The Goal Envisioned

Introduction to the Trinity Ministerial Academy and Sermon Goals

0:03 This adult Sunday school class was held on January 23, 1983, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey.

0:12 Now I'm certain that it's quite evident to anyone acquainted even a brief time with the life and ministry of this congregation that we as a congregation are deeply involved with and intensely concerned for something called the Trinity Ministerial Academy. Now in recent weeks this concern and involvement have been heightened as our prayer meetings have been marked by special seasons of prayer with respect to seeking an additional instructor for the academy. And this very class has had its normal teaching framework altered, both as to teacher and subject matter, when a candidate for that office or ministry of an instructor was in our midst a few weeks ago. And during this heightened, quote, academy awareness in the life of our congregation, it has become evident to your elders that much could be gained by seizing this opportunity of heightening the teaching framework of the Trinity Ministerial Academy. And this very class has had its normal teaching framework altered, both as to teacher and subject matter, and during this heightened academy awareness to give some general instruction to the congregation at large relative to the work of the academy.

1:42 And therefore I have been directed by my fellow elders to take at least one of these sessions. And as I've prepared, it's evident that the latitude given to take two I will seize. And so for two class sessions we'll be concentrating on the whole matter. And we'll be seeking together to come to a clear understanding of what the academy is intended to be and to do and how these goals are actually pursued within the life and ministry of the academy.

2:22 Now my goals in attempting to do this, as the mouthpiece of my fellow elders, are neither constricted nor simple. In fact, they're rather vast and grandiose and complex. But they are my goals, and I might as well tell you what they are. Number one, to impart an accurate awareness of what we are attempting to do in the Trinity Ministerial Academy.

2:52 Suppose you were to walk out of the building this morning and a total stranger were to meet you. And as you engaged in conversation, this stranger began to ask you about, about Trinity Church, when it had its stated meetings, what its various ministries were. And in the course of responding to his question, or her question, you said, well, we have a Trinity Ministerial Academy. And they were to say, Trinity Ministerial Academy, what's that?

3:21 What does it exist for? What is it attempting to do? Do you think you could respond intelligently and in such a manner as to cause one of your elders, who was listening in from the other side of the patio, to smile at your answer? Or would he bite his nails and say, oh, what a horrible job we've done instructing the congregation?

3:45 Well, that it might be the former and not the latter, we're taking these two sessions in the adult class. Our first goal is, I say, to impart an accurate awareness of what we are attempting to do in the work of the Academy. Then, secondly, to impart an accurate awareness of what we are attempting to do in the work of the Academy. Then, secondly, to impart an accurate awareness of what we are attempting to do in the work of the Academy.

4:03 Then, secondly, to impart an accurate awareness of what we are attempting to do in the work of the Academy. My goal is to convey a comprehensive understanding of how we are seeking to accomplish these goals. It's one thing to know what we're attempting to do. It's another thing to have some comprehensive understanding of how we are pursuing the what.

4:24 Now, it's good if you understand what. It's better if you understand what and how. But as I said, the goals are not modest. The goals are not modest and simple, but vast and comprehensive and complex.

4:37 So there is a third dimension or strand of my goal for these two weeks, and it is this. To intensify your intelligent sympathy for the magnitude of the demands of this ministry. To intensify your intelligent sympathy. Now, you see what I've done?

4:57 I've brought together the action of your head and of your heart. To intensify. To intensify your intelligent sympathy for the magnitude of the demands of this ministry. Now, many of you do have some intelligent sympathy for the demands of this ministry.

5:18 And so I've chosen my words carefully. I did not say to impart some degree of an intelligent sympathy, but to intensify the intelligent sympathy which is already there. And that intelligent sympathy. That intelligent sympathy pertains to the students.

5:35 That you may be able to understand and feel with them and for them. With respect to the magnitude of the responsibilities laid upon them and the demands made of them. With regard to your instructors, most of you do have at least some inkling of what is involved in their work. But we desire in these two sessions so to lay before you precisely how.

6:03 Our God given goals are being pursued that you will have a heightened and intensified intelligent sympathy for the demands made not only upon the students but upon the instructors and furthermore upon yourselves as a church for no little part of the life and ministry of the academy is what you are and do as a congregation. Now, most of you have some. Intelligent sympathy with respect to that fact. We want to see that greatly intensified as a result of these two sessions.

6:44 Then there is a fourth strand to my goals in handling this material and it is this. To secure your increased intercession for the success of this ministry. To secure your increased intercession for the success of this ministry. You do pray for this ministry.

7:07 And I have no desire to stand here and say that one of my goals is to stir you up to pray. You're already praying. You're already concerned. But I am concerned that there would be an increase both of the frequency and the fervency of your prayers for the success of this ministry.

7:27 For as we shall see when we set out the goals and how we are to attain those goals. It will become evident to anyone who has even a cursory acquaintance with the Bible that only God the Holy Ghost can bring those goals to realization. And for the Holy Ghost we are shut up to prayer before the living God. And then there is a fifth strand of the goals and it is this.

7:55 To augment your joyful and sacrificial underwriting of the expenses connected with. This ministry to augment your joyful and sacrificial underwriting of the expenses connected with this ministry. Now notice again I've chosen my words carefully. I believe there is a level of joyful sacrificial commitment to the underwriting of the expenses of this ministry.

8:29 I'm not here to raise money. The church through the direction of its eldership. Is. Come.

8:34 Committed to all of the monetary expenses. And the expense of manpower essential to the accomplishment of that ministry. That's a commitment of the church through the oversight of its elders. So I'm not here to sell you.

8:50 On something. Or to beat the woods for shekels. No. But it is my purpose under God and by the blessing of the spirit to augment.

9:03 Your joyful. And sacrificial underwriting of the expenses connected with this ministry. But the scripture says God loves what kind of a giver. A cheerful giver.

9:16 Not the person who when he places his gifts and offerings upon the offering plate. Knowing that no little part of those gifts and offerings goes for the work of the academy. Does so with this attitude. Well our elders aren't stupid and they somehow have been convinced that this is something.

9:34 We ought to get excited about and I know it would be unspiritual to second-guess them. So punk that attitude in a real sense negates the spiritual nature of what you give and makes it a carnal act. Paul says of the Corinthians to the Corinthians of the Macedonians. They first gave of their own selves to the Lord and then unto us by the will of God.

10:03 Let us give Paul says not grudgingly nor of. Necessity for God loves a cheerful giver. And so that's the fifth strand of the goals for these two sessions to augment. Your joyful and sacrificial underwriting of the expenses of this ministry.

10:24 Now those are not very modest goals are they. But there's not a one of them that I can omit. And be honest in telling you what I hope to accomplish with the Lord's health in these next two sessions. All right.

The Divine Activity in Making Able Ministers

10:37 Now with these complex statements of the goal before us. Let us set out to our task. And the first question to which we must address ourselves is this. What is the goal envisioned in the work of Trinity Ministerial Academy.

10:55 What is the goal envisioned in the work of Trinity Ministerial Academy. So we're going to address ourselves. First of all to know. What.

11:08 Of the goal. And our answer is comprised of two dimensions of the biblical truth. Pointing to the divine activity in conjunction with making able ministers of the new covenant on the one hand. And to the human activity or human instrumentality in that task on the other.

11:34 And so in answer to the question. Let's consider. First of all. The divine activity a the activity of the triune God in making able ministers.

11:47 Pastor teachers of the new covenant. Turn please to Ephesians chapter four. Ephesians chapter four. Having exhorted the people of God to a careful maintenance of the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.

12:09 In this chapter. As in a parallel chapter Romans twelve. Not only is the unity of the body emphasize but the diversity of the gifts resident in the body. In virtue of the activity of our sovereign God and in particular in this passage.

12:27 In virtue of the activity of the ascended Christ. And so we read in verse eight of Ephesians four where four. He said. When he ascended on high he led captivity.

12:40 Captive. And gave gifts unto men. And then there is this parenthetical statement about how Christ came to this position. Of exalted Ness from which he gives gifts to men.

12:54 And then the actual conferral of his gifts his activity in the conferral verse eleven. And he the ascended Christ gave some apostles. And some prophets. And some.

13:10 Evangelists. And some. Pastors or shepherds and teachers for the perfecting of the saints unto the work of service unto the building up of the body of Christ. Now according to this passage if you ever see a true shepherd teacher in the church who made him and who put him there.

13:39 Anyone. According to this passage who made him. And who put him there. Howard.

13:54 Where is the Holy Spirit mentioned in the passage I read. Is he mentioned explicitly Howard. All right. Is God the Father mentioned explicitly.

14:07 Howard. All right. All right. Good.

14:14 Come on. Say it. All right. So in this particular passage and according to Ephesians four if we ever see a true shepherd teacher in the church.

14:26 It's. Because Christ has constituted him such a person Christ has made him a shepherd teacher and has given him to the church. So if there ever are to be true shepherd teachers appearing in the church. It will be because Christ according to Ephesians five as the constant nourisher and cherisher of the church.

14:53 Continues. To make such. Hips. And deposit them in his church.

15:00 All right. Turn to second Corinthians chapter three. Another key passage that points to the activity of the triune God in making able ministers. Able pastor teachers of the new covenant.

15:18 Here in chapter three. The Apostles speaking of his ministry and the ministry of his associates. Says. Verse.

15:26 One. Are we beginning again to commend ourselves or need we as some letters of commendation to you or from you. You are our epistle written in our hearts known and read of all men. Being made manifest that you are an epistle of Christ ministered by us.

15:46 Written not with ink but with the spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in tables that are hearts of flesh. And such. Confidence we have. Through Christ.

15:59 To God work. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to account anything as from ourselves. But our sufficiency is from God. Who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant not of the letter but of the spirit for the letter killeth but the spirit giveth.

16:25 Life. Now according to this passage. If we see a man. Who has been made sufficient.

16:33 As a minister of the new covenant who's been at work. According to this passage. It's in the passage not on my forehead. You look for it in the passage.

16:43 What is it all right Jeff. God the father. How do we know that. From the first.

16:49 Where we. Were told. In verses five and six. That is the sufficiency is from God.

16:56 Who. God. The father. Made us.

16:58 Sufficient. As ministers of the new covenant. All right. So this general or generic reference to God unless there are compelling reasons generally refers primarily though not exclusively to God the father.

17:13 All right. Who else is active in this making of men sufficient as ministers of the new covenant Jeff. All right. Where do you find that.

17:29 All right. So we have a reference then to the activity of the Holy Spirit. So you see why I've said. In answer to the question.

17:38 What are our goals or what is the goal envisioned in the work of Trinity Ministerial Academy. We cannot begin to address ourselves to that question in any accurate way with our Bibles in our hands without coming to grips with the fact. That there is this direct and constant agency of the triune God God the father son and Holy Spirit in constituting men. Able ministers of the new covenant in making them pastor shepherd teachers to the flock of God.

18:15 Now these texts provide I'm sorry this then is part of the goal of Trinity Ministerial Academy is to provide a framework within which hopefully we shall witness the activity of the triune God doing this very thing. To provide a framework within which hopefully God father son and Holy Spirit will constitute man or further his work of constituting men able ministers of the new covenant shaping and molding them into what will be his gift to the church in the form of a shepherd teacher. All right. Now then let's look at the human instrument.

The Human Instrumentality in Training Ministers

19:06 That is involved in this work of God the father son and Holy Spirit and so we have not only the activity of the triune God in making able ministers but be the activity of men imparting divine truth in order to constitute men able ministers of the new covenant. The activity of men in depositing or imparting. Divine truth in order to constitute men able ministers and here we have two key text one most of you can already turn to without me announcing it and it is what someone have any idea. All right Elmer all right to Timothy 2 very good to Timothy 2 and verse 2 you read that for us Elmer please.

20:10 All right here a word of instruction comes from the Apostle Paul to Timothy what we generally call an apostolic representative he was not himself an apostle but was Paul's representative there in the church at Asia and to him comes this directive as a man. Well remember now Timothy was a man albeit a redeemed man. A man. A man with a peculiar function and responsibility under the apostle but nonetheless a man a redeemed sinner a man who had an imperfect grasp upon truth as any man has this side of glory and yet in that situation with all of the inherent limitations found in a man even in a redeemed man even in a man in a place of peculiar privilege and opportunity and even what we might say.

21:09 A peculiar and distinct and non transferable position as a direct representative of the apostle he is given the task and what is the essence of that task according to this text someone else what is he to do put it in your own words don't look for anything exotic all right Chuck. The things that he had heard from the apostle Paul in the presence of many witnesses. The things the body of truth and the outworking of that body of truth and its implications for life and ministry and all of those things but things that he had received he was now to pass on to whom Chuck all right to men and they were to be what kind of man faithful man trustworthy man which has to do with what. A man's.

22:27 Integrity character all right faithful man so men. Of whom a judgment has been made with respect to their character and what else is said they also must be men who will be what. Able to teach others also and so this has to do not so much with character but with ability or gift all right able to teach. So this.

22:58 Has to do with. Proven cultivated gift. Now you notice how strong is the emphasis upon human instrumentality human judgment and human activity in constituting a body of men who shall be able to teach others also. Now we've looked at a couple of passages which clearly indicate that only God can make an able minister of the new covenant.

23:27 That it is the. Work of the ascended Christ to give shepherds and teachers but you see this passage clearly indicates that Christ works not apart from or bypassing human instrumentality and human means but he works through human instrumentality and means even the judgments that Timothy must make about men's character and gifts how is Timothy to locate the faithful man able to teach others also. Is there. Any indication that Paul told him to go off once a year to get up on a mountain and there after fasting and praying for seven days God would drop down a list of all the faithful men who had at least the seedling gifts to teach others and then Timothy would come down from the mountain with his list and say John and Pete and Harry. He never would say Susie and Sally faithful men all right okay whatever he would do if he claimed to have a list from God.

24:28 He wouldn't have any female names in it with respect to the official teaching office no how did Timothy have to come to this judgment how did he come to judgment as the character and gift will in the ordinary use of the ordinary means and then notice Timothy was responsible to impart these things the things that you have heard of me among many witnesses the same commit vow now how does one commit. A bond. To another group of men how does one do that now again don't look for anything you know really fancy I mean we're we're right down the most elementary thing how does one commit a body of truth to someone else Mr. Dixon from the twinkle in his eye I should have anticipated that and recognized another hand all right okay yes rich.

25:39 All right.

25:48 Okay. All right can you just kind of reduce that now into some verbal shorthand as to precisely what's involved to committing a body of truth to other people there must be first of all what can you put that first part in one word. All right there must be instruction okay and then there must be hands please we get all the answers and all my signals get crossed all right. Example instruction and then example.

26:27 The things that I spoke heard and learn and see in me do and the God of peace will be with you now has fully known my doctor. My manner of life doctrine manner of life the things you have heard and seen in me do and you'll find that motif all the way through the scriptures you find it in the life of our lord. again and again with his disciples I have left you an example and yet at the same time he says if you love me you'll do the things I say I have given unto them thy words and they have received them the disciple is not above his master nor the servant above his Lord that whole pattern all the way through scripture to impart to another then is to engage in the work of instruction and exemplary patterns of life before them and so you see there is this strong emphasis upon the human instrumentality with respect to constituting men able ministers able teachers of others and so what is the goal envisioned in the work of the academy well it is not only to provide a framework within which hopefully God, Father, Son

27:54 and Holy Spirit will work powerfully and effectively to mold men into able ministers of the new covenant to constitute them true pastor shepherds to be given to his church but also to provide a framework which realistically takes account of the human instrumentality in this process now you can already begin to see I trust why there must be specialization specialization if a man is to take the body of truth as we will see God doing next week in more detail that involves having a grasp upon the wholeness and the interrelatedness of truth he must have more than an ordinary understanding of and ability to articulate that truth in its wholeness and interrelatedness Timothy was not an ordinary Christian Timothy was in that sense an extraordinary Christian he was not only or not even an ordinary minister he was one who had been given peculiar privileges and opportunities and therefore special competence for this task and there is no assumption now follow closely

29:21 that if people would only sit under Timothy's ministry preaching and preaching everything Paul tells him to preach in 1st and 2nd Timothy and all that he learned from example that there would be men automatically rising from the ranks out of the ordinary life of the church who would be able to be ministers now that's a fallacy that we must attack right at the outset because I've got a sneaking suspicion there are few people in Trinity Church who really wonder is all this falderal really necessary I mean, I mean pay in peace to the people that teach Hebrew and Greek and system I mean, if people just sit under the ministry here and see the examples of preaching and teaching and absorb what is taught isn't that enough? listen, if it wasn't enough for Timothy and there's no one here that I know of who claims to have the gifts and the insights and the peculiar position of a Timothy if Timothy's ministry was not enough without marking out special men's and engaging in special activities to commit those things to them you see how presumptuous it is presumptuous it is for us to think that just the ordinary life and ordinary ministry of the church will be enough to make men able ministers of the new covenant able to teach others also do you see the point? do you feel the weight of that passage?

Synthesizing Divine and Human Goals for the Academy

30:50 alright, any question then as to what our goal is with respect to the academy our goal is to provide a framework within which there is from the divine standpoint the hopeful expectation that God will make men able ministers able pastor shepherds to provide a framework within which we responsibly carry out the biblical mandate to commit the body of apostolic truth to men of proven character who will be able by the cultivation of gift to teach others also alright, any question on question number one what is the goal envisioned in the work of the academy any of the elders want to supplement or underscore something said thus far yes, question Ron yes, and so we'll come to that next you're already anticipating something that's coming so we'll hold off on that, alright alright, any further questions alright, let's move then to questions number two

Identifying Marks of Christ's Gift: Proven Godliness

32:17 having sought to address ourselves to the first question what is the goal now the second one what are the identifying marks of Christ's gift or to state it another way what are the identifying marks of a faithful man able to teach others also now if our goal is to provide a framework within which hopefully God will do what only he can do then we will be able to as we engage in the proper means entrusted to us how are we going to tell when God's done it is God going to give us a list and say this man is my gift of a pastor shepherd and then we just show people the divine handwriting we maybe even claim to have some special glasses like Joseph Smith and you can read the man's name on the list no, we say that's sheer fanaticism we have nothing to do with that well how then are we going to recognize Christ's gift if it's Christ who gives pastor teachers if it's God the Father and the Spirit who constitute a man a sufficient minister of the new covenant how do we recognize when he has made a man sufficient by the Spirit how can we ascertain

33:46 if a man has reached a degree of faithfulness developed character and of gift that we can with good confidence in faith believe that he is in the position of teaching others also that's a vital question and when we turn to the scriptures 1st Timothy 3 and Titus 1 in particular or I should say specifically and the whole theology of the ministry generally what do we come up with alright let's turn now to 1st Timothy chapter 3 and then you can keep your faith finger there and we'll be flipping back and forth between that passage and Titus 1 now I want you as I read the passage to see if you can come up with some of the broad strokes as it were of the brush of God the Holy Spirit in these passages by which he at least sketches in the basic lineations the basic features of one who's been made an able minister of the new covenant 1st Timothy chapter 3 faithful is the saying if a man seeks the office of an overseer he desires a good work the overseer therefore must be without reproach the husband of one wife

35:12 temperate sober minded orderly given to hospitality apt to teach no brawler no striker but gentle not contentious no lover of money one that rules well his own house having his children in subjection with all gravity but if a man knows not how to rule his own house how shall he take care of the church of God not a novice lest being puffed up he fall into the condemnation of the devil moreover he must have good testimony from them that are without lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil and then over to Titus 1 and verse 5 Titus 1 5 for this cause I left you in Crete that you should set in order the things that are wanting or lacking and appoint elders in every city as I gave you charge if any man is blameless the husband of one wife having children that believe or better rendered having trustworthy children who are not accused of riot or unruly or of evil for the bishop must be blameless as God's steward not self-willed not soon angry no brawler no striker not greedy of filthy lucre but given to hospitality a lover of good sober-minded just holy

36:40 self-controlled holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching that he may be able both to exhort in the healthy doctrine and to convict the gainsayers now what things are very evident on the very surface of these passages with respect to the non-negotiable elements of a true biblical qualified qualification for this work alright anyone now what's the first and most evident one we're addressing ourselves to the question what will be the identifying marks of God's gifts

38:09 that's alright it's better than mine but I want to express it in some synonyms alright Chuck alright godly conduct Ralph proven character integrity Gary took your word alright Rich moral uprightness Frank pardon a clear conscience as far as his own inward relationship to God and his law someone else great holiness grace grace

39:15 a life of proven balanced godliness proven many of these things can only be known over some time exposure character traits are not evaluated in terms of a given act in isolation from successive acts in that given area and in conjunction with other successive acts in other areas that indicate that this is not just an abnormality for instance you might see a man out your front window every morning when he walks by your house he bends over and picks up what seems to be just a piece of scrap paper and you gain the impression he is a most considerate and thoughtful and selfless person he picks up scrap paper that's out in front of you and he picks up scrap paper out of your house on your lawn isn't he a lovely man until you find out later when the facts surface in the local newspaper a week later that this character was in cahoots with some counterfeiters who dropped a little bundle of counterfeit bills on your lawn by prearrangement every single morning why he's a scoundrel

40:43 and you see you could make a total misjudgment about his fundamental character if you simply viewed one act in isolation from other acts and the other acts and from an up close basis of evaluating even that single act so when we read through the passage you'll notice he not only assumes that these character traits blamelessness in the concreteness of not a striker not a brawler not greedy for money one that rules well his own house is not only a matter that he's careful to manifest before the people of God but what's the other dimension of it he must have a what good testimony from those that are without you've heard the statement a saint abroad I mean a saint at home and a what a devil abroad there are people like that willful calculating hypocrites amongst those that they profess to belong to but abroad veritable devils this man must have a life of proven balanced godliness and into that we could put many of the specifics of Titus 1 and of 1st Timothy chapter 3 alright what's the second thing that he must manifest not only a life of proven balanced godliness but this is not so much explicit now in either of these passages

Identifying Marks: More Than Ordinary Christian Experience

42:12 but it is implicit in the passages and certainly implicit in the requirement that he be able to exhort and to teach and then the whole broader biblical doctrine of what a shepherd is to his sheep you at least got an idea what I'm hinting at and fishing for anyone alright Spence alright a love for people very good that's getting us into the ballpark Charlie alright a leader that's another specific identifying mark that we're going to put further on down alright and again as I say my arrangement of these is not inspired but it is prearranged so I'll stick with it alright go ahead Jeff let's fish that out mature in what sense he got grey hair ok no I want you to tell me I don't know you tell me ok

43:35 ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok , all right you're nibbling at the bait I ain't got you in the boat yet but what I'm fishing for is beginning to feel like it's on the end of the on the end of the rod there a little bit alright so we're talking now about the fact there must not only be a life of proven balanced godliness but if he is to be a true shepherd of souls there has to be and let me give it to you in the interest of time because this is the direction that's in the Covenant of God Jeff was going, a life and heart of more than ordinary, I'm sorry, a life and heart manifesting more than ordinary Christian experience. There must be this element of the maturity of Christian experience that makes him competent to be a shepherd to others. 2 Corinthians 1, God who comforts us in all our tribulation, in order that we may be able to comfort others by the comfort

45:01 wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. Isaiah 50 and verse 4, beautiful picture of the servant of Jehovah whose ear is opened morning by morning, and his own ear is opened that he might have the tongue of the learned in order to speak a word to him that is weary, so that there is that internalization. Eternal experience out of which the consolations, the exhortations, and the instructions come with freshness and power and with experimental dimensions. Now granted, every man, the most mature, godly, able minister of the new covenant is never static in the element of his own experience. And as he is expanding continually in his experience, there will be a new covenant. There will be new and subtle and hopefully ever-increasing degrees of blessing through his ministry as those nuances and dimensions and hues and shades of his own experimental involvement with God and truth throb through and pulse through his own ministry. But surely, before the church will recognize a man as a pastor-shepherd given by Christ to shepherd his sheep, he will be a

46:24 man who is able to teach others. There must be at least so much above what we would call the modicum, the median of Christian experience present in any given congregation. Now that may vary from congregation to congregation. That's why some men may have an identifying mark of a shepherd given by Christ to congregation A, who would not have that mark.

46:54 At least sufficiently recognizable to serve as a pastor-shepherd in congregation B. But whether competent for A or B with reference to the basic level of Christian experience in either of those congregations, there must be a life and heart manifesting more than a modicum or more than ordinary levels of Christian experience. Able to teach means more than having clear categories of understanding in your being.

47:36 And one of the curses is the failure to recognize the indispensable necessity of this identifying mark. And I say to you men in the academy, God have mercy on you. If your heart and experience aren't growing at least in some degree in a commensurate manner with your knowledge. I didn't say in an equal and parallel manner. I'm not putting you under bondage. I'm choosing my words carefully. But God have mercy. If it is not growing, your learning will be a curse. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. Now, we've got to hurry on because I want to round out at least

Identifying Marks: Adequate Working Knowledge of God's Word

48:24 these identifying marks and then show you where we're going to go with this, God willing, next week. All right? So you would come up with these identifying marks. All right? So you would come up with these identifying marks. All right? So you would come up with these identifying marks. All right? So you would come up with these others. May I be given the liberty to just give them to you, though I'm sure one or two casts and we'd get these others. They're so obvious. But let me give them to you for the sake of completeness this morning. Thirdly, there must be an adequate working knowledge of the Word of God. Titus chapter 1 and verse 9. Holding to the faithful word, which is according to the teaching, that he may be able. His holding is with reference to the ability both to exhort, and as you know, if you were here some months ago, the word exhort does not have the primary connotation of clobbering people, but stirring to action, prodding, consoling, and comforting. So he must hold to the faithful word, which is according to the teaching, that is the teaching received, but holding commensurate with an ability both to

49:31 exhort in the sound or healthy teaching, and to convict gainsaves. Not merely to strike out and, as it were, with a bludgeon, hope to clobber error. And if you miss, hit someone who holds truth and leave bashed heads in your train. But someone who is able to convict. Bring, as it were, to the judgment of all rational men the fact that error is error. To convict the gainsayer. To shut his mouth. Well, you see, that demands an adequate working knowledge of the Word of God. Not a mere knowledge of the Word of God, but a working knowledge of the Word of God. To be able to take the teaching and to draw near to a struggling saint who feels that because he struggles, he's not a saint. And to exhort, to comfort that saint. And show that his very

50:31 struggles are the manifestation of his sainthood, not the negation of it. You see it? And then to be able to detect the gainsayer. To know when someone has incipient Gnosticism, or incipient Arminianism, or incipient other heresies that have plagued the church. Incipient Arianism, or Sibelianism. To know when there is incipient Domitism. You say, what are all those things? The men in the academy got to know. Or they're not going to be able to shepherd God's people. Because there's no new thing under the sun. And all of the heresies that plague the church today are just old heresies dressed up in some of them not so new clothing. Just clothing from which the dust has been brushed off and the lapels have been cut an inch or two. But it's the same old cloth and the same old garb. So this is an absolute necessity then that the man have an adequate working knowledge of the Word of God. Fourthly, he must have a

Identifying Marks: Cultivated Ability to Communicate Truth with Clarity and Unction

51:32 cultivated, recognizable ability to communicate truth with clarity and unction. A cultivated, recognizable ability to communicate truth with clarity and with unction. Where do we learn this? First Timothy 3. He must be apt to teach. An apt teacher. Titus 1.9 He must be able to comfort. To stir to action. He must be able to exhort. He must be able to convict. Second Timothy 2.2 He must be able to teach others. When have you taught someone? Not merely when you've said a lot of words in their presence. But when the concepts rooted in the body of apostolic doctrine have not only been grasped by the mind but so articulated by the lips.

52:34 Third Timothy 3.3 So he went to an older, well-known preacher. Very able preacher. And he bared his heart to him and said, Dr. So-and-so, I just don't know what's wrong with me. I just don't seem to be coming across. And I wonder if you can help me. He said, all right, young man, I'll try to help you. He said, now, preach to me here and now the sermon you preached to your people yesterday.

53:27 So the young man was a bit taken aback. He wasn't in the presence of this august, famous preacher. But he made his attempt. And after about 20 minutes, Dr. So-and-so said to him, young man, I've heard enough.

53:40 He said, I think I know what your problem is. He said, you have spent the last 20 minutes desperately trying to get something out of your head instead of effectively getting something into mine.

53:54 You have spent the last 20 minutes desperately trying to get something out of your head instead of effectively getting something into mine. Now, what was his problem? Now, it may have been that he lacked a clear grasp upon the truth, but it may be not so much that he lacked a grasp upon the truth, but he lacked a cultivated, recognizable ability to communicate the truth with clarity. It may be that he needed some instruction in homiletics, in principles of teaching, how one lays out truth, how one communicates.

54:36 It may be that his problem lay there. But there are times when people are able to lay out things very clearly, but there is no recognition amongst the people of God that the man does so with the blessing of the Holy Spirit upon him. Now, how do they recognize that blessing? Not in terms of volume, not in terms of animation, but over some period of time in terms of the consciousness of spiritual consciousness, but over some period of time in terms of the spiritual energy in a man's communication of truth.

55:10 And that spiritual energy has no fixed, material, external, recognizable phenomena.

55:20 Like that silly old man, you remember, that came to the preacher and whispered in his ear, I know you must have the unction of the Holy Ghost upon you. And the young man said, how do you know that? He said, I watched your feet.

55:33 He said, what do you mean you watched my feet? He said, I watched your feet. And I noticed all the while you preached, your feet were constantly shuffling. And I've noticed that any man full of the Holy Ghost always shuffles his feet.

55:46 Now, the poor old soul was serious. So his, you see, identifying mark of unction was in the footsies. Now, in some circles, it's whether you say, ah, after all of your D's and T's. In certain Pentecostal circles, if you really get the unction, then it's...

56:05 Ahem, ahem, ahem, ahem, ahem, ahem. Some of you have heard it. And if you don't do that, there's no unction. There's no unction.

56:13 Whatever else you may have, no unction. Well, we laugh. And rightly so. But we're not talking about anything that is to be identified with any physical or vocal mechanism.

56:25 No. But we're talking about that sense of spiritual energy which the true people of God will perceive in a man who is an able minister of the new covenant. Not of the letter, but of the Spirit. And that will be known by the sheep who hear the voice of their great shepherd through an under-shepherd that he has equipped, not only with a clear head, but with unction upon his ministry.

Identifying Marks: Ability to Rule and Realistic Desire for the Work

56:53 And then last of all, because our time is gone, or no, two more quickly. Two more identifying marks. There will be a manifested ability to rule, govern, and guide the people of God. A manifested ability to rule, govern.

57:09 Guide the people of God. 1 Timothy 3.5 If a man rule not well his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? Romans 12 He that rules, he who has a proven gift to rule, is to do so in a certain manner, and bound up in the very term.

57:27 Poimane, a shepherd, is the concept of rule and government. Christ is the great shepherd, rules, governs with the rod of iron. He also...

57:39 He also governs with his rod and his staff. Psalm 23 and 6. Identifying mark will be a realistic desire for the work. I told you, Ron, we'd get to it.

57:52 You wondered when and where. Here it is. 1 Timothy 3. If any man desires or seeks the office of a bishop, he desires.

58:01 And those two verbs are very strong. If any man seeks, he desires. And then 1 Peter 5. Exercising the oversight addressed to elders, not of constraint, but of a ready mind.

58:17 And I suggest that as we look at the scriptures, these are the six indispensable identifying marks that God and men... Back to question number one.

58:33 What is the goal of the academy? To provide a framework within which God, hopefully, will make men able ministers of the new covenant, to provide a framework in which we responsibly carry out the task within the framework of 2 Timothy 2.2. How will we know when God has done that work?

58:55 By observing those six identifying marks that Christ gives. A life of proven and balanced godliness. A life and heart manifesting more than...

59:08 A modicum or ordinary level of Christian experience. An adequate working knowledge of the word of God. A cultivated and recognizable ability to communicate truth with clarity and unction. A manifested ability to rule and govern and guide the people of God.

59:27 And a realistic desire for the work. Now let me ask you this question in closing. Which one of these identifying marks would you omit and then attempt to support your own...

59:38 omission from scripture?

59:44 Furthermore, who of you would like a shepherd who lacks any one or more of those identifying marks? Now I am not saying that we cannot believe that God's hand is upon a man until all of these are manifested to a great measure or all of them are manifested to the same degree. Some of them may be in comparison to others, and there is the difference between the sun as it just breaks over the horizon and the sun at its zenith in a midsummer day. But that these must be recognized.

Conclusion and Preview of Next Session

60:26 Surely the word of God will not allow us to relinquish one of them. Well then, God willing, next week we'll take up the question how does the academy function in the pursuit of the gold envisioned and in the light of the identifying marks of a true...

60:45 gift of Christ to the Church. See what we have tried to do now? To set the framework. And I will hone in tomorrow...

60:52 God willing... next week on how does the academy function and I hope to demonstrate its function in terms of its context which is the Church and that has primary reference to the first two identifying marks and then we'll look at the academy in its specific activities within the Church and how it contributes to the last four of the identity letztes.

61:14 and how it contributes to the last four of the identity letztes. and how it contributes to the last four of the identity letztes. identifying marks so you get a little idea of where we'll be going godly well let's pray together oh our father we thank you that you've left us your holy word to be a lamp unto our feet and a light to our pathway and we pray that the things we have considered this morning will be written upon our hearts by the holy spirit and we plead with you as you have commanded us to plead that you will send forth laborers into your harvest oh lord jesus christ you who alone can make man able ministers of the new covenant do your mighty sovereign work even in our midst and make men true shepherds of your people and send them into the harvest thank you for your presence with us and the privilege of meeting in this way continue with us in the hour of worship to come we ask through our lord jesus christ amen