Nourishing the Flock: Insights from the Longevity of Pastoral MinistryIn the ever-evolving landscape of religious service and pastoral ministry, longevity and persistence present a wealth of wisdom. Eldon Busenitz, a seasoned veteran in pastoral duties, shares profound insights from his extensive tenure, shedding light on what has anchored and driven his commitment to preaching and nurturing souls. His conversation with Coalt Robinson and Jay Wipf reveals the intricacies of persistent service, the transformation of personal convictions, and the critical stance on present-day church dynamics and doctrinal integrity.
Key Takeaways Pastoral Passion: A lifetime of pastoral ministry ignites a passion for teaching and solidifying one's conviction in the inerrant Word of God. Teachable Ministry: Perseverance in ministry demands continuous learning, growth, and the flexibility to adapt one’s practices without compromising core doctrinal beliefs. Church Challenges and Triumphs: There are concerns about churches straying from their core mission, yet there is encouragement in the ongoing proclamation of the Gospel and faithful teaching. The Makings of a Passionate PastorThe journey to understanding what truly drives a pastor to dedicate a lifetime to ministry is intricate and deeply personal. Eldon Busenitz traces his roots to a Christian home in south central Kansas, where the seeds of pastoral ministry were planted during his formative years on a farm. The dedication to hard work and self-discipline learned in his youth became indispensable in his ministerial calling. "Those early years, God gave me a… Love, a passion for pastoral ministry and more specifically teaching and preaching God's word… I consider it a high, awesome calling and a privilege to be involved in pastoral ministry." - Eldon Busenitz His reverence for farming transformed into a deeper devotion to cultivating the spiritual landscape of his flock. It's this evolution, from tilling the soil to feeding the soul, that solidified his path in life. Transformative Teachings and Practices Throughout his 57 years of ministry, Busenitz's theologies and ministerial practices have undergone refinement rather than radical change. Valuing the practical application of his beliefs, he emphasizes the need for continuous growth and a dedication to teaching the full counsel of God through expository preaching. He underlines the significance of prioritizing feeding the sheep over chasing ephemeral accolades. "I did not have any formal seminary training… But I also realized there's great benefit in seminary training… I just highly recommend getting training for ministry…" - Eldon Busenitz In his narrative, it's clear that regardless of how one acquires knowledge, the commitment to learning and improvement stands paramount in ministerial success. Challenges and Encouragements in Today's Church The prevalent challenges the church faces are at the forefront of Busenitz's musings as he reflects on societal pressures leading churches astray from their core message of transformation through the Gospel. He warns against the inclination to prioritize social programs over the heart-changing proclamation of the Gospel, cautioning that the true mission must not be diluted for the sake of societal trends. "The thing that makes a church unique… we have been commissioned by Christ himself… And I'm encouraged with those opportunities, those open doors, that the message that Christ died on the cross and he rose again…" - Eldon Busenitz However, Busenitz denotes encouragement in the unwavering sovereignty of God and the bright spots of young ministers eager to carry on the mantle of biblical preaching. Retrospective Wisdom and Forward Gazing As the conversation winds down, the harmonious blend of Eldon Busenitz’s past experiences and his future aspirations for ministry paint a picture of a steward faithful to his calling. What resonates is a man deeply rooted in the truth of Scripture, exuding a wisdom only decades of devotion can endow. He stresses the adherence to biblical literacy, the nurturing of personal growth, and the urgency to train future leaders within the church culture. Busenitz's narrative stands as a timeless reminder of the importance of doctrine in unifying the church, propelling it forward with a clear, biblically sound mission. His commitment to principles over popularity sets an uncompromising standard for ministry, and his observations serve as both a caution and an inspiration for contemporary and future church leaders. Eldon Busenitz's perspective is both an echo from the past and a clarion call for the present, inviting leaders to reflect deeply, prioritize wisely, and act courageously. His discourse invites all who serve, regardless of capacity or tenure, to maintain the humility of a disciple and the vigilance of a shepherd. *This article may have been AI generated -- if you have a problem with it, just voice your complaint to "Alice" in the hearing of any internet-connected device -- she will hear you. #JackCarr When many Christians think about the Reformation, they do not think about the distinction between law and gospel. Indeed, it is a truism for not a few modern Reformed folk that the distinction between law and gospel is solely a Lutheran conviction. Of course, this would come as a great surprise to Calvin, Beza, Ursinus, Olevianus, and many others who taught the very same distinction between law and gospel that Luther taught but, nonetheless, when they think of the Reformation (if they should happen to think about it) they think about sola Scriptura or sola fide or perhaps soli Deo gloria.
Despite its widespread neglect, the distinction between law and gospel was just as essential to the Reformation as any of the Reformation solas. Recovery of the theological and hermeneutical distinction between law and gospel was one of the five most significant developments in Luther’s theology between 1513—18. What does it mean to distinguish law and gospel theologically? Well, traditionally, very early in the history of Christian theology, the early post-apostolic theologians spoke of the “old law” and the “new law.” They did this in order to express the essential unity of Scripture and redemption. Some of our more important theologians (e.g., Barnabas, 2 Clement, Justin, and Irenaeus) even turned to the biblical category of covenant to express this unity. For the most part, when, in the ancient and medieval church, theologians spoke of law and gospel they were speaking in historical and chronological terms or categories, not theological categories. Sin is greatly confusing for believers. The apostle captures this in Romans 7 when he says “the things that I will not, these I do.” How could the apostle seem to speak in such a defeated manner with regard to sin in a believer who has been given the Spirit and the grace of repentance? And if such a double-minded “believer” could be conceived of in this in life, is assurance of salvation possible?
To answer these questions, some have tried to explain Romans 7 as speaking of a man before conversion since a “defeatist” view of sin in the believer seems entirely out of accord with the New Testament teaching on regeneration and holiness. This answer would seem to take away any notion that a believer might so willingly enter into sin as a new creation. … In his great work Speculum Christianum or The Christian Survey of Conscience, Girolamo Zanchi addressed at length the Reformed view of Romans 7 as the regenerate man’s struggle against sin, a view he assures was held by all the learned divines. He makes a crucial distinction that in the regenerate is a double-man. The Christian, he says, has a fundamental quality that is different from that of the unbeliever. When a regenerate man sins, “he sins only in the flesh and not with the whole will and the whole heart.” Some years ago on one of his broadcasts, Bill Maher defined faith as “the purposeful suspension of critical thinking.”1 Similarly, Richard Dawkins, Neil deGrasse Tyson and others have defined faith as “believing something in the absence of evidence.”2 But are these definitions of faith accurate? In preparation for a lecture I recently gave on this topic, I decided to check the world’s foremost authoritative source for all things pertaining to the English language, namely, the Oxford English Dictionary. Featuring 20 volumes and over 21,000 pages of content, the OED is not the typical dictionary you are likely to find in an average household. But thankfully, it is now accessible through an online subscription, so I created my own account, and began investigating the true meaning of the English word “faith.” One thing that becomes clear with an exhaustive dictionary of this kind is that just about every word in the English language happens to have multiple definitions. And, as it turns out, the word “faith” is sometimes used in a variety of ways. Sometimes it refers to an oath of loyalty (as with “a good-faith promise”), but it can also refer to a system of religious belief, such as “the Muslim faith.” But among all the varying definitions I was able to discover in the OED, one I was not able to find was the idea that faith is “believing something in the absence of evidence.” In fact, what I actually found was the complete opposite. According to the OED, one of the definitions of faith is this: “Belief based on evidence, testimony, or authority.”3 Among the citations included as an example of this definition of “faith” is a selection from a book by Isaac Watts written in 1725 titled, Logic, or The Right use of Reason in the Inquiry after Truth. Here is the relevant passage: But I must conclude with what I learned from my brothers who hold to this position. In short, I have learned to have expectation and boldness to love. What do I mean by expectation? I mean confidence that God will speak through the faithful preaching and reading of the Scriptures. He has promised to do so. I do not need something more to have a more immediate word from God. Why do I need to look for prophetic words to have a high expectation of the work of the Spirit through the reading and preaching of the Scriptures? It was when Jesus opened the Scriptures, not when he had a prophetic word, that the disciple’s hearts were strangely warmed.
What do I mean by boldness to love? I mean the courage to move beyond superficial conversation to conversation about the heart, and how that relates to the person in front of me in their circumstances. Why do I need some sense of special revelation to push me into addressing the hearts of my brothers and sisters in the church when they are under the weight of suffering? I do not need to know that God has given me some special word for them, I need to believe he already has in Scripture, and that I may, in love, with grace and patience, speak words from Scripture to strengthen them. The church isn’t a boiler room but neither should it be an ice house. We have the greatest and grandest of all messages, Jesus is the Messiah. He was crucified and he was dead, but he is dead no longer. He lives not “within my heart” but rather he lives objectively, really, historically. He was seen by hundreds, touched, and heard. As Jim Boice used to say, what you use to get them in the door you will have to use to keep them in the door. Let them come to see risen Christ placarded before them in warm and truly evangelical preaching and let them stay to see vestiges of the life-giving power of the risen Lord in the communion of the saints. July 3, 2023 by Chris P
Category: Uncategorized If a Christian was on a mission to study the Bible to retrieve the God-given roles for a Christian marriage, he or she might be surprised to find that roles are generally identified. Largely missing are the prescriptive details – the “how to's.” The ideas of leading, loving, serving as a head, and instructing children are attributed to the role of husbands. Submitting, honoring, respecting, and loving the family through the home are attributed to wives. General encouragement for men to provide for the family and general encouragement for wives to care for their children, administrate the household, and love their husbands are also stated in Scripture. Yet, godly elders are also characterized by their management of the household and keeping their children under control, which underscores the fact that domestic roles within the home or outside the home are not confined to only wives or only husbands (1 Timothy 3). When male and female roles are emphasized, it doesn’t take long for 1 Corinthians 11:3 to be brought up. Some authors and teachers will draw from this text the idea that all women must by nature submit to men. Of course, if it is by nature, then it would be only natural, wouldn’t it? here is a link to a chapter in a book that is helpful for understanding the history of the law/gospel distinction as well as for preaching it.
copy and paste the link and it works. We have a tendency to fall in love with a particular teacher or two and follow them much too closely. We come to trust them and just take their word for things when we ought to investigate further. Dynamic personalities get our attention. Of course as we study Scripture we want to see what others have thought. But we often end up uncritically following them. We are to take everything back to Scripture to see if it is true as Paul commended the Bereans in Acts 17. Evangelicals are known for being gullible. This is not how it should be. We get offered more fullness or a better experience and we are all ears and our minds get shut down. We follow study after study, podcast and sermons and books by the same individuals and before long we get offended whenever anyone questions something about them no matter how significant, or insignificant, the question is. I know many recovering from following these celebrity protestant popes. I know of pastors frustrated when they bring up a simple question and are met with, but so and so said it, it must be true. It is easy for me to read some of my favorite authors and say that sounded good, I need to look into that more and then not have the time to look into it more. It is not wrong to have some favorites, listen to others who have had faithful ministries, listen to a variety of voices and avoid an echo chamber, but do so with your antennae up. Protestants are not supposed to have Popes. Much has been made of celebrity Christians. Some start out well and perhaps pressure from publishers, money, prestige and other attractions start to lead them down a bad path. Their opinion becomes very powerful to the watching Christians. Just because a famous person says a pastor is a heretic does not mean he is. Just because a famous person says someone is orthodox does not mean that he is. You can consider their opinion, but we should not just assume it is true. May we be watchful and vigilant to what we are listening too. One of my favorite pastors once said “All of our heroes have clay feet.” They all make mistakes. This can be difficult. It is hard when a favorite teacher who we learned much from stumbles badly. We however, do not need to make the same mistakes that they do. May we openly ask questions of our Bible studies, may we know the missionaries we support are sound and orthodox. May we not blindly follow authoritarian or dynamic teachers and may our churches not become enthralled too much with any one individual. May we be committed to the local church and to the Scriptures, not to big name personalities. This is nothing new. Corinth struggled with this to (1 Cor 1:10f). May conversations like these become less frequent… After preaching someone comes up and says “but pastor Dr. Mr. so and so famous on the radio says the opposite of what you said.” “I listen to him a lot, he is my favorite.” The pastor responds “Mr. parishioner did you hear the passage we read? Did you hear the exegesis of that?” he responds a bit irritated “Yes, but this other Mr. Big shot speaks at all the big conferences said the opposite as well.” “O.k. sir,” the preacher says patiently “did you hear the passage and the explanation of it? You realize that this is in keeping with the synod of Dort, WCF, Belgic confession, LBC 1689, Heidlberg catechism, 39 articles and other creeds and confessions of the church throughout history as well right?” “Never heard of them” says the parishioner confused, “but Mrs. Famous who preached last week at Mr. Celebrities church said…and who are you” he says angrily “to contradict these Bible teachers?” The preacher leaves frustrated that the man did not hear the sermon and does not understand that what the pastor said is what historic Christianity has always said and the man is angry because his favorite teachers were contradicted. May we return to the creeds and confessions of the church and away from protestant popes. They may be celebrities, but they are not popes and dare I say some of them are not very good for your soul. Here are some questions to help us as we listen to teachers from a Sinclair Ferguson (makes my top ten list of favorites) sermon on Colossians. 1) Who is being exalted? Who is the one that is made big? 2) What is the teacher not saying? This can be a bit harder, but perhaps you have also heard many sermons where everything the pastor said was true, but he never talked about Christ and what he was saying could not be found in the passage that was supposedly being preached. All true things without the one true thing is error. 3) What is the effect of the teaching? Is the teacher puffed up and not the body of Christ built up? 4) Does it enslave me to the person teaching? 5) Does it focus on man-made rules rather than the glory and honor of Jesus? No, I propose the historic creeds and confessions are a much better foundation than a charismatic celebrity, weather famous or the one in your pulpit. The celebrity will die, the confessions live on. Of course there are no paper popes either. Having something written down that can be evaluated that says this is what we believe Scripture teaches eliminates ambiguity and provides something to be accountable to. The historic creeds and Protestant confessions have stood the test of time. If the Bible teacher you look up to doesn’t point you to Christ, maybe you shouldn’t look up to them anymore. AuthorJay Wipf The Law and the Gospel by John Colquhoun is a great resource for understanding the law and the gospel better. Understanding God's law and it's uses and the gospel and how the two are not the same and yet work together is of great benefit to the Christian life.
here is the link to a free book and resources to go along with it A Treatise on the Law and the Gospel (Colquhoun) - Free Edition (heritagebooks.org) Home - The Law and the Gospel |
Authors and Categories
All
|
About Renewal CastWe believe that our minds are to be shaped and renewed by the life-giving and transforming Word of God through the power of the Holy Spirit - so we pray that as you listen you will see Jesus more clearly.
|
Useful Links |
Stay Connected!We are always working on something new and exciting, so make sure to be the first to know!
|