At the Together for the Gospel Conference in Louisville last week, attendees were each given a copy of In My Place Condemned He Stood: Celebrating the Glory of the Atonement by J.I. Packer and Mark Dever (Crossway, 2008). Not long ago, C.J. explained the relationship between T4G and the development of this book (see here). And last week we posted one excerpt from the epilogue (“The Centrality of Christ”). Here is another excerpt, this one on the eternal centrality of the cross and why it matters now.
 
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The Centrality of the Cross
 
Early in the visionary chapters of the book of Revelation, where images are prodigally piled up, one on another, in order to convey thoughts to readers' minds, the Lord Jesus is announced as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” who will open the scroll for the consummation of world history (5:5). But the Lion appears not as a lion but as “a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain” (v. 6 ESV). The Lamb appears thereafter twenty-eight more times, battling, conquering, shepherding, and finally functioning as the lamp that gives permanent light to his bride, the holy city, new Jerusalem, that is, the church perfected in glory (21:23, cf. 22:1-5). In this book, then, the slain Lamb is a key image for the Lord Jesus Christ. Where did it come from? Clearly, from (1) the Passover lamb, the blood of which shielded Israel from the destroyer at the time of the Exodus, plus (2) the God-prescribed ritual of killing a lamb, with the transgressor's hand on its head, as a sin offering (Lev. 4:32-35), plus (3) the required daily sacrifice of two lambs as sinful Israel's offering to its holy god (Ex. 29:38-42; Num. 28:3-6), plus (4) Isaiah's description of God's servant, the vicarious sufferer who became a sin offering, as being led "like a lamb … to the slaughter" (Isa. 53:7), plus (5) John the Baptist's identification of Jesus as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29, 36). And for the Lamb to be the lamp of the city of God means that the thought of the Son of God made flesh and slaughtered for our sins in order to save us will never leave the minds of glorified saints as they fellowship with the Father and the Son and will frame all their thinking about everything else.
 
So all we who hope for the life of heaven ourselves, and especially those among us who as pastors are statedly committed to prepare others for that heavenly life, will do well to adjust our thinking here and now to the absolute and abiding centrality of the atoning cross in Christian life here and hereafter and to labor to express this awareness in all our preaching, teaching, and modeling of Christianity, day by day.
 
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Taken from In My Place Condemned He Stood by J.I. Packer and Mark Dever, pp. 150–151, © 2008. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org. 

When I was the senior pastor of Covenant Life Church, I scheduled the entire pastoral team to attend at least one conference, or an abbreviated seminary course, per year. Looking back over the years, this practice has borne much fruit—personally, relationally, and theologically. Together we were sharpened in our doctrinal discernment and were deepened in our love for the Savior and his church. The fruit from these times has been immeasurable.

During these trips, we’ve heard great preaching and teaching. But we’ve also used our meal times (and late evenings) for discussion and application. We spend time encouraging one another, at times correcting one other, and contemplating the future together. We think much, laugh much, and eat much—all to the glory of God.

Something is built during this time together that makes a discernable difference in our relationships with each other and our service to the church we love.

Conferences like Together for the Gospel provide a unique (and all too rare) opportunity for pastoral team building, for deepening friendships, unhurried discussions about doctrine, and strategic planning for the church. Is it my hope that this will be the experience of all pastors attending the conference.

Together Strategically

To benefit from the time together, you cannot lead a group through a conference or class without strategic planning. On the road I kept a theme with the guys—“What we do, we do together.” When attending a conference or a class, I was responsible for planning our time, and planning the time together was critical. I was always alert to the spontaneous, but prior to the trip there was research to be done on the schedule and various options.

My goal was to build us together relationally. I used meal times for the review of content and the specific application of content to each pastor’s life. I sought to hear from each pastor what they were learning and how they were applying that teaching to their lives. So I would make sure that several times together—at least one each day—were intentionally led.

But it wasn’t all study and conversation. There must be athletic competition in some form! There must be winners and losers. Pride must be weakened and humility cultivated. And there is nothing like competition to build character and build a pastoral team together as friends. What you do depends on the collective athletic ability of your pastoral team. Pastoral teams that are athletically inclined can play basketball or football together. For the less coordinated teams, there are miniature golf and Monopoly.

Finally, these trips also provide time to specifically honor and encourage a particular pastor and a great opportunity to identify evidences of grace we observe in each other’s lives. If possible, make sure time is set aside for this practice.

Together for the Gospel

Now, senior pastors, don’t get too excited and jump into your planning if you are attending T4G, because you have been relieved of most of your scheduling responsibilities. It appears my good friend Mark Dever has scheduled T4G tight (but he’s left the schedule pretty free between midnight and 6:00 a.m.).

I had a friend email me inviting me to play basketball at T4G, and I had to sadly email him back and communicate there is not a free moment available! There would be if I were planning the conference.

Oh, how different T4G would be if I were leading the conference (and probably less effective and fruitful, too). Yes, there would be teaching, and plenty of it. But there would be blocks of time for athletic activities. But given the absence of athletic interest and ability that seems to characterize most—but not all—of those participating in T4G and particularly our leader, Mark Dever, there will be NO TIME for anything athletic in nature. (I wish more smart guys were good athletes.)

The Wives and Children

What about the wives? Whenever the Covenant Life pastoral team attended a conference I seized it as yet another opportunity to thank their wives. They are the ones at home sacrificing and serving the children while we are away. So I made it a practice to express my gratefulness for their example and support while the men were away. On the day we left I would have gifts ordered for the wives (like flowers and Starbucks gift cards) and gifts for the kids (like Hershey chocolates) to be delivered at the homes as a small expression of gratefulness from Carolyn and me.

When we returned home, I insisted the guys take an extra day off to care for their wives and spend time making memories with their children.

Traveling Alone

And I know there are pastors traveling to T4G on their own. You have no team, no staff, no one to share the pastoral burden. You have my deepest respect. Though you are traveling alone, you will not be alone at this conference. I am certain you will meet and make new friends during the conference. And if you can make time, introduce yourself to me. I’d be honored to meet you.

Conclusion

So I would encourage all pastors to build into their schedule and church budget at least one conference a year for you and your pastoral team. And if you are leading a church alone, I would encourage you to attend at least one conference a year with a pastor (or pastors) from another church.

As I look back and consider all the wonderful memories and important conversations I’ve had at conferences with my friends, they have been among the richest and most memorable experiences I’ve had in ministry. And I am certain T4G will be no different.

In early March, C.J. and Carolyn Mahaney addressed a room full of couples being trained for pastoral ministry at the Pastors College. Soon these couples will return to their home churches to begin (or resume) the public and transparent life of pastoral ministry.

A question asked by one of the wives was simple: How should a wife respond when her pastor-husband is criticized? The question was asked in the context of pastor’s families, but the answer will likely benefit all married couples.

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Question: Carolyn, as a pastor’s wife, how do you handle situations where your husband is criticized or there is grumbling in the church about your husband?

Carolyn: Obviously, it certainly isn’t easy to have your husband criticized. But as wives, we must recognize our role as our husband’s helper and make sure we don’t take up an offense, which would not be helpful to our husbands. And that does not take place without a fight. This is the person you love the most in the whole world, and if someone is criticizing him, you can be easily offended and want to defend him. Yet, I must realize that taking an offense would be a disservice to my husband. So it’s important that we as wives guard our hearts, making sure we don’t take up an offense, seeking to serve our husbands as helpers.

C.J.: Your point is an excellent one. There have been many times that I have desired Carolyn to take up an offense—“Join me in my offense against this individual.” I’m not immediately happy that she hasn’t taken an offense, but I have learned that eventually she has served me invaluably when she does not take up an offense. In no way is she defending or justifying what others have said or done, but helping me monitor my heart, and impressing upon me that a sinful reaction from me would be more serious than whatever they are saying or doing, are the most effective ways she can serve me.

Sadly, over the years we have witnessed couples in ministry where wives have taken up an offense.

And this doesn’t just apply to sinful criticism, but also to when a husband is legitimately corrected by a member of the pastoral team or a member of the church. So you need both those categories. It’s difficult when those serving with your husband correct him in a certain area or bring an unfavorable evaluation. A wife might find herself more vulnerable to taking up an offense when her husband has been corrected. I am grateful for the way Carolyn has served me by not taking up an offense. And numerous times she has agreed with the correction, protecting me from arrogantly dismissing the correction and preventing me from sowing discord among those I serve in ministry.

So, whether it’s sinful criticism or legitimate correction of me, how do you guard your heart, Carolyn?

Carolyn: Wives should carefully listen to what’s being said. If there is something legitimate, bring that lovingly and carefully to your husband. I don’t think it serves a husband for a wife to just take the side of the person bringing criticism. But if there is a degree of truth, bring that in a way that serves him.

And just helping to mirror back to him what you are hearing him say. If he is sinning in response to the criticism, where appropriate, lovingly mirror that back to him: “It seems like this is how you are responding. Is this true? Are you offended at this person? Are you bitter?” Asking skillful questions.

It takes a lot of prayer and soul-searching in our own hearts to keep our hearts free from taking up an offense. But we must have a conviction about our role as our husband’s helper and ask, “What will truly help my husband?” It will not help him if I’m adding to the temptation he’s already experiencing. If he is being corrected or criticized, he’s already got a battle he is fighting. And if I come along and agree and participate in that, it makes his battle more difficult.

My husband has gone through seasons of correction, and it’s a temptation and fight. So I find myself having to pray for those who bring criticism or correction and filling my own heart with appropriate Scriptures so I can be a true helper to him during that time.

C.J.: Yes, but where they have been accurate observations—whether critics analyzing or friends correcting—you have courageously transferred that to me. Too often I have not been grateful in the moment. Eventually, I am grateful.

Would you say that one of the biggest challenges these ladies will confront as pastors wives is will be—when they hear the criticism or correction and they find there are aspects they agree with—how to inform their husbands of that without appearing to support any sinful attitude of others?

Carolyn: Yes. And I have through the years seen wives not do that, I’ve seen the effect and the outcome, and it has put the fear of God in me. At the moment it’s not always easy to take a stand and say, “I don’t think you’re responding humbly to this situation right now.” And it takes courage. Yet we’ve seen, because we’ve been in ministry for as many as we have, some very sad situations where I think wives really could have been the difference-maker if they would have challenged or confronted their husbands.

C.J.: So wouldn’t you say that over the years that some wives misunderstood submission and honor (or so it appears)? I think that has played a role. And for some it could be fear of man—fear of husband.

I can tell you this: For any marriage, correction of the husband by the wife would be one category on my short list of most important. If I observed a wife who was reluctant to correct her husband I would be concerned with that marriage. Obviously, I’m not arguing for a contentious marriage, but correction, humbly communicated, must be part of every marriage.

Part of what Carolyn has modeled personally and taught well is what she taught at the last Leadership Conference—“Watch Your Man”—in broadening an understanding and application of “helper” to include appropriate correction. I would argue that correction is not just part of marriage but an aspect of what it means to be fellow heirs of the grace of life.

Carolyn’s encouragement has been of immeasurable benefit to me, but equally so or more, on balance, has been her correction. She has protected me when sin was deceiving me. What a gift this has been to me!

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Photo by Janelle Bradshaw

 

(A continuation of C.J.’s interview with pastor and author Dr. Sinclair Ferguson)

C.J. Mahaney: Sinclair, I am going to ask you to elaborate on four quotes. I have chosen four quotes among so many that I have benefited from personally in my study and used consistently in messages and books. I want to read them and then simply want you to comment on them, noting anything about their origin, or anything from them that you want to elaborate on. I would be most grateful.

The first quote states as follows:

The evangelical orientation is inward and subjective. We are far better at looking inward than we are looking outward. We need to expend our energies admiring, exploring, expositing, and extolling Jesus Christ.

What’s the origin of this statement? You obviously were observing this evangelical orientation as being inward and subjective and then drew attention to that orientation, exhorting us to expend our energies admiring, exploring, expositing, and extolling Jesus Christ. Why?

Sinclair Ferguson: This comes from a course on the doctrine of the church and the sacraments, and therefore since I am not saying anything here about the church or the sacraments, it is probably an off the top of my head comment in passing and I am not able to contextualize it.

CJM: By the way, I find that a little discouraging. This is off the top of your head?

SF: Well, come on, now. C.J., you say things off the top of your head.

CJM: Oh, yes, but they never make their way into print.

SF: I think it has arisen from a variety of things I have noticed over the years in the evangelical world. If I were to explain in a technical sense, I would say that I think one of the places where the impact of the Enlightenment has come home to roost is in the way in which I see the impact of a man called Friedrich Schleiermacher on the church. He was reacting to the intelligentsia of his day who were demeaning the gospel. And he really, in a way, turned the gospel on its head by saying it’s what happens internally that’s important.

And I think over my Christian life I have seen more and more how that has become true of evangelicalism. I mean, evangelical Christianity has a very broad subculture that now, probably since the 1960s, has been the kind of “born again” generation, where the really important thing was that you had been “born again” and you had an “experience.”

I began to notice that often being “born again” in the teaching of John 3 was dislocated from the rest of John 3, which had to do with believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and, through him, having salvation. And so sometimes when you had people interviewed who had been “born again,” there was no connectedness to the person of Christ at all.

And so I think I saw the pervasiveness of that and also in my own subculture—the Reformed subculture (if that is the best way to put it). I have been in that subculture all my life. I am a Presbyterian. I have never been anything but a Presbyterian, and that’s been my world.

I noticed in the revival of Reformed theology a glorious worldwide phenomenon. The revival of Calvinism brought much of the interest in terms of literature. The books that people read and were encouraged to read (and rightly encouraged to read) tended to be the ones that dealt with subjective experience.

And so in my subculture we were somewhat critical of the rest of the subculture of evangelicalism, and maybe particularly critical of the charismatic subculture that was all taken up with experience. We didn’t notice that actually, in some ways, we were just using a different mathematics for our experience. One of the books to which many people referred was John Owen’s The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, a hammer on the top of an Arminian’s head. And I observed that people, as I would put it, changed their mathematics about the atonement. But perhaps hadn’t really grasped what this was saying about the Lord Jesus himself and his glory.

And I guess, too, many people became Calvinists through their understanding of the application of redemption (sometimes called the ordo salutis). I began to see and hear people speaking about this almost without reference to the Lord Jesus, saying things like, “Regeneration causes faith, faith brings repentance, faith leads to sanctification.”

You remember those Find Waldo books? In the midst of all this I was saying, “But where is Jesus here?”

CJM: Excellent!

SF: I remember on one occasion listening to a series of sermons through one of the Gospels. Here was the basic motif of the sermons: Where are you in this Gospel story?

Now, there is an authenticity about that, but the real question is: Who is Jesus in this Gospel story?

And so, watching all this, I realized by looking at the literature that was being produced (including the literature I was producing), that it had more about how to live the Christian life....And so I think that is what lies behind this quote.

Curiously, I think it was C.S. Lewis that gave me the clue to this. When an undergraduate, I remember reading his book A Preface to Paradise Lost (on Milton’s book). And that wee book is not a well-known book of Lewis’s, but it is a great wee book with some stunning quotes.

In that book Lewis discusses what I had noticed in the kind of discussions as a student: Why is it that in Paradise Lost, if you ask who the hero is, just in terms of the literary power, Satan turns out to be the hero? And the literary critics had discussed this a good deal. But Lewis said it very simply. He said it’s far easier to portray evil than it is to portray perfect good.

And the more I thought about that, the more I realized: For preachers it’s much easier to seek to bring about conviction of sin and expose sin than to magnify and glory in the Lord Jesus.

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Photo © 2008, Lukas VanDyke 

Every morning we need God as desperately as we did the morning before. And every morning indwelling sin offers distractions and protests. In this excerpt from the latest Leadership Interview Series podcast, “The Pastor and His Soul,” C.J. and Jeff describe ways to win the early-morning battle.

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Jeff Purswell: With the pressures of just life, not to mention ministry, it is easy for devotions to become rote. It is easy for it to become a perfunctory activity. So C.J., what brings you to the cross so early in the morning?

C.J. Mahaney: Well, what brings me here so early in the morning is my need for the Savior, an awareness of my need for the Savior, and some eagerness that I will, through my meditation on Scripture, freshly encounter the Savior. So that is what brings me here.

Although I need to add that I am never brought here apart from a conflict in my soul. Indwelling sin is a particular and formidable opponent against all practices that involve the spiritual disciplines.

So this does not take place effortlessly.

I’m now 54 years old, so even after 35 years, I can assure you that tomorrow morning when I first awaken, the first voice I hear will be a voice of protest. That voice will be distinctly the presence of indwelling sin appealing to me and seeking to persuade me to stay in bed. That voice never subsides. And that voice also negotiates, so that if I make an initial movement, that voice doesn’t subside and assume that that voice has lost. No. That voice continues to exert effort, and then presents to me various distractions.

Joshua Harris: OK, Well, just check the email before you get started.

CJM: Exactly. Or What happened in the world of sports last night? The checking being justified because you are in the process of waking up. So since you aren’t alert, wouldn’t it be wise for you to go to ESPN.com and just see what happened? There are all these types of appeals from our indwelling sin.

Actually, I would say that the initial challenge is just getting out of bed. That is why I would recommend for all who are listening to set your radio alarm across the room. Here has what’s helped me in the past: place the radio alarm across the room and set it to a country radio station. That motivates me out of bed.

But the point here is that we must have these practical strategies. I have people approach me at times who seem to assume that if one is called to pastoral ministry there is some special provision from God.

No, in my flesh, in your flesh, these battles take place. Take great comfort. If you watched me in the morning, you would not be amazed. There is no incredible display of giftedness present because I am called to ministry. No. I am a guy hearing these same protesting voices every morning as I get out of bed, making his way downstairs, eventually to his Bible, accompanied by a hot drink and a power bar.

And there I don’t have any angelic visitations. I am aware of numerous things in terms of distraction and aging and aches and pains, and certainly the day in front of me is seeking to rush in and interrupt me right now from what I am doing.

JH: Jeff, what about you? Talk about your own practice of the spiritual disciplines.

JP: Well, mine sound very similar to what C.J. has just described, especially those opening moments. I never cease to be amazed at how cold my heart is in the morning. And I used to think, “No, if I am really saved then I wouldn’t feel this way in the morning.”

It encouraged me one time to hear Dr. Piper say, “I feel like I have to get saved every morning. I wake up and the devil is sitting on my face.” I can relate to that.

So now I am no longer surprised. I can be discouraged at times, but the coldness that I feel just reminds me how badly I need God. Because apart from him I can do nothing. And apart from getting food for my soul this morning, I will be starving.…

So I’m very pragmatic in my devotions. I don’t feel obligated to continue along a track that is not bearing fruit. Because of how cold I am in the morning I am desperate in the morning. Obviously, I think that is a gift of grace. But I just have this feeling because I am so cold I must meet with God, I must connect with him, I must be addressed by him. I must reach a point of faith for that day, knowing I have indeed encountered his presence, that the flames of affection for God in my heart have been stirred, that I have brought myself under his sway, and under the control of the Holy Spirit.

That doesn’t mean that I am dependent upon an emotional feeling. I suppose it’s very similar to what George Mueller talked about, getting his soul happy before God. That is what I am after in my devotions. I am not there to learn more data about God (although hopefully I am constantly learning as I read and meditate upon Scripture). I am not there studying (I will study at other times). But I am desperate in those moments not merely to complete a regimen, I am there to, as James put it, to “draw near to God.” I am banking on his promise, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (4:8 ESV).

And so I do follow a plan, but if I am in a book, say, a book of Scripture or a chapter, or maybe if I am supplementing that with another book, and it is not accomplishing this, then I don’t feel an obligation to trudge through and finish this book.

I am seeking to encounter God, to draw near to him and to experience a sense of his presence—again, not an emotional encounter—but a sense of his presence. To have my heart set upon him. To have my faith in his promises stirred, and now facing this day standing on his promises, standing on the truth of his Word.

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The full hourlong podcast, “The Pastor and His Soul,” is available for download.

The Sovereign Grace Leadership Interviews feature a roundtable discussion among C.J. Mahaney (president of Sovereign Grace Ministries), Jeff Purswell (dean of our Pastors College), and Joshua Harris (senior pastor of Covenant Life Church). The three gather on a regular basis to discuss a wide array of theological and practical leadership issues.

In the second episode, the topic turns to care for the pastor’s own soul. Harris’ opening question sets the stage:

Pastors are obviously called to care for the souls of others, and yet today we want to turn the focus and ask: How does a pastor make sure that he is caring for his own soul? What does it look like for a man to pursue his own personal relationship with God and make sure he is growing spiritually?

The full hourlong podcast, “The Pastor and His Soul,” can be downloaded here.

In this second excerpt from the upcoming Sovereign Grace Leadership Interview podcast, “The Pastor and His Soul,” C.J. highlights counsel from C.H. Spurgeon and how it’s helped him cast his burdens upon the Lord. And C.J. warns of the weariness of soul that results when we seek to carry these burdens ourselves.

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C.J. Mahaney: We must be prepared for the experience of weariness of soul, particularly when one is involved in pastoral ministry, because each day we are carrying in our hearts those entrusted to our care.

A certain percentage of those individuals are experiencing the gift and test of prosperity. And when we interact with them, we rejoice with them as we hear how God is blessing and providing for them.

But there will always be a certain percentage of the congregation who are experiencing the test of adversity and who are suffering. And it is our privilege, our role, and our responsibility to care for them.

There will always be a certain percentage in the congregation who are fighting particular besetting sins, and it doesn’t appear to us they are making consistent progress. And though we are deploying the best information we have on biblical counseling, it doesn’t appear that progress is being made.

And, of course, there are each week unexpected incidents of suffering and death. One cannot be interacting with individuals in the various seasons of life, walking through severe suffering over a lengthy period of time, and remain unaffected by what they are experiencing. We are affected, and if we do not pay attention to our own souls, after a period of time, we will become weary if we do not regularly at the outset of the day keep watch over our souls. And then, throughout the day, we must pay attention to our souls and be casting our cares upon the Lord.

I came across a quote by Mr. Spurgeon recently where he said, “I always feel it well just to put in a few words of prayer between everything I do.” That is seriously helpful counsel, because too often I don’t put in just a few words of prayer. I move from one meeting to the next meeting, and cares are accumulating in my soul because I am not stopping at a certain point to “put in a few words of prayer.”

I don’t necessarily need, nor do I have, an extended period of time to pray during the day. But that moment of dependence upon God, trusting in God, casting a care upon God, can make all the difference in the maintenance of my soul. And I have always found it so helpful and so encouraging and so relevant that in the context of addressing elders, Peter exhorts us to be “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 ESV).

It would appear that as Peter thinks of exhorting the elders and caring for the elders, he intentionally and strategically places this passage there, knowing this is our daily temptation.

So that’s how I seek to monitor my heart, not only with the consistent practice of spiritual disciplines at the beginning of the day, but also this attention to my soul throughout the day, so that I am not eventually overwhelmed by the cares present every day.…

I think if you overheard me pray, you wouldn’t be impressed with the content of my prayers (and maybe that can be an encouragement to all who are listening). My prayers are simple because I am simple. When I think of casting all my cares, it is a simple acknowledgement that I am dependent upon God. At the conclusion of pastoral interactions, I must acknowledge that at best I can be a means of grace. They need the God of all grace, and I am insufficient in myself to care for them and provide for them the grace they need. Therefore I must humble myself and acknowledge my dependence upon God.

And I think that very act of pausing to pray is an act of weakening pride in my life, acknowledging that I am a dependent creature, I am not self-sufficient.

But if I understand faith, it is not simply or solely acknowledging my dependence. It also involves actively trusting the God revealed in this passage, who does indeed care for them and has demonstrated that care, ultimately, by crushing his Son on Calvary for them.

Therefore, I trust you, Lord, for this individual, and I trust to you my care for this individual. I trust your sovereignty. I trust your goodness. I trust your wisdom to intervene and to provide.

Those words would form the content of my prayer, which I hope express a certain sincerity and, I trust, certain humility in prayer that makes all the difference in my soul. And I am aware that when I neglect that practice, weariness eventually sets in to my soul, a weariness rooted in pride and self-sufficiency.

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The full hourlong podcast, “The Pastor and His Soul,” will be available for download this Tuesday (iTunes).

Gauging from the emails, the first Sovereign Grace Leadership Interview podcast—“The Pastor and His Reading”—was a hit. The second episode is set for release this Tuesday, March 18. In anticipation of the podcast, this week we pull a few excerpts from the upcoming episode, “The Pastor and His Soul.”

In today’s excerpt, Joshua and C.J. address how a pastor monitors the health of his own soul.

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Joshua Harris: Pastors are obviously called to care for the souls of others, and yet today we want to turn the focus and ask: How does a pastor make sure that he is caring for his own soul? What does it look like for a man to pursue his own personal relationship with God and make sure he is growing spiritually?

C.J., this is a subject you take so much time to talk about with pastors and those in the Pastors College. Why is this important to you?

C.J. Mahaney: Well, Josh, I think it would be difficult, if not impossible, to exaggerate the importance of this topic for the pastor. So I am very eager for us to talk about this and hope that we can serve all pastors. It’s all too easy and all too common for a pastor, in caring for others, to neglect his own soul.

Today we want to address that, and hopefully provide some helpful recommendations so that a pastor avoids the neglect of his own soul as he executes his responsibility to care for a growing church.

JH: I can imagine a guy listening and thinking, “OK. They’re going to talk about studying the Bible and praying. I am doing those things.” If you were to try to get that guy’s attention and talk about what are some of the signs that (even if those things are in place) maybe his soul is not being cared for, is not flourishing as it should, what are some warning signs that something is out of place?

CJM: Yes, excellent question. If I had the privilege to sit across from someone in pastoral ministry, one of the questions I would ask him is: How goes it with your soul? And I would do my best to draw him out, particularly about the presence or absence of affections for the Savior. So I wouldn’t want to begin with discussing the particulars of pastoral ministry or the skills involved for the effective execution of pastoral ministry. What I would want to talk to each and every pastor [about] first and foremost is: How is it with your soul?

And I would ask if they are weary of soul. There is a difference between being tired and weary. If I am tired, then sleep will bring appropriate refreshment and restore my strength. But if I am weary, sleep will be insufficient.

It is all too easy to slowly and subtly grow weary as a pastor, and we must guard against that which is, I think, one of the reasons a verse like Proverbs 4:23 is so relevant to all of us, but pastors in particular. “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (ESV).

So we must pay close attention to our hearts. We must study our hearts. We must monitor the condition of our hearts, and ultimately we must work by the grace of God and employ the means of grace to “keep our hearts with all vigilance.”

So if I was interacting with a pastor, I would want to draw him out about the present state of his soul, the presence or absence of affections and passion for the Savior. And I would want to talk to him about whether ministry is a joy for him at present, or a burden. Is his soul glad, or is his soul weighed down and weary?

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The full hourlong podcast, “The Pastor and His Soul,” will be available through this blog and iTunes next Tuesday (18th).

Recently, I spoke to a pastor walking through a prolonged and difficult season in his church. As he was informing me about the specifics, I had a mixture of emotions. I care deeply about this friend and pastor. And as he communicated his diverse challenges, I grieved with him and sought to counsel him wisely.

After listening thoroughly to his situation I communicated my care and sadness and then sought to draw his attention away from the immediate circumstances to evidences of God’s grace in his life and the church (which are easy to ignore or overlook in trials). Also, I drew attention to issues of his heart now being revealed by these circumstances so that he could apply the gospel to his heart.

But most importantly in that conversation, I attempted to strengthen my friend by reminding him of God’s sovereignty, wisdom, and grace. God is working through these difficulties to accomplish his good purposes. God is at work in the adversity to sanctify his heart. God is at work using the trials to draw my friend into a deeper relationship with himself.

Rejoice in the Lord

And I drew my friend’s attention to one particular passage: Philippians 4:4—“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice” (ESV). There was nothing new or unique in what I said. I was only applying counsel I have learned from others and—by God’s grace—applied to my own soul.

I find this verse easy to ignore in the midst of adversity. But I must not ignore this verse or assume that this passage doesn’t apply to me. It does. God has given this verse to us for the good of our soul and, ultimately, for his glory.

A Digression

Permit me to put this story on pause in order to explain why I normally draw attention to just one verse when I have the privilege of caring for someone.

This approach of focusing on one specific passage in counseling settings is one I learned from my friend David Powlison, articulated in his article “Think Globally, Act Locally.” He writes,

In a nutshell, connect one bit of Scripture to one bit of life. In other words, always ask two questions for yourself and others: What is your current struggle? What about God in Christ connects to this? … Apply one relevant thing from our Redeemer to one significant scene in this person’s story. Bring one bit of Bible to one bit of life. You can’t say it all at once. (The Journal of Biblical Counseling, Fall 2003, p. 3)

Well, you cannot and should not say it all at once, but that hasn’t stopped me from trying in the past! My impulse is to help others by downloading as much information as possible. But I’ve learned this is not wise and really unhelpful. Those we counsel can contemplate and apply a limited amount of information, so in caring for their souls—and especially in the immediate situation—I want to provide counsel they can easily consider and remember. And that’s where David’s wisdom proves so valuable.

In these situations, we must restrain the impulse to bury others under vast amounts of theological information.

Back to the Story

Now, back to my friend. I reminded him of Philippians 4:4 and passed along D.A. Carson’s comments on the verse from his book Basics for Believers: An Exposition of Philippians (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1996):

The ultimate ground of our rejoicing can never be our circumstances, even though we as Christians recognize that our circumstances are providentially arranged. If our joy derives primarily from our circumstances, then when our circumstances change, we will be miserable. Our delight must be in the Lord himself. That is what enables us to live with joy above our circumstances. As Nehemiah puts it, “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10). Perhaps that is one of the reasons why the Lord sometimes allows miserable circumstances to lash us—that we may learn this lesson.…Whatever the mysteries of evil and sorrow, they do have the salutary effect of helping believers to shift the ground of their joy from created things to the Creator, from the temporary to the eternal, from jingoism to Jesus, from consumption to God. (p. 106)

How about you? Are you personally experiencing a season of adversity with no end in sight? If so, rather than peering into the future trying to predict the concluding date of the trial, I recommend you look down and then up.

Look down and realize a transition is under way to shift the ground of your joy “from created things to the Creator.” Then look up and delight in the Lord himself. Contemplate his changeless character and the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Then—dependent upon God’s grace—obey this command given for our good and his glory. Rejoice as you realize afresh you are doing much better than you deserve.

This will not alter the severity of your trial, but it will transform your perspective and strengthen your soul for the trial.

In this slightly edited excerpt from our first Leadership Interview podcast (“The Pastor and His Reading”), Joshua Harris, Jeff Purswell, and C.J. Mahaney discuss the priority of reading in the pastor’s schedule.

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Joshua Harris: Fitting reading into your daily life can be a challenge. How does this fit in with all the meetings that I’ve got, with just normal message preparation, with counseling, all those kinds of things? What is some practical advice to make reading a priority?

C.J. Mahaney: Well, I think first of all, you need a conviction related to reading and the priority of reading. So I think it all begins with a conviction. Once the conviction develops, then one needs to plan. And for me, during a simple, brief period of time—either Sunday afternoon or Monday morning—I plan my week, where my passions and priorities are transferred to the schedule. This makes all the difference, because I know entering each week that there will be more requests than I can possibly fulfill. So I know that. Given my limitations, given my weaknesses, I know that there are going to be more requests this week then I can possibly fulfill.

JH: You are not going to get it all done.

CJM: I am not. Only God gets his to-do list done on a daily basis. I also know that there will be some unforeseen crisis that takes place in a given week. And there will be urgent requests in a given week. I mean, all those inevitably await. If I am not prepared through planning—planning derived from biblical priorities—I will be overtaken by the urgent. And at the end of the week, looking back, I will not have devoted myself to that which is important. I will have been governed by the urgent or governed by that of secondary importance.

Now, there are exceptions in each and every week, particularly in relation to an emergency. But by planning prior to the week, based on priorities—and reading and study would be a top priority on the short list of priorities—you are in a position to say “no” to the numerous requests from well-meaning people for your time and attention. And you will have a decision previously made that will position you to humbly and graciously decline opportunities, because you know the best way you can serve your soul, and your family, and the church is to devote yourself to reading and study. So that brief time of planning on a Sunday or Monday, I find, makes all the difference when I arrive here on Tuesday.

Jeff Purswell: I just think what you said, C.J., is so critical for pastors: this conviction and awareness of the urgent. In light of the demands placed upon a pastor—and those are typically good things, they are typically arenas of service, they are things we are doing for the glory of God and for the good of his people—it is so easy to let reading slide. It is so easy for reading to be postponed. It is so easy for us to lose our conviction. In the Pastors College we try to emblazon on the student’s mind an age-old saying that pastors are “ministers of the Word.” And whether your specialty is pastoral care, or overseeing small groups, or leading evangelism efforts, or doing mercy ministry, or preaching, all that we do is the ministry of the Word. And at the end of the day we have nothing to offer people except God’s Word. And so regardless of one’s particular pastoral responsibilities, I think we should all be viewing our responsibilities through the lens that God’s Word provides. And so I just so appreciate the way C.J. has led us in keeping reading as a conviction and a priority.

CJM: And I would want to encourage pastors who I think might be tempted to view reading and study as selfish. I view reading and study as one of the most important ways I can serve the church. So it is not a selfish act for me to set aside this time. It is really the most effective way I can serve this church, by tending to my soul and by preparing for the various forms and expressions of ministry. The best way I can serve a church is by responding to the command to watch your life and watch your doctrine (1 Timothy 4:16). It is the example of a pastor over a period of years and decades that will make a difference in the life of a congregation. And therefore I want to guard my heart from growing familiar with the pastoral world, growing familiar with God’s Word, growing familiar with corporate worship, growing familiar when I am listening to preaching, growing familiar when I am taking communion, growing familiar with God. I want to guard my heart from that. And the best way I can do that is by attending to his Word and applying his Word to my heart on a daily basis. I think that is the most effective way I can serve those I care for and those I have been called to serve and lead.

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Listen to the full podcast here.