mgpcpastor's blog

Sigh. Time to put this up.

Darryl Dash turns to the life of Jonathan Edwards to provide contemporary pastors with encouragement.
Better Pastors Than Us Have Been Through Worse
“Edwards was a pastor, renowned preacher, missionary, college president, and philosopher. Some argue he was the most brilliant theologian ever born on American soil.
And he was fired by his church.”

David Murray seems to be dealing with the other extreme. Preacher-Idolatry and the Promise of “All Things”.
Turning to Paul, Murray responds to those who relate to a particular ministry to the exclusion of all others: “All things are yours,” says Paul. In effect he’s saying, “Don’t cut yourself off from God’s riches by only listening to, reading, or following me. Honor me as your pastor, of course, but use all faithful preachers for your spiritual enrichment, because God has scattered his gifts and knowledge throughout the church. Don’t get stuck under the sink when God has given you a whole house to enjoy!”
But Paul doesn’t stop with just “all preachers are yours.” “All things” means “all things.” It includes the church and the world, life and death, present things and future things. But in what sense are all these things ours?”

Desiring God has all the material from their 2010 Pastor’s Conference online here. Messages from Sam Storms, John Piper and others.
Of special interest though are pre-conference sessions from Paul Tripp.
“The Pastor: Who Do We Think He Is Anyway?”
“I know who you are and I know where you’re going. And few of you know it because you’re so busy with the external eyes of ministry. You get up Monday morning and you start up the hill again. You’re thinking of the next elder meeting and where you are in next week’s sermon, but you haven’t watched what is growing and building inside of you.
Let me ask you a question. What man in this room would be comfortable with me playing a public recording of everything you said in your home the last two months? I’m here because I’m a pastor and I am concerned for us. I’m concerned that it’s a lot easier for us to go to a conference that celebrates the gospel once again. And I think that’s a wonderful thing. But that doesn’t replace you having a constant habit of looking at yourself in the mirror of the word of God and seeing yourself for who you are. Your ministry is never shaped by your knowledge or skill. It’s always shaped by your heart.”
“The Pastor: Not Yet Perfect, Still Under Attack.”
“Imagine when you see a nice bagel on the counter in the kitchen at night and think that it will be a perfect breakfast for you tomorrow morning with a nice, hot coffee. You can even take some extra time in the morning. And you go to bed in your own bagelism. And you wake up and take some extra time and come down to the kitchen to find the counter bare, and you say, “Who ate my bagel!?” It’s easy to get angry even at the people you love.
This side of eternity, it’s very hard to keep what’s truly important, important. If this is true in regular life, then it’s that much more true in your ministry. This side of eternity, it’s very hard to keep what’s truly important, important. Secondary things become more important than they are. That elder doesn’t always have to agree with you! It’s very hard to keep what’s truly important, important.”

Iain Campbell offers some thoughts about when a sermon is finally finished. “I’ve done my sermon prep, but….”

Finally Thabiti Anyabwile writes that Jonathan Leeman’s new book, The Surprising Offense of God’s Love:Reintroducing the Doctrines of Church Membership and Discipline, is a “A Fresh and Compelling Look at Church Membership and Discipline”.