Christian Ministry: What Are The Tasks? Part 2

Driving home: We must feed their minds. With knowledge and with understanding, then and only then will their hearts grow in personal, vital communion with Jesus Christ.

Martin uses the analogy of trying to 'leak' spiritual warmth from his heart into his hearers' hearts to show that spiritual edification requires clear communication of biblical knowledge to the mind first.

You see, I may come to the pulpit with a, a heart that is white-hot in its devotion to Christ, a heart that is pure from any present controversy with God. I may come into the pulpit with a heart that feels the weight of the awful reality of hell and is throbbing and pulsing with the glory of the wonderful reality of heaven. But unless I am able to impart the knowledge of those, those things in such a way that my hearers will also be able to feel the weight of those things, my ministry cannot be edifying. I can't take my heart out with all of its warmth and heat and light and press it to the he...

4:13 - 5:17 Read in full sermon

The point: Take steps to block out large segments of time for serious study.

He uses these metaphors to describe superficial preaching (froth of ideas, chaff of opinions, popcorn of anecdotes) in contrast to serving the 'meat and milk of the pure word of God'.

if we're to be shepherds who feed our people, not with the froth of our own ideas, not with the chaff of our own opinions, not with the popcorn of stories and anecdotes and mere illustrations, but if we're to serve them up the meat and milk of the pure word of God, we must take heed to ourselves. Not only to nurture our inner spiritual life but to nurture our own mental and intellectual life in relationship to the truth of God. And what will that mean? Practically, it'll mean at least four things—I want to be practical. 1. You must take steps to block out large segments of time for serious stu...

8:13 - 9:41 Read in full sermon

The point: Have a plan to grow in your understanding of theology.

He uses the example of Jehovah's Witnesses misinterpreting 'no man knows the hour' to deny Christ's deity, illustrating how a lack of systematic theology leads to doctrinal error in preaching.

theology on the person of christ and he is preaching through the gospels and he comes to this statement no man knows the hour of the return of the son of man except the father he's going to say oh jesus must not be god then that's what the jehovah's witnesses do don't they they take that verse and they twist it but if we have a solid systematic theology that is the whole witness of the bible concerning the person of christ and we understand that in the person of jesus christ we have two distinct natures joined in the one person and there are times when he speaks according to that which is true...

12:31 - 13:55 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He transitions to the importance of physical self-care, expounding 1 Timothy 4:7-8 and 1 Timothy 5:23 to argue that ministers must maintain their bodies as instruments for God's…

He compares a physically sluggish preacher to an 'old mare ready to go to the glue factory' who wheezes in the pulpit, distracting from the Word and eliciting pity rather than awe.

And if my body is sluggish, then my mind is sluggish. If my body is like that of an old mare ready to go to the glue factory, and I get to preaching up a storm, instead of people being impressed with the word of god, they'll pity me for wheezing like an old horse in the pulpit.

19:47 - 20:09 Read in full sermon

The point: Engage in physical exercise, such as walking, jogging, or swimming, especially when study is draining.

He paints a picture of a preacher with a 'big old paunch, bleary eyes' staggering into the pulpit, questioning if such a physical state glorifies God.

Is God glorified in a body that staggers up into the pulpit? A big old paunch, bleary eyes, and then talks about, it's sure wonderful to serve the Lord.

25:02 - 25:13 Read in full sermon

The point: Engage in physical exercise, such as walking, jogging, or swimming, especially when study is draining.

He references Daniel and his companions, whose healthier appearance after eating simple food, not the king's dainties, served as a 'testimony of the goodness of God' regarding physical stewardship.

Hmm? You remember what happened with Daniel and his companions? When they ate that food, not the king's dainties, which would have been compromised for them, everyone could see their flesh was fairer than the others at the end of that time period. It was a testimony of the goodness of God.

25:17 - 25:37 Read in full sermon

The point: Take time to nurture your emotional life, recognizing the tremendous pressures of ministry.

He recounts Elijah's flight from Jezebel after his triumph on Mount Carmel, illustrating how even mighty men of God can be emotionally drained and need rest and care.

You remember Elijah? That mighty man of God was not afraid to stand up to 450 false prophets and another 400, over 800 of them on Mount Carmel. He stood all alone. He stood against them.

26:24 - 26:40 Read in full sermon

The point: Cultivate special friendships with fellow ministers where you can be transparent and share your struggles.

He describes Paul's emotional distress ('fightings without, fears within') and how he was comforted by the arrival of Titus, highlighting the need for human fellowship and emotional support.

He said, I was trembling like a leaf on the inside. But now look at verse 6. Nevertheless, he that comforts the lowly, even God, comforted us how? By the coming of Titus.

28:14 - 28:28 Read in full sermon

The point: Cultivate special friendships with fellow ministers where you can be transparent and share your struggles.

He points to Jesus in Gethsemane, who desired the support of Peter, James, and John, demonstrating that even the Son of God in his humanity sought emotional support in trial.

We need to have those relations. Jesus Christ, in the hour of his grief, was the one who saved us. In the hour of his grief, wanted to lean on three of his disciples. He said, Peter, James, and John, come with me into the garden and watch with me one hour.

29:02 - 29:25 Read in full sermon

The point: Be close enough to others to bear one another's burdens, getting things off your shoulder and onto others.

He uses the image of a preacher coming to the pulpit 'like Elijah with a juniper tree tied on your back and the whole world crushing you' to depict an emotionally overwhelmed minister unable to comfort others.

How can you come to the pulpit and bring a word of comfort, a word of consolation? How can you be a minister to lift the spirits of God's oppressed and weary people if you yourself come like Elijah with a juniper tree tied on your back and the whole world crushing you? So that's what I want to say. I want to say to you this morning, brethren, undertake heed unto yourself.

30:57 - 31:24 Read in full sermon