In light of last Sunday's sermon on Nehemiah 8, wherein we observed the people's high regard for Scripture, I found this booklet to be wonderfully beneficial. It is a quick read (24 pages) and costs only two and a half bucks. You can order it and other such helpful booklets at www.tulipbooks.com.
For the sake of today's blog, I wanted to highlight Dr. Spinney's first piece of advice in "surviving your pastor's sermon," which is: Listen to the weekly Sunday sermon as if your life depended on it. I found this bit of counsel quite interesting, given one of the cross-references to yesterday's text. Here it is again:
Moses finished speaking all these words to all Israel, and he said to them, "Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe - all the words of this law. For it is not a futile thing for you, for it is your life. . . .
- Deut. 32:45-47a (emphasis mine)
While Dr. Spinney does not quote this text, he presses home its principle quite clearly with the following illustration:
Imagine that you are a passenger on an airplane. You are cruising along at 30,000 feet when you hear explosions. You look out the window and see three of your airplane's four engines in flames. The plane noses downward and begins a dive toward the earth. The plane's captain comes across the intercom: "Ladies and gentlemen, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that we have lost our engines. We cannot land safely. This plane will crash to earth in fifteen minutes. The good news is that there are parachutes located over your seats in the storage compartments. We all have time to parachute to safety. Listen carefully and I will explain how to use the parachute."
If you found yourself in such a situation, my guess is that the pilot would have your full and undivided attention! Why? Because your life depends on it! You would be all ears as he voiced his instructions! Says Spinney,
If someone's words are truly important, you will find a way to listen to them, understand them, and apply them.
Even if the airplane pilot is a tad boring, excessively serious, somewhat disorganized, or not a gifted speaker, you will find a way to comprehend his instructions - if indeed you regard his words as vitally important.
How important is it to you that you understand and apply God's Word? Do you really believe that you need God's Word in order to live successfully? Is understanding what God says a matter of life or death for you? Is hearing God speak in His Word on the Lord's Day the highlight of your week?
The Lord Jesus Christ said that man does not live by bread alone, but rather on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4)....
If God's words are truly important to us, then we will find a way to listen to them, understand them, and apply them.
Such earnestness clearly characterized the citizens of Jerusalem on that day that they "assembled as one man" to hear the Word of God. May such zeal resonate within our own hearts as we come together as a church body to hear the Word of God each Lord's Day.
In America, commercial fishing has long been considered one of the most dangerous jobs. In 2006, the Bureau of Labor Stats ranked it as the job with the highest fatality rate (141.7 per 100,000). However, Alaskan king crab fishing is considered even more dangerous because of the conditions of the Bering Sea; the death rate there averages one man per week. Even still, there remains another job that truly is the most dangerous, far more dangerous than the conditions faced in the Bering Sea, it is a job that faces the one who made that sea; it is the job of your preacher. The preacher of Christian truth steps out in a place where, even if all eyes are not fixed on him, the eye of his Creator is. Even if every ear has tuned him out, he still has one hearer, God in heaven who listens attentively to discover whether what he says is true. Truly, it is a venturesome thing to preach. Just as lighthouses mark dangerous coastlines, hazardous reefs, and provide safe entry into the harbor for the fishermen, a faithful pastor is a living lighthouse shining the light to prevent eternal shipwreck for the souls of men. We rely on him to be of unbending courage, character, and principle to help the weak and light the way. We need him to lean on, learn from, and turn to for guidance, support, and godly counsel.
ReplyDeleteIn his book, "It Doesn't Take a Hero" Norman Schwarzkopf says, "It doesn't take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle." One of the most remarkable demonstrations of
bravery by General Schwarzkopf occured on his 2nd tour in Vietnam in March 1970. He received word that men under his command had encountered a dangerous minefield. He rushed to the scene, was injured by an explosion, crawled across the minefield to help a wounded man, and eventually led his surving men to safety. He was awarded his 3rd silver star but more importantly to him, he cemented his reputation as an officer who would risk his life for the soldiers under his command.
This world has been built on the shifting sands of public opinion and compromise. What we need is men of courage. Soldiers will always follow men like that, those who shine the light of truth in their own shadow of self-sacrifice. Gen. Schwarzkopf also wrote, "Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy." If we think of the church as a rescue boat, the rescue boat must be in the sea rescuing the lost but she must be made aware of the rocks and the dangers. The pastor then is the lighthouse shining the light in the dark. FBC should be thankful they have such a faithful and brightly burning light.
Rob, thank you for contributing your insights to TruthWalk. I can tell that you put a lot of time and effort into thinking through these issues, and your comments reflect good, biblical discernment. I enjoy reading your remarks. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteHi Matt,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that and thank-you for providing TruthWalk. I really enjoy writing and I'm thankful for an opportunity to be able to contribute (even though I sometimes may ramble on). I am consistently amazed at the inexhaustable truth and promise the Word of God provides. I was reading a sermon just today by R.A. Torrey from 1923 titled "Why God Used D.L. Moody." Torrey had a quote that is relevant to our current conversation, describing the results of those who have choosen not to heed the warning of the living lighthouses that are faithfully preaching the Word, as I know you do; also, a sobering read for all currently involved in any Christian ministry..."The entire shore of the history of Christian workers is strewn with the wrecks of gallant vessels that were full of promise a few years ago, but these men became puffed up and were driven on the rocks by the wild winds of their own raging self-esteem..." Such timeless counsel from an 86 year old sermon. If Satan can't discourage us, he will inflate us. This is important to remember because all Christians are called to influence others and proclaim the truth about Christ. Every Christian is called to be a leader of some sort because all of us are given a mandate, Christ's Great Commission to "make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all things [Christ has] commanded" (Matt. 28:19-20). May we all be praying for each other in all our ministries to be the kind of leaders this world needs; bold, uncompromising, loving, humble, faithful leaders that inspires people with a hunger to be imitators of Christ.
Thanks for this message Pastor Matt. Often the questions you present causes me to ponder on them and ask myself these same things and even greater things that often brings about greatly needed changes in my attitude and outlook. For esample your question:
ReplyDeleteIs hearing God speak in His Word on the Lord's Day the highlight of your week?
It reminds me of something I was reading in my planner that I had written years ago when each day (at that time) I would open my eyes from sleep and literally jump out of bed with enthusiam at what the Lord was going to say to me through His Word that morning. After each reading I would summerize what I had read or learned in one sentence to write in my planner as a reminder of what God was telling me. I need to ask Him to renew that enthusiasm.
Indeed, God speaking to us through His Word should be the highlight of (not only the weekly sermon) but our every day. To God be the Glory!