Golden State Pastor's Blog

What Will We Do With Our Treasure?

Matthew 25:24-25 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back."

Each generation must eventually assume responsibility for the church that God has entrusted to us and run with it. We may be given a large church, medium sized church, or a small church. The Master is the one who decides who to trust with what, we are the ones who decide how to manage, lead, or invest what He entrusts to us.

Shepherding the church is such an awesome responsibility! We certainly don't want to let the Master down. We all want to hear Him say 'Well Done' when He returns. I think most pastors would agree that we want our churches to grow. We want to give the Master back more than what He trusted us with. That just doesn't happen though. We must be good stewards!

A few thoughts from Matthew 25

• God Assigns Us According To Our Abilities
• We Must Carefully Invest (Take Risks)
• We Are Accountable To The Master
• God Expects To Have A Good Return
• Greater Responsibilities Are A Reward
• We Must Not Be Paralyzed By Fear
• God Demands Profits Not Preservation
• Laziness And Fear Cost Opportunity

Free Will Baptists in California have been blessed with some wonderful young pastors. This generation of pastors has not been handed thriving churches or a healthy state association. We have been trusted by the Master though, and we will be held accountable, not for what we were given to work with but for what we did with it. We must take whatever and wherever God gives us and do something with it. We have far more to work with today than those pastors who came to California as pioneers. We just need to take what we have and work.

John 9:4 "We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work."

We must not be paralyzed by fear, or content to just preserve what we have been given. We need to look carefully to ways that we can invest and grow. There will always be risks involved in investing, the greater the risk the greater the return. Change can be very frightening, but we cannot bury our treasure in the ground and simply hand it back to the Master unchanged. He will not be satisfied with preservation.

2 Timothy 1:7 "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."

I think it's important that we understand that our fathers in the faith were responsible to reach their generation for Christ and we are responsible to reach our generation for Christ. We must not neglect one generation in favor of another. If we are to succeed, we'll need to learn how to care for one generation while reaching the next generation. Our message remains the same, our methods will change. The Gospel is unchanged, our language is different. Our doctrine is firmly established in the Word, our styles may change with culture.

1 Corinthians 9:22 "To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some."

A recent television commercial had a man speaking to a counselor in an office. The guy was pouring his heart out to the counselor. When the guy had finished sharing, the counselor looked at him over the top of his reading glasses and then began speaking to the man in Russian. I wonder sometimes if that is how the generation we are trying to reach feels when they come to our churches? We have got to be able to speak the language of this generation so that they will hear and understand the gospel in their context.

Psalm 145:4 "One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts."

Ecclesiastes 1:4 "A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever."

Ultimately, if our churches survive and continue to grow we must accept that they will not look like they do today. They will have different music, different furnishings, different architecture, different programs, different styles of dress, they will be different in many ways, but if we are faithful to the doctrine they will be effectively reaching another generation for Christ. Our churches already look different than they did a generation ago, the main difference being empty pews rather than full houses. We must change.

We must commit the doctrine to the next generation and stop being obsessed with what they wear, what they sing, or what programs or ministries they use. If we're not careful we'll see our church continue to LOOK the same but TEACH different doctrines. We need to stop passing judgment on one another about silly differences and be more concerned about doctrinal integrity.

2 Timothy 2:2 "and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."

Romans 14:4 "Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand."

Sorry if this has come across as a soap box moment. That's not really what I meant for it to be. I have just been doing some personal soul searching lately about what I'm doing as a servant. Am I being a faithful servant that can give more back to the Master than what He trusted me with?

Pray For Pastors

I enjoy Mark Driscoll's teaching and appreciate his ministry at Mars Hill Church in Seattle and Acts 29 Network. Here's a part of a message he recently delivered at a Desiring God Conference in Minnesota.

Pray for the shepherds. Pray for them more than you criticize, e-mail, gossip, or blog about them. Pray that they would have a discerning mind to know who is a sheep.

Pray that they would have a thick skin. Pray that they would have a humorous outlook. That they would laugh at themselves, that they would have a tender heart toward Jesus and the sheep. That they wouldn’t be hammered, that they would keep a tender heart, that they would have a humble disposition, that when criticisms are true, they would repent. That they would look at a criticism for a kernel of truth to be sanctified by.

Pray that shepherds would have encouraging families, that their wife would endure all the criticism, backbiting, people who would use her to get influence, that she would remain close to Jesus and be a place of refreshment for her husband, that her job is to keep her husband from despair, by not always agreeing with him but agreeing that she will always be for him.

Pray for his children as people take shots at his family. That his children would not go astray because critics love that.

Pray that one of the elders in the church is a good sniper. That he could spot people who are trying to take down the pastor. If the pastor tries to do it, it’s a lose-lose situation. Some of you elders here need to get in the middle.

That the shepherds would have evangelistic devotion, that they would not just feed the sheep, but that they would love the lost. That they would not waste their time checking their ratings and overlook Paul’s admonition to do the work of an evangelist. That they wouldn’t be so buried in firefights that they can’t see more people become sheep.

Pray for the shepherds, that they would learn selective hearing, that they would listen to their elders, that they would invite into their lives good counsel. Not everything that is said is worth a hearing. Shepherds can become so hard-hearted that their ears are closed and they spend time justifying themselves when they shouldn’t. They need to know who to listen to, who to heed, and who to not to.

There is a short list of people that I will listen to: the elders, my wife, John Piper, C.J Mahaney, Gary Breshears. I’ll listen to them because they have love and hope for me. They will criticize me, but it’s so that I can be more like Jesus, and not so that they can glory in their victory.

Some of you who are critics and snipers will see someone who is not where they should be. A good shepherd comes to help them, and you shoot the shepherd who is trying to help them. Paul said there are not many people who are good shepherds like that.

Pray for the young shepherds, that older shepherds would not shoot them like wolves and wouldn’t criticize them like dogs, but would encourage them like dads.

You can find the entire message HERE

Randall House Is Doing Great Things These Days

D6 Conference - September 23 - 25, 2009 from D6 Family on Vimeo.

Serving On A Church Board

I've mentioned Dan Reiland's The Pastor's Coach newsletter before. You can get to it through John Maxwell's website www.injoy.com. This week he included a great article about serving on a church board by Charlie Wetzel. I thought I'd pass it along...

Here's what I say is important for board members to know:

1. Don't Step Up Unless You're Ready and Willing to Step Down

When my pastor, Kevin Myers, first talked to me about the possibility of serving as a member of our church's board, he explained something that I will never forget. It has since become a foundational principle for me in any kind of leadership. He said, "As long as your leadership is good enough to help the church, you belong on the board. But if the church ever outgrows your ability to lead, you will have to step down."

My purpose on the board is to serve the church and my pastor mdash; not for it or him to serve me. For that reason, I've always held on loosely to my position on our board of elders. I'm acutely aware that it is a privilege to serve in a church where God is working, and I feel lucky to be where I am. God could have chosen anyone to serve Him at 12Stone, yet He picked me. I strive to live a life worthy of the calling I have received (Eph 4:1). And I am determined never to stand in the way of what God is doing at the church.

2. Protect Your Pastor So He Can Pursue God's Vision

I believe that one day I will stand before God, and one of the things He will ask me is, "Did you make it easier or harder for your pastor to fulfill the vision I gave him for the church?" I find that thought very sobering, and it grounds me in all my decision making as a leader.

One of my pet peeves about some church board members is that they seem to believe their role is to protect the church from the pastor. They couldn't be more wrong. If God has called a pastor to a church, then the board's role is to protect the pastor so that he or she can pursue the vision.

I'm not saying there isn't the rare instance when a pastor intentionally does harm to his church for his own benefit. It does happen, but I believe it's rare. For every individual pastor who abuses his position, there are many thousands of board members who abuse theirs! Often it's in the name of stewardship. While stewardship is important, I observe that many board members practice stinginess and call it stewardship. God cares about people. Money itself has no value to God; he can create it or destroy it at will. It's merely a tool to be used for his purpose. We need to remember that.

So how do you protect your pastor? I think of it as helping to create an environment where he has enough room to work effectively. That means making sure he has the resources he needs to pursue the vision (2 Cor 9:6). It means allowing him to risk and occasionally fail for the sake of the Kingdom (Rom 15:1). It means providing for him and his family so that worries about finances don't become a distraction (Luke 10:7). It means giving him sound counsel (Prov 15:22), gently pushing back when he's wrong (Eph 4:15), and defending him against careless accusations (1 Tim 5:19). And of course it means serving when asked. Nobody in the church should tie the pastor's hands, chain his feet, and then say, "Go ahead, pastor. Run the race!"

3. Find the Role on the Board Where You Add the Most Value

Scripture makes it clear that we are to work together in the body of Christ, each of us using our gifts (1 Cor 12). People who serve on a board should keep that in mind and figure out how they can best serve the team.

In addition to Kevin, our senior pastor, and Dan, our executive pastor, there are four of us lay people serving on the board at 12Stone. One member of our board is a true prayer warrior and also has extensive experience in non-profit fundraising at the highest levels. Another is an entrepreneur who founded and leads a technology company. Another owns businesses, has built commercial facilities, and understands complicated business arrangements. They all contribute according to their individual strengths.

My greatest contribution, believe it or not, is asking penetrating questions. I think it comes as a result of my strength in strategic thinking and my extensive experience in ministry (for a lay person). I also keep the minutes and records for the board, which I find easy with my writing and research experience.

What unique contribution can you make to add value to your team? It's your responsibility to figure that out.

4. Serve Somewhere in the Church in Addition to the Board

One of the dangers of serving on boards is that people can lose their way and develop a wrong attitude about leadership. Jesus washed his leaders' feet and reminded them to serve others rather than rely on their authority (Luke 25:24-26).

I think one of the best ways to prevent and battle a wrong attitude is to serve in areas of the church unrelated to board duties. When I'm serving in a ministry, it's never as a board member. Though I carry that responsibility and perspective with me always, I do not carry that authority with me outside of the boardroom.

When I was a small group leader and coach, I served under the authority of a staff pastor. We didn't always agree philosophically, and I wasn't shy about offering my opinions. But at the end of the day, I submitted to his authority and served as I was asked to mdash; even though at that time I was considered the "small group elder." It's dangerous for someone to lead who hasn't learned to follow. As Al Garsis says, "I can lead, and I can follow. An important aspect of leadership is knowing when to do which." As a board member, you need to figure that out.

These days my primary ministry is mentoring men in their twenties. And I've recruited four other men to mentor others too. I believe mentoring is one of the things God created me for. But it also has the added benefit of keeping me on the front lines of ministry.

When you serve on a board, you're really there to assist the person God has called to fulfill the vision. But that is not your ministry. You have to do your part, according to God's call on your life. That means finding somewhere you can serve effectively.

5. Lead and Serve With Eternity in Mind

For a lot of people, church is on the periphery of their lives. It's a place to engage socially, to "fill up" on Sundays, or to perform some volunteer work to make them feel better about themselves. I think individuals who approach church this way have lost sight of how high the stakes are. What hangs in the balance is where people will spend eternity!

As a member of my church's board, it's my responsibility to maintain perspective. What does that mean? First, it means trying to always keep the big picture in mind. We sometimes call this maintaining a 30,000 foot view of the church. We can't afford to get caught up in petty matters or territorial disputes. We need to keep our hearts set on God, our eyes focused on the vision, and our minds engaged in thinking about what the church needs to be doing in five years, ten years, and farther into the future.

It also means we need to be praying. One of the most important things we do as a board is pray mdash; for protection for the church and its staff, for guidance from God, for confirmation of the vision that God has given to our leader. It's not something I'm naturally good at, but I work at it constantly. Honestly, if I'm not willing to really go after prayer for my church, then I probably don't belong on the board.

You may feel that I'm a bit rigid in some of my views about board service in a local church, that I'm setting the bar very high. If so, you're right. I believe that what I do in ministry is the most important thing I will do in life mdash; after leading and caring for my family. The Church is Christ's bride, and protecting her is an awesome responsibility and a fantastic privilege. I hope that one day God will tell me "Well done, good and faithful servant." If you serve on a board in a local church, I hope the same for you. Meanwhile, do everything you can to lead in a way that honors God and advances His kingdom.