Monthly Archives: September 2019

Am I Called to be a Pastor?

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A pastoral calling is not as simple as having the right gifts, sufficient education, and an internal conviction. From a “Ask Ligonier” live event, Burk Parsons counsels young men not to enter the ministry without an external call from the elders of a local church.

Transcript:

It’s not simply a matter of gifting. It’s not simply a matter of an internal feeling of that call. And it’s not simply a matter of having the right education.

A lot of times people feel called, and maybe that’s attested to by the demonstration and use of their gifts in the local church. Then they go to Bible college, or seminary, or both, and they say: “Well, now I’ve done it. I’ve spent all these years in Bible college and seminary. I’ve done all that I need to do—I’ve done an internship, I’ve come under care of a church, and so I must be called.” As we know, that’s really insufficient.

There needs to be an external call. That external call can only come from experienced elders who are active shepherds for a significant length of time. It can’t come from a mom or a dad saying, “You’d be a good pastor.” It can’t come from a sweet person in the church who says, “You’d make a good pastor someday because you’re really kind.”

Only become a pastor if you are as certain as you can possibly be that God is calling you to it, has entrusted you with the gifts for it, and if every wise, experienced elder or pastor that you know in your orbit who is aged in ministry has said, “You must do this.” And if they are not saying, “You must do this because this is what God has called you do,” then in many ways be thankful to God and go do something else.

The reason we are pastors is not because we wanted to be. It’s because we felt and believed that we couldn’t do something else, and that was attested to time and time again. That doesn’t mean we weren’t able to do something else; it means that we had to do this.

Any pastor who has been in pastoral ministry for any length of time will say that, if he could, he would not be a pastor. It’s not a self-pitying thing. We’re not saying that we don’t like being pastors or that we’re upset with God.

No, what we’re saying is that it is a hard calling. It’s not simple, it’s not easy, and it will bruise you and burden you every hour of every day of your life.

Only do it if you must, and be willing to give a great deal away.

False Beliefs of the Jehovah’s Witnesses

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The following is a short summary of the beliefs of the Jehovah’s Witnesses: source – https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/the-11-beliefs-you-should-know-about-jehovahs-witnesses-when-they-knock-at-the-door/

1. The divine name.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that God’s one true name—the name by which he must be identified—is Jehovah.

Biblically, however, God is identified by many names, including:

In NT times, Jesus referred to God as “Father” (Gk. Patēr; Matt. 6:9), as did the apostles (1 Cor. 1:3).

2. The Trinity.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the Trinity is unbiblical because the word is not in the Bible and because the Bible emphasizes that there is one God.

Biblically, while it is true that there is only one God (Isa. 44:6; 45:18; 46:9; John 5:44; 1 Cor. 8:4; James 2:19), it is also true that three persons are called God in Scripture:

Each of these three possesses the attributes of deity—including

Still further, each of the three is involved in doing the works of deity—such as creating the universe:

The Bible indicates that there is three-in-oneness in the godhead (Matt. 28:19; cf. 2 Cor. 13:14).

Thus doctrinal support for the Trinity is compellingly strong.

3. Jesus Christ.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus was created by Jehovah as the archangel Michael before the physical world existed, and is a lesser, though mighty, god.

Biblically, however, Jesus is eternally God (John 1:1; 8:58; cf. Ex. 3:14) and has the exact same divine nature as the Father (John 5:18; 10:30; Heb. 1:3).

Indeed, a comparison of the OT and NT equates Jesus with Jehovah (compare Isa. 43:11 with Titus 2:13; Isa. 44:24 with Col. 1:16; Isa. 6:1-5 with John 12:41).

Jesus himself created the angels (Col. 1:16; cf. John 1:3; Heb. 1:2, 10) and is worshiped by them (Heb. 1:6).

4. The incarnation.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that when Jesus was born on earth, he was a mere human and not God in human flesh.

This violates the biblical teaching that in the incarnate Jesus, “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col. 2:9; cf. Phil. 2:6-7).

The word for “fullness” (Gk. plērōma) carries the idea of the sum total. “Deity” (Gk. theotēs) refers to the nature, being, and attributes of God.

Therefore, the incarnate Jesus was the sum total of the nature, being, and attributes of God in bodily form.

Indeed, Jesus was Immanuel, or “God with us” (Matt. 1:23; cf. Isa. 7:14; John 1:1, 14, 18; 10:30; 14:9-10).

5. Resurrection.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus was resurrected spiritually from the dead, but not physically.

Biblically, however, the resurrected Jesus asserted that he was not merely a spirit but had a flesh-and-bone body (Luke 24:39; cf. John 2:19-21).

He ate food on several occasions, thereby proving that he had a genuine physical body after the resurrection (Luke 24:30, 42-43; John 21:12-13).

This was confirmed by his followers who physically touched him (Matt. 28:9; John 20:17).

6. The second coming.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the second coming was an invisible, spiritual event that occurred in the year 1914.

Biblically, however, the yet-future second coming will be physical, visible (Acts 1:9-11; cf. Titus 2:13), and will be accompanied by visible cosmic disturbances (Matt. 24:29-30). Every eye will see him (Rev. 1:7).

7. The Holy Spirit.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force of God and not a distinct person.

Biblically, however, the Holy Spirit has the three primary attributes of personality:

Moreover, personal pronouns are used of him (Acts 13:2). Also, he does things that only a person can do, including:

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity (Matt. 28:19).

8. Salvation.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that salvation requires faith in Christ, association with God’s organization (i.e., their religion), and obedience to its rules.

Biblically, however, viewing obedience to rules as a requirement for salvation nullifies the gospel (Gal. 2:16-21; Col. 2:20-23). Salvation is based wholly on God’s unmerited favor (grace), not on the believer’s performance.

Good works are the fruit or result, not the basis, of salvation (Eph. 2:8-10; Titus 3:4-8).

9. Two redeemed peoples.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe there are two peoples of God: (1) the Anointed Class (144,000) will live in heaven and rule with Christ; and (2) the “other sheep” (all other believers) will live forever on a paradise earth.

Biblically, however, a heavenly destiny awaits all who believe in Christ (John 14:1-3; 17:24; 2 Cor. 5:1; Phil. 3:20; Col. 1:5; 1 Thess. 4:17; Heb. 3:1), and these same people will also dwell on the new earth (2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1-4).

10. No immaterial soul.

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe that humans have an immaterial nature. The “soul” is simply the life-force within a person. At death, that life-force leaves the body.

Biblically, however, the word “soul” is multifaceted. One key meaning of the term is man’s immaterial self that consciously survives death (Gen. 35:18; Rev. 6:9-10). Unbelievers are in conscious woe (Matt. 13:42; 25:41, 46; Luke 16:22-24; Rev. 14:11) while believers are in conscious bliss in heaven (1 Cor. 2:9; 2 Cor. 5:6-8; Phil. 1:21-23; Rev. 7:17; 21:4).

11. Hell.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe hell is not a place of eternal suffering but is rather the common grave of humankind. The wicked are annihilated—snuffed out of conscious existence forever.

Biblically, however, hell is a real place of conscious, eternal suffering (Matt. 5:22; 25:41, 46; Jude 7; Rev. 14:11; 20:10, 14).

Membership – In Brief

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Article by Jonathan Leeman – original source – https://www.crossway.org/articles/an-elevator-pitch-for-church-membership/

The Elevator Answer

Is church membership actually in the Bible?

How many times have you heard someone ask that? Maybe you’re asking it yourself.

If I have fifteen seconds to answer that question—maybe I’m on an elevator with you—I would tell you to look at the church discipline passages in Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians 5. Jesus and Paul talk about “removing” someone from the body. What is a person being removed from if it’s not what we today call membership. Yes, it’s an implication, but it’s a very clear implication.

Or I might point you to passages like Acts 2:41, where it says three thousand people were “added to their number” (NIV); or Acts 6:2, which says the apostles called together “the full number of disciples”; or Acts 12:1, which says Herod attacked those “who belonged to the church.” They knew who belonged. They could name the disciples. Did they keep all those names on an Excel spreadsheet? I don’t know, but they knew who they were.

Are You Looking for the Right Thing?

If I have more than fifteen seconds when someone asks that question, I might say, “Membership is not in the Bible. At least not the kind of membership you’re looking for.” If I had to guess, you’ve known churches that treat church membership like club membership. You come. You pay your dues. You get the membership packet, maybe even an all-access pass to the pastor or other benefits.

And that isn’t in the Bible. Instead, the Bible presents a picture of the church as unlike any other organization or society of people in the world.

  • The Bible calls the church the family of God, which means membership in a local church is going to look something like membership in a family. So Paul tells Timothy, “Encourage an older man as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters” (1 Tim. 5:1–2).
  • The Bible calls the church a holy nation or the people of Christ’s kingdom. So local church membership is going to look something like citizenship.
  • The Bible calls the church the body of Christ, which means membership will involve an actual dependence upon one another. “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you. . . . If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Cor. 12:21–26).

By some estimates, there are over ninety different metaphors in the Bible for describing what the church is: a flock, a temple, a people, a vine, a pillar and buttress of truth, a Lady and her children. Truly the church is unlike any other society or organization in the world. It’s no club. Apparently, the Holy Spirit who inspired Scripture thought you need all those metaphors to describe what this new-creation, blood-bought, Spirit-filled society is. And what is a local church but a self-identified gathering of such people?

So, where is membership in the Bible? Well, first of all, search for any discussion of those metaphors. That should change what you’re searching for.

How Else Will You Obey All the Bible Requires?

But admittedly, we’re all a bit anti-institutional these days. People like to say, Can’t I be a part of the family of God and the body of Christ and all that without binding myself to one particular local church?

Well, the short answer to that is no. Let me give you two reasons, one from the individual’s perspective and one from the church’s perspective.

First, from the individual Christian’s perspective, I don’t know how you can do what the Bible calls you to do apart from a self-conscious commitment to a local church. Hebrews 13:17 tells you to submit to your leaders. Which leaders are those? All Christians leaders everywhere? Or even just the leaders in your city? No, it’s the leaders of the church to whom you have committed, and who have committed to you.

Ephesians 4 says we’re to build one another up by speaking the truth in love. And Ephesians 5, in the context of addressing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, says we do this as we submit to one another. Which Christians are we to both build up and submit to with our words? All the Christians in a city? No, the Christians who have committed to regularly gathering together in one place—a local church.

We could go through command after command and metaphor after metaphor in the New Testament about the corporate life of the church, and I will say the same thing every time: I don’t know how you do that apart from a local church.

The Church Possesses Authority to Hand Out Name Tags

Second, from the church’s perspective, the Bible actually gives local churches authority to bring members in, and to see them out. It exercises that authority by bringing people into membership through baptism, by seeing them out through excommunication when necessary, and by affirming them as a believers on an ongoing basis through the Lord’s Supper.

When we baptize, we baptize someone into the name of Father, Son, and Spirit. We give them the “Jesus nametag.” “He’s with Jesus!” we say. And in so doing, we make their profession and discipleship public.

The Lord’s Supper, also, isn’t an individual act, an opportunity to shut everyone out and have a turbo-charged quiet time with you and Jesus. No, it’s a church-revealing and church-affirming act.

Listen to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:17 about the Lord’s Supper: “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” That simple verse is packed with meaning. The main clause is, “We who are many are one body.” How do we know we are one body? We know that, “because there is one bread.” In fact, the verse says the same thing twice. We know we are one body “because there is one bread” and “for we all partake of the one bread.” Partaking of the one bread affirms and reveals that we are one body.

What is the authority of the local church? It’s the authority to say who the Christians on planet earth are, which we do through baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is the front door. The Lord’s Supper is the family dinner table. Both of these are the signs of church membership. More than that, they’re how a church corporately affirms someone’s profession of faith! They’re how a church on earth goes public.

Think back to the verses in Acts about being “added to their number” and “the full number of disciples” and “those who belonged.” They knew who they were through the ordinances.

So why can’t you just be the body of Christ or the family of God apart from a self-conscious commitment to a local church that we call “membership”? One, because it’s the only way you can fulfill all the Bible’s commands about our life together. Two, because it’s the local church whom the Bible authorizes to publicly recognize and affirm the church on planet earth.

Church Membership in the Context of the Whole Bible

Let me offer two final thoughts. The first will help you understand membership in the context of the Bible as a whole. The second will help you understand it in the context of faith and obedience.

Following Israel’s failure to keep the old covenant, the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel promised a new covenant, whereby God would place his law on his people’s hearts and forgive their sins. And this is what we think of as conversion, which happens through the preaching of the Word and the work of the Spirit. Conversion makes someone a Christian, a member of the new covenant, as well as a member of Christ’s universal church.

But here’s a question that Jeremiah and Ezekiel didn’t answer: How do we know who the new covenant people are? After all, the Spirit does his work invisibly. How then do we know who the “we” of the new covenant are? We knew who belonged to Israel because they had circumcision, Sabbath-keeping, even a land. But how do you know who the citizens of a nation are when there are no borders, flags, or passports?

Apparently, a second step is necessary for the invisible new covenant community of the church to become visible. The gospel faith must show up in a gospel order. It’s for this reason Jesus gave the apostles and local churches the keys of the kingdom for binding and loosing, which they exercise through baptism and the Lord’s Supper. There’s your flag and passport.

In other words, the universal shows up—becomes visible, palpable, and real—in the local church. We prove and practice our membership in Christ’s body and family and kingdom locally.

Membership Is How You Become What You Are

Now think about all this in the context of the gospel. The gospel makes members of the universal church. It unites us to Christ and to Christ’s people (e.g. Ephesians 2:11–22; 1 Peter 2:10). Yet we demonstrate or prove that universal membership through actual, local, “here’s a list of names” membership.

It’s precisely the same relationship we see between what theologians call our positional righteousness in Christ and our existential righteousness or between the indicative or the imperative. We’re declared righteous because of what Christ did, but then we’re commanded to “put on” that righteousness. Living it out proves or demonstrates what God has done. And if you don’t live it out, people will rightly wonder if you truly possess the righteousness of Christ (e.g., see Rom. 6:1–3).

In the same way, don’t tell me you belong to the “family of God” of all Christians everywhere unless you actually show up at the family dinner table with a bunch of real people. And don’t tell me you’re a part of the body of Christ unless you can point to an actual body of people on whom you’re making yourself dependent.

That why in 1 John 4, John says, Don’t say you love God whom you can’t see if you don’t love your brother, whom you can see.

Conclusion

Is church membership in the Bible? Show me a Christian in the Bible (other than the Ethiopian eunuch, who is in the middle of a desert) who is not committed to a local church. Throughout the entire New Testament, believers unite their professions and their lives together.

Jonathan Leeman is the author of Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus.