Practical Helps to Enhance our Pastoral Visitation (SS)

The point: Be a doer of the word, not just a hearer, regarding the previous lesson on public worship.

Martin reminds the congregation of James's words about being a hearer and not a doer, applying it to the previous week's lesson on public worship to emphasize the need for practical obedience.

Now, as we have announced in the last two weeks, we are presently in a transition period in this adult Sunday school class. We have just completed approximately a year of studies on the vast and vital subject of the rearing of children, and God willing, two weeks from today, under the guidance of Pastor Nichols as your teacher, we will begin a study of what will eventually be called our pre-membership class and then our post-membership class. And in this transition period, I have been privileged to address you, or will be, and am in the process of addressing you, on some isolated but necessary...

0:12 - 1:38 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin recounts listening to tapes from a 1987 guided discussion on pastoral oversight, noting both the grasp of biblical principles by many and the distressing departure of some…

Martin describes listening to the 1987 discussion tapes, finding delight in hearing familiar voices and seeing spiritual growth, but also distress in realizing some who spoke positively about pastoral involvement later left the church in bitterness.

listened to all three of those tapes and it was a very interesting experience for me it was interesting first of all to see how well many of you had grasped some fundamental biblical principles relative to this issue and a sheer delight to hear again your voices in the congregation then we were still meeting in the phase one auditorium where we meet for prayer on wednesday and it was a great encouragement and refreshment to my own soul to see how much of the word of god has taken root in my life and how much of the word of god has taken root in my life it was distressing in that some whose voi...

4:52 - 6:08 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second category is the apostolic pastoral example. Paul's statements in Acts 20:31 ('admonish every one'), 1 Thessalonians 2:7,11 (nursing mother, father with children), and…

Paul's imagery in 1 Thessalonians 2 of a nursing mother and a father with his children is used to illustrate the intimate, personal, and tailor-made care required of shepherds, contrasting it with generic group ministry.

Verse 11. As you know how we dealt with each one of you as a father with his own children, exhorting you and encouraging you and testifying to the end that you should walk worthily of God. Well, take these two concepts, the sensitive, intimate, caring, self-giving role of a nursing mother with her child, and the sensitive, loving, yet manly assertiveness of a tender, careful, patient father with his individual children. And Paul says, that's the way I ministered among you.

21:28 - 22:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Receive elders as from the Lord in their practice of pastoral visitation, being convinced by the scriptural mandate.

The literal shepherd's diligence in knowing the state of his flock (Proverbs 27:23) is vividly illustrated by the need to check for ticks, flies, and diseases that can decimate a flock, emphasizing the necessity of close, individual inspection.

The writer of Proverbs speaking with regard to a literal sheep herder and his literal sheep. Be thou diligent, be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks and look well to thy herds. And then he goes on to give him motivation and says in essence the economy and the stock market may go up and down and bust and go out, but if you've got some good healthy livestock you won't starve. So you better take close attention not only to watching the stock market but you better take care of your sheep.

30:58 - 31:33 Read in full sermon

The point: Receive elders as from the Lord in their practice of pastoral visitation, being convinced by the scriptural mandate.

A shepherd trying to care for his flock using only TV monitors from his den, rather than getting close to the sheep, is used to highlight the inadequacy of generic oversight and the necessity of personal interaction for true spiritual assessment.

So he says you better get out there and get among your sheep and get your fingers into their wool until they drip with lanolin and make sure there are no ticks burrowed into their skin that will sap away their life. That there are no flies biting them and then leaving their eggs and causing diseases that will wipe out your flock. Be diligent to know the state of your flock. You see a man can't do that sitting by his fire in his den with TV monitors posted on posts all over the place where the sheep graze and sit back and say oh well they seem to be grazing nicely and look nice and they're not ...

32:01 - 32:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not resent shepherds who get close enough to detect spiritual diseases or general needs early.

The analogy of a family physician who is valued for early detection of disease is used to explain why true sheep should not resent shepherds who get close enough to detect spiritual diseases or needs early.

But we're going to look at just six, and we're going to run through them very, very quickly. What are six of the benefits in terms of the relationship of the sheep to their shepherds? Well, number one, it provides a unique opportunity for early detection of spiritual diseases or general needs. A man who wants to be healthy is never resentful that he has a family physician who has a good eye at early detection of incipient indications of disease.

36:10 - 36:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Cultivate knowledge and love for your shepherds, taking advantage of pastoral visits for expressions of it that might be inappropriate in public.

Martin shares an anecdote of a woman asking to hug him during a pastoral visit, illustrating how these intimate settings allow for expressions of love and appreciation that might be inappropriate in public.

If people were to overhear some of the things you want to say in private, they might think you're trying to flatter. I've had situations where when I've been in a pastoral visitation where a woman in the presence of her husband and kids said, Pastor, can I just give you a big hug to express what's in my heart? I said, that's all right with your husband, that's all right with me. Whereas they were not the huggy type in public and it may have not been discreet to express it.

39:20 - 39:45 Read in full sermon

The point: Deal with known sins (ticks) before a pastoral visit, rather than having the shepherd find them, as a means of grace.

The analogy of sheep with ticks is used to explain how the awareness of an upcoming pastoral visit can intensify a wholesome sense of accountability, prompting believers to deal with known sins before the shepherd's visit.

And by this personal interaction there is an intensification in a wholesome way of this sense of accountability. For if we are attempting to get to know those that are over us in the Lord and admonish us 1 Thessalonians 5.12 says, then the thought that those who are over us love us enough to come to us and personally get their fingers into our wool and feel for ticks. Well obviously if we know we've got a tick we'll get rid of it before they come.

41:08 - 41:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Manifest spiritual wisdom and benefit from pastoral visits to give elders fuel to answer those who reproach them.

Martin distinguishes between desiring a 'famous name' and a 'good name' for elders, explaining that they are ambitious for a good name, which is validated when the sheep benefit from their ministry and can answer those who reproach the elders as tyrants.

We have this statement Proverbs 23, 11 It's not 23, 11 It may be 27, 11 Yes, 27, 11 My son be wise and make my heart glad Why? Answer him that reproaches me. Now we who are your elders as best I know my heart and as best I can know the heart of my fellow elders I believe I can say we are not men ambitious to have a name for ourselves but we are ambitious to have a good name. Alright, see the difference? Not a famous name, but a good name. And there are those who reproach us as being tyrants and sheep abusers.

43:42 - 44:41 Read in full sermon

The point: Validate your love for the sheep not just in word, but in deed and in truth, by giving up time and engaging in personal visits.

The story of Euodia and Syntyche in Philippians 4:2 is used to illustrate how specific problems within the flock become known to Paul (via Epaphroditus) and are addressed, demonstrating the need for shepherds to be informed about individual issues.

and scripture says in 1 John 3 18 let us not love in word only but in deed and in truth, thirdly it helps them to know better any patterns which ought to be addressed in the public ministry as they get among the sheep they may find common patterns of concern and problems and perplexities and sins and they will better know how to minister to the sheep that's how Paul knew how to write his epistles in certain cases he got information from people close to the flock 1 Corinthians 1.11 it's been reported unto me by the house of Chloe there are divisions among you had he been there and visiting them...

48:14 - 49:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Validate your love for the sheep not just in word, but in deed and in truth, by giving up time and engaging in personal visits.

Martin vividly imagines Euodia and Syntyche hearing their names read aloud in the epistle to the Philippians, highlighting the direct and personal nature of apostolic correction and challenging modern sensitivities about 'snitching' or 'cruelty' in pastoral care.

and they're having a constant little undercurrent of falling out I beseech you Odea and Syntyche to be of the same mind can you imagine what it would have been like you were sitting there when the epistle was read and you were Odea probably sitting way over here and Syntyche probably sitting way over there and you're sitting there and you're listening to this marvelous epistle let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus of every name the name of Jesus every knee bow and your hearts are being lifted up then he comes to chapter 4 and all of a sudden Odea hears her name and Syntyche hears h...

49:43 - 51:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Commit mutually to stick to the purpose of the visit, which is a general spiritual checkup, not crisis counseling or social interaction.

The analogy of showing a stamp collection or engaging in crisis counseling during a general checkup is used to emphasize the importance of sticking to the specific purpose of a pastoral visit, which is a general spiritual assessment.

visit now this is critical a mutual commitment to stick to the purpose of the visit the purpose of the visit is not to have your 13 or 14 year old stamp collection shown to the pastor page by page as much as he may love stamps nor is it to go through the whole pictorial review of your family history though he might like to do that it is not a time for crisis counseling unless a critical disease shows up and you got to do some spiritual first aid the purpose is a general checkup and when you go in for your annual doctor's checkup for your general physical condition if he has a suspicion you hav...

55:36 - 57:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Commit mutually to stick to the purpose of the visit, which is a general spiritual checkup, not crisis counseling or social interaction.

The analogy of an annual doctor's checkup for a general physical condition is used to explain that if a specific problem is detected, a separate appointment is made for treatment, mirroring the purpose of pastoral visits as general checkups.

visit now this is critical a mutual commitment to stick to the purpose of the visit the purpose of the visit is not to have your 13 or 14 year old stamp collection shown to the pastor page by page as much as he may love stamps nor is it to go through the whole pictorial review of your family history though he might like to do that it is not a time for crisis counseling unless a critical disease shows up and you got to do some spiritual first aid the purpose is a general checkup and when you go in for your annual doctor's checkup for your general physical condition if he has a suspicion you hav...

55:36 - 57:05 Read in full sermon