Is the Bible just another great literary masterpiece in an archive full of lengthy works? How do I know if a minister is truly called by God to serve. Is heresy to The Gospel of Jesus Christ subjective? The answers to these questions reveal a Holy God full of grace. The answers to these questions illuminate the necessity of Divine intervention in our ministries.
THEOLOGY
When considering theology within the context of philosophy the main issue is not proficiency, but mature application of Scripture. Knowledge of the Word becomes a necessary component of a life lived to share the gift of salvation to the world. Sound hermeneutics is a skill used in wielding the Sword so as not to carve up your own witness and paralyze the flock with confusion and conflict. Sadly, there will be many Bible scholars left behind upon Christ’s return, those academics who engaged the Bible on a strictly literary level. Joyfully, there are those no one would consider intellectuals who are wise enough to faithfully read their Bible, storing Scripture in their hearts like treasure.
The qualifications for a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are spelled out in Titus 1:7-9. The way these requirements come together in a minister are as different as the men who accept the call. As a minister I would like to be considered a “warrior-poet� (An Unstoppable Force - Erwin McManus), called out to take on the spiritual warfare of a fallen world with the finesse and grace of a poet. I believe we have too many “diplomat-administrators� in the pastorate today. These are men whose calling, or lack there of, has been reduced to a ministry of appeasement, mired in corporate responsibilities. Men who have completely lost sight of the Lord’s vision, and their mission therein, are no longer serving others. By definition they are no longer ministers regardless of their credentials and past works. Self proclamation is not enough to stand in the company of those who come to serve.
Theology becomes practical in ministry when used as the basis for decision making. Making good decisions involves four areas of the Christian’s sphere.
First, how we view God effects every decision in our life. God is sovereign and unchanging. No matter what happens in our ministry, no matter what mistakes we make in our ministry, we cannot alter the Master’s plan. For instance, if we were to believe that by witnessing to all the unreached people groups in the world we could summon the Lord’s return through our successful actions, we would be in err. How we communicate with God has a profound effect on our ministry. When an aircraft takes off in New York on a non-stop flight to Los Angeles that plane will be off course over ninety percent of the time. If the pilot is not communicating in some way with a guidance system the plane will probably never get to Los Angeles. Small adjustments are constantly made, the more frequent the communication, the smaller the adjustment. For the same reason the Apostle Paul urges us to be in constant contact with the Good Shepherd for guidance. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (Thes. 5:16-18)�
Scripture is the second area of consideration. Scripture must be wholly authoritative. For a ministry to thrive everyone must believe that the Bible is completely trustworthy. If we place ourselves in the position of deciding what is truth and what is fiction we have removed the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit from the center of our ministry. When the miraculous is gone from our ministry we will fail. On the other hand, when we believe that axe heads float, Peter walks on water, and Lazarus was raised from the dead, then we can communicate the truth of a risen Savior. As believers we are not miraculous. We have been called to a miraculous realm, a place where we can introduce Heaven to the human heart, and watch miracles happen.
The third area in the life of a ministry that effects our decision making is tradition. Tradition has a way of binding us together. Unfortunately the lashes become so tight that pulling them away tears at our flesh. In a ministry of restoration the knowledge that we will wound good people by removing these confines must be respected. In a plateaued and declining church this bondage is usually anchored to a time of great revival and spiritual health in the ministry. We must encourage them to let go of a good thing in order to receive a fresh anointing from the Great Redeemer. Not all tradition is ineffective. Again, we should follow the teaching of Paul. “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. (Thes. 5:19-22)�
Finally, consider the influence of our personal experiences. Well intentioned Christians profess using caution or eliminating personal experiences as a basis for decision making. Secular humanists would like you to believe that your feelings are authoritative. They have convinced too many that to rely on God is to surrender your intellect and individuality to a fictitious cosmic judge. Nothing could be further from the truth. With the tools, or “fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22,23)� we can paint from a pallette of personal experiences that are vibrant with divine moments. We can draw from a valuable collection of trials, instances of forgiveness, personal revelation through prayer and Scripture reading, and those instances when who God is so completely envelopes your human weakness that you became His brush in the creation of someone else’s portrait of rebirth. Certainly we must walk by faith and not by sight. It is imperative that we test all things and hold fast to what is good. Just don’t hold so tight that you fade into the landscape of legalism.
I don’t think genuine pastors set out to chart a new course for Christianity. Heresy creeps in through as many little cracks as Satan can manifest in a ministry. There is, however, a deep chasm that pastors fall into that leads to heretical thinking. “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (Pro. 16:18)� We stand at the edge of the chasm the moment we take possession of the ministry. I once had an interview with the pastor of the largest church in my hometown. Within the context of our discussion he said “it’s got to be my way or no way.� The statement gave me a jolt, on many levels, mainly because I realized he had not mentioned the Lord at all in our time together. About a year later over a hundred families left the church over an issue of heresy. Ironically, those who take their ministry from God will inevitably begin to question the Lord’s apportionment of blessings to which they feel they are owed. They have now initiated the fall.
We will all make mistakes in our efforts to represent Jesus Christ in this sinful world. I can only hope that my mistakes are a result of being over zealous in my attempts to glorify God. To avoid heretical errors I will strive to be completely open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. I will commit myself to the spiritual disciplines of prayer and Scripture reading. And I will be open and transparent to ethical godly counsel.
