Will You Pray For Me?

Looking up with tears in his eyes, he could only mumble the words, “Will you pray for me?” He was a fellow pastor in a nearby town that I had agreed to meet for lunch. When he initially called, he indicated that he was straining under the weight of problems in his congregation. To be honest, the problems in his church are not uncommon because sin has a way of finding a home in every flock. Struggling marriages, difficult deacons, wayward children, job losses, deaths, and an occasional “anonymous email” had greatly increased the burdens of ministry for this brother.

The truth is, this story could be repeated thousands of times over. It is safe to assume that the leadership of your church has and will face many unique challenges to their ministry. Will you commit to pray for your leaders? I hope the answer to this question is “yes” but I also know that many struggle with how to pray for church leaders. Scripture is replete with examples and encouragements to pray for those who minister the Word. This is especially pronounced in the ministry of the Apostle Paul. Against the backdrop of this ministry we learn how to pray for ministers of the gospel.

As Paul concludes the last chapters of his letter to the church at Rome, he says something that we should not easily pass over. In light of surmounting opposition in Judea, Paul petitions the Roman church, “strive together with me in your prayers” (Romans 15:30). In the context we learn that Paul wanted to partner with this church for his missionary journeys but he also knew that they could spiritually refresh his spirits. As he does here, Paul often attached the prayers of the people to the importance of his ministry of the Word (cf. Romans 15:30; 2 Thessalonians 2:1). There are at least three requests that Paul continually brings to the churches.

1. Pray that the Word is Received

Church leaders are called on to do many things but one thing they must do is teach the Word (1 Timothy 1:2; Titus 1:9). In the course of any given week this takes place over lunch, in counseling, at bedsides, and from pulpits. Pastors are not called to give opinions but to faithfully shepherd the flock of God as heralds of God’s Word (1 Peter 1:1). Notice how Paul calls the church at Ephesus to pray:  “and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:19).

Though Paul’s apostolic ministry is markedly different from that of elders today, the bottom line is the same, “that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly.” Pray that your leaders will speak with boldness, clarity, conviction, and pastoral compassion from God’s Word. Also, that they would dispense this ministry as they “ought to speak.” The temptation to “tickle ears” is great so pastors must be diligent (2 Timothy 2:3). Pray that your church will receive the Word with obedience and joy (1 Thessalonians 1:13; Hebrews 13:17).

2. Pray that the Word is Clear

Is It Sunday Yet?

Is it Sunday yet?  The Lord's Day should be the best day of the week.  By the grace of God, for my family it certainly is.

This coming Sunday we prayerfully anticipate another morning of vibrant Christian fellowship.  Spirit-filled praise.  Edifying, and sometimes humorous and/or tearful, conversations.  And focused expository listening.

The believers that make up Lake Country Bible Church are full of Christian joy and hope.  Our founding pastor worked hard to ensure that this fellowship was Word-centered; without losing our identity of also being a loving family of believers.  Pastor Sal believed that the Lord's Church is to be known for its commitment to Christ-like love (John 13), absolute truth/sound doctrine (1 Tim. 3:15; Jude 3; Eph. 4:11-16), and "good deeds" (Heb. 10:24-25; Eph. 2:10).  It's both/and rather than either/or.

During the 9 AM Sunday School hour our children/teens will be in stage of life focused classes.  Our wonderful teachers will highlight biblical truth using Answers in Genesis material.  One of our elders (Dave) will lead the adults in prayer and then continue his excellent series through Galatians.

At 10:15 AM the entire congregation will come together for our corporate worship service:

1) We will sing a number of praise songs and hymns (Col. 3:16; "Jesus Shall Reign;" "10,000 Reasons;" "His Mercy is More;" "Before the Throne of God Above;" and "By Faith.")

How Can I Pray for My Spouse?

How Can I Pray for My Spouse?

Praying for our spouse combines the two most important relationships in our lives: our covenant with God and our covenant with our spouse. These two covenants are the bedrock of creation before the fall, and the marriage covenant in particular is the primary illustration for understanding much of redemptive history (Eph. 5:22–33). It is only fitting that our marriages would be marked by that same activity—prayer—that marks Christ’s marriage to the church.

But just as pride was the sin that undermined both Edenic covenants, it skews our prayers for our spouse. So often our prayers for our spouse start with what we want changed about them. But Scripture teaches that we are going to be the biggest influence for sanctification in our spouse’s life. A husband who prays for his wife that she would be loved by a husband who grows in holiness all his days prays a good prayer and is its own answer. The biggest answer God may provide as we pray for our spouse may be to change us, not him or her.

But there is a place to consider what specifically we can pray for our spouse. Second Peter 3:18 is a great place to start: “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Pray for your spouse’s growth in the grace of Jesus, that repentance and deep joy in the gospel would mark his or her life. Pray for your spouse’s increasing knowledge of Jesus, that his or her study of the Bible, at home and under Lord’s Day preaching, would reveal more truth to him or her about our great Savior.

How to Grow the Church?

How can you grow the church? Well, I admit that’s sort of a trick question. You can’t. The historian Luke writes about the church in the first century and reports, “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”[i] The Scriptures say that only one person can truly grow the church, and that is the Lord. He alone saves and adds souls to the body of Christ; the invisible church. He alone sovereignly oversees any and every person associated with the visible church. This makes sense because Christ is both Lord and Head of the church.[ii]

But many people today think they can grow the church. Innovation and pragmatism mark our period of church history. Confessional theology and church practice based on Scripture is often considered outdated. Many who chant the mantra Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) hardly apply this central Reformation principle.

But church growth gurus have not merely overlooked one part of one verse in the Bible, simply missing the bit about the Lord sovereignly adding to the number of the church, they have also jettisoned the framework in which the Lord normally brings people into the church. The verses surrounding Luke’s statement in Acts 2:47 (quoted above) are profoundly simple, yet simply profound. They do not offer pragmatic tips on how to grow a church, draw a large crowd, or be effective in garnering “decisions”. Rather, the focus of the early first century church was on what theologians often call the means of grace.

For example, Acts 2:42 says, “And they [the apostles and church] devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” The Westminster Shorter Catechism question 88 asks, “What are the outward means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption?”

It answers as follows:The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption are his ordinances, especially the word, sacraments and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.

In answering this question, the Catechism virtually pulls out several pieces of Acts 2:42 and lays them on the table of the church for them to feast upon. What are they? Well, first lets define means of grace. According to the Catechism, they are “the outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption”. So that’s simple enough. In other words, the way God normally works to save and sanctify His elect comes through various activities the church emphasizes. Or, as the catechism suggests, these means of grace are, by Christ, “made effectual to the elect for salvation”. To be sure, one is not saved by the church or through the church. One is only saved upon hearing the gospel and responding in faith and repentance- a faith in Christ and repentance from sin which is sovereignly given by the Holy Spirit. Christ is seen and heard in the means of grace. So what are they? What are these means of grace? Let me mention the three primary ones.

1.  The Word of God

First, God’s Word is absolutley foundational to the church. A church that reads, prays, teaches, and preaches Scripture is a church participating in one of the chief activities that the apostles and their fellow Christians in the first century “devoted themselves” to. A church that only gives lip service to the Word of God, or places other activities (eg. music) above the Bible is an example of an aberrant congregation who has gone astray from apostolic norms.

6 Keys to More Effective Sermon Preparation

To be the Senior Pastor is, among other things, to be the primary feeder of the flock.  It's to be the lead teaching shepherd (1 Timothy 5:17-19).  

Pastor Jason Allen highlights 6 Keys to More Effective Sermon Preparation (which hopefully leads to more soul-stirring, Textually precise, God-honoring messages).

"Every pastor knows the constant weight of sermon preparation. Sunday is a standing, unmovable deadline. It is like living in final exam week, with a massive deadline before you every Lord’s Day. But the preacher’s test is a public one, for all to see. He will be judged by God’s people. And, more importantly, he will be judged by God himself.

To weekly stand before God’s people, open his Word, and be his spokesman is a daunting responsibility. I question the judgement—if not the calling—of those who take it lightly. That is why pastors spend so much time each week preparing sermons. To be a preacher is to be a sermon preparer.

Given the neediness of the church, the cultural pressures we face, and the general social upheaval of our times, how we preach has never been more important. That means our sermon preparation has never been more important either.

A Prayer of Forgiveness and Consecration

Three lessons from the extraordinary life of Billy Graham

Dr. Steven J. Lawson spotlights, "Three lessons from the extraordinary life of Billy Graham." Namely: The centrality of prayer, the power of humility, and the authority of the Bible.

"As we learned about the loss of Billy Graham, it is with a great deal of sadness that we say farewell to this extraordinary figure. Perhaps never again—certainly not within our life time—will we witness an evangelist with such a global outreach. He became a figure larger than life, and he did so by only preaching the simple message of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ.

Early in my ministry it was my privilege to work alongside the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and that experience left a positive and profound impact upon my life. Here was a man who preached the gospel and attempted to reach large numbers of people for Christ. For this example, I will always be grateful.

Allow me to reflect upon my time with his ministry, and to share a few lessons I learned from my partnership with his efforts to win the lost to Christ.

In 1989 I was pastoring The Bible Church of Little Rock when our city hosted a week-long Billy Graham crusade. The call went out for local pastors to participate as volunteers, and I was asked to be the chairman of counseling and follow-up. In this role I oversaw the training of 3,000 counselors, and then was responsible for the follow-up after the crusade for those who committed their lives to Jesus Christ.

The Twin Pillars of the Christian Life

The twin pillars of the Christian life have been rightly identified as the regular intake of Scripture and prayer.  Why are these personal spiritual disciplines so vitally important?

I spend time in the Word every day because I always need His direction.  “Thy Word is a light unto my feet and a lamp unto my path.” I know some men feel they need to separate sermon preparation from their personal devotions.  In my experience I try and commune with God as I prayerfully study, memorize, and meditate upon the Holy Word (note Psalm 1:1-3).  If I am preparing an Awana lesson, a SS study, a funeral message, a counseling session, or the morning expository sermon I believe that I am coming face to face with the perfect Revelation of God.  As such, I ask the Lord to make all of my studies a worshipful experience (like Moses on Mount Sinai).

As I examine the inspired text I am always asking the “so what” question, not simply for the flock’s sake, but for my own sanctification (John 17:17; 1 Pet. 2:2-3).  I need the Word of God to first pierce my own heart (Heb. 4:12) before I “reprove, rebuke, and exhort” (2 Tim. 4:1-5) my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.