Many people believe that the indwelling Holy Spirit should lead more than any Bible verse.

Question 3: Many people believe that the indwelling Holy Spirit should lead more than any Bible verse.

Answer: Just because many believe it, does not make it right. 2 Peter 1: 20-21 says, “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Scripture is not the will of man or interpretation of man. Scripture was written by men who were inspired or carried along by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the author of the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit wrote the Bible. Therefore, what the Holy Spirit leads us to do will NEVER contradict what the Scriptures teach and tell us to do. God cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18) and thus can’t contradict Himself.

In fact, 1 John 4:1 tells us, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” As we have already learned, we do this by comparing what someone teaches with the scriptures. If they contradict the Bible, then they are a false prophet. The Bible is the authority because it is the will of the Holy Spirit.

Is the Bible really important if God's Word is written on our hearts?

Question 2: Is the Bible really important if God's Word is written on our hearts?

Answer: The Bible is supremely important. The way we have God’s Word “written on our hearts” is to study, memorize and obey the Scriptures. Proverbs 7:1-3 teaches us, “My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” We write God’s Word on our hearts as we study the Scriptures and internalize them. It is something God commands us to do. The Bible is very important. It is how we find faith in God. The only knowledge we have of Jesus’ life, ministry and teaching comes from the New Testament Scriptures. The Bible is how the Holy Spirit writes on our heart.

The Apostles stated in Acts 6:4 that they would focus on “the ministry of the word." The Apostle Paul shared in this ministry. He writes in Galatians 2:8, “For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles.” Paul also had an Apostolic ministry to preach and teach the Scriptures. Acts 17:2 says, “As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures.” And he considered it a good thing when people would search the Scriptures to verify that what he taught was true. Acts 17:11 says, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” We can verify if a teacher preaches the truth by comparing what he says with the Bible (See 1 John 4:1).

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:3 “You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” So the result of Paul teaching the Scriptures and the people verifying what Paul taught from the Scriptures was the Spirit of God was able to write His will on their hearts. Their knowledge of God’s will was the result of the Holy Spirit working through Paul’s ministry of teaching the Scriptures. The way God writes on our hearts is through the hearing, reading, study and acceptance of His Word. Yes, the Bible is important.

Are there any Bible references to the authority of the New Testament Scriptures?

Question: Are there any Bible references to the authority of the New Testament scriptures? Is the Bible really important if God's Word is written on our hearts? Many people believe that the indwelling Holy Spirit should lead more than any Bible verse. If you adhere to the written letter aren't you being a Pharisee? Being ultra-conservative and legalistic is a sin, isn't it?

Answer: Where do I start? This line of questioning tries to put the Scriptures in opposition to the Holy Spirit. It insinuates that the Holy Spirit may lead someone to do something that contradicts the teaching of Scriptures. It creates a false competition between the Holy Spirit and the Bible. It insinuates that only legalists would follow what the Bible actually says, and that to do so is to not follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. I will break this down into five questions and answer them individually.

Question 1: Are there any Bible references to the authority of the New Testament Scriptures?

Answer: 2 Timothy 3: 15-17 “…from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Yes, the Bible has authority. All scripture is God-breathed. That means it is from the mouth of God. It is God’s word. It is God’s will. What greater authority is there? It is God’s way. And it is all useful. We are to teach with it. We are to rebuke with it. We are to correct with it. We are to train with it. By this word we become wise for salvation through faith. In fact the Bible says that faith comes from the word (See Romans 10:17). It thoroughly equips us for every good work.

I don’t need modern day revelation. I don’t need to get some “word of knowledge” or other false doctrine mumbo-jumbo to know God’s will. The Bible and its teaching will thoroughly (that means completely) equip me for every (that means all) good work. The Bible is my guide book, my instruction manual, and my all sufficient source for doctrine. Psalms 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

Save Me From Myself

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

Why do I find judgment so easy to pass... especially when judging is contrary to true faith? Your faults just seem so much more apparent than mine are. Maybe I'm full of pride. Maybe I grow too accustommed to my own faults. Maybe I'm just shallow. Maybe there's a 2x4 in the way.

Jesus reserved his harshest words for people with this very problem, the Pharisees. They were experts at the letter of the law, but they completely missed the heart of why the laws were given. They grew to trust in their own religious fervor rather than God's grace.

A friend recently shared a story that he read with me that will become my check on judgmentalism. A preacher and an elder were on their way to talk to a man in their church involved in adultery. On the way, the preacher asked, "Do you think you could ever be tempted by an affair?" The elder responded, "Me? No way." At that, the preacher turned the car around. "We can't do this tonight. You need to get your pride in check before we can do this."

Ephesians 4:15 tells us to speak "the truth in love." The truth may be a sword to fight evil, but it is not a weapon to slash open other people. Which would you rather hear: "Let me tell you your problem, heathen" or "From one flawed person to another, let's try to work on this"? How much more effective could the church be if we could all learn to speak the truth in love?

Donuts and oil

" Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21

If you're like me, it would be difficult for you to choose between a regular Krispy Kreme donut and a chocolate-covered one. On the one hand, the regular donut just shines with its delicious sugary glaze. On the other hand, you can never go wrong with chocolate.

But suppose you were offered the following choice: your favorite Krispy Kreme donut, or all the oil fields of Texas. Not such a tough choice for anyone with a modicum of sense.

Still, there might be someone who'd say, "I'd take the donut."

The donut? Why?

"Well, it's right there in front of you. And it's great. And you can enjoy it right now and be satisfied by the pleasure it brings. If you took the oil fields, there would be paperwork to fill out, taxes to pay, and the benefits wouldn't come for some time yet."

While all that is true, it misses the point. The benefits of the oil fields, while delayed, exponentially outweigh the benefits of a one-time encounter with a donut.

Sadly, there are many professing Christians who are opting for...the donut. They are investing their energies and passions in things that are here for a short while, but will be long gone and forgotten throughout eternity. The enemy's strategy of distracting the believer with the fun stuff of earth, to the neglect of the essential spiritual tasks our Lord has assigned to us, has been most effective.

Let us examine ourselves, and ask the Lord to bring to our attention those things which compete against Him for our allegiance. Let us give our idols the heave-ho, and be about the Father's business.

Why don't you want to be called pastor? (Part 2)

Question: I have noticed that you do not refer to yourself as “Pastor.” Why don’t you call yourself “Pastor”? Isn’t that your job as the preacher at your church?

Answer part 2: Yesterday, I gave the first reason why I do not call myself “Pastor.” The reason was that in the Bible, “pastors” in the church were always the elders of the church, not the preachers. I explained that my role was the same as Timothy’s in the Bible, one of evangelist, which means “preacher of the good news.” Therefore, according to the Bible’s definition, I am not a “Pastor.” "(see yesterday's post for more info.)

http://scripturist.org/2005/05/why-dont-you-want-to-be-called-pastor.html

Though it is my role and the Biblical term used for my job, I still don’t ask people to call me “Preacher.” This brings me to the second reason I don’t call myself “Pastor.” Titles of distinction can be a source of pride. To ask you to refer to me as “Pastor” or even “Preacher” goes against the tenor of scripture. When people call me “Preacher” or “Pastor”, I don’t get mad or offended. I will usually just act like they said my name. Many do it out of tradition, but I prefer not to be called by titles. The reason I don’t ask people to call me by my job title is that Jesus warned of hypocritical religious leaders who, out of a motive of pride, liked to be called by titles.

Jesus taught in Matthew 23:5-11, "Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’ 'But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant.”

I choose not to wear a backwards collar or some sort of “priestly outfit” because I don’t want to be like the hypocritical religious leaders who wore special “rabbi clothes” with wide phylacteries to draw attention to themselves. (Not to mention I think those look silly) I sit out with the congregation during our worship service and not up on stage because I don’t want to be seeking the “important seats in the synagogues.” I don’t ask people to call me “Pastor” or any other name because I don’t want to do things to be “seen by men.” I will not demand that people call me “Rabbi”, “Father”, or “Teacher.” I never have understood religious leaders that make you call them “Father” when Jesus explicitly forbid such a prideful indulgence.

If you asked what I did for a living I would tell you that I am a preacher. However, I don’t expect people to call me “Preacher” or any other title. I would rather not be greeted on the street as “Preacher” even though that is what I am. I am just a man. Greet me by my name like you would anyone else. I may have a role of preaching and leadership like Timothy did, but I can’t imagine Timothy making everyone in Ephesus call him, “Preacher.”

1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Peter is teaching us here that every Christian is a priest. Every Christian is holy. We are equal. Ephesians 4:12 shows us every Christian should be equipped for a ministry or service. My ministry may be that of an evangelist but that doesn’t make me better or more important than anyone else. Every part of the body of Christ is equally important. I do not look down my nose at ministers who chose to have people call them by titles. However, I myself can’t follow that tradition in good conscience. Jesus taught me not to.

I do not deserve a special outfit, a special seat at church, or a special title. I am a sinner saved by grace just like every other Christian. I do not want to be elevated up to “clergy” status. I believe a “clergy” and “laity” atmosphere is unbiblical and unhealthy for a church. If anything, I want to be your servant. So, please don’t call me “Pastor” but feel free to email me if you need some prayer or encouragement from God’s word. I love everyone in the Lord and I am here to serve you by preaching the good news.

Why don't you want to be called pastor?

Question: I have noticed that you do not refer to yourself as “pastor.” Why don’t you call yourself “pastor”? Isn’t that your job as the preacher at your church?

Answer Part 1: I am often asked this question. There is a great misconception about this word in Christendom today. The Greek word that we translate as “pastor” in the New Testament is poimhn (pronounced poy-mane), which literally translated means “shepherd.” So wherever you see the word “Pastor” in your Bible you could put the word “shepherd” and vise versa. Jesus refers to himself as the “good shepherd” in John 10:14. So Jesus is the “good pastor.”

There are two reasons that I do not refer to myself as pastor. The first reason is that in the Bible, the term pastor is used exclusively for the elders of the church and I am not an Elder. For example, in Acts 20:17 Paul calls together the Elders of the church in Ephesus and gives an emotion farewell speech to them. In the midst of this speech to Elders, he says in Acts 20:28, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”

There are two terms used for Elders in this passage. One is that of “overseer” and the other is that of “shepherds”. The word there in verse 28 could be translated as “pastors.” The Elders are the “pastors” of the local church according to Paul. The Apostle Peter agrees.

1 Peter 5:1-4 says, “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers— not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”

Here the Apostle Peter calls elders to be the “shepherds” of the flock and “overseers.” Peter calls Jesus the “chief shepherd.” So we see the term “shepherd” or “pastor” being used exclusively for the elders of the church as far as titles for church leadership. This is why I do not call myself pastor. I am not one. It would be Biblically incorrect to refer to myself as a pastor. Not only am I not an elder, I do not fit the qualifications of an elder, which are listed in 1 Timothy and Titus. I also notice that there are always multiple pastors and never just one in a church.

What is my role then? In 2 Timothy 4:5 Paul instructs the young preacher Timothy saying, “do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” There are two terms here Paul uses for Timothy’s role in the church. One is “minister.” Timothy had a particular ministry in the church so he was a minister. However, many people, including deacons have ministries and may be called ministers. Ephesians 4:12 tells us all Christians are to be equipped for “service” or “ministry.” The second term Paul uses for Timothy’s role is “evangelist.” This word in Greek literally means, “to preach the good news.” That was Timothy’s role in Ephesus and that is my role at the church which I serve. I am a “preacher of the good news” or an “evangelist” as the NIV translates it.

If we are going to follow God’s plan of the church we need to restore Biblical leadership roles and use the Biblical terms. Paul was often encouraging Christians to follow the pattern laid out for the Church by the Apostles. Paul said in Philippians 3:17, “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.” And again in Paul instructs in 2 Timothy 1:13, “What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.” We need to follow the Bibles pattern for how to organize our churches and structure our leadership.

There are qualifications listed for elders in the Bible. Imagine the confusion if we change the meaning of “Shepherd” or “pastor” from the elders to the preacher. We will be applying verses about qualifications to the wrong leaders. We could avoid a lot of the problems many churches face if we would just follow the Biblical pattern for Church leadership. We need to do Bible things Bible ways and call Bible things by Bible names. This will promote unity, love, and peace in the brotherhood of believers. I will cover the second reason why I do not call myself “pastor” in my next post.