Abba's Own. David R. Lumsden
selected becomes the one in support of consumer religion where the pulpit ensures the church’s competitive edge in the marketplace of consumer religion. He says that the goal of the Church is the transformation of a community shaped by the love and self-denial of Jesus and that evangelism is the Gospel method. ¹ Pastoral leadership, in some cases, is not selected on solid biblical, theological foundations. Pulpit committees choose their pastor for their pulpit and take pride in that he is a combination of, for instance, Jay Leno, Lee Iaccoca, and Dr. Phil (all now replaced in stature and popularity with Jimmy Fallon, Sergio Marchionne, Dr. Travis Stork, and Dr. Andrew Ordin.² Dr. Thompson, in writing, on pastoral ministry, turns attention to Paul. He takes a reader to the theological foundations for pastoral ministry. Search committees desire that their church grows, but that usually means regarding numbers of religious consumers and numbers in the offering plates. This attention drawn by Thompson is skewed, even though viewed as scholarly. Church leadership needs to point to ‘God’s Word,’ and ‘Jesus,’ not Paul, Timothy, or John, who said, and not what God said, though it may be implied. A misunderstanding of what ‘God’s Word’ could be the result. In soul- winning, people are looking for what God says, and what He says, especially, about His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, their forgiveness of sins and, eternal salvation, as a gift of grace from God, not Timothy.
D. P. Thompson led camp ministries in Glasgow, Scotland. He possessed a deep respect for D. L. Moody and Billy Graham. He founded the Church of Scotland Fellowship in Evangelism and said, “Evangelism is at once the primary work of the Church and the most urgent need of the hour. It is hardly possible to exaggerate its urgency or to estimate its importance…. If the Church fails to display a living, vigorous evangelism, she has failed in her essence and ultimate mission and, the days of her influence are numbered.” 3
What seekers believe and whether they agree with God may be influenced by how we as pastors and spiritual leaders represent God, to them. They are looking to find Jesus and who Jesus says He is, why they need Him, and what He has done and means to do for them, both now and for eternity. Two ladies had left a church because, as they said, “you cannot find Jesus there;” that is the preacher’s and teacher’s accountability. In soul-winning, not all seekers are seminarians or academic scholars. Jesus came to save lost sinners, and it is He that is building His Church, not seminarians, academics, nor church leaders. Effective pastoral ministry needs to have such a focus on God’s business for true church growth. Sometimes, we as pastors need to be reminded of that fact. Yes, we will need to answer to Jesus for our words and actions or lack thereof. As Jesus said of His authority over the Church, “… I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it,” (Matt 16: 18). Also, Jesus will sit as Judge in Judgment Day. We as pastors need to get behind Jesus, our Head and are being about what He is doing, not what we are doing. Lives are at risk for eternity. We need not be concerned only about ourselves as true Christians, but about others and their need to have Jesus Christ and. Be in Him; “He is the true God and eternal life,” (1 Jn 5: 20). To God (Elohim), for one to be effective in pastoral ministry and management, we need to believe and agree with Him. We as pastors and other Christian leaders, need to be alert to anything drawing us or others away from the preeminence of Jesus Christ, especially in our preaching and teaching. Pastors face an age that makes pastoral ministry a complex task and an even more difficult task for seminary professors in preparation and edification of God’s called servants. All more to believe and lean on Jesus Christ, take His yoke upon ourselves, “and learn of Me, (He says), for He is meek and lowly of heart,” for He wants His friends to go out and make disciples of others in every nation, (Matt 28: 18-20). When you engage in soul-winning, and a new convert is born, you have no idea to what part of the world God may take that person and thus influence the extent of your God-given ministry, of those saved, faithful and loyal to Him.
The author does not mean to belabour the point but is concerned with the leaders of leaders, who teach aspects that must grieve God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Examples include: ‘You may be saved, but you do not have the Holy Spirit in you?⁴
Pope Francis addresses the world from the US and says, “Jesus failed on the Cross.”⁵ A leading pastor in the Western world says that Christendom must remove the Cross from the churches, lest a certain member of a non-Christian world religion is offended. Remember, the Cross and the Resurrection are central components of the faith of true Christians. These pillars of the faith cannot be compromised, and Christianity remains Christian. A pastor of an evangelical church says that we are in the Post Christian, Post Evangelical age and anyone who preaches the Gospel and expects a hearer to receive Christ is presumptuous.’⁶ What? The task of evangelism will be complete when Jesus comes in His return, and His true children are raptured (caught up to be with Christ). Until then, Jesus is still building His church, and all Christians are called, still, to be faithful in the ministry of reconciliation. When a pastor in a Presbyterian church hears “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of God,” (1 Jn 5: 1), and replies that it sounds like mystical paganism, and that salvation also depends on church membership, then, we have a problem with his message. The Ignatius Christos church, in the Edmonton region, teaches that the ‘Administration’ is the final authority on what is the Word of God, which includes for them, any writings of any philosophy they approve.
Another pastor of a supposed evangelical church allows sin to prevail. In that church, one individual speaks to a group that he has learned how to have an affair with a different lady every week and not lose his salvation. He makes allegations against true Christians, who do not support his singles club in the church, and the pastor did nothing as the Scriptures require in church discipline. The pastor argues that they have an open door policy for all people. Should the system not restrict the teaching of false teachings by anyone entering their door. The church has become known as the politically-correct, culturally-sensitive, cappuccino church, where anything goes. No wonder the world sees the supposed Christians as no different from the world and therefore does offer a different, meaningful and influential significantly alternative as far as the people of the world are concerned.
Christian leadership and management need to be aware of the world in which they are working, in the present day. We need to be leading the church and the world, not to apostasy, but faith in Jesus Christ, to receive Him and His gift of Eternal Life, revealed by God, not by false doctrine and practice. Why is the Church on the decline, if the Church is doing its job to which God has called Her?
LEADERSHIP IN THE CURRENT ERA
God says of Himself, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance,” (2 Pet 3: 9). Many people in the world are confused about God. Some, referred to as atheists, do not believe that He exists. Agnostics and pantheists think that there is a ‘force’ in the universe with no personal interest in a personal relationship with humankind. Some think of God and believe there are many gods, and perhaps they keep adding more gods, as in Roman, Egyptian, Hindu, i.e. Polytheistic religions. Some think of God as someone who wants to punish humankind, and that is why there is so much suffering in the world. There are some that find the true God (Elohim), who does not wish that any should perish, rather loves and wants humankind to come to repentance, so as, to dwell with Him in Heaven. He knows that humankind sinned (disobeyed God, namely Adam and Eve disobeyed God and the rest of humankind inherited their sin). Although humankind deserves eternal punishment, God loves humankind but hates their sin, but is willing to forgive all those who repent. Therefore, because God loves humankind His plan and business for humankind is salvation from sin and death so those who believe Him can have salvation in Jesus. Jesus is His only begotten Son, whom He sent into this world to die on the Cross of Calvary for the sins of the whole world, so humankind would not need to pay the price for sin and death but, have everlasting Life, through faith in Christ alone, by grace. All who believe God, who forsake their sins, and turn to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to give them new life, are saved and have received God the Holy Spirit of Jesus, as a gift, to comfort, guide, defend and lead them in the born-again life. They know that when they pass from this earth into Eternity, there will be no Second death. They have received such a remarkable change in their lives with such an amazing promise through what is called the new birth by the Holy Spirit, and they have received meaning