Pilgrimage

(Another Unrevised Piece of the Prospectus)

Various types of pastoral leadership are found in most every community of Christian believers.  Thomas Schreiner suggests that while titles and descriptions of church leaders vary in the New Testament, the presence of structured leadership is evident in the first century church (Scheiner 2008, 735).  A further examination of the pastor and his role in succession planning will be provided through an exploration of the Scriptures and contemporary literature.

Biblical Terminology

The Bible articulates several distinct terms relating to church leadership.  James Stitzinger, associate professor of historical theology at The Master’s Seminary, identifies five biblical terms that are helpful to more fully understand church leadership.  These terms are:

1. elder (presbyteros), a title highlighting the administration and spiritual guidance of the church (Acts 15:6; 1Tim, 5:17; James 5:14; 1 Pet. 5:1-4) (Stitzinger 1995, 39).
2. bishop or overseer (episkopos), which emphasizes guidance, oversight, and leadership in the church (Acts 20:28; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:2-5; Titus 1:7) (Stitzinger 1995, 39).
3. shepherd or pastor (poimen), a position denoting leadership and authority (Acts 20:28-31; Eph. 4:11) as well as guidance and provision (1 Pet. 2:25; 5:2-3) (Stitzinger 1995, 39).
4. preacher (kerux), which points to public proclamation of the gospel and teaching of the flock (Rom. 10:14; 1 Tim. 2:7; 2 Tim 1:11) (Stitzinger 1995, 39).
5. teacher (didaskalos), one responsible for instruction and exposition of the Scriptures whose teaching is both instructive (1 Tim. 2:7) and corrective (1 Cor. 12:28-29) (Stitzinger 1995, 39).

In consideration of these five terms, one should note that while the terminology varies in different scriptural passages, these meanings generally refer to a function of the pastoral role (MacArthur 1995, 39-41; Merkle 2007, 46).

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(An Unrevised Piece of the Prospectus)

The New Testament describes the church as both a local body of believers (local church) and all those who have believed in Christ at all times and places (church universal) (Erikson 2006, 340; Schreiner 2008, 695).  “To become a Christian is to enter into the community of faith and, along with other true believers, share in the life of this community, the church (Arrington 1994, 165).  The terminology used in Scripture to describe the church provides insight into its primary nature. The word most often translated “church” in the New Testament is ekklesia.

Yet the early believers did not coin the term.  Instead, “church” (ekklesia) was a common word in the first-century Roman world.  Arising from the verb “to call” (kaleo) plus the preposition “out of” (ek), ekklesia simply means “assembly.”  More specifically, an ekklesia was a gathering of the citizens of a given community who had been called together to tend to city affairs (Grenz 1996, 207).

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I thought this was a helpful article adapted from a book by John MacArthur. Some good practical points on becoming a person of discipline.

Adapted from The Pillars of Christian Character by John MacArthur. © 1998 by John F MacArthur, Jr. Used by permission.

For many years, I have had the privilege of knowing the renowned classical guitarist Christopher Parkening. By the time he was thirty, he had become a master of his instrument. But such mastery did not come easily or cheaply. While other children played and participated in sports, he spent several hours a day practicing the guitar. The result of that self-disciplined commitment is proficiency on his instrument that few can match.

Self-discipline is important in any endeavor of life. It’s best defined as the ability to regulate one’s conduct by principle and sound judgment, rather than by impulse, desire, or social custom. Biblically, self-discipline may be summarized in one word: obedience. To exercise self-discipline is to avoid evil by staying within the bounds of God’s law.

I’m grateful for my parents, coaches, professors, and the others who helped me develop self-discipline in my own life. People who have the ability to concentrate, focus on their goals, and consistently stay within their priorities tend to succeed. Whether in academics, the arts, or athletics, success generally comes to the self-disciplined.

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I was sitting in a bible study one Sunday morning where a West African Bible teacher was sharing about building a strong family.  He talked about God’s purposes for the family being a means to transmit the gospel from generation to generation.  He also spoke of the biblical role of the father to literally lay his hands on his wife and children to bless them in the name of the Lord. I had assumed that was only Old Testament symbolism and not a modern day practice. Yet upon further inspection of the scriptures, I was convicted that I had never ceremonially and spiritually blessed my family.

Although I had been through Bible college, seminary and served several years as a staff pastor, I had failed to learn an essential aspect of what it means to be part of a biblical family.  Modeling God’s favor and grace to younger generations is at the core of the gospel.  Allowing my children to not only hear me pray for them, but also feel me physically lay my hands on them and seek God’s blessings for them is a powerful witness they will not soon forget. Continue reading

“70 percent of leaders do not finish well…First, leaders who do not finish well lose their learning posture. They stop listening and growing. Second, the attractiveness of their character wanes. Third, they stop living by their convictions. Fourth, they fail to leave behind ultimate contributions. Fifth, they stop walking in an awareness of their influence and destiny. Finally, leaders who finish poorly lose their once vibrant relationship with God!” (The Ascent of a Leader, Thrall, McNicol & McElrath)

Due to being extremely busy as of late, I haven’t posted anything. I was, however, over at a friends house this weekend and he mentioned this Peanuts cartoon. I found it and thought it was excellent.

I’ve been reading Secrets of the Secret Place by Bob Sorge as part of my morning devotions.  Sorge really gives some excellent insight into the devotional life…hence the post on Thomas a’ Kempis who’s writings are classic for Christian devotion.

I am coming to believe that our sanctification and ability to wage spiritual warfare are completely tied to our devotional life.  This is why it is often the most challenging aspect of a believer’s life.  Show me a believer who is struggling with habitual sin and I will show you someone who has a poor devotional life.  As one who is in ministry and has seen the effect of “busy-ness” on the home of the pastor, I can testify to the challenges of maintaining a healthy relationship with the Lord.

My heart breaks for men of God who do not make time to spend large amounts of time with God.  Good men who desire to be faithful to God’s word can easily get caught in the trap of serving others before or instead of serving God.  Parishioners in the congregation should rejoice if they can pay their pastor to spend his entire work-week in God’s presence.  People are looking for a word from God, and the only way a man of God can deliver it is by spending time with the Lord. Continue reading