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Dear Young Pastor . . . Here Are A Few Thoughts After My First Year
My mind’s eye can see the moment very clearly. 12/4/2022 is the date, I preached that Sunday morning then led business meeting in the evening. I can recall all of the eager faces seated around the table for the time as we went through several items of church business. As customary, I left the meeting so the church could vote, then I came back afterward to hugs and smiles as they had called me as their pastor . . . I joyfully accepted. I had already served for a year and a half as an interim pastor of another congregation and filled in at various congregations while finishing seminary. This charge at Vesta is my first and only pastorate. I hit the one year date yesterday.
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The Majestic Praise of Creation
Whenever God made the world He did so in such a way as to reflect the magnificence of Himself. Not that the created order is as glorious as God, but that it was made in such a way as to testify to His beauty. Instead of simply making the earth one hulking rock, He dotted the landscape with trees. Growing, powerful trees whose leaves and bark are filled with a diverse array of colors, textures, and even smells. Some trees are short barely taller than humanity while others tower hundreds of feet over our heads. They burst forth in the spring into dark greens filled with buds while completely changing colors in the fall into an array of reds, yellows, and oranges. God could have made every tree just alike, but He made each one uniquely beautiful to shine for His praise.
An Unwavering Zeal For God’s Glory
God’s work in the life of the Christian not only radically changes their hearts and relationship toward Him, but even their relationship with others. Now, the Christian seeks to bless, love, and pray for those who are persecuting them (Matthew 5:43-45). They do not use others for their own pleasure through sinful lusts, but love from the heart guarding the purity of even their deepest thoughts (Matthew 5:27-30). Because they have been forgiven, they now forgive because of their glorious Lord (Matthew 6:12, 14-15). They even seek to do unto others as they would have them do to themselves (Matthew 7:12). A Christian has been changed by the work of Christ Jesus from a dead sinner into a new creation. The freedom of the Lord empowers them through His Spirit to serve God and others with a heart of sincere love.
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The Desires of The Heart
Scripture informs us as to the depths of our sinfulness before the holy God. We rebel outwardly disobeying His perfect commandments turning aside from His way (Romans 3:12). After our father Adam, we are born sinners (Psalm 51:5 and Romans 5:12-13). Our sin issue goes down to the depths of our heart which Scripture testifies to saying “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it (Jeremiah 17:9)?” Down to the core of who we are as human beings, we are sinners. Which is why Christ came not merely to bring some changes in our lives as believers. No, He came to make us a new creation, to give us new hearts, to bring about the new birth (2 Corinthians 5:17, Ezekiel 36:26, and John 3:1-15). After we are saved by the power of the Spirit through the Gospel of Christ, we are given new desires. The battle of sanctification is putting off the ways of the flesh learning to walk in mature submission to the Lord in everything with thanksgiving (Colossians 2:6-7, 3:5-17).
Andy Stanley, BLM, And The Great Need of Evangelicalism
The year 2023 has been interesting in evangelical circles. Christian nationalism, political theology, and eschatology have all been central debates within conservative circles. That being said, I believe that some issues over the last couple of weeks must be highlighted as we prepare to move forward into another year. Andy Stanley hosted the Unconditional Conference in September which was geared “for parents of LGBTQ+ children and for ministry leaders looking to discover ways to support parents and LGBTQ+ children in their churches.”1 This conference was problematic on multiple levels. The conference speaker list included two men in homosexual “marriages.”2 Advertising for the conference promised that it would be a “quieter middle space” to engage the topic of the LGBTQ+ children.3 Another speaker at the event is David Gushee who has described the Bible as being “deeply problematic.” At the end of the day, this was a conference designed to back away from the biblical teaching on sexuality and try to craft a “middle space” between conservative biblical teaching and the secular progressive agenda.
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Dear Young Pastor . . . Be Intentional
Brethren, if we are to be faithful in the work of the ministry we must be intentionally focused on what Christ has called us to. There is no doubt that there are many different areas which could distract us. Our personal sin, laziness, or even an inability to properly prioritize can lead us to drift along instead of purposely pursing the path of Christ. Distractions abound around us in the form of social media, entertainment, and even the ideas of individuals could detract from the calling of Christ. We need to remain driven to see what He has called us to with clarity so that we can wisely steward our lives well for His glory. The Apostle Paul, knowing our need to remain intentionally focused, told Timothy:
