Helps for ministers and other Christian workers

Front matter

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Foreword

This book appears in response to requests that have come to us from time to time. It does not cover all the ground suggested in these requests, but if requests continue to come, and the Lord so wills, other books will be published later. Besides the writers whose names appear on the title page, the other members of the Mennonite Publishing Committee—D. H. Bender, Hesston, Kansas; A. I. Yoder, West Liberty, Ohio; Oscar Burkholder, Breslau, Ontario; John H. Mosemann, Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and S. F. Coffman, Vineland, Ontario—rendered valuable aid with their counsels, criticisms, etc., while the work on the book was in progress. Bro. Mosemann was especially active in giving counsel and assistance. Acknowledgments are also due to other friends and brethren who were consulted during its preparation and who furnished some of the material for the book, as well as a number of books and periodicals from which part of the material herein found was taken.

The book was especially prepared for the use and edification of the ministry. Yet there is so much in it that will also be of use to others that we commend it for use by every Christian worker who has a burden for souls and whose desire it is to be of greatest possible use in the service of God and the Church.

With the prayer and hope that this volume will fill the place for which it is intended, we send it forth on its mission.

The Publishers.

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INTRODUCTORY

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints,

For the work of the ministry, For the edifying of the body of Christ:

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. —Eph. 4:11-13.

This remarkable message gives us a clear exposition of the origin and purpose of the ministry. As we meditate upon the instruction given us by the inspired writer, a number of thoughts come to our minds.

I. The high and holy calling of the ministry. Notice, the ministry is from God. “And HE (God)

gave ... . Paul, writing to Timothy, admonishes him thus: “Neglect not the GIFT that is in thee.” After a great revival at Antioch that lasted a whole year (Acts 11:26; 13:1, 2) the Holy Ghost commanded the Church to ‘Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.” The Church obeyed and sent them forth to their Heaven-appointed work. Recognizing that this gift is from God, the Gospel minister also recognizes that his call to the ministry is more than a mere trade or profession. It is an unction from on high, which makes it a calling in a class by itself, a sacred and solemn duty, a Heaven-blest opportunity, a privilege which should ever be regarded with sacred reverence, an opportunity which should be diligently improved to the extent of our opportunity and ability. The great responsibility of the minister is evident when it is remembered that he has been set apart to the important work of watching for the souls of men. These souls may spend eternity in heaven or hell, depending largely upon how faithful and efficient the public servant has been to his charge.

Il. The purpose of the ministry.

God’s stated purpose in providing for the ministry in the Church justifies His personal attention to something so vital to the welfare of the body of members. Why did God provide for a ministry? (1) ‘For the perfecting of the saints.’ (2) “For the work of the ministry.” '(3:) ‘For, the, edifying ‘of: the: beady iar Christ.’ And this ministry is called into being to the end that there may be a church-wide “knowledge of the Son of God;” a solid Church, united in the faith, enjoying a normal growth in grace, gathering the lost into the Kingdom. Such is the purpose, the aim, the desire, and the work of the consecrated ministry.

Ill. Not all ministers have the same office.

In the scripture quoted above we find the names of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers. In other scriptures we read of bishops, elders, ministers, deacons, etc. An illustration of the thought now under consideration is found in Acts 6:1-6, which tells of the ordination of the first deacons to be chosen in the Christian Church. When the apostles learned of the dissatisfaction because certain ones in the Church were being neglected they said to their people: “It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.”

INTRODUCTION 11

In other words, the work of the ministry covers a big field, calling for a variety of duties. It includes the care of both the soul and the body of all the members. It was but natural, therefore, that the Church should set apart men whose special business it is to supply both these needs. In the ministry of the Church it takes men to water and men to plant, men to oversee and men to execute the work; men to minister to the soul and men _ to minister to the body of the needy; it takes overseers, evangelists, deacons, pastors, teachers—and in our day it is not unscriptural to talk of trustees, janitors, choristers, superintendents, missionaries, and others needed to look after the varied interests and activities of the

Church.

IV. Fitting qualifications seen in God-chosen men.

This thought is suggested in the apostolic charge to the Church when the seven deacons mentioned in Acts 6:1-6 were chosen. What is more natural than that the men set apart to look after the material interests of the needy in the Church should be “men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom ?”’ for it takes those very qualities to do the work required under such circumstances. Then turning to I Tim. 3:1-13 and Tit. 1: 5-11, and giving heed to the instructions of Paul with reference to the qualifications for bishops and for deacons, we are impressed that the qualifications therein enumerated are peculiarly fitted to the offices with which they are connected. These scriptures are in harmony with the idea that God calls only qualified men to official positions, and that their qualifications are specially fitting to the office which is to be filled. This fact stands as a challenge to the Christian Church to stay close to God, to seek the Spirit’s guidance in all things, so that when it comes to the important work of setting forth men for the various places connected with the Christian ministry the will of the Lord may be done in all cases and the hands of the Church may be laid only upon God-called and God-qualified men.

V. “To Every Man His Work.”

There remains this thought, of interest to every minister: In order that best results may come from the work of the ministry it is essential that every ordained man should make the most of his opportunity to magnify his office. When we talk about magnifying our office we do not mean magnifying ourselves, but rather that we do all that lies within our power to improve our every opportunity to advance the cause of Christ and the Church in our respective spheres of service. To say nothing about qualifications or duties common to us all—such as true conversion, manifesting in our lives “the fruit of the) Spirit,” Bible) study, the prayer: lite, etc.—it is essential that bishops, elders, evangelists, pastors, teachers, superintendents, deacons, missionaries, and all other public servants make the most of their opportunities and fill their respective offices as faithfully and as efficiently as lies within their power.

Speaking of the ministry, there is a broader sense in which we may view the term than that of the work of merely ordained men. A minister is one who serves, no matter in what capacity this service may be rendered. There is a sense in which unordained men (“laymen,” we sometimes call them, for want of a better name) _who are faithful in the service of God are just as truly God’s ministers as are those who have been chosen of God and ordained by the Church to fill certain positions. In this sense all men are ministers—some the ministers of God, others the ministers of Satan. Let us who have responded to the call from God to enter into His serv-

INTRODUCTION 13 ice (whether ordained or unordained) make full proof of our ministry. While this message was written especially for ordained men, there is much in it that is also applicable to and therefore valuable for the consecrated layman.

The minister’s work and duties, as thus briefly stated, will be enlarged upon in the succeeding chapters of this book.

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Chapter

XVI.

XVII.

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Page FOREWORD i INTRODUCTORY 9 Tue MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL 17 THE PREACHER’S EQUIPMENT 24 THE PASTOR AND His CONGREGATION 36 THE GosPEL MESSAGE 45

BIBLICAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR Gop’s MESSENGERS 52

SomE CoMMON Errors TO BE AVOIDED 59 MINISTERIAL PROBLEMS 67 BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATIONS 79 ANECDOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS 85 ANECDOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS (Continued ) 89 DIFFERENT STYLES OF SERMONS 102 SERMON OUTLINES 110 SERMON OUTLINES (Continued ) 115 A SyMposiIuM OF TEXTS 125 VISITATION WorRK 129 “Bre STRONG IN THE LorpD” boy Pupsiic WorsHIP 144

Or INTEREST TO MINISTERS AND OTHER

WoRKERS 151

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CHAPTE Rat THE MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL

The name suggests two things: (1) a servant of God and of the Church, set apart of the Lord (2) to give to the world the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Such a man gets his authority from two sources: (1) the Lord; (2) the Church. Paul exhorted Timothy: “Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery” (I Tim. 4:14). Paul’s own experience was in harmony with this advice. When he as a penitent sinner was praying in the streets of Damascus the Lord, referred to him as ‘“‘a chosen vessel unto me’”’ (Acts 9:15); but it was not until “the hands of the presbytery’ were laid upon him (See Acts 13:1, 2), that this ‘‘chosen vessel’ was finally sent out on his life work. He, like Timothy and all other Gospel ministers appointed in a scriptural way, received his commission at the hands of both God and the Church. For this reason every minister of the Gospel is responsible to God and man for faithful, loyal, God-honoring, spiritually uplifting service.

As A Man

“It 1s required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (I Cor. 4:2). As ‘“‘an example of the believers” he is to show himself not only a man but an example worthy to be followed. As Christ was a perfect model after whom all people might well pattern in all things pertaining to godly living, so the Gospel minister is expected to exemplify in his daily life the Gospel which he preaches. It is important that he manifests in his home life, in social and business life, and in Christian service, those qualities which belong to the man of God; and also that his record proves him to be “unspotted from the world.’”” Whatever he may have to say in his pulpit messages about faithfulness, righteousness, truth, the overcoming life, humility, peace, meekness, loyalty to God and the Church, love, obedience, purity, holiness, and other qualities which belong to consecrated Christian life, such messages mean most Ve, the hearers can feel and know that the preacher practices what he preaches. Moreover, the minister should not assume a stilted or superhuman attitude that would unfit him as a practical leader and counsellor of his fellow men. It is the man who, like our blessed Lord, is “tempted in all points like as we are,’ who has had and is having a taste of the same problems that we are having, who knows from experience what he is talking about when he discusses with us our problems in life, that can be of the greatest possible help to us. And when it is true of him, as it was of our Savior in fullness, that in the midst of trials and temptations and the storms of life he lives the overcoming life, his help is doubly uplifting and strengthening. |

After a sound conversion, the ie requirement of a minister is that he is a man who not merely tells us but whose daily life actually shows us how to be a true Christian in the midst of life’s varied experiences.

As A LEADER

The Word of God requires of ministers that they be leaders of the flock. Such Biblical expressions as “‘example of the believers,” ‘‘ensamples to the flock,” “able

THE MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL 19 to rule,” ‘apt to teach,” “of good report,” “followers of me, even as I also am of Christ,’’ leave no doubt on this point. But what about those preachers who are not natural-born leaders? Where such appear to exist, there must have been a mistake made. The fault is not with God, for there is no evidence anywhere that He ever called any man to any field of service but that He first qualified him to fill the place acceptably. So when a minister fails to function as a real leader it means one of three things: Either he is simply man-called and not God-called, or he failed to exercise and to develop his God-given qualities of leadership, or his leadership is not respected by disloyal members. Where both ministers and members labor together in unison with God, obedient to the faith and subject to Spirit leadership, the spiritual leadership of the ministry is assured and the blessings of God are sure to be in evidence. Spiritual leadership requires that both leader and followers be submissive to the supreme leadership of the Holy Ghost. Christ said of the Holy Ghost: ‘He shall guide you into all truth;” ‘He shall testify of me; and “He shall bring all things to remembrance, whatsoever I have told you.” Alas, too many whom God has endowed with the qualities of leadership have proved unfaithful to Him who has thus endowed them and have led in paths which the Spirit forbade! Real leaders under God exert an influence that leads their followers heavenward, that they may be more obedient unto God, more spiritually minded, more loyal to the faith of the Gospel, more diligent in working for God, more like Christ in thought and life. Happy the man who as the minister of the Gospel leads his people upward, teaching them clearly and faithfully out of the Book of Life, inspiring them with a noble example of a

God-honoring life, faithfully warning them against dangers and threatening evils, and enlightening them as to their duties and opportunities, leading them on the Heaven-directed way of righteousness and true holiness, winning souls for Christ and the Church. Brother ministers, is this our record?

As A SHEPHERD

Really, we are but undershepherds, as Christ alone is ‘‘the Good Shepherd,” “the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls.” Along with Christ’s teaching in John 10 contrasting Himself with the ‘‘hireling’’ we have an impressive comparison which we as undershepherds should never lose sight of. While the Good Shepherd laid down His life for His sheep, not so with the hireling. His policy being to live off the fleeces of the members of his flock, he deserts them when he sees the wolf coming. Jno. 10:12. Shall we as undershepherds follow the example of the Good Shepherd, or do we prefer the course of the hireling?

Our Savior’s picture of the faithful shepherd who tenderly cares for his flock is a vivid reminder of what should be the attitude and the work of those whom God has appointed as His undershepherds. It takes constant care, vigilance, watchfulness, warning in case of danger, seeing that the flock is properly safeguarded against the approaches and ravages of ravening wolves, leading the flock into places where they may not only be safe from destructive or deceptive enemies but also feed upon the green pastures and by the still waters of God’s everlasting truth. The sheep within the fold and the straying lambs are alike cared for by the faithful, vigilant shepherd. Let us pray the Lord of the harvest for that kind of shepherd in every congregation.

THE MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL 21

It is one of the qualifications of the faithful shepherd that he not only cares for the members of his flock but that he also, as a rule, makes faithful efforts to enlarge it. In this part of his work, of course, he uses only lawful methods. As the honest but thrifty shepherd adds to the size of his flock by honorable and legal means, rather than as a thief or a robber, so the faithful shepherd of the flock of God seeks additions to his flock by using only scripturally approved methods—a Gospel appeal to the unsaved, faithfully expounding the Word and thereby lifting “up a standard for the people,” a spiritual helper to all who within or without the fold are seeking higher light. Other things being equal, the healthier and more thrifty the flock, the more it attracts those who are without and looking for a Church home.

As A DIsSCIPLINARIAN

The first thing that we want to do, in considering this phase of our subject, is to get rid of the idea (if we ever had it) that discipline means of necessity the wielding of a big stick. The best disciplined school, for instance, is the school where there is the minimum of punishment, coupled with orderly behavior and regular compliance with duty. The same is true of families and of churches. That school, family, or church is fortunate when it has some one in charge who is able to maintain that kind of morale among those in the organization. It should be the active aim of every overseer in the Church to study the best ways and means of discipline, and to discipline his congregation in accordance with Gospel standards.

Did it ever occur to you that the Bible contains directions for about every problem of discipline that may arise? It tells us what to do when we hear that some one has anything against us (Matt. 5:23, 24); what to do when some one trespasses against us (Matt. 18:15- 17); what to do in case of flagrant transgressions (I Cor. 5); who should have a part in bringing about the restoration of the erring (Gal. 6:1); what our attitude should be toward those who are weak in the faith (Rom. 14:1); what our attitude should be toward heretics (Tit. 3:10); and how to deal with people of different ‘types ‘of character (1); Dhes: 5214), Scopesmans other problems are provided for in like specific instructions. Moreover, the Bible is full of helpful admonitions and instructions concerning the proper training and care of members (young and old) which, if faithfully followed, will greatly lessen the necessity of administering punishment or rebuke. It is one of the problems of the overseer (whether this be rated as a privilege or a duty) to acquaint himself with these scriptural provisions for the proper discipline of the congregation, and faithfully to lead in maintaining scriptural standards. While the minister should not be arbitrary or dictatorial in his rule of the congregation, upon him rests the greater share of the responsibility in the proper and wholesome discipline of the flock. The Bible is our best textbook on discipline, which should be diligently studied by every one upon whom the responsibility of discipline rests.

As A PREACHER

Here lies the great work of the minister of the Gospel. Without minimizing| the importance of his work along other lines, let it never be forgotten that the main business’ of the preacher is) to ’“PREACH) DHE WORD.” This should be the burden of his pulpit messages and, along with all other messengers of the Cross, it should be true of him as it was of the disciples of

THE MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL 23 whom it is said that “all they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the WORD.” It should be true of every Gospel minister, as it was of Paul, that he never shuns ‘“‘to declare all the counsel of God.” He should; under all circumstances— -

1. Preach the Word—leaving the matter of popular lectures. on: glittering generalities to others. The true Gospel minister finds no time for the preaching of the things of this world, only as they are used in the way of illustrations to illuminate and -emphasize the Gospel pesaeee which he habitually and Seay delivers.

2. Preach the Word—all of it, leaving no room for criticism that he preaches the Word only in spots.

3. Preach the Word—in its purity and fullness, not in a modified, or twisted way to suit the desires of his hearers. 7

4, Preach the Word—at all times and under all circumstances, not only at times when his congregation calls for that kind of preaching.

Sul Preach:.the Word—"in the power and demonstration of the Spirit,’ not “in the excellency of speech and of knowledge.”

6. Make faithful preparation (upon his knees and before an open Bible, in holy meditation and with thoughtful consideration of the needs of his hearers) for every sermon. The sermon hour is his golden opportunity. Let him make the most of it in the way of faithful preparation, praying always for Spirit power and trusting in God for utterance.

Chapter II The Preacher’s Equipment

No preacher can preach the Gospel without being equipped for the task. There are many different things that would merit a place in the discussion of this subject. It will be the purpose of this chapter, however, to select only a few of the outstanding things that will help to equip the preacher for his “high and holy calling.”

1. A GENUINE CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE

Nothing can be substituted for a genuine Christian experience. Culture, ability, resourcefulness, a striking personality, a pleasing address, a kindly disposition, and anything else that might be mentioned is but chaff when compared with Christian experience. Given a real experience with God, the above-named traits and qualities have a vital bearing on the success of one’s ministry. To have a genuine experience with God is no guarantee of success in the work of the ministry, but it is an absolute necessity for all such who are successful in the eyes of the Lord.

The minister needs to be conscious of his position and condition before God. According to nature we were ‘enemies,’ “without strength,” ‘‘aliens,”’ “having a darkened understanding.”’ “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved).”

Every minister should be able to give a clear, ringing testimony to the effect that he is “a sinner saved by grace.’ Unless we realize keenly what we were, and what we have become, it is hardly likely that we will have a testimony for Christ that will warm any heart that is chilled by unbelief and crippled by sin. Through the atonement of Christ we have become reconciled to God, our understanding has become enlightened, hope has been begotten again within, condemnation has been lifted, and we have become “fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.”

Real salvation brings peace to the soul and victory to daily life. Every preacher needs to be a living exponent of the saving and keeping power of God as he moves in and out among men. The Christian minister should so live that he would have no need to apologize for unbecoming habits or questionable conduct. If we are “kept by the power of God,” He is able to give us victory over the things and experiences that bring discredit to the Gospel of Christ and cause the weak to stumble. Brother, are you living a victorious life? You cannot preach victory unless you are a living witness to its reality and possibility. Any minister’s life that brings discredit to the cause of Christ, hinders the unsaved from confessing their Savior, and is a constant grief and humiliation to the brotherhood, certainly does not exhibit the elements of a true Christian experience.

2. EXPERIENCE AS A WORKER

There is no instance recorded in the Bible where the Lord called inexperienced men to represent Him. ‘Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil.” “And let these also first be proved.”’ “Lay hands suddenly on no man.” The qualifications called for in the Bible presuppose experience. When the seven were chosen, the qualifications stated were honesty, a good report, fullness of the Holy Ghost. An idle and inactive believer (if there are such) would never manifest these Christian characteristics. It is true that men may not have had much experience in public work before they are called, but contact with the world, the flesh, and the devil, in all walks of life are sufficient to bring out the sterling qualities that God looks for in men who are to represent Him in the world. In the former discussion, faithfulness was emphasized. There are two outstanding qualifications of the ministry given in II Tim. 2:2; namely, FAITH- FULNESS and ABILITY. Faithfulness involves an experience with God; ability, experience with men—whereby it is demonstrated that the one called to the work of the ministry will be able to impart God’s truth to others. The Christian Church will suffer less with faithful men who are only moderately qualified to teach others, than with men of great ability who are not faithful. God has joined faithfulness and ability together, however, and the Christian Church should be careful never to separate them.

3. Home ENVIRONMENTS

Timothy came from a home environment that exerted a noble influence upon him. Blessed is the minister who has come from such a home. More blessed still is the minister who has a home of his own like Timothy’s. As we look up the record of this godly home, we find that the “‘unfeigned faith’ possessed by Timothy was first in evidence in the grandmother and then in the mother. In this home, children were taught the Holy Scriptures from their youth. ‘Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceived and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned.”

The Word of God is the only antidote for worldliness and religious error. Home environment will have a great deal to do with the effectiveness of the minister’s message. Family worship needs to be a regular practice, and children need to be given Biblical training and discipline. Many a good preacher has had the edge of his message dulled by poor examples on the part of his wife or children. The minister as the head of the home is responsible to God to maintain such an atmosphere as will commend the Gospel of Christ to others through the home influences.

The minister is idealized by many members in his congregation. Ministerial residences should be examples of modesty, simplicity, and economy. ‘The same should be said of the furnishing of the home. Ministers must know the worth of a dollar. Brother, do you know the meaning of self-denial for the cause of Christ and the

Church ?

Let every member of a minister’s home realize the extent of his influence by word and life, and know that he has a responsibility before God, because it lies in his power to help materially in the success of a minister’s messages and influence.

4. THe PREACHER’S LIBRARY

It is not necessary to have a large number of books in order to have a good working library. Such a library is a matter of careful selection and choice. One good book on a given subject will likely be sufficient for the young minister who is just starting out. May we suggest that an effort be made to get a balanced library as soon as possible. An attempt will be made to suggest a book or two on various subjects that come within the range of the study and work of a minister. It is better to have a dozen books covering as many subjects, than to have a dozen books covering but one or two subjects. Of course books are like men. They have their faults. The only faultless book is the Bible. On the other hand, as we learn from men, so we are able also to learn from their books.

Every minister should possess an English Bible with legible type, printed in the Authorized Version, as his working Bible in public. The Authorized Version is recommended for the reason that it is the accepted version of the common people. To use a different version often creates confusion.

If the minister is unable to read any languages other than the English, he will find it helpful in his study to purchase a copy of the American Revised Version, or Weymouth’s Modern Speech New Testament, for the purpose of comparison. Many of the later individual translations are the work of modernists and are not nearly as reliable as the two named. If able to read some languages besides English, it will be helpful to procure a copy of the Scriptures in the languages he can use for the purpose of comparison.