The Discipline of Study — John Carroll

I continue our series on the discipline of study with a John Kerryesque sort of statement, “I knew John Carroll before I knew John Carroll.” A number of years ago, a friend of mine told me that I should visit an internet forum that was sort of a discussion ground for a lot of disgruntled Pentecostals who spent much time and energy trying to tear down some of the core doctrines and traditions that have been long held. When I ventured into this very weary land (I quit going very shortly thereafter), I kept noting a person who was commenting who went by the name “Coonskinner.” This “Coonskinner” and one other person (of whom I have since learned his identity also) would have about 50 people piling on with all sorts of rude comments and ridiculous innuendo concerning their defense of the faith. I did my best to post and agree with the “Coonskinner” and his valiant friend but because the forum required a special login and registration (to which I tried to gain but never could), I could never post my remarks in agreement with them.

Years passed and about 3 years ago, I was relating to a friend of mine, Scott Phillips, how that I always agreed with what “Coonskinner” had to say on this other far-out forum. When I told him this, Scott began to laugh heartily and told me that the “Coonskinner” was one of his best friends. It was through that friendship that I came to know a very good man who possesses an excellent spirit. About three years ago, I was introduced to the world of John Carroll and I am a much better man for it having come to pass. He pastors in Salina, Kansas but he hails from Oklahoma.

When John Carroll was eleven years, sitting in a rocking chair in his grandmother’s house, he was reading in the book of Acts, specifically chapter 2, when he heard the audible voice of God. He was told “One day you will be preaching about this!” He was so unnerved by this event that he missed supper that night and although his grandmother was aware that something was amiss, he did not tell her what had happened. It was at this very early and tender age that the seed was planted about the future God had planned for him. He would be 19 before he actually preached his first sermon. He has now been preaching almost 20 years.

As with all of these previous men, there are influencers who marked the direction that his life took in ministry.

Loyd Jones — The pastor of his formative years was not really a world-class preacher, just a faithful man who watched his flock. However he did provide some excellent advice to him in the early days of his ministry. He told John to give himself to prayers that were marked by consecration and to study. But as to the mechanical aspects of putting sermons, together no advice was offered.

C. A. Nelson — Brother Nelson was a man who allowed him to preach in the church he pastored. He was a very convicting preacher and this appealed to John. Brother Nelson was a retired District Superintendent for the Oklahoma District when John met him.

O. R. Fauss — Another greatly convicting preacher. A whole lot of men in the age range of late 30’s and beyond can testify of the effect that O. R. Fauss had on them as young men and young ministers. Some of his sermons are on Faithbuilder.

J. T. Pugh — Brother Pugh affected him long before John met him through his preaching. I don’t have the time to go into a story John told me sometime back about meeting Brother Pugh in the Denver airport at one of the most crucial times of his life but he received much spiritual direction during that time from Brother Pugh. When I asked him about specific messages of Brother Pugh, he mentioned two although they are probably not the classics that he is mostly known for. The classics are “You’re First Night in Hell,” “Anointed But Not Blessed,” and “Something Better than Heaven.”

“Fadeless Stars That Never Go Out” was a message that he heard on tape. It was a very provoking and complex message. Jude speaks of “wandering stars” and Brother Pugh took this and compared and contrasted stars with black holes. A black hole is a star that turns in on itself and consumes itself. A man can turn in on himself and quit praying and giving and pursuing and seeking until his ministry shrivels up to nothingness. Or a man can be like Jeremiah who had no converts to speak of, did not have a wife or family and spent much of his ministry in tears seemingly almost in defeat with little outward success. However, the influence of his ministry would be lived out in Babylon by Daniel, Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego.

As a sidenote, I have written a couple of blogs about Brother Pugh in the past. Spiritual Creativity and The Making of a Champion.

John would later meet Brother Pugh and establish somewhat of a relationship with him that remains until this day.

Another message was “Stars You’ve Never Seen Before” by way of cassette tape that produced a very strong prayer meeting after John listened to it.

Verbal Bean — His series “Prayer” and “The Works of the Holy Ghost” were a multi-tape series that John listened to a number of times in his early years of ministry. Both of these series are on Faithbuilder in MP3 format although the audio quality is not the greatest in world due to the age of the tapes.

Derold and Judy Doughty — This is a man who is very important currently in his life. He is who John looks to as a pastor. Judy Doughty is a woman who is given to early morning prayer and has been an inspiration to him in this area.

Gary Howard — This man was an evangelist who preached many times during John’s childhood. He told me that there were messages that Brother Howard preached when he was five and six years old that he does not necessarily remember the content of the message but how there was great depth of the Spirit and provided for long altar services. I am convinced that the key to true revival are those moments that we are able to spend in the altars allow God to work through and to knead the spirit of the man.

I asked John what he thought allowed men to move with such a depth in the Spirit and a feeling of conviction that those in the pew responded to. He told me it was something that our generation does not want to hear but the real keys are pain, suffering, and affliction that will almost break a man in two. Two things we can do with trouble determines how God will let it work for us: 1) The thorn of affliction can be taken to the throne of grace and a measure of grace will come that will sustain a man in his work, or 2) a man can turn that pain inward and become shallow and bitter until it consumes him and those around him.

Before a man can rightly divide the Word, the Word has to rightly divide the man. The Word has the capacity separate soul and spirit, joints and marrow (Hebrews 4:12) and until this happens, men will always be at a loss to really minister the Word.

A man who has no personal depth will never inspire a congregation to work and reach the high calling that God has for them. Trials have the capacity to move us beyond the places of “maintenance prayer” which basically only covers what our daily needs require. In the Tabernacle, the second altar had to be visited and then one moved beyond the veil into the presence of God at the Ark of the Covenant. There is a place of prayer that moves us into the very presence of God that has to be sought out every day. Far too often, men find a place to pray but never stay long enough find that second wave of the Spirit. Moses left the Tabernacle but it was Joshua who lingered in the presence of God (Exodus 33:11) and it paid huge dividends in his life. When we get into a rush and the hustle and bustle of life it can be taxing to our relationship with God.

When I asked John about sermons that he had heard that over the years had meant much to him, he mentioned three particular men who preached messages.

Mark Morgan — “When the Avenger Arrives” that was preached at the ARK conference. Another one, “When God Changes His Coat” at the Colorado District Campmeeting.

David Shatwell — “How to Heal a Wounded Spirit” which was preached either at Annapolis, Maryland or Madison, Mississippi.

Tony Bailey — “Early Morning Prayer” which he heard 8-9 years ago.

In the past, John had related to me his early morning routine which I found to be inspiring and remarkable. He gets up between 5-5:30 AM for prayer. At this time of the day, there are no disturbances because the world is not yet stirring. He will pray until he touches God and then there is that lingering in the presence of God that will cause his heart to be inclined toward ministry his church. After the prayer, John begins to muse through the Bible, quietly, carefully, prayerfully, and God uses the Word to speak powerfully to him. On a sidebar, when I speak with John on the phone, I never leave the conversation but that he has not dropped a tremendous thought that he has gained from Scripture. In fact, I have a notebook that I drag around with me everywhere and more than once or twice, something he has said to me makes its way into the pages.

While this Bible reading is going on, a cup of steaming Community Coffee is at hand along with a journal (8 ½ X 11) accompanied by a fountain pen. John has been writing with fountain pens since he was a kid and learned the art of it from his granny. His granny had an old wooden barreled Schaeffer that he started with. He has a variety of fountain pens. He has a Schaeffer, a Waterman, several Parker’s, and a utilitarian type fountain pen that he uses daily. Instead of using one that has an active inkwell, he uses the ones with cartridges for the sake of convenience.

When he was telling me about the pens, he said he had an old preacher tell him one time that he was the “youngest, old preacher” he had ever met. John told me that he likes old saddles, old guns, old pocket knives, but he has a special affinity for old coon-dogs (we shall get to more of that later).

So with Bible, coffee, journal, and fountain pen the inspiration starts to flow and he writes out his notes. He has a number of these hard-bound journals as he will usually fill up 1-2 of them every year. These thoughts will end up becoming sermons and Bible studies for him at later points.

The reason he is committed to writing his thoughts out is because every preacher has times when he is almost trying to drink from a fire hydrant and there are other times it is as dry as a desert. He told me that J. T. Pugh spoke of seasons of inspiration and that the inspiration comes but it has to have structure or it will be worthless. The structure is what causes the perspiration.

John then told me that on these early mornings he can feel the power that is expressed in an old song, Shut In With God:

The disciples were praying for the power to fall

Ten days they did tarry, on God they did call

Then God sent His spirit to baptize them all

For they had been shut in with God



Chorus

Shut in with God in a secret place

There in the spirit, beholding His face

Gaining new power to run in this race

Oh, I love to be shut in with God

Of all pleasant places on land or on sea

There’s no place on earth that is sweeter to me

Than to kneel at the feet of my Master and Lord

For there, I’ll be shut in with God

The pathway to Heaven, though rugged it may be

I’ll travel ‘til my precious Saviour I’ll see

Then the gates of that city will open for me

And there I’ll be shut in with God

John stressed the importance of not being a “binge” student. You have to take Brother Wayne McClain’s advice that he had given to him years before, “Gather the manna every day.” So on approximately 330 days of the 365 you will find John Carroll from 5-5:30 AM until 7:00 praying and working through the Scriptures.

He told me that he gained his love for the Word from a Sunday School teacher who had taught him as a kid. Then his aunt gave him a Bible when he was 7 after he had received the Holy Ghost and was baptized in Jesus’ name. Then through the work of his old pastor, who was very doctrinal in his preaching, gave him a love for apostolic doctrine. So with that first Bible (which he requested from his aunt to have red-letters, pictures, and a concordance), he begin to underline all the major parts of doctrine concerning the Oneness of God and the New Birth experience. One day as he was running the references, John 10:30 leaped out at him and it felt as if the revelation of the Oneness of God was pouring into his mind. So at a very young age, he was very much devoted to doctrine. He encourages his young ministers in his church to work messages in such a manner that they can build a bridge from the message to Acts 2:38.

When I asked him about particular books that he read, an amazing world opened up. John has a bachelor’s degree in English literature and actually was a schoolteacher before going into full time ministry. Therefore because of this background he rarely (as in never) reads books that are religious in nature. He learned from his profs in college that if a man will give himself to reading the classics then there is a stimulation toward deep and orderly thinking.

There are three reasons to read: 1) For recreation; 2) To gain information; and 3) To discipline the mind. The latter two are the most important reasons that someone should spend time reading. The classic literature that he has read includes Dante’s Inferno, Plato’s Republic (which is an incredible task in itself), the essays of Sir Frances Bacon, varied works by Shakespeare, and poetry. His two favorite poets are Emily Dickinson of which all of her works are enjoyed and Rudyard Kipling. The two favorite poems of Kipling are “If” and “The Female of the Species.”

He also expressed an enjoyment of reading Mark Twain’s works. Of Twain, he told me that he is deceptively deep and multi-layered in his writings, to which I greatly agree as I have used several illustrations from Twain over the years in my own preaching. He mentioned that Twain could be enjoyed by a 12 year old boy and at the same time could challenge a well educated college professor.

When he told me about the process of putting the messages that he preaches together, he said that he could in no way say he would fall into the category as a Doug White who might spend 10 hours on a message. He said that all week long is basically the process by which the message will be borne during those times of devotion and prayer. The real work of preaching is not so much the event as it is the praying, gathering, and working to put it into a preachable design. When we were talking about the aspect of God speaking to the man he mentioned a provoking verse from Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 23:21-22 KJV I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. [22] But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.

The dilemma of our days could very well be related to the fact that few are willing to stand in the counsel of the Lord and hear what He longs to say to the His Church. All that was required of the prophets was for them to stand and stay in the place of the Lord until they had heard from God and they could not do it and Israel failed.

As far as his notes, he takes to the pulpit 2-4 sheets of lined notebook paper. He will write out transitional points. His outline ranges from very detailed to very scanty. He uses different colored pens to write with, primarily black, blue, and red. The Scriptures are always in red and the blues and blacks alternate the other portions of the message. He doesn’t use a computer to type of his notes on.

As for his closest friends, they are Terry Harmon, David Shatwell, Doug White, Scott Phillips, and Guy Godwin. All of these friends were met at events/conferences that involved deep moves of the Spirit and consecrating prayer. He told me that for all of these friends that a principle came about in that what is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Things will bear fruit in the realm that they are born in. If a friendship is born in a spiritual way, the friendship has a tendency to bring about spiritual change and encouragement.

I asked him about a particular Bible preference and he said he has used a Thompson Chain reference for years. He likes the font and the margins that allow him to write things in the margins. He told me that all of his Bibles over the years have been marked up. I did not tell him but I have told numerous men that they need to write in their Bibles simply for the fact that when they die, their children will have a very valuable gift but it will be much more than that, it will be a legacy passed on.

On a lighter note, I asked him about his coon dogs to which he has a great love for. He has three American Bluetick Hounds. He said these are the best coondogs a man can buy. He has three and they chase coons in the surrounding regions of Salina. Their names are Mabel, Emmy Lou, and Judy.

When I asked him what final advice he might give to young men who are just entering the ministry, he told me he about a Scripture that he wrote in the front of every Bible he has ever owned:

Proverbs 13:20 KJV He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

Make sure the friends that you have are men who will make you reach higher and be better. Never associate with those who are always testing the limits and the boundaries seeking to wander off into a spiritual wasteland. Also, if a young man does not want to pray and study, he needs to find something else to do with his life. Finally, get a grip of Truth and never let it go!

There are some various sermons by John Carroll on Faithbuilder.

Also the following sermons are available:

God’s Gift to the Rebellious



The Three-fold Perspective of the Worshipper

The Road Less Traveled

The other posts related to this one are as follow:

The Discipline of Study.

Jeff Arnold.

Scott Graham.

Ben Weeks.

Jason Calhoun.

Doug White.

J. H. Osborne.

Encouragement = O2 for the Soul

The Lost Art of "Conviction" Preaching

Last week I read a thread on Wordshare (an internet forum of UPCI ministers) that opened up a conversation about “conviction” preachers. For the unacquainted with Pentecost, a “conviction” preacher is one of the very few among ministers now who could preach with such power that the White Knuckle Syndrome would develop. The White Knuckle Syndrome is that experience by which those who had never been to a Pentecostal service would hold on to the back of the pew in front of them so as to remain seated and not go to the altar to pray.

 

Several notable men (John Carroll, KS; Steve Shubert, TX; Mark Bassett, CT; Doug White, TX; and a few others) on this group continued their responses until it became like the water that was used in the old days to prime the hand pumps. All of their responses jumpstarted my thoughts about the status of preaching today. John Carroll mentioned of O. R. Fauss that his voice was that of a by-gone era and that today we only had echoes of those kinds of messages. As time passes, if there are not some who long to stand in the gap and preach this way, these sermons are going to be relegated to antiquity.

 

For several days, I mulled over that particular thought of “conviction” preaching and came up with a few thoughts as to why it is becoming a lost art. A few thoughts first as to why it is not popular in today’s pulpits:

 

It is not uplifting. Most people want to leave church like they would leave a so-called total makeover. “I don’t go to church to hear preaching that is going to make me feel bad. I want to feel ‘good’ when I leave.” The man in the pew states, “I want Gospel-lite. Something that tastes great and is less filling.” Gimme that guilt-free Gospel. The Gospel from Starbucks! Chocolate or Vanilla. Hot or Cold. Cap or Frap, you decide! Imagine the disappointment of today’s modern purpose driven models for Jesus to stand in the pulpit on Sunday and state clearly that a Cross was to be taken up.

 

It is not pragmatic. That means that this sort of preaching is not going to fill up a church nor will it fill the coffers to pay for all the “stuff.” The “show” must go on and this kind of preaching gets in the way of the “show.” Most doctrinal teaching and preaching will immediately define and create distinct boundaries. This sort of preaching does not tell you how to manage stress, grow stronger families, or climb the corporate ladder. Recently Ed Young of Dallas introduced this to his pulpit on a Sunday. How’s that for pragmatic! If you think this is an exception to what normally goes on, peruse the websites of these mega-shows (not churches) and see what is being preached and taught. . . Everything but the Gospel. Go here if you want more commentary on the senseless stuff that is pouring out of America’s pulpits these days! If you attend all these sorts of seminars about church-growth and preaching, it won’t be long until the core reduction of the attendee will become a parrot.

 

It demands a commitment. The commitment that this preaching demands is that which is life-changing. It is preaching that calls out the worldlings to a higher level of relationship with God. The closer you get to God the more that He reveals the necessity to change. This sort of preaching does not accommodate contemporary culture trends nor does it tolerate multiple choices.

 

It calls for Biblical knowledge. To listen to this kind of preaching requires a much more in-depth knowledge of the Bible than our society has. Our current society is far more familiar with the line-ups of the Braves and Dodgers, the box-scores of their fantasy teams, the antics that Brittany and Paris are up to this week, and how to operate the latest thingamajibby (camera phone, PDA, Blackberries, etc.). All of this is much more important than understanding a Book that is attempting to get them ready to face an eternity somewhere off in the future. Our society has turned into barn-building fools who never expect that on tomorrow an accounting must be rendered.

 

So with those few reasons as to why modern worldlings do not like “conviction” preaching anymore, I now want to give just a few thoughts that came to me as to what made up those old “conviction” preachers (i.e., O. R. Fauss, James Kilgore, J. T. Pugh, Curtis Spears, and Keith Clark). This list is in no particular order or importance.

 

Personal Holiness

 

I believe that these men were much with God and were little with the world. They were truly separated from the world and to God. Their focus was on how close they could get to God. Their preaching was not geared toward moving into a larger house, owning a nicer vehicle, or modeling the newest trend in suits. In fact, many of them seemingly had much disdain for financial success and were concerned with spiritual results.

 

The dilemma that has hemmed us up in this generation is the fear of being intolerant. Furthermore because of the castigation of those who would say that we are legalists there is little passion for personal holiness in our lives anymore. If you have a presentation of holiness, the bottom line is that you will be different in all that you do! If the things that I do and the places that I go are no different from the world, then am I really set apart? Babylon is choking the American church.

 

Phil Johnson over at TeamPyro who is not apostolic has this to say about personal holiness:

 

Sanctification is an idea that seems almost completely missing from the Emerging conversation. An almost pathological fear of “legalism” keeps emerging types from ever questioning whether any element of postmodern culture is compatible with Christlikeness or not. Taboos are the only remaining taboo nowadays.
But when (for example) tattoos, cigars, beer, poker, and other stylish emblems of worldly culture are widely regarded as necessary elements for “relevant” men’s ministry, I’d say the pendulum has swung too far against the dangers of “legalism.” Does no one recall that loving this world and conforming to its tastes (and tasteless preferences) is also a dangerous sin?

 

If we lose the doctrine of separation, the true Church will begin taking on water! In some places, water is quite visible. Instead of managing buckets to bail water, our obligations must be tending to ropes and rudder or the ship will be dashed on the rocks.

 

For those who are involved in the preaching and teaching of the Word, it will be required that some serious study go into the principles that we are teaching. A superficial knowledge of the Word is detrimental to what we are working to accomplish. Will everyone be saved? Absolutely not! But far too often those who are purveyors of the Truth use this as an excuse to preach holiness with nastiness. This is just as unacceptable as not preaching holiness at all.

 

Desperation for God

 

In their preaching one could sense an all compassing hunger to touch God in their personal life. As they were reaching for God in their preaching, the congregation was immediately drawn up into the “chase” with them. It is crucial that every man who opens up the Word to preach it, have in his own life a certain measure of desperation and tenacity to gain the presence of God. Much like the midnight wrestlings of Jacob, a conviction preacher will venture into that same atmosphere. The places that we wrestle with God are often marked with fear of the pursuit (from Esau), darkness that is overwhelming (the fight occurred deep into the night), an absence of resources (alone with God in a place where talent, pedigree, and ability means nothing), pain and weariness (every battle will cause some joints to get dislocated and energy expended will tire us), and loneliness (you cannot take anyone with you). This is where the conviction preachers took us with their messages.

 

Embracing the Noble Doctrines

 

Their messages were not filled with the “atta’ boy” or the “c’mon you can make it” content. Their messages did not so much encourage you for the here and now as it did for the hereafter. The content of the conviction messages were generally contrasted between Heaven and Hell. They centered on the pain and wonder of the Crucifixion. They pressed with messages about personal prayer. They preached on the White Throne of Judgment and the Judgment Seat of Christ. They preached on the lost opportunities of Achan, Judas, King Saul, and Samson’s foolish decisions. It almost appeared as if they had literal regard for the so-called wounded self-esteem of men. In fact, they thought that the more wounded a man was the better his chance of moving to an altar of change.

 

• When was the last time you heard a message on Hell?
• When was the last time you preached on Holiness and identified what was profane?
• When was the last time you worried with getting on your knees to see the White Throne of Judgment?
• When was the last time you were in a long and drawn out altar service? (This is the norm for some places but those are in large part in the minority.)

 

Personal Suffering

 

I will not elaborate on the personal suffering that some of these men had to endure. However, they walked through some very lonely and dark valleys in their lifetime. Our modern concept is to remove every bit of the pain possible. However, great suffering and heartbreak often brings great purpose and anointing.

 

Students of Human Behavior

 

Their preaching would often give heart-rending stories of poor choices that people had made that were detrimental to their walk with God. These stories that they told were not related with tasteless rancor but rather with compassion and a pleading tone. They were wise students of human behavior. What they understood was that there was nothing new under the sun and the same mistakes that men make today were the same ones that pour out of the Bible.

 

I am in the process of converting some of O. R. Fauss’ messages from cassette to MP3. Some of these messages are 25-30 years old. In the converting process, I have listened to more than one gut-wrenching story about a backslider who walked away from the church and came to an ill end. The stories that are frequently used today are up-beat and on extremely rare occasions do you hear about what happened to those who went in the wrong direction. These illustrations need to re-appear in sermons because they serve as voices of warning.

 

I am certain that there are other things that make one a “conviction” preacher. If there ever were a time that God needed men to stand on the wall and cry aloud, it is today in modern times. Every wall needs a watchman. . . Every church needs a man of conviction in the pulpit.

 

Encouragement = O2 for the Soul

Gimme That Showtime Preachin’

A Plea For Preachers

I have no doubt that this little blog article may create some havoc for me. As you read this, please note from the outset that I have no particular person in mind, however the shoe may fit someone you know, or alas, it may fit you. As a matter of fact, I have worn this shoe a very few and rare times with my own preaching but I am consciously and diligently trying to weed this sort of thing totally out of my own presentation of the Gospel with the vehicle of preaching.

As a disclaimer, these thoughts are not reflective of the staff, management, scattered friends and neighbors, or anyone else who falls in between those mentioned categories. These thoughts are purely and wholly mine. They may be somewhat skewed but they are mine in their entirety. I will publish any and all comments from readers scattered about the world whether they are in agreement or disagreement. I only have two rules for those who want to comment: (1) You must identify yourself by name at the end of your comments and (2) I will not allow you to specifically name anyone that you might have an ax to grind.

When I was a kid, I had a major scarring event to occur in my life. It was unmistakable in its origin and it descended on me with such rapidity that I was stunned almost into a state of shock. When it was over, I had determined that only the wrath of God could descend quicker upon poor saps than the wrath of my mother.

When I was growing up, there were words that were not allowed in our home. There were even some slang words that weren’t (at least to me) harmful that my mother defined as “Pentecostal cussing” and they were never to be uttered in our home. She was very serious about this and it not only applied to my brother and myself but to any of our overnight guests and other friends that would come home with us on Sunday afternoons.

One day back in the ‘70’s, I am uncertain if I was testing my mother or if it was an accidental proverbial slip of the tongue, I found my mother found cramming a bar of Dial soap, the real orange stuff that they used to make years ago, directly into my mouth. Then she took a washcloth and began to literally wash my mouth out with soap. She had very little regard for my poor little body that maybe there were some carcinogens, free radicals, or other vague and mysterious oxides that might kill some brain cells. It never crossed her mind that there might be some poison in that Dial soap that might kill me. She was far more concerned with washing out my “dirty” mouth and I might add that the trick worked. At the moment, she also had very little regard for my sense of self-worth and self-esteem.

Since that time, I have tried to keep my mouth vigilant by at least saying the right things at the right times in the right place and at the right time. What a drastic impact that little session had on my mind and body. As a matter of fact, it only took once for that little exercise to occur and I learned a life-long lesson. From then on, if I had any “Pentecostal cussing” to do, it was not in the presence of my mother.

Yet, very, very curiously as time has passed, I have noticed that some preachers from a wide range of “movements” have let some of these words creep into their preaching. In fact some of these are words that would have gotten my mouth washed out as a kid. What really needs to happen is for my mother to gather up the “gumption” to go up on the platform of some of these places and give them a taste of Dial soap.

With the culmination of the internet, I now have been able to listen to a wide range of preachers (Pentecostal, Church of God, Church of God of Prophecy, Independent Fundamental Baptist, Assembly of God, even some other “highbrow” stuff). Oddly enough, I found that many from this wide range of denominations have some who preach with that show time Gospel flair and mix in all sorts of borderline profanity and forms of crude speech.

I know that you will bring to my attention where that Jesus had some very sharp words to say to the Pharisees and a few others. I am also aware that he probably said some things that are not recorded in Scripture when the Temple cleansings took place. I am also aware that some of the Old Testament prophets like Amos, Ezekiel, Jonah, and Elijah all had some pointed words to say to different groups to whom they were addressing. But it appears to me that all of these events stacked up against the rest of the Book would give these situations a very small minority comparatively speaking.

The reality of the matter is that there are times that righteous, hot, holy anger needs to pour out of a preacher’s soul (not necessarily his mouth). Samuel hacked Agag to pieces and as is mentioned Jesus cleaned out the Temple and Joshua ordered for Achan to be stoned. However, all of these actions were devoid of street slang and vulgarity.

What has brought this whole matter to the forefront of my mind is a small uprising here in Dothan, Alabama. Three weeks ago, on a Sunday night, our two largest city high schools had a combined baccalaureate service and the man who was preaching resorted to some street language. It has been talked about around our little burg of 55,000 and has generated at least one letter to the editor of our local paper. The writer was expressing his embarrassment for his wife and daughter who were with him at this event. As I read this, I tried to filter through the thought processes of the writer and of the preacher. Sometimes preachers get bad raps because people simply do not want to hear the truth of God’s Word. On the other hand, there have been times that the dignity and intellect of the congregation was assaulted by the audacity of the preacher who had a bully pulpit. There is a happy medium somewhere along the way.

In the past few years, I have attended several events where a preacher took his liberty to use bedroom humor, vulgar slang, and borderline “cussing” and I was certainly glad that my wife and children were not with me. The great question arises. . . . .Does gutter talk really have a place in the pulpit? Does a preacher have to be a ribald, bawdy comedian to communicate the power of truth?

From simple observation, it appears to me that many times when this sort of activity starts that it’s actions are trying to make up for a huge shallowness of the message. I am certainly aware that the Bible uses some very graphic terms for specific people but in the long run when these words are mixed with sarcasm and disdain it creates far more harm than good. We are to feed the sheep (Acts 20:27-31) not put on a show. Some of the worst homiletical advice ever given was “pick a text and pitch a fit.” That is not real preaching but it is having your hobby horse to prance about with much ado over nothing. Shallow preaching will lead to shallow churches. I am for passionate preaching but shallow showmen stuff is never warranted. When the speaker outshines the Savior something is terribly amok. Our words need to be seasoned with grace (Eph. 4:27-30).

The greatness of a message is not the histrionics of the preacher but the redeeming power of the truth issued through the Word of God. Charles Spurgeon, the great prince of preachers, gave the following suggestion from his classic Lectures to My Students:

 

“There is a kind of beetle which breeds in filth, and this creature has its prototype among men…I know it is said “Honi soit qui mal y pense,” but I aver that no pure mind ought to be subjected to the slightest breath of indelicacy from the pulpit. Caesar’s wife must be without suspicion, and Christ’s ministers must be without speck in their lives or stain in their speech.”

 

On a closing thought, we men who preach out to have some “stuff with the puff” when we preach the Word. The “show” of preaching should never outshine the Savior of our preaching. If we are using words to “shock the flock” then what is our real motivation?

My plea to preachers is to let your preaching be so Word driven, Christ exalting, worshipful, and prayerful that there will be no room for confusion in the ears and minds of those who hear you.

Some Things I Would Like To Say To Young Preachers

A friend of mine, Scott Phillips, fired off a very productive missile in my busy life this morning. He wrote an article that basically was forcing our minds to think about “transitioning” moments in the life of a church. We are now facing a generation of aging pastors who will be passing the mantle of the pastoral office to a younger man. Since time waits for no one, that mantle will either be passed with a blessing or it will be forcefully snatched from the hands of these aged elders. It is my thinking that the elder who is prepared for the transition will serve not only the church well but the Kingdom of God well.

In the last four months, I have been involved in the continuing education process called life. During this time, I have chalked up several “units” to add to my profile and it has been quite advantageous for me. I hope for those who are closest to me it has also been beneficial. More and more, I realize that I have to be incredibly grateful for what has been placed into my life. This whole week has been one of those weeks that I have felt a lot of gratitude toward God for the direction that He has put my life on.

As you are aware from some previous posts on this blog (see Thursday, March 2, 2006 in archives), I personally have been in transition from the role of co-pastor to now that of pastor. This process has actually been ongoing now for several years and I will not be-labor the point here. It has been a very good process for which I am thankful.

I will leave with you some points that I have found to be very helpful to me over the last 14 years of being in the role of the “second” man. I will comment greatly on some and others will be simply be a point to ponder.

1. Be Patient.

You must understand that ministry is a marathon and not a sprint. James said it best when he recalled that life was nothing more than a vapor. How quickly that this life passes! I can remember vividly all of the high points of ministry “accreditation.” I can remember the public acknowledgement of the call. I remember the first sermon I preached. I recall the move to Bible College and the graduation night. I remember the nervousness of facing a District Board for my general license. I can remember the promotion to associate pastor. I can remember the promotion and business meeting from associate to co-pastor. I can remember the process of preparation for ordination. I remember meeting the District Board for my ordination approval. I can remember the charge that was read to me last summer in Montgomery, Alabama. I can remember the installation service lead by Rev. Michael Harrell, our presbyter, as pastor. In one paragraph, I have summed up 14 years! Life is a vapor!

In the early days, I thought that it would never open up and that I would never get to the place that I am currently residing. This place now is not the end, this is merely the beginning of the rest of my life. The problem is that youth is often bumping it’s head with the process. Patience in the process is crucial.

David was anointed by Samuel and then he was promptly sent back into the pasture. How unfair! Anointed as king but no throne, scepter, or kingdom. Always be patient with the process of pasture. Leading sheep is a lot like leading people. You cannot drive them or herd them, you must lead them.

Let go of your need for immediate gratification. Promotion will come it just takes time. Do your best not to let your current situation simply be turned into a “stepping” stone for bigger and greater things. Impatience will lead to frustration, anger, a feeling of being overlooked, misunderstanding, and resentful. All of these emotions are ministry killers. They will sap your life of productive spiritual growth.

2. You Are Involved in “Real” Ministry.

One of the biggest difficulties that young ministers have is being made to feel as if they are not really accomplishing much in their position as youth pastor, assistant pastor, or other roles. Bro. Patterson never made me feel like a second-rate citizen in my role as “second man.” However, there were ministers whom I begin to avoid like a plague.

The reason that I avoided them was because that every instance that they were around me it was always seemingly to ask the obtuse question, “When are you going to do something for God? When are you going to get a “real” ministry?” I have come to understand that one of the reasons that they asked me this was because when they sat in the role as a second man, they did nothing. So they immediately equate that their own past experience is just like yours. I came to realize that nothing further from the truth could be true. The face of this thought is changing (thank God!) but a lot of older men feel that assistants, associates, and youth pastors are unnecessary and unneeded. I would hate to try to do what we are doing here in Dothan without some help of some good men.

I was always doing “real” ministry here. Whether it was preaching (every other week), involved in teaching home Bible studies, helping other unlicensed ministers improve their own skills, etc., etc. I was involved in “real” ministry.

Very early in my ministry, I can remember how that these very ignorant comments were sent in my direction and they would create a sense of depression and uselessness in my own personal life. After many, many prayer times trying to keep my heart right, I was prompted one day by the voice of God to evaluate where I was spending my time. Wherever one is spending his time this is where he is spending his life. Through a personal journal, I allowed God to help me to see what my life was being spent on. Guess what? It was being spent on “real” ministry.

3. Ignore the Dingbats.

See the preceding number. Some people are not happy with themselves and therefore they are not happy with the world around them. Their mission, perhaps even their “spiritual” gift is to create the same sense of misery in your life that is in theirs. It pays to figure out who these people are and then avoid them and ignore them.

4. Develop Your Family.

Realize that in the role of a second man you will have time to develop your family and your marriage. I can distinctly remember several years ago, that Teresa and I were on the way with our kids to St. Simon’s Island (perhaps my most favorite place in the world) and we were made aware of a situation in the church that needed immediate attention (a funeral). Bro. Patterson called me and told me to keep going toward my vacation and that he would take care of it. Had I been in the role of a pastor at that time, that would not have happened, I would have had to turn around and come back to Dothan.

While you are in the role as a second man, the responsibilities of ministry do not rest entirely on your shoulders and you can do things that pastors cannot ordinarily do. Take advantage of this because there will be a day when you will have to fulfill the responsibility of your calling. Enjoy your freedom now!

5. Sleep Well.

As a second man, there were situations that did not require all of my time or attention simply because I was not the pastor. There were pressures that I was never aware of and I could sleep well because I was not the pastor. You should be thankful that you are not entirely responsible for trying to patch up families, help others walk through financial struggles, or simply said doing the ministry of “the daily care of the churches.”

6. Love the Word.

Be concerned with preaching and teaching the Word. Constantly give yourself to the reading of books that are going to stimulate your thinking. Stimulated thinking leads to stimulated meditation which leads to stimulating preaching. Make sure that you love the Word and let it put some principles in your life to help you make decisions that will be not so much popular as they are lasting. I even read things that I do not personally or theologically agree with but I find that they stretch my thinking and actually shore up my views on my own beliefs.

I have made much of this thought in other posts on this blog.

7. Keep a journal of ideas.

If you don’t think a certain program or a certain method works, don’t make a lot of racket. . . just journal it. This program or method has probably worked for the pastor you are serving with for all of his ministry and it is what he is comfortable with. Change it when you get the opportunity to do so but don’t create a fight over methods and mechanics.

Your ideas over time will add up and then when you become the pastor you can implement them as you feel the direction of the Spirit. Remember that we are all unique individuals and we all have preferences and you need to make room for other people’s preferences.

I might also caution that rapid change is rarely beneficial. If rapid change creates chaos in educational halls, in industries, and everywhere else, it will do so in a church. You owe it to yourself to wisely select the changes that you want to make. Then I personally believe that those changes need to be slow and with the approval of some elder. We are not running businesses, we are trying to build churches which simply speaking means lives.

8. Thank God for your “job.”

I spent twenty years working in a hospital as an RN. It was a very good job. It was very challenging and I can see what it has created in my life as far as discipline and hunger for personal and professional growth. It is not a sin to have to be bi-vocational. Paul made his tents, I worked with stents.

In fact, there were times that problems were going on in the church and I could go to work and “zone” out while I put someone to sleep. We could put an iliac artery stent or renal artery stent in. Because of the pressure of my secular job, the church problems did not consume me with anxiety, worry, fear, or doubt.

My secular jobs in the medical field put me in contact with some of the most brilliant minds in Dothan, AL and Houston, TX on a daily basis. The professional excellence of the physicians and other staff members stimulated a hunger for spiritual excellence for me. I was always under the belief that if they were doing so much development for a corruptible crown then my pursuits for the development of an uncorruptible crown should not be lazy, haphazard, or shoddy.

9. See Your Elder as An Elijah.

The longer I live, the bigger the footprints of Joe Patterson become. It is amazing what this man has accomplished just by day-in and day-out pouring himself into the Kingdom of God. I can see him as an Elijah who flung his mantle on me very early in my life. When I was much younger, I cannot say that I entirely perceived what was occurring but now with the passage of time, I am acutely aware of what God has developed in my life through his efforts and assistance.

Work with your Elijah. Sometimes before you can build your own church, you have to help another man build his. Paul placed much into Timothy and Titus. Your elder can put much into your life. Make wise choices about what you do.

10. Remember that God is Sovereign.

Of all of the attributes of God, this one has become the one that I lean on the most. It has freed me from huge burdens and huge expectations both real and perceived. The sovereignty of God means that God called me and he has positioned my life and I am exactly where God means for me to be.

11. Listen To Your Wife!!!

My wife had a line that she periodically would give me: It is not your church! I would then realize that it was indeed not my church. Teresa also helped me to see the fact that there were generally some more details or pieces of the puzzle that I did not see.

In conclusion, I realize that these are not “pat” answers for every situation. However, I do know that God honors his servants and that sometimes the disputed passage brings the most spiritual and personal growth to our lives.

On a future post, I will give you some things that I would like to say to “old” preachers coming from the view of a “second” man.

O Preacher Wake Up and Study . . . .

How To Make A Man of God

I found this quote on another site that I periodically go to. This was quoted in a sermon from John MacArthur entitled “How To Make A Man Of God.” The quote is not original with JM and the source is unknown.

It stirred within me a greater desire to proclaim the Truth. It also stirred within me a passion for those people that I preach to every week. May God help us to awaken our own sleepy souls. . . . .

Fling him into his office. Tear the “Office” sign from the door and nail on the sign, “Study.” Take him off the mailing list. Lock him up with his books and his typewriter and his Bible. Slam him down on his knees before texts and broken hearts and the flock of lives of a superficial flock and a holy God. Force him to be the one man in our surfeited communities who knows about God.

Throw him into the ring to box with God until he learns how short his arms are. Engage him to wrestle with God all the night through. And let him come out only when he’s bruised and beaten into being a blessing.

Shut his mouth forever spouting remarks, and stop his tongue forever tripping lightly over every nonessential. Require him to have something to say before he dares break the silence.

Bend his knees in the lonesome valley. Burn his eyes with weary study. Wreck his emotional poise with worry for God. And make him exchange his pious stance for a humble walk with God and man. Make him spend and be spent for the glory of God.

Rip out his telephone. Burn up his ecclesiastical success sheets. Put water in his gas tank. Give him a Bible and tie him to the pulpit. And make him preach the Word of the living God!

Test him. Quiz him. Examine him. Humiliate him for his ignorance of things divine. Shame him for his good comprehension of finances, batting averages, and political in-fighting. Laugh at his frustrated effort to play psychiatrist. Form a choir and raise a chant and haunt him with it night and day-”Sir, we would see Jesus.”

When at long last he dares assay the pulpit, ask him if he has a word from God. If he does not, then dismiss him. Tell him you can read the morning paper and digest the television commentaries, and think through the day’s superficial problems, and manage the community’s weary drives, and bless the sordid baked potatoes and green beans, ad infinitum, better than he can. Command him not to come back until he’s read and reread, written and rewritten, until he can stand up, worn and forlorn, and say, “Thus saith the Lord.”

Break him across the board of his ill-gotten popularity. Smack him hard with his own prestige. Corner him with questions about God. Cover him with demands for celestial wisdom. And give him no escape until he’s back against the wall of the Word. And sit down before him and listen to the only word he has left-God’s Word. Let him be totally ignorant of the down-street gossip, but give him a chapter and order him to walk around it, camp on it, sup with it, and come at last to speak it backward and forward, until all he says about it rings with the truth of eternity.

And when he’s burned out by the flaming Word, when he’s consumed at last by the fiery grace blazing through him, and when he’s privileged to translate the truth of God to man, finally transferred from earth to heaven, then bear him away gently and blow a muted trumpet and lay him down softly. Place a two-edged sword in his coffin, and raise the tomb triumphant. For he was a brave soldier of the Word. And ere he died, he had become a man of God.

Book Recommendation — Nobody’s Perfect . . . Dean Shriver

I have just finished reading an excellent book for those who are involved in ministry. Whether it is a pulpit ministry, youth ministry, Sunday School, or anything that falls in between, this book is a very helpful book. Another useful thing about this book is that it is a 2 1/2 to 3 hour book that will not hang you up for days.

Dean Shriver has written Nobody’s Perfect But You Have to Be. The subtitle is “The Power of Personal Integrity in Effective Preaching.” It packs a punch and forces anyone who is in public ministry to really take a look at their personal life.

This excerpt in the introduction is the reason that I purchased this book:

The worship service was about to begin when I saw her. I greeted her with curiosity. I knew that she was a fully committed member of a sister church in our area. During our brief exchange, she quietly said, “I simply cannot listen to that man preach.” That man was her pastor of almost two years. Why, on that morning, did she refuse to hear her own pastor preach? Was he a heretical teacher? Did he deny the truth of God’s Word? Did he habitually twist Scripture to suit his own desires? No, on that Sunday the woman I greeted refused to hear her pastor because of his actions, not his words. It had happened at a recent board meeting. In the midst of debating an issue the younger pastor exploded in anger, slandered the woman’s husband (a well-respected elder thirty years his senior), and even threatened to excommunicate him from the church. In the days that followed, the pastor continued to malign her husband behind his back. Now, at least in this woman’s eyes, the young minister’s credibility as a preacher was destroyed. On that Sunday morning, it wasn’t that she could not hear him–she would not. (From the Introduction)

This story set the hook and it really caused me to take inventory of some of the things in my own personal life. The chapters on Humility, Contentment, and Practicing Spiritual Disciplines are some of the high points.

The Best of the Rest – J. T. Pugh – The Making of a Champion

Some of you have followed along with the “Top Ten” sermons that I have heard in my life. It has been an interesting process but there were some that were very notable that I did not include in the Top Ten. So in the next few days (maybe weeks) I am going to give you what I am calling The Best of the Rest.

I previously mentioned this seminar in a previous post and the impact of J. T. Pugh’s ministry. I am including the notes that I furiously scribbled while Bro. Pugh was preaching. I did notice something with my note-taking. I noticed that when a Scripture reference was mentioned in “preaching” that I would generally not make a note of it (very bad habit) but when someone was “teaching” then I would write down a vast number of Scripture references. Also, I noticed that when you try to decipher something that you have written in the past, that vagueness is a poor habit. The vagueness of the notes will leave you in the dark and it becomes a huge mystery. I discovered this when I begin to transcribe the notes that Bro. Pugh had left me from September 20, 1997.

This message was just as incredible as the one previously blogged. It was entitled, The Making of a Champion. He literally walked through the life of Peter in 95 minutes and when he was finished, I had been so totally caught up in the message that time did not even matter. How I wish I could do that!

Anyway, the notes are here for your encouragement.

THE MAKING OF A CHAMPION
J. T. PUGH – 9/20/97
ALABAMA DISTRICT UPC LICENSING SEMINAR
BREWTON, ALABAMA

John 1:40-42 KJV One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. [41] He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. [42] And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

Introduction

-Andrew brought his brother, Peter, to Jesus. Jesus beheld Peter and saw him as he was and then told him what he was going to be. From Simon to a Stone.

-Jonathon Edwards wrote some Resolutions for his life. He always wanted to put his best effort forward. Always, always, always let there be a drive for revival, growth, maturity, and wisdom to rest in your ministry.

-If we are to bear the name of Jesus Christ, then we ought to be our very best, all the time. Never “slop” up the Gospel. You ought to view yourself as the greatest man in your town.

The “Becoming” of a Champion

1. A Champion has an objective and a direction in his life. It is the key element that he will live and die for.

-Champions are not born at the pinnacle of success. They have to set an objective in their lives and then begin to implement a plan.

General Dynamics was the engineering firm that was responsible for building the Apollo rockets. They were driven by a dream. Because they embraced that dream it totally consumed them. Some told stories about the moon, others speculated about it’s distance from earth, there were some who even tried to discourage General Dynamics and it’s engineers from the thought. But they were driven by a dream.

-To reach the goal is to give, to strive, to know that the sky is the limit. Everyday is a different day and it out to be pursued with such passion and intensity that God responds with His servants.

-So much is accomplished by purpose. Jacob had power with God and with men. The impossible is to be challenged every day that we live. The Impossible Dream is to be captured.

-The aspect of geography greatly plays a role in Andrew and Peter finding the Lord. They were 150 miles from home. Andrew wanted to bring Simon to the place of meeting Jesus.

-That is what you must do with your life!!! You must constantly bring people to the place of meeting Jesus. You will have to carry a church sometimes on your back to the place of meeting Jesus. It is involves pouring yourself into prayer and fasting and ministry of the Word. But there is a great promise to those who will invest their lives in this objective.

-The reason that Andrew wanted to bring Peter to the Lord was because there was something that was hidden in the life of Peter. Men are so full of hidden treasures and all it takes is the right strike of the pick. Churches are so full of hidden treasures that all it takes is for a “champion” to reach within his calling and create action of activity.

2. The Champion will change his style and then discipline himself to change.

-A man of action and activity was Peter, but he was to change. He was impetuous, stubborn, and impatient. He was thick-tongued and uncultured but God decided to make him into the unbreakable rock.

-There is a discipline that is involved with change. It can move us to the place of being a champion.

• What are you spending your time on?
• What are you spending your money on?
  

-The answer to those two questions will immediately indicate where and what your life is being spent on. Far too many allow themselves to get caught up into the activities that merely brings “bread” to the table. Far it be from you, to get caught up in the lazy, carefree, foolishness of materialistic treasures.

-I must change for the Kingdom of God. Change can create a certain self-respect. It can create a real sense of purpose.

-Peter was hopeful that he could change but he really did not think that he could.

• Jesus borrowed a boat, to teach.
• He borrowed Peter’s time for fishing.
• Jesus borrowed Peter’s nets for a draught.
• Jesus borrowed Peter’s life for a ministry.

-Some of the most incredible victories that God every worked out came when he borrowed something that belonged to a man.

-Bro. Pugh said that he had seen so many men who refused to allow the Lord to “borrow” their lives, their churches, and their money because “security” was seemingly an issue. Our security rests solely in the One whom we serve. But there were others he said that he watched as God “borrowed” their lives and revivals and far more important things came out of their lives (He mentioned G.A. Mangun, V.A. Guidroz, and James Kilgore.)

-Peter confessed that he was a sinful man. He thought that God could not change him. Jesus told Peter, “From now on, you will catch fish!”

• Fight against contentment.
• Do battle with apathy.
• Fight off satisfaction because it will bring poverty to your soul.

-Pray and reach for the unreachable star.

3. A Champion will submit to a trainer.

-The man who trains will train away from the limelight. It is the things that prepare us in the field when were are alone and away from the public eye and view of ministry. What happens in private will greatly effect what happens in public.

-Bit by bit the discipline and the change comes. The trainer made the boxer run. The boxer did not say, “I am a boxer not a runner!” No! He submitted to the directions of the trainer. The boxer was forced to run to tell the trainer how much stamina that he had. The trainer is more concerned with “heart” than with brawn. If a man has “heart” the brawn is of little matter.

-There must be something real about life. There must be something real about your life, your ministry, your church. Forget the personal agendas, leave off the lying, never sink to dishonesty. Seek God for the change.

-When Simon crossed the threshold, he had his name changed to Peter. The name “Simon” would be used only 3-4 times again.

-The champion will understand that the change will not occur over night. There will be some wearying and taxing moments in your ministry. It oftentimes is the stumbling, doddering steps of men that makes the change. It is the bitter disappointment of defeat that causes change. It is the frustrations of men who are prone to let their moods shape their approach to life and ministry. Somewhere along the way a mood will have to be stared down and you will have to submit to the discipline of training.

-The best thing for a “blue” day is to get out of that bed and go to that office and rebuke the devil and then rebuke yourself and then get on with it!!!!

-It is prayers of repentance over and over that changes us. It is failure that causes men to change.

-Peter you need to work a little harder. You need to do that again. You need to spend some more time with the bag. You need to cinch up your shoes and get in the ring and fight until you cannot stand up. Then you need to do it again tomorrow . . . . and the next day. . . .and the next day. . . .and the next day!!!

-God can see me ten years down the road and with His help, I can change.

4. A Champion will understand that not every fight will be won and that he will not conquer in every battle.

-Peter would be rebuked. He would be corrected. This is often difficult for us to deal with. Some men are so caught up in themselves that it is very hard for them to take correction. But if you are not flexible enough to take correction then you will become so brittle with situations that life will literally break you in two. Bro. Pugh made reference to some men who had “shipwrecked” their ministries and their churches because they could not listen to correction.

-Peter would fail in the Garden with the sword. Peter would fail at the fire. Those failures sent him to a place to weep bitterly. Few weep over their defeats. Most are far too eager to place and cast blame in another direction for their failures. Always remember that it is necessary to have somewhere that you can weep bitterly.

-After the Resurrection, Jesus instructed those who found him, “By the way, go and get Peter. . . .”

-On the water, the call from Jesus was to throw the nets on the other side. Peter had heard that voice before, in fact, he had heard that line before. Never forget that God will always come back to us after the mistake.

-The Lord got the disciples comfortable with the meal and then confronted Peter with his commitment.

5. The Champion will have much to suffer.

-Peter was told that he would get old. He was not told that there would be sufferings along the way to this agedness. He was not informed about the Crosses that he would have to bear.

-God does not always let us in on the sufferings that we will have to bear. He does not tell us about the conflicts that we must endure. He will not tell us about the hurts of life that will come our way.

-For a later time, you ought to look the sufferings of Peter. This is why he could write his epistles to men who were suffering. . . because he knew something about it.

-In Acts 15, he is called Simon again. There will be times in life that the old nature will have to be addressed. This is what makes the daily time of prayer so valuable to us.

-Champions will have to embrace a Cross. Peter came to such a love for the Lord that he demanded to be crucified upside down because he said he was not worthy to die like the Lord.

-Hebrews 12 speaks of a great cloud of witnesses. They are just men who are made perfect. There is a vast difference between just and perfect. But if we will be “just” men then God will turn us into perfect men at that day.

-Peter was a champion going to his last fight. . . . . He won!

I would be true for there are those who trust me.
I would be pure for there are those who care
I would be strong for there is much to suffer
I would be brave for there is much to dare.
I would be friend to all the foe-the friendless
I would be giving and forget he gift
I would be humble for I know my weakness
I would look up – and laugh – and love – and lift.

Notes taken at this seminar. No audio available.

Philip Harrelson
9/20/97

Holiness. . . . The Great Conduit

Holiness in the life of a minister is a conduit for the work of the Spirit. More and more, we are losing sight of this incredible principle of power. Dirty lives lead to dirty churches. Dirty ministries lead to dirty disciples. When this happens, the voice of the Spirit is quenched and the once refreshing oasis is nothing more than a dried mudcake. The heat of the times has dried it out and it is cracked and broken along the edges as well as in the very center. Sadly this is where the refreshing water used to be.

Holiness in the life of a minister is a conduit for the work of the Spirit. It is imperative that my life be a holy life. Uzzah died because he touched the Ark of God. The men of Bethshemesh died because they looked into the Ark. The beasts who crossed the boundaries of the holy mountain of God were to die at the hand of Moses. What is the penalty of those who will handle the holy things with dirty hands?

Holiness in the life of the minister is a conduit for a work of the Spirit. Too often when we speak of “holiness” we immediately direct our thoughts to a particular set of standards, manner of dress, or the “do’s and don’ts” of our relationship with God. Yet, holiness in it’s purest sense is a separation to God. Holiness is cleanliness of our own spirit. A clean spirit will resist much of what is being offered by the world. Furthermore, a clean spirit will allow for a much sharper ability for spiritual discernment.

Holiness is fed with holy thoughts. This is where devotion and places of private prayer plays such a crucial role in my life. Holy motives are important also. God is going to place much emphasis on my motives. In fact, the final rewards of heaven will be most exalted if my motives are pure and Kingdom minded.

I ran up against this thought some time back and thought I would share it. It became perplexing to me that those of Saul’s ilk could prophesy with the prophets. The fact of the matter is that this was dealing with the atmosphere that he was in. I also could not understand how that very un-holy lives could be greatly used in the gifts of the Spirit. It came to my understanding that the gifts are exactly that, gifts from God. I also understood that personal talents could take some a very long way. However, the catch is this, God will not reward us for our giftings and talents but rather with the fruit that has grown in our lives.

For this reason, we cannot depend on atmosphere or talent to bring us a great move of the Spirit. The great Scottish minister, Robert Murray McCheyne, who was a great revival preacher had this to say, “My people’s greatest need is my personal holiness.” Have you read that in a “how-to” book lately? Very few in modern times, whether clergy or laity, would agree with this statement.

The church where you serve has much need of your own personal holiness. Holiness in heart, action, and practice is where it is crucial. It is very hard to lead a flock toward greater spiritual growth if personal holiness is not present in your life.

Go to any “Christian” bookstore these days and very little writing is spent in the area of holiness. Holiness has lost position to self-help, success, and “how-to” books. The latest books beckon to me, they cajole me to purchase them because this book/technique will help me to control my mind, lose weight, regain control from co-dependency (whatever that is), build a church, understand what this society is thinking and how they think, and we are hopelessly losing our way.

A very old book (written in 1879) entitled Holiness and written by Bishop J. C. Ryle listed a classic twelve point profile of a holy person. They are very simple but they are very Biblical.

1. Holiness is the habit of being of one mind with God, according as we find his mind described in Scripture. It is the habit of agreeing in God’s judgment, hating what he hates, loving what he loves, and measuring everything in this world by the standard of his Word.

2. A holy man will endeavor to shun every known sin, and to keep every known commandment. He will have a decided bent of mind towards God, a hearty desire to do his will, a greater fear of displeasing him than of displeasing the world and will feel what Paul felt when he said, “I delight in the law of God after the inward man.” (Romans 7:22)

3. A holy man will strive to be like our Lord Jesus Christ. He will not only live the life of faith and draw from him all his daily peace and strength, but he will also labor to have the mind that was in him, and to be conformed to his image (Romans 8:29). It will be his aim to bear with and forgive others, to be unselfish, to walk in love, to be lowly minded and humble. He will lay to heart the saying of John: “He that saith he abideth in Christ ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked (1 John 2:6).

4. A holy man will follow after meekness, longsuffering, gentleness, patience, kind tempers, government of his tongue. He will bear much, forbear much, overlook much, and be slow to talk of standing on his rights.

5. A holy man will follow after temperance and self-denial. He will labor to mortify the desires of the body, to crucify his flesh with his affections and lusts, to curb his passions, to restrain any carnal inclinations, lest at any time they break loose (Luke 21:34; 1 Corinthians 9:27)

6. A holy man will follow after charity and brotherly kindness. He will endeavor to observe the gold rule of doing as he would have men do to him, and speaking as he would have men to speak to him. He will abhor all lying, slandering, backbiting, cheating, dishonesty, and unfair dealing, even in the least things.

7. A holy man will follow after a spirit of mercy and benevolence towards others. Such was Dorcas: “full of goodworks and almsdeeds, which she did” not merely purposed and talked about but did (Acts 9:26).

8. A holy man will follow after purity of heart. He will dread all filthiness and uncleanness of spirit, and seek to avoid all things that might draw him into it. He knows his own heart is like tinder, and will diligently keep clear of the sparks of temptation.

9. A holy man will follow after the fear of God. I do not mean the fear of a slave, who only works because he is afraid of punishment and would rather be idle if he did not dread discovery. I mean rather the fear of a child, who wishes to live and move as if he was always before his father’s face, because he loves him.

10. A holy man will follow after humility. He will desire, in lowliness of mind, to esteem all others better than himself. He will see more evil in his own heart than in any other in the world.

11. A holy man will follow after faithfulness in all the duties and relations of his life. He will try, not merely to fill his place as well as others who take no thought for their souls, but even better, because he has higher motives and more help than they. Holy persons should aim at doing everything well and should be ashamed of allowing themselves to do anything ill if they can help it. They should strive to be good husbands and good wives, good parents and good children, good masters and good servants, good neighbors, good friends, good subjects, good in private and good in public, good in the place of business and good by their firesides. The Lord Jesus puts a searching question to his people, when he says, “What do ye more than others?” (Matthew 5:47).

12. Last, but not least, a holy man will follow after spiritual mindedness. He will endeavor to set his affections entirely on things above, and to hold things on earth with a very loose hand. He will aim to live like one whose treasure is in heaven, and to pass through this world like a stranger and pilgrim traveling to his home. To commune with God in prayer, in the Bible, and in the assembly of his people–these things will be the holy man’s chief enjoyments. He will value every thing and place and company, just in proportion as it draws him nearer to God.

Top Ten Sermons – # 9 – Two Different Worlds – Daniel Calk

This happened to be another one of the great preaching events of my life. I have to admit that I was an outsider looking in on this one. When I say that I mean that I was not a member of the Life Tabernacle family in Houston, Texas, I just happened to be passing through on the journey. I was in Houston attending Texas Bible College from August 1989 until May 1992.

The Preacher: Bro. Daniel Calk had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma earlier in the year and had been in and out of Methodist Hospital and this was his first return to the pulpit. It was there that he was serving as co-pastor with Bro. James Kilgore. Bro. Calk was a class Christian and had a very kind and easy spirit about him. My time around him was very limited but I always enjoyed hearing him preach and teach.

It was with great admiration that I watched this great church find itself under great duress during this point of its history. When Bro. Calk had been diagnosed with multiple myeoloma, the elders and saints in that church immediately went into a time of great prayer and fasting. The challenge they found themselves under did not hinder them. They were incredible saints of God who loved their church and their pastor. What a thing to be said of a church. I feel certain that Bro. Calk loved them as much as they did him!

A close friend of mine was a member of that church during that time frame. One weekday morning, I met him on his invitation to pray at 6:00 AM pray in the sanctuary at Life Tab (as it was commonly referred to). I was amazed that there were probably 50 people already in the dimly lit sanctuary praying for Bro. Calk.

The Occasion: The message was preached on a Sunday evening and the congregation was held in the hand of the Spirit and the Word. This was not a conference setting, it was just a “normal” Sunday night service. I am guessing that it probably was in the fall of 1990.

The Location: Life Tabernacle, Houston, Texas.

The Message: I am certain that much of the congregation collectively held their breath as he began to preach because he appeared very fragile that evening. However, as he began to preach, not only did his body seem to take on passion and energy but his voice rose with incredible authority. At that time, I am certain that few really realized the struggle that was going on within his body with this intrepid disease. But it did not diminish his delivery nor his will to live and preach in the least.

He took his text from 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 — [16] For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. [17] For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; [18] While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

He then gave his title: Two Different Worlds. He entered into the message giving very warm regards to the congregation for their support during his illness. He spoke with great love as he made reference to his wife, children, and Bro. and Sis. Kilgore.

He then turned his thoughts to the message that Paul was giving to the Corinthian church. Since then, the majority of the time that I read this portion of Scripture, I always think about the message that Bro. Calk preached that Sunday evening in Texas.

He preached about how unimportant that this world really is and how too often we get our priorities out of line down here. He spoke of the fact that this world is nothing more than a “dressing room” or a “testing ground” for the real world that is coming. He implored us not to live by the measures and the standards of this “temporal” or as he continued to use the word, “temporary.” He encouraged us to have great devotion to God and to our families. How true those words are!

He than turned his attention to the world that we are looking for. His description of what it was going to be like. . . No Tears. . . No Pain. . . No Death. . . No Separation. . . No Sin. . . was earth-shattering. This message brought out a lot for me because it helped to fine tune the focus that was already being planted within my own spirit. I am very grateful that I was able to be there to hear that particular message on that particular night.

It was overtly obvious that the authority and the strength that was so prominent that night was very obviously the anointing of the Holy Ghost on Bro. Calk.

I feel sure that you probably could obtain the tape from Life Tabernacle in Houston. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is needing encouragement in their lives.