C.J. Mahaney's Blog, page 5

What's the Last Thing You've Done to Surprise Your Wife?

By Tony Reinke

Knowing how high a priority C.J. places on surprising his wife Carolyn, Southern Seminary’s interviewer asked him this question in an interview published in the new issue of the Seminary’s magazine, Towers (April 11, 2011; page 16).

Before answering the question with specific examples, C.J. set the context:

Let me say that I have a wife whom I don’t deserve. No one has influenced me more than she has. There’s no one I respect more than her. There’s no one I love more than her. I am devoted to building as many romantic memories with her and spending as much time with her as possible. And I want Carolyn to live aware that I am always planning or working on a new surprise as an expression of my love for her.

Then he talked specifics:

The most recent surprise was a trip to sunny and warm Florida in the midst of a very cold winter at home.

Normally trips will be planned well in advance to coordinate schedules. By planning in advance you can build anticipation and in some ways something planned in the future has a way of serving your soul in the present. But the trip to Florida didn’t receive a great deal of planning and this spontaneous trip was great fun. And the largest snowstorm of the year hit the D.C. area while we were in Florida so that made it even sweeter.

Before that, in December, I surprised her with an overnight trip to the W Hotel in downtown D.C. At any given time, there are actual multiple surprises in the planning stage ranging from the small expressions to more significant ones. Surprises don’t have to be expensive to be meaningful. Something as simple as bringing home her favorite candy at the end of the day is another way to say, “I love you.”

Why all the surprises? If you met her, you’d understand why. I have been the object of her affection and support for 36 years now. I want to do all that I can to communicate my gratefulness. I don’t deserve my wife.

As C.J. writes elsewhere, meaningful surprises are normally the result of thoughtful and diligent study and planning by the husband. But many husbands are thickheaded and don't study their wives or plan surprises very well. So where can we start?

To find specific help and suggestions on how to study your wife and her particular interests (with the goal of eventually surprising her), C.J. has written a few resources that may prove helpful for husbands. First, see his free ebook Biblical Productivity where he further explains how his role as husband motivates him to study, serve, and surprise Carolyn. And also consider reading "Learning, Leading, and Loving," chapter three in his book Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God: What Every Christian Husband Needs to Know (Crossway, 2004). "As a romancer of my wife, I know that my essential role is that of a student and a planner," he writes (32). Behind the meaningful surprises for a wife is this intentional study and careful planning of a thoughtful husband.

A Crucifixion Narrative

By Tony Reinke

On Good Friday, Rick Gamache (senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Fellowship, Bloomington, MN) gathers with his church to read a short account he simply titled "A Crucifixion Narrative." For 23 minutes he retraces the biblical events of Thursday and Friday that culminate in the death of the Savior.

The narrative opens with the weight of the crossbeam weighing on the shoulders of the Savior, then rewinds to previous events leading up to this point: the betrayal of Judas, Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, the tears of blood that reveal the Savior’s physical and emotional distress. But as we know, this is only the beginning of the physical pain. Soon Jesus is tried and mocked, slapped, spit at, whipped, outfitted with a crown of thorns, and eventually laid on the ground where cold spikes are driven into his wrists and feet. The repugnant scene is informed by the biblical storyline and by research on the physical suffering of Roman crucifixion.

As the Savior is lifted up on the cross the physical pain becomes even more excruciating—but it’s not the greatest pain.

Near the end, the narrative takes a sharp and dramatic turn. There the focus shifts from the visible, physical pain to the invisible spiritual suffering Jesus bore on the cross. There in the crucifixion we see the Son, hanging guilty before God for the vilest of sins—our sins, all of them (2 Corinthians 5:21). There we face the scope of our personal sins, and there we see the hellish agony the Savior endured for us.

Gamache’s narrative is available online. You can download the audio recording here and read the PDF here.

Next 2011 and Why You Should Come

By C.J. Mahaney

From the time I entered public ministry 37 years ago, I was attending conferences. The sum total of conference messages I’ve heard and taught—by my rough estimate—is somewhere near 1 gazillion (which is 1,000 zillions).

Some conferences were average, some good, and some excellent. But Next is special. Here are a few reasons why.

First, the Next conference was designed, and is very effectively led by Josh Harris and Grant Layman, to reinforce several important, theologically informed objectives for college students and young adults. These include transferring the gospel to the next generation, reinforcing sound doctrine, building a biblical worldview, spreading a passion for the local church, and encouraging personal evangelism.

The Psalmist captures the priority of entrusting the gospel to those coming after us: “One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts” (Psalm 145:4). At my age, whatever remaining moments, days, years, decades I have left, I want to represent one generation commending the works of God—and in particular the gospel—to another generation.

Benefits of the Conference

And there are plenty of immediate benefits to the conference as well. In my experience, young adults who attend the conference will experience God’s nearness during corporate worship, the gift of illumination during each sermon, and opportunities to cultivate friendships with other young adults.

Preaching is a priority at this conference (as it should be). The preaching at this conference is excellent. It makes an immediate impact and has an enduring effect, too. Although world-class teachers are invited to address those at the conference, the conference leaders recognize and express their appreciation for local pastors—those who are doing the most important work. The conference is carefully designed not to build young men and women into well-known speakers, but to build them into their pastors and their local church.

Next and the Local Church

The effects of the conference continue as young adults return home from Orlando, inspired to invest in their local churches. And that is why, when I was pastoring Covenant Life Church, I used the New Attitude/Next conference strategically. I viewed this event as a unique opportunity for college students and young adults in the church to be equipped to serve the church. So I did all I could to inspire them to attend, knowing the difference this conference would make in their lives and the life of the church.

I would encourage pastors to announce this conference, feature this conference, encourage all to attend this conference, and find ways of supporting young adults in their churches who are limited financially from attending.

The Next conference will not only prove formative in the souls of those who attend, but will also transfer the gospel to the next generation, and I think you will find it to be a fruitful investment in the future of your church.

The Next conference runs May 28–31 in Orlando, Florida. For more information, see the website: http://www.thisisnext.org/

Mark Dever on the Great Commission and Church Planting

By C.J. Mahaney

I would recommend all of the messages at our recent Plant conference. But I would recommend that you get started by listening to the excellent message by my good friend Mark Dever titled, “The Great Commission and Church Planting” (Matthew 28:16-20). The message will help you understand the relation between the Great Commission and church planting.

The message was dense in content and Mark’s rate of speech was, as it normally is, warp speed. I’m saying you cannot comprehend all this with a single listen. But you can try by downloading the message here.

I doubt a single listen will be sufficient.

And here are a few notes and an outline that may help you follow along:

The Great Commission and Church Planting (Matthew 28:16-20)
Mark Dever
March 25, 2011
Plant Conference (Glen Mills, PA)

Introduction: “I want to pose six questions to help us think about the Great Commission and church planting.”

Question 1: How are we to fulfill the Great Commission? “A true church is marked by the right preaching of the Word of God, and the right administration of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and the preaching of the gospel. In the lives of those baptized and coming to the Lord’s Supper then a corporate witness begins to appear. A church is planted as people begin to see this group of people as followers of Jesus.”

Question 2: What is the big picture? “We find that the big picture in the Bible, from Israel to the redeemed in heaven, seem to show us a pattern of God wanting to be known as faithful and having community around him which knows him and praises him as one who is faithful and just and true.”

Question 3: What has God done? “So God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is involved in church planting far more profoundly than any person in this room will ever be involved in church planting—far more profoundly than the Apostle Paul was involved in church planting! The church is not something which in the most fundamental sense is a human idea or a human creation, but it is fundamentally God’s idea and God’s work. This is what he is about. God is a great church planter.”

Question 4: What did the apostles understand? “Friends, the sort of church-centered ministry where you go out and evangelize, but you do it specifically with the hope and trust and understanding that God intends to bring these Christians back together in local churches, is what this book of Acts is full of.…The New Testament shows the Great Commission being fulfilled by church planting.”

Question 5: What does that mean for us? “Here are eight practical exhortations and implications aimed at pastors of churches:”

Focus your mission efforts on church planting.
Consider who you are sending out.
Consider what you have trained them to do.
Consider how you are going to support them.
Build into your church culture a desire to see the kingdom of God expand in your area and beyond.
Encourage other evangelical church planters around you.
Consider reclaiming existing churches.
Pray for the spread of healthy churches.

Here are five things I want to build into the culture of our church:

Discipleship
Personal evangelism
Missions
A desire to strengthen other churches broadly
A desire to encourage gospel growth in my own area

Question 6: What is our goal in fulfilling the Great Commission? “The glory of God in the church.”

Conclusion: “The local church is where the authority of Christ is exercised. The local church is where disciples are made and baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The local church is where Christians are taught to obey everything Jesus commanded us. To this end, Christ promised us his Spirit until he returns. And so we see that church planting is the normal business of the local church. The Great Commission is normally fulfilled through church planting.”

11: How to Criticize Your Pastor (and Honor God)

By C.J. Mahaney

In this series on the pastor and personal criticism, it is important to consider how church members can effectively serve their pastor with correction. As pastors, we need this, and we need to make it as easy as possible for church members to approach us with any questions, concerns, or observations they might have.*

So what if you have some correction that you want to bring to your pastor’s attention? How can you bring that critical observation to him in a humble and loving way? How can you bring correction to your pastor in a way that not only serves him but pleases and honors God at the same time?

These are excellent and important questions.

But given the limitations of addressing this topic in a brief post, I cannot address every situation or provide you with exhaustive suggestions on this important topic.

This series on personal criticism has not attempted to address sins that would disqualify a pastor from ministry.** What I’m attempting to address is when a church member has a concern about a particular sermon, the direction of the church, or about a pastor’s personal character that the pastor may be unaware of.

Actually, one’s interaction with a pastor and possible disagreement with him will most often be over an issue of wisdom, or maybe even a matter of personal preference.

With that in mind, here are some suggestions to consider.

Motivated to Serve

Perhaps the most important step is this one: examining our hearts prior to any conversation in which we bring corrective comments to someone. And here’s why: motive makes all the difference. It is wise for me to examine my heart for any self-righteousness and to ask: Is my desire to share this critical observation with my pastor motivated by a desire to serve him? We must not assume our motive is humble and redemptive. Our purpose must be to serve our pastor, not to scold him.

One way I have found effective in preparing my heart prior to correcting someone is to spend time thinking about evidences of God’s grace in his life. Study the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) and the gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4–11, 27–31; Ephesians 4:11–16; 1 Peter 4:10–11). Then study the life of your pastor and carefully consider where you see the work of God in his life. Thank God for your pastor and these evidences of grace in his life. This simple practice will create fresh appreciation for him, a fresh awareness of God’s activity in his life. It will also help to ensure that you bring corrective observations to him in a spirit of gratitude.

Next, pray for him. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the various burdens and temptations that are common to all pastors. John Newton, a pastor for more than 40 years, was quite familiar with these temptations, and he can help you better understand the burdens of pastoral ministry in blog posts like this one and this one. As you pray for your pastor and the various burdens he carries, your heart will be softened toward him.

Meet in Person

For a variety of reasons I think it is normally unwise to communicate correction to your pastor—or anyone, for that matter—in written form. Writing is easier than meeting, but that’s because, let’s be honest, we are reluctant to correct and fear their response to our correction (and that can be sinful judgment on our part). Meeting for a conversation requires that we first, by God’s grace, put to death the fear of man in relation to our pastor or anyone we are correcting.

There are numerous benefits to a face-to-face conversation with your pastor. I could write pages on why conversation is superior to written communication when it comes to correction. Only in conversation can we ask questions, elaborate on points, draw out our pastor, and hear his perspective. Whenever I correct someone I know that my perspective is limited and my perceptions are flawed. In this conversation I can express my concern to my pastor and not assume my perspective is infallible (Proverbs 18:13).

A conversation also provides your pastor the opportunity to observe your facial expressions and hear the tone of your voice, which are both critical to effective communication.

Bring Observations

In this post I have used the word “observations.” By this I mean that you are not approaching your pastor as a prosecuting attorney conducting a deposition. Rather than bringing charges and accusations against him, you are bringing personal observations—something you have observed.

There is a critical difference between an accusation and an observation. The former is the fruit of a proud and offended heart; the latter the fruit of a heart that has been humbled by the gospel, and is aware that one’s perceptions are fallible.

Recognizing this will help me see two important things: (a) that I may be wrong in my criticism, and (b) my criticism may not be as important as I think it is. Approaching issues with this kind of humility will position you to come to your pastor with questions and not accusations.

Success

So what constitutes a successful meeting? First of all, it was successful if you cared enough to approach your pastor and have this conversation with him. And it was successful if your pastor took the time to listen to you and to consider your observations. Do not expect or require that he immediately agrees with all your comments or that he immediately responds to them. Allow him the time necessary to pray, reflect on your correction, and talk with his wife and his friends about it.

But if you find yourself offended if your pastor doesn’t immediately respond or if he disagrees with you, then it could be that your own heart has been revealed, and maybe your motives weren’t as pure as you might have thought. You then have an opportunity to humble yourself before God and to entrust your pastor to God.

So meet personally with your pastor, humbly offer him your observations, but do not require an immediate response from him. As long as you have communicated your correction clearly and in love, you have served your pastor and honored God in the process.

* On a related note, it is important that pastors cultivate approachability and accountability. Two articles written by Ken Sande are very valuable in helping pastors to cultivate these areas, and those articles can be located here.

** For more on the distinction here between disqualifying sin and non-disqualifying sin in pastoral ministry, see Preaching the Cross (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2007), pages 122–124.

How to Criticize Your Pastor (and Honor God)

By C.J. Mahaney

In this series on the pastor and personal criticism, it is important to consider how church members can effectively serve their pastor with correction. As pastors, we need this, and we need to make it as easy as possible for church members to approach us with any questions, concerns, or observations they might have.*

So what if you have some correction that you want to bring to your pastor’s attention? How can you bring that critical observation to him in a humble and loving way? How can you bring correction to your pastor in a way that not only serves him but pleases and honors God at the same time?

These are excellent and important questions.

But given the limitations of addressing this topic in a brief post, I cannot address every situation or provide you with exhaustive suggestions on this important topic.

This series on personal criticism has not attempted to address sins that would disqualify a pastor from ministry.** What I’m attempting to address is when a church member has a concern about a particular sermon, the direction of the church, or about a pastor’s personal character that the pastor may be unaware of.

Actually, one’s interaction with a pastor and possible disagreement with him will most often be over an issue of wisdom, or maybe even a matter of personal preference.

With that in mind, here are some suggestions to consider.

Motivated to Serve

Perhaps the most important step is this one: examining our hearts prior to any conversation in which we bring corrective comments to someone. And here’s why: motive makes all the difference. It is wise for me to examine my heart for any self-righteousness and to ask: Is my desire to share this critical observation with my pastor motivated by a desire to serve him? We must not assume our motive is humble and redemptive. Our purpose must be to serve our pastor, not to scold him.

One way I have found effective in preparing my heart prior to correcting someone is to spend time thinking about evidences of God’s grace in his life. Study the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) and the gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4–11, 27–31; Ephesians 4:11–16; 1 Peter 4:10–11). Then study the life of your pastor and carefully consider where you see the work of God in his life. Thank God for your pastor and these evidences of grace in his life. This simple practice will create fresh appreciation for him, a fresh awareness of God’s activity in his life. It will also help to ensure that you bring corrective observations to him in a spirit of gratitude.

Next, pray for him. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the various burdens and temptations that are common to all pastors. John Newton, a pastor for more than 40 years, was quite familiar with these temptations, and he can help you better understand the burdens of pastoral ministry in blog posts like this one and this one. As you pray for your pastor and the various burdens he carries, your heart will be softened toward him.

Meet in Person

For a variety of reasons I think it is normally unwise to communicate correction to your pastor—or anyone, for that matter—in written form. Writing is easier than meeting, but that’s because, let’s be honest, we are reluctant to correct and fear their response to our correction (and that can be sinful judgment on our part). Meeting for a conversation requires that we first, by God’s grace, put to death the fear of man in relation to our pastor or anyone we are correcting.

There are numerous benefits to a face-to-face conversation with your pastor. I could write pages on why conversation is superior to written communication when it comes to correction. Only in conversation can we ask questions, elaborate on points, draw out our pastor, and hear his perspective. Whenever I correct someone I know that my perspective is limited and my perceptions are flawed. In this conversation I can express my concern to my pastor and not assume my perspective is infallible (Proverbs 18:13).

A conversation also provides your pastor the opportunity to observe your facial expressions and hear the tone of your voice, which are both critical to effective communication.

Bring Observations

In this post I have used the word “observations.” By this I mean that you are not approaching your pastor as a prosecuting attorney conducting a deposition. Rather than bringing charges and accusations against him, you are bringing personal observations—something you have observed.

There is a critical difference between an accusation and an observation. The former is the fruit of a proud and offended heart; the latter the fruit of a heart that has been humbled by the gospel, and is aware that one’s perceptions are fallible.

Recognizing this will help me see two important things: (a) that I may be wrong in my criticism, and (b) my criticism may not be as important as I think it is. Approaching issues with this kind of humility will position you to come to your pastor with questions and not accusations.

Success

So what constitutes a successful meeting? First of all, it was successful if you cared enough to approach your pastor and have this conversation with him. And it was successful if your pastor took the time to listen to you and to consider your observations. Do not expect or require that he immediately agrees with all your comments or that he immediately responds to them. Allow him the time necessary to pray, reflect on your correction, and talk with his wife and his friends about it.

But if you find yourself offended if your pastor doesn’t immediately respond or if he disagrees with you, then it could be that your own heart has been revealed, and maybe your motives weren’t as pure as you might have thought. You then have an opportunity to humble yourself before God and to entrust your pastor to God.

So meet personally with your pastor, humbly offer him your observations, but do not require an immediate response from him. As long as you have communicated your correction clearly and in love, you have served your pastor and honored God in the process.

* On a related note, it is important that pastors cultivate approachability and accountability. Two articles written by Ken Sande are very valuable in helping pastors to cultivate these areas, and those articles can be located here.

** For more on the distinction here between disqualifying sin and non-disqualifying sin in pastoral ministry, see Preaching the Cross (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2007), pages 122–124.

Newton's Theology of Revolution

By Tony Reinke

Revolution is spreading across the Middle East. What was ignited in Tunisia spread to Egypt and jumped into Libya. It is hard to tell where the flame of revolution will spread next.

Something of this modern experience must reflect the political and social unrest that marked the period of America’s Revolutionary War. By January 1775 a war between Britain and the American colonies was foreseeable. At this point Britain had responded to the Boston Tea Party by further hiking taxes in 1774, and in two months Patrick Henry would deliver his “Give me liberty or give me death” speech. One month after the speech the American colonists and the British would clash at Lexington and Concord.

So was the turmoil just about taxation without representation, or was there something larger behind the revolution?

In a letter to his friend Lord Dartmouth dated January 20, 1775, Newton offers a deeper and more theological explanation for the coming war when he writes,

When historians and politicians descant upon the rise and fall of empires, with all their professed sagacity, in tracing the connection between causes and effects, they are totally unacquainted with the great master-wheel which manages the whole movement; that is, the Lord’s design in favor of his church and kingdom. To this every event is subordinate; to this every interfering interest must stoop.

A little later he writes:

And I doubt not but some who are yet unborn will hereafter clearly see and remark, that the present unhappy disputes between Great Britain and America, with their consequences, whatever they may be, are part of a series of events, of which the extension and interests of the church of Christ were the principal final causes. In a word, that Jesus may be known, trusted, and adored, and sinners, by the power of his Gospel, be rescued from sin and Satan, is the one great business, for the sake of which the succession of day and night, summer and winter, is still maintained; and when the plan of redemption is consummated, sin, which now almost fills the earth, will then set it on fire.

In other words, God’s plan for human history (namely the spread of the gospel) will be consummated when Christ returns and this present creation is dissolved in a roar and made gloriously new. Until then, God continues working, committed to his purpose of building his church and spreading the gospel throughout the world.

Now, does this mean that members of the visible church on earth cannot be harmed in revolution? No.

Does this mean there are no sins on display in warfare? No. In fact Newton would write that war is the result of national sin and personal selfish ambition.

Does this mean that the church should seek to advance and grow through politics? Not according to Newton. He strongly urged Christians not to become heavily involved in politics except on the rare occasion that such a Christian was in a position of influence (William Wilberforce being a prime example).

Yet behind the revolution in his own time, Newton saw God’s work. He would likely agree with a modern theologian who writes, “Even now Christ reigns secretly and invisibly over all empires and nations for the ultimate purpose of building his church” (see Ephesians 1:15-23).* Newton was quick to remember this when the fire of revolution was ignited in the Revolutionary War.

Newton viewed revolutions from a God-centered perspective, and this was no less true of the colonial revolution. He believed that God was “the great master-wheel” behind the revolution, and that his ultimate design was the growth of his church.

In the current unrest, many important questions remain. It’s hard to identify all the causes and effects working behind the turmoil in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and elsewhere. And what will be the final result? Will political radicals gain the upper hand in these countries? Will the Middle East become less stable? Will these countries become more stable? These important questions are hard to answer.

Yet it’s worth asking the big question that Newton raises in his own letters: Is it possible that in all of this turmoil, God is the invisible master-wheel behind the revolution, at work in the turmoil for his one, ultimate, driving goal—that Jesus Christ may be known, trusted, and adored?

Some reports indicate that this great business may already be happening. In any case it is a point worthy of our consideration, and a goal that is certainly worthy of our prayers as we watch history unfold.

Tony Reinke serves as the editorial and research assistant to C.J. Mahaney. Reading Newton’s Mail is a series of blog posts reflecting on various published letters written by John Newton (1725–1807), the onetime captain of a slave trading ship—a self-described apostate, blasphemer, and infidel, who was eventually converted by grace. Newton is most famous for authoring the hymn “Amazing Grace,” or maybe for helping William Wilberforce put an end to the African slave trade in Britain. Less legendarily, Newton faithfully pastored two churches for 43 years, a fruitful period of his life when a majority of his letters were written. Reading Newton’s Mail is published on Fridays here on the Cheap Seats blog.

Primary sources: The Works of John Newton (London: 1820), 1:501–505. Secondary source: *Michael Horton, The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims On the Way (Zondervan, 2011), 526.

Recent Messages

By Tony Reinke

C.J.'s most recent messages have been posted online. One is a sermon, the other a conference message to church planters. Both can be found here:

When Someone Doubts (Jude 22)
March 20, 2011
Covenant Fellowship Church (Glen Mills, PA)
Listen here.
Download here.

Profile of a Church Planter (1 Thessalonians 2:1-12)
March 25, 2011
Plant Conference (Glen Mills, PA)
Listen here.
Download here.

In his message to church planters, C.J. quoted two lengthy excerpts that are reproduced here.

Charles Spurgeon (source: sermon no. 2447):

I have always felt, in my own mind, that it was one of the clearest proofs that I had God’s forgiveness of my many sins, when I was trusted to preach the gospel.

I should think that, if a prodigal came back to his father, the old gentleman would kiss him, and receive him, and rejoice greatly over him; but the next Saturday, the market-day, the old gentleman would say, 'I cannot send young William to market; that would be putting temptation in his way. Here, John, you have always been with me; go to market, and buy and sell for me, for all that I have is thine. William, you stay at home with me.' He might not let him see all that he meant, but he would say to himself, 'Dear boy, he is hardly fit for that great trust; I love him, but still I hardly dare trust him as much as that.'

But see what my Lord did with me; when I came home to him as a poor prodigal, he said, 'Here is my gospel, I will entrust you with it; go and preach it.' I bless his name that I have not preached anything else, and I do not mean to begin to do so.

Then the Lord said to me, 'I will trust you with those people at Waterbeach, at New Park Street, at the Surrey Gardens, and at the Tabernacle. Go and see what you can do to bring them to heaven.' I do long to see souls saved as one great result of my ministry. But what an instance of my Lord’s love it is that he thus trusts me!

That was one of the things that made Paul hold up his hands in astonishment; he said that he had been put in trust with the gospel, and he could not make it out. He was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious, yet he was put in trust with the gospel.

D.A. Carson (source: message, "Is the Culture Shaping Us or Are We Shaping the Culture?"):

If I have learned anything in 35 or 40 years of teaching, it is that students don’t learn everything I teach them. What they learn is what I am excited about, the kinds of things I emphasize again and again and again and again. That had better be the gospel.

If the gospel—even when you are orthodox—becomes something which you primarily assume, but what you are excited about is what you are doing in some sort of social reconstruction, you will be teaching the people that you influence that the gospel really isn’t all that important. You won’t be saying that—you won’t even mean that—but that’s what you will be teaching. And then you are only half a generation away from losing the gospel.

Make sure that in your own practice and excitement, what you talk about, what you think about, what you pray over, what you exude confidence over, joy over, what you are enthusiastic about is Jesus, the gospel, the cross. And out of that framework, by all means, let the transformed life flow.

Pray for Your Pastor

By Tony Reinke

March was an important month in the life of John Newton but not because of basketball. It was on March 21, 1748, that Newton and his ship encountered a massive storm on the open sea. It was the day he nearly drowned.

His survival was a miracle and Newton knew it. That terrifying experience awakened Newton to the wretchedness of his sin and began a process that would result in his eventual conversion.

God had saved a wretch, saved him first from the raging seas and then from God’s own righteous wrath. Each year on March 21 Newton celebrated God’s kindness, a practice he maintained for the remaining 59 years of his life.

For the six years following his near drowning at sea, Newton was an eagerly growing Christian but he was also, according to one biographer, a “solitary Christian,” trying to figure out the Christian life on his own. [1] That solitary experience ended during his final voyage in a most unlikely place: a four-week stop in the Caribbean islands. There he met another ship captain, Captain Alexander Clunie, an older man and a mature Christian. Clunie discipled Newton and later introduced to a pastor and a church family in London.

Clunie and Newton, with a shared life at sea and a shared interest in the Savior, remained “inseparable soul mates” for the remainder of their lives. [2] It was to Captain Clunie that Newton turned to express the challenges and pressures of pastoral ministry, which brings me to the point of today’s blog post.

In a letter dated July 26, 1776, Newton writes the following in a letter to him:

How fast the weeks return! We are again upon the eve of a sabbath. May the Lord give us much of his own Spirit on his own day. I trust I have a remembrance in your prayers. I need them much: my service is great.

It is, indeed, no small thing to stand between God and the people, to divide the word of truth aright, to give every one portion, to withstand the counter tides of opposition and popularity, and to press those truths upon others, the power of which, I, at times, feel so little of in my own soul. A cold, corrupt heart is uncomfortable company in the pulpit.

Yet in the midst of all my fears and unworthiness, I am enabled to cleave to the promise, and to rely on the power of the great Redeemer. I know I am engaged in the cause against which the gates of hell cannot prevail. If He died and rose again, if He ever lives to make intercession, there must be safety under the shadow of his wings: there would I lie.

In his name I would lift up my banner; in his strength I would go forth, do what He enables me, then take shame to myself that I can do no better, and put my hand upon my mouth, confessing that I am dust and ashes—less than the least of all his mercies.

Those honest words from Newton offer a glimpse into the struggle of a pastor’s soul.

Pastors…

face a relentless repetition of pastoral responsibilities that come each week and culminate on Sunday
struggle to rightly divide Scripture with every sermon
strive to withstand the temptations that accompany opposition
struggle against the temptations that accompany popularity and success
earnestly long to see the truth of the gospel affect cold hearts
themselves face the reality that they often carry a cold heart of their own into the pulpit with them

In this brief letter we see a glimpse of the pastoral task. It’s a glimpse that should humble us, make us thankful to God for the pastors who serve our souls each week, and remind us to pray for them.

Tony Reinke serves as the editorial and research assistant to C.J. Mahaney. Reading Newton’s Mail is a series of blog posts reflecting on various published letters written by John Newton (1725–1807), the onetime captain of a slave trading ship—a self-described apostate, blasphemer, and infidel, who was eventually converted by grace. Newton is most famous for authoring the hymn “Amazing Grace,” or maybe for helping William Wilberforce put an end to the African slave trade in Britain. Less legendarily, Newton faithfully pastored two churches for 43 years, a fruitful period of his life when a majority of his letters were written. Reading Newton’s Mail is published on Fridays here on the Cheap Seats blog.

Primary source letter: Letters of John Newton (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth: 1869, 2007), 60–61. Secondary sources: [1] Jonathan Aitken, John Newton (Crossway, 2008), 123. [2] Ibid, 124.

Risen: A New Album [Updated]

By C.J. Mahaney

In time for our upcoming celebration of Easter, the newest Sovereign Grace Music album was released yesterday: Risen.

What I love about this album—what I love about all the albums produced by Sovereign Grace Music—is the gospel-centered sound doctrine that informs the lyrics. Here in these 13 songs our hearts and affections are focused on the resurrection of our Savior, where God the Father publicly demonstrated his satisfaction with the Son’s sacrifice on the cross for our sins and where our hope of future resurrection finds its guarantee.

So a huge congratulations and thanks to my friend Bob Kauflin and to his team of songwriters, vocalists, musicians, and technicians that make an album like this possible!

Until April 4 you can download Risen for just $5. CDs are available for $12.

Update at 11:13am: The download has been temporarily disabled on our store for technical reasons. If you want to download the album the best place to do so right now is Amazon, which has Risen for $7.