Biblical Qualifications

Introduction: The Need for Biblical Studies on Ministry Preparation

0:04 A number of you are aware of the fact that in recent months I've made several trips to various of our churches in our own association of churches presenting some biblical studies relative to the whole subject of preparation for the Christian ministry. Some of you have asked when you were going to get those studies and I said, well, sometime when I'm away at a conference all week and it's impossible to do the kind of careful, painstaking study that is necessary. Well, the regular exposition presently in Ephesians in the morning and the doctrine of sanctification in the evening, I would fall back upon these two studies as a crutch in that circumstance.

0:47 So my crutch is out and under me this morning and again this evening and we shall be directing your attention to these matters. Now, in order to help us prior to the reading of several portions of scripture which are very relevant with respect to the subject matter. In hand, Mr. Dixon and Mr. Dickinson will be passing out a sheet of paper which I trust you will not try to understand until I start speaking.

1:16 But if you gentlemen will please pass out that piece of paper now.

1:21 And as they do, then let me direct your attention to several portions of Holy Scripture. The first is in the Gospel according to Matthew. Very familiar passage. The ninth chapter.

1:37 Verses 35 to 38. Matthew 9, 35 to 30. He went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness.

2:11 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were distressed and scattered, as sheep not having a shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Be ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest.

2:44 And this passage forms the framework within which the people of God should be concerned for this matter of those whose particular task is to labor. In the harvest of meeting the spiritual needs of men. And the context would seem to indicate that the word laborers refers to those who give themselves completely to the task of meeting the needs of distressed multitudes. Every Christian in one sense is a laborer, but there's a particular sense in which Paul can say of himself and of the other apostles, we are laborers together.

3:27 There is a sense in which the scripture says there are some who labor in the word and in doctrine. And so it should be the matter of prayerful concern for all that with respect to the great harvest that will need epistles.

Scriptural Framework for Ministerial Qualifications

3:56 First in 1st Timothy chapter 3, 1st Timothy chapter 3, where we have the words of the apostle given to him by the spirit with respect to those men, who qualified to be laborers in a special sense in the work of Christ's church. 1st Timothy 3 verses 1 through 7.

4:28 Faithful is the saying, if a man seeketh the office of a bishop or a seer, the office of an elder within the frame of the church, he desireth a good work. The overseer therefore must be without reprimand of one wife, sober-minded. The overseer therefore must be in a state of service to the church, proper and in orderlyاشa.

4:57 given to hospitality, in order to this we become, if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of god?

5:20 Verse 1 and 2. Second Timothy 2, 1 and 2. Thou therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and the things which thou hast heard from me among many witnesses.

6:03 The same commit thou to faith which shall be able to teach others to myself. That is to say, you have to ask the dusty child for his namesake. That is to say, you have to ask the dusty child for his namesake. You must ask where his name is.

6:10 That is to say, you have to ask for his name. In the two portions in the pastoral epistles, we notice several very important matters. First of all, in 1 Timothy 3, there is the indication that all who aspire to the office,

6:29 Christ, be judged present to make an assessment of the aspirant to the office of an overseer. When it comes to the office in the light of 2 Timothy chapter 2,

7:13 there is a limitation made as to who should be trained for these particular tasks. Some are to be trained to be teachers, and yet the scripture says it is only faithful men that are thus to be trained. And it is the responsibility of the church to determine those faithful men to whom will be entrusted the ministry of teaching. I read the worship service.

7:56 From the basis, consider these matters as a body of God's people. If Christ, who is in our midst, is to be heard,

8:13 portions of script, graph, sheet, which forms the base of a few introductory considerations,

8:52 which I trust will be helpful as we consider this broad subject, serial training, which encourage to pursue further preparation for the office. Who should we not consist that there are no fewer than probably 10 or 15 young men here? This morning, who aspires? Should we encourage you to continue in those aspirations?

9:23 Or should we not obey Jesus Christ? Should you continue to aspire to that office? Or should you just give up yours of grandeur? Well, these are issues that we cannot avoid if Christ is to be truly worshipped.

Four Propositions on the Quality of Ministry

9:44 Warning that we must not be ashamed of him. That should be of concern to all of us who name the name of our Lord. King into three rectangles. And then the semblance.

10:13 The semblance of an open Bible at the center. And now the four propositions that I would lay before you as setting the framework for our study are these. Proposition number one. Nothing is in the quality of their ministers.

10:41 If you are to try to assess the state of the churches in Essex County, there is nothing that will be a more accurate barometer as the state of those churches than the condition. And to substantiate this. When the nation of Israel was in a state of decadence, that decadence was reflected in the great plebiscite. Remember the terrible condition in Jeremiah's day.

11:22 And every time Jeremiah opened his mouth and spoke by the name of the Lord, there were also those who came along seeking to negate the impartation of the prophetic gift. To the beginning of the story of Elijah and following down to Elisha. And certainly in the New Testament as well. And upon the state of.

12:01 In the time of our Lord's ministry is the Pharisees. The scripture says they sat in Moses' seat. They were the official teachers in Israel. And yet Jesus said of them, Do not enter the kingdom and you hinder those who would enter.

12:29 The scribes and Pharisees has been seen throughout the history of the church. So that this proposition can be ably demonstrated as true. Nothing is a more significant factor. In determining the state of the churches at any point in their history.

12:49 Quality of its. George Whitfield. So the curse that. Is to.

13:11 Skillful. One God's blessing upon. Upon the churches of. Our discerning.

13:42 Nothing is a more significant factor in determining the quality of the minister. Then the kind of ministerial training to which they are subjected. If the state of the church is. Great measure by the quality of its minister.

14:22 Then nothing is more significant in determining the quality of the ministers. Than the kind of training. To which they are subjected. Now granted.

14:31 Exceptions to every rule. But the exceptions only underscore the rule. That's all. They don't negate it.

14:38 They simply underscore. The general situation. And again as we look into the history of the scriptures. And we look into the history of the church.

14:47 This is so obvious. Very to even attempt. To prove it. Seminaries.

14:54 Training to which men are subjected in their most formative years. Determining. They shall have. For I'll hide behind a well-known preacher.

15:18 Allow me to say in closing that I believe the question. What is to be the type and tone of the ministry in any decided. Theological. Seminar.

15:38 Suspend to the third. Proposition. And that's the next rectangle. Nothing is a more significant factor in determining.

15:56 The kind of. Training to which the. Bangles are subjected. Now you see what we're doing.

16:02 We're working. The state of the church is. Determined by the quality of its. Ministers.

16:07 The quality of its. Remand by the formative influences. In the days of training. And the formative.

16:27 Commences are determined for. The most part. He demonstrates. This.

16:33 Our own day. Bears eloquent testimony to. There are seminaries in existence to. Do ministers.

16:55 to through minister to the most current issues of the social and sociological society, not by scripture. And so they do everything in their power to make such men. Longer teach

17:30 greed. Nothing is absolute. The concept of evolution enters into the realm of so-called

17:49 truth. Analyzed is what we try to put out into caricature, but to illustrate the principle that the formative influence of the training institution is determined by the vision. That

18:32 brings us to our fourth thing is a more significant factor in determining the concepts. Careful

18:45 the circumstances are such that we need to go back to this most pivotal consciousness

19:37 of then the necessary to produce that would be to something that simply by practice. So

The Irreducible Requirements for Ministers: Life

20:18 I lay before you these four propositions, which lead me then to that, which is my goal for the rest of the time this evening. Consider the broad, outsturning,

20:33 what they scripturally call a and a ruling elder. And I'm thinking if time permits to

21:06 set out the tonight as a true pose, I handed out another sheet of paper. I asked you to turn over this sheet of paper. And I said, now in the next five or 10 minutes, will you

21:44 please write down what you believe to be essential or to make it more as I were to ask you to write down the things you would most want in any minister. Interesting, wouldn't it to compare your list? With what the scripture teaches? Expectations with reference to the Christian ministry, biblical expectations or sentimental

22:21 or tradition or pragmatic? Let me ask you young men who aspire to the office of the ministry. You have out there in your mind what by God's grace you hope to be in that time when you stand before a flock of God's people and move amongst them as an under shepherd. Are those expectations such as have been hammered out upon the anvil of close and careful service?

22:46 Are those expectations such as have been hammered out upon the anvil of close and careful service? Are those expectations such as have been hammered out upon the anvil of close and careful service? Are those expectations such as have been hammered out upon the anvil of close and careful service?

22:48 Come the broken be a hound.

24:16 What can be an under shepherd? Ha! Ha! Ha!

24:21 The overseer, he aspired to the passages this morning. Jesus declared unto them how the Son of God must be when that word is used.

25:00 It has the good work.

25:11 The piety is by unfeigned.

26:26 You don't have the exact in Titus 1 that you don't in verse 3. Now what do we learn from that?

26:36 Not an exalt. But Paul is giving us enough. So he moves all.

27:03 That's a bound. He makes him a holy man, but he's got some good horse sense. Church in ten directions in ten months.

27:23 When God put them together in such a way that they can bring out not only to others, but in dealing with problems.

28:02 Notice in verse 3, the only recalled gravity for most acid tests of the genuineness of piety is the domestic. It's the domestic. Some of you know how true this is.

28:43 You've told me with your own lips how often your expectations of and confidence in certain ministers have been dashed to pieces to gut within the walls of their home.

28:57 The acid test.

28:58 One other word, that relationship to docker right about godliness is though that great and light upon the air like the parasite that seems to be able to live on the air.

30:05 That's why I can hang on telephone wires and live. Well, you see, godliness is not like Spanish moss.

30:11 It's got to be rooted in the soil of truth. Granted, Paul, when he comes to the requirements of the bishop, he says that the overriding emphasis go through and expound all those things. That's not the purpose. I believe.

30:34 And we're warranted to conclude this.

30:38 You have no right as an aspirant to the Christian. You as a congregation have no warrant from Christ to recognize as a valid candidate for them, let alone to actually ordain and set a man apart from them.

31:10 The same God who says he must hold fast the faithful word in Titus 1 says that he must be a blameless man. So requirement number one is life. To consider tonight how this is attained, what strands of influence produce such men, I hope you do.

31:39 Much related to value, we would see a higher standard of the ministry. We've got to see a higher standard of the life.

The Irreducible Requirements for Ministers: Mind

32:10 I mean, by a mind, he must be one who can say what he's got.

32:58 He said, I'm holding to something that was one who holds the prayers. If I know anything that's worth knowing. And if I'm giving you anything. Anything that's worth reading.

33:43 To be an instrument also involves a grasp upon the basic kind of Titus.

34:20 What Christian ministry is bound up in the sleeve that I sat. I'm an ordination counsel.

34:51 And through seminary, evangelical direction, instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect. Thoroughly furnished unto every good work.

35:24 How quaint is at least time to get a core acquainted with its content at the end of three years in the faith. And some are at 30. Granted. These things cannot be.

35:44 Categorized in terms of chronological periods.

36:05 Thirdly, standing.

36:16 For you see, in the context, you had these false teachers there at Crete, where Titus was ministering. And there at Ephesus, where Timothy was. People were not denying the scripture. They were trying to introduce an unlawful use of the law.

36:36 And Paul says they understand nothing of what they affirm. They come with scripture, but they don't understand. There's been a progression in God's revealing of his mind. And they would wrench that whole.

36:46 Regression and turn it backward.

36:51 And he says there.

36:54 By men who have minds that have some understanding of the interrelationship of the content of scripture. That they are able.

37:12 This is a primary. And have a lot of knowledge of the content of the Bible. But that no more qualifies them for the Christian ministry than the man who knows what a shingle is. That doesn't necessarily make him able.

37:35 And some people know what's in Isaiah. And they know what's in. But for the life of them. And they can't hang it together in such a way.

37:41 That the progression of the unfolding of God's mind is understood. So that they can satisfactorily exhort. Wisp upon the interrelationship of truth. Why then he's going to lead a congregation into all kinds of fanaticism.

38:03 And all kinds of imbalance. And this is necessary.

38:08 Well then he must have a mind which meets the standard of scripture. First of all in relationship to the word of God. Submission to it. This authority.

38:16 Grasp upon its basic contents. A perception of its interrelatedness. Then in the second general area. He must have a mind which not only meets the standard of scripture.

38:28 In relationship to the word of God. In relationship to sound practical judgment. Notice this word. Must be.

38:46 Whom I have quoted in previous occasions. This is what Hendrickson says on this word. The self-controlled or sense of the man of sound mind. He is discreet.

39:00 He's not swayed. By sudden impulses. Over which he exercises no mastery.

39:10 You get something of the meaning of this word sober minded. It's the man whose mind continues to be the leading faculty. Regardless of what the pressures are. When the pressures begin to come.

39:21 He doesn't blow his pool. And act intuitively.

39:26 Maintain his pool. And act rationally in the light of scriptures. And if a man doesn't have that capacity.

39:44 A mind which reflects this matter of sound.

39:56 Eighteen years.

40:05 Was shoddy in his life. And had a grasp. Of teaching.

40:43 What is one going to do? Suppose someone is conscious. That there's some people that are irritated. If we don't dismiss the service till twelve thirty.

41:27 At the same time you know there's some people that feel cheated. If you don't preach till twelve thirty. Well what are you going to do?

41:35 We're minded by ten. Fifteen circumstances.

42:00 Serious requirements. And then the third area. Which touches the requirements of the mind. You must have a mind which in relationship to the teaching of the church.

42:11 Settle that the church. In context chapter three and verses fourteen. And fifteen. These things I write unto thee hoping to come unto thee shortly.

42:29 But if I tarry long that thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God. The church of the evangelist off the field. And sends him back to a place where he himself had ministered for three years. Well why does he do that?

42:51 With all these souls perishing. And all these areas that need evangelizing.

42:55 Why take an able evangelist and purchase not only what he's concerned that of development ministry. But he must display.

43:40 Which gives some evidence that it has grasped purpose of God.

43:54 That he goes and suddenly when the reverend comes. He can crank up the motor and put in the gas. And oil the bearings once in a while. And keep the mission.

44:03 No no it's an organism. If a man doesn't recognize this. He can't function in the midst of a body of God. He'll try to be everything.

44:13 And in so doing he ends up being. But if he recognizes I'm one limb in this throbbing. Sensitive. Living.

44:21 Organism. Then he's glad to recognize the other limbs. And the other members in there.

44:29 And it's a joy to him to delegate responsibility. And to interact with other ruling elders in the midst of that assembly. And I suggest that any man who aspires to this office. Who doesn't display a mind that has grasped at least in some measure.

44:48 As an organism of God. He'll wreak havoc in the house. So then he must have not only a life marked by eminence and piety. But a mind.

The Irreducible Requirements for Ministers: Spirit

45:06 Which meets the standard of scripture. And then thirdly. He must manifest a spirit. And I don't know what else to say here.

45:13 If you come up with a better word help me please. A spirit which meets the standard of scripture. Now I don't make a. I don't make.

45:33 Psychology.

45:35 Emphasize another facet of the truth. I've chosen this word. Not psychological precision.

45:46 Standard of scripture. And what's involved in that? Well first of all. It involves a spirit.

45:51 Which manifests an equal acquaintance. Of sin and of grace.

46:02 Which manifests. An experimental acquaintance.

46:07 Realities of sin. Just making a noise about notions in the pulpit. But he's dealing with mental realities. God is a reality.

46:21 Sin is a reality. The day that just has gotten me so upset. I could almost preach on it. A man commenting on a certain conference said.

46:51 To become emotional. And such and such called it. I said well isn't that the crime of the century. The speaker allowed what he held in his head.

47:26 And the work of the ministry. The ministry. Listen to the words of a man who preached in Newark.

48:11 About a century ago. It's common to suppose that. That it is an out sentiment. And the thought.

48:54 Behind what he can touch. Be something.

49:00 Or he might as well attempt to train. And lies in the man himself.

49:11 Aspiring to the Christian man. Apply yourself as. Just to wrestle with God. I say I am.

49:52 Going on their way to the select.

49:55 And they come if they're the true people of God. Sunday by here somewhere. Will encourage them. They.

50:03 Press to that celestial. Some nice things. That are just the pouring forth of her.

50:28 This is we as a congregation. Have an awful responsibility. With so many of these young men. Whom God has entrusted to us.

50:35 Let's not be deceived. By what God may have given by nature. Those qualities which only God can give.

50:48 Experimental acquaintance.

50:50 Realities. And secondly a spirit. To manifest a love of. And sensitivity to.

51:01 Remember what Paul told Timothy. The servant of the Lord must be gentle. But patient. Act.

51:07 I love what Spurgeon said along this line. In an article he wrote on the subject of ministerial training. Let me quote just a little bit. In the interest of time.

51:18 I can't quote all I would like to. We require men of popular sympathy. Men of the people. Who were not prepared.

51:27 To any political creed. Except this. God hath made of one blood. Turn out bad.

51:36 A man is a lover of the people. In his inmost soul. People do not require more. Of those.

51:49 Gentlemen. Who condescend to instruct the lower orders. Being authorized by the state. To assume.

51:55 Heirs of dignity. Because they are our rector.

51:59 About here. Our Anglican. Vickers.

52:05 On to say that. Those who gather in public places. Free places of worship. As against the establishment.

52:11 Are those who.

52:15 Ministers who are men. Of. The more our heart. And with the masses.

52:21 The more likely we'll. Requirement. But it. Because he must be a man.

52:42 Who has. Demonstrated. Prat.

52:52 Money. In the. The plate that puts his check in his pocket. That puts bread on his table.

52:56 And clothes on his back.

52:59 Such shepherds hire.

53:01 A man must demonstrate that he loves. The young men in the ministry.

53:07 Some of you need to seriously face this issue. Perhaps you may be swallowed up a little bit too much. With the sense of your own important. Great gift to God.

53:23 And show that love. They can read it.

53:32 A spirit. Manifest an experimental acquaintance. With the great realities of sin and grace. A spirit which manifests.

53:40 A genuine love. Of. Sense. Of.

53:44 That I should underscore. I wish I had time to underscore. The sense of. People are not blocks of stone.

53:53 To see something wrong. You just take a hammer. And whack off a piece.

The Irreducible Requirements for Ministers: Gifts

53:57 They're living. People. Office is. Possession of gifts.

54:18 Which meet the standard of scripture. A.

54:29 Possession of gifts. He must be an apt.

54:40 In Titus 1. He must be able. To convict. Apt.

54:44 To.

54:50 This matter.

54:58 They are God.

55:01 Devoted. First of all. They must be God. Given gifts.

55:08 Or says. That the ascended Christ. Has given. To his church.

55:13 Pastors. And teachers. First Corinthians 12. Tells us.

55:17 That severally. To every man. According. As.

55:23 Timothy's own gift. Was given to him. Prophecy. Stir up the gift of God.

55:28 That is. In thee. Which.

55:34 On this life. He said. There's no college under heaven. That can make preachers.

55:39 God. Must.

55:43 Can do. Is help cultivate. If there's no evidence. That we must not recognize.

55:50 Men to the ministry. No matter how much. We may love them. No matter how godly.

55:54 They may be. No matter. How much. They manifest.

55:57 A line. That scripture. If God.

56:10 Spurgeon said. Some men. Dear men. Sincere men.

56:13 If they had to listen. To themselves. Preach for ten minutes. They would say.

56:16 With Cain. My punishment. Is more than I can bear. Now does that mean.

56:27 No man can preach. Until he is. In that sense. An accomplished.

56:30 Public speaker. Of course not. We learn. By experience.

56:34 But I think. I've used. The illustration. Before.

56:37 I take. Some of my friends. From Great Britain. When they come over.

56:40 And I like to play. A little American. Baseball with. I remember.

56:43 When Errol Hulse. And I put a bat in their hand. And I say. Here's what you do with it.

56:47 And if the fellow's an athlete. Even though he's never seen. A baseball bat before. The first time he swings it.

56:51 You say. Look. That guy could be made. A half decent ball player.

56:55 A man who has. The basic coordination. To be proficient. In any sport.

57:00 Of that nature. The minute you put him. In a new. It isn't long.

57:04 Before. He takes to it. But there's some people. You know.

57:07 You could work. Ten hours a day. For a millennium.

57:11 And you'd never make. A ball player out of that. Hey. Just don't have the stuff.

57:15 Well it's the same way. With this matter of apt. To teach. A fellow may blunder.

57:20 Murder the king's English. But if somehow. God has given that gift. Even in its most.

57:26 People can recognize it. See through the. Inconsistencies. And through the butchering.

57:34 Of the king's English. And through the grotesque. Mixing up of metaphors. And all the rest.

57:39 And he may scratch his head. Funny. And do all kinds of things. But there's that sense.

57:43 God's given him something. God's hand. Is upon him. There's something to work with.

57:48 Something to stir into flames.

57:51 To stir. And to recognize it. When it's there. And to love God.

57:55 And his church. Enough to honestly tell people. When we sense it isn't there. And that hurts.

58:00 I tell you. I know a few things. More painful to me.

58:04 Than to tell someone. Who asks my honest evaluation. To say I don't believe. God's.

58:11 To live.

58:14 Well it must then be. Personally cultivated. Not only God given. But personally cultivated.

58:19 No matter how much. A gift. God has given a man. God says.

58:23 As he does to Timothy. In first Timothy. Four fifteen. Give thyself.

58:27 To these things. Things. That thy prophet. May be manifest to all.

58:30 Just get so wrapped up. In this Timothy. That when I come back. And say.

58:34 To the elders. How's Timothy doing this? They'll say. Paul.

58:37 You ought to hear him preach now. Well. He was no mean preacher. When I was here before.

58:41 Ah yeah. But listen. You should hear him now. There's a.

58:44 There's a greater. Penetration. There's a sweetness. There's a mellowness.

58:49 There's an unction. His offering. Is.

58:55 Must be personally cultivated. Stir up the gift. That is in thee. So the young man.

58:59 That's too lazy. While he's holding down. A secular job. Too lazy.

59:03 To apply himself. Diligently. To study. Forget the ministry.

59:07 He won't use his spare hours. To cultivate his gift. He'll never use his leisure hours.

59:14 He that is unjust. In little. Jesus said. Is unjust.

59:17 With much. You put such a man. In the ministry. Who doesn't have to punch.

59:20 A time clock. And he becomes a lazy man. Who pulls out. A booklet.

59:25 On Saturday night. On 60 sermon outlines. And warms it over. And gives that.

59:29 To the people of God. In the name of preaching. The outfits. That publish those books.

59:35 Aren't going out. Of business either. Somebody's buying them. And using them.

59:43 And then those gifts. Must not only be God given. Personally cultivated. But they must be.

59:47 Visibly manifested. They must have been seen. By the people of God. It's the people of God.

59:53 Who recognize. Here's an apt teacher. A man doesn't come. And say.

59:57 God has given me. This great gift. God has equipped me. Now take me.

60:03 People of God say. Wait a minute.

60:06 We want to know. If you're an apt teacher.

60:10 It's the people of God. Who determine. A man's aptitude. To teach.

60:14 He may. Have a burden. To teach. He may.

60:17 Have. Very little accuracy. In his discernment. Of his aptitude.

60:22 To teach. And so. They must be visibly. Manifested.

60:25 To the people. Of God.

60:28 Then such a man. By God's grace. Will utter the truth. Of God.

60:31 First of all. With accuracy. Sound doctrine. He'll do it.

60:35 With clarity. Able to convince. He'll do it. With discriminating.

60:40 Application. And above all. With heavenly unction. Who can explain.

60:44 What unction is. I can't explain. What it is. What it is.

60:48 But I know when. I don't have it.

60:52 And I know sometimes. When I do. And I couldn't describe. What it is.

60:57 Or isn't. But I know. When I sit. As a hungry worshipper.

61:00 At the feet. Of the servant of God. And the dew of heaven. Is on him.

61:03 I can't tell you. What it is. But I know. Something happens.

61:08 To those words. From the time. They get out of his mouth. And come into my heart.

61:12 There's a freshness. There's a breath. Of something. That's not of man.

61:17 One dear man. Of God. Said. On conclusion.

61:25 Of a sermon. That ministered. To his. Own heart.

61:27 He said. To the preacher. You have brought.

61:32 That's the end. Of preaching. My friend. A man.

61:36 May have a life. That's blameless. A man. May have a mind.

61:41 That's sharp. And clear. He may even have a spirit. That reflects some sensitivity.

61:46 And may have a gift. To communicate. But if there isn't. That peculiar.

61:50 Something. That breath. Of him. He doesn't meet.

61:55 The needs of the people. And he won't have seals. To his mouth. I suggest to you then.

Conclusion: The Irreducible Minimum and a Call to Unbelievers

62:01 That these are the irreducible. Requirements. The irreducible minimum. Of the biblical standard.

62:07 For true and able ministers. Of the new covenant. God willing. We'll address ourselves.

62:13 Tonight. To the question. How are such ministers made? How can we see the churches.

62:18 Blessed with them? And would to God. That we shall live. To see the day.

62:23 When churches. Are blessed. With such men. In abundance.

62:27 When I think back. Of what it must have been like. To live in England. In the time.

62:31 Of the act of uniformity. In 1662. When in that little country. Of England.

62:36 And it's little. You can take it. And cover it. By one of our big western states.

62:41 You can take two of the fairly sized. And cover it. In that little geographic.

63:08 And in great measure. You as God's people. Have a part. In whether or not we see that day.

63:13 Pray. The Lord of us. Tonight. We'll see God willing.

63:18 How we may also work. To see. Such men. And as we have visitors here.

63:25 This morning. Some of you. Whom I've never met. Would have no reason to know.

63:29 Whether you confess. Christ. As your savior. And Lord.

63:32 Or whether you make no profession. May I say to you. For. I trust.

63:37 In some measure.

63:40 I love you. Though I don't know you.

63:43 If you are here. Without a. Deep. Experimental.

63:46 Knowledge of Christ. As your savior. And Lord. I say to you.

63:49 On the basis of this. His holy word.

63:53 If you don't know anything about this. It all may be just. God words to you. Listen.

63:57 You better spend the rest of your life. If necessary. Getting into this book. And finding out.

64:02 Who the God of this book is. And what he says. About your sin. And the way of forgiveness.

64:07 And acceptance. Because the hour is coming. When you won't stand. Or sit before a preacher.

64:13 But before almighty God. Who made you. To be judged. According to the deeds.

64:17 You've done in this body. And if you're found in that day. A stranger to Christ. And his grace.

64:22 It were better for you. That you had never been born. I entreat you. In his name.

64:27 To repent. And to believe the gospel. Seek the Lord. While he may be found.

64:32 And call upon him. While he's near. And though my remarks. This morning.

64:36 Have been almost exclusively. Addressed to the people of God. I've not been unmindful. Of your presence.

64:42 And I would exhort you. In his name. To consider your relationship. To him.

64:47 In the light of his own. Holy. And infallible word.