, decreed that they should be sent home again, and there abide, or cease to be church-officers” (Conc. Nicea. can. 15,16; Chalced., can. 5, 20).

The whole concept of “open contending for ecclesiastical promotions, benefices, and dignities, were then either unknown or openly condemned” (Ibid).   Continue at Mark Jones

Why We Must Be Unapologetically Theological

If I’m not mistaken, our church has a reputation for being quite theological.  I know this is why many people have come to our church.  And I imagine it’s why some people have left, or never checked us out in the first place.  But no church should apologize for talking about and loving theology.  Now–and this is an important caveat–if we are arrogant with our theology, or if our doctrinal passion is just about intellectual gamesmanship, or we are all out of proportioned in our affections for less important doctrines, then may the Lord rebuke us. We should not be surprised theology gets a bad name in such circumstances.

But when it comes to thinking on, rejoicing in, and building a church upon sound biblical truth, we should all long for a richly theological church.

I could cite many reasons for preaching theologically and many reasons for wanting to pastor a congregation that loves theology. Let me mention six:

1. God has revealed himself to us in his word and given us his Spirit that we might understand the truth.  Obviously, you don’t need to master every theme in Scripture in order to be a Christian.  God is gracious to save lots of us with lots of gaps in our understanding.  But if we have a Bible, not to mention an embarrassment of riches when it comes to resources in English, why wouldn’t we want to understand as much of God’s self-revelation as possible?  Theology is getting more of God. Don’t you want your church to know God better?  Continue Reading >>>