The Minister The Ministry & Me Show - The 3M Podcast

If The Foundations Be Destroyed..Guest contributor: Randy Pritts1  “I trust in the Lord for protection. So why do you say to me, "Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety! 2  The wicked are stringing their bows and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings. They shoot from the shadows at those whose hearts are right. 3  The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?"4  But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth. 5  The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked. He hates those who love violence. 6  He will rain down blazing coals and burning sulfur on the wicked, punishing them with scorching winds. 7  For the righteous Lord loves justice. The virtuous will see his face.”-Psalm 11 (NLT)Allow me to rephrase this for our current consideration: If the foundations of civil society be destroyed, what can the righteous do? I will explain why.Religion and PoliticsThe old adage "religion and politics don't mix" no longer fits. At one time, it may have been polite for the saints to bite their tongues and not ruffle anyone's feathers. However, in the current social climate, politics is exactly where the ungodly is making his most ardent and divisive attack. The foundations of civil society are being destroyed, and being nearly destroyed, what is left that the righteous can do? In this psalm (kjv@Psalm:11 ) we see the wicked "bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart". Let there be no mistake that it is at the upright he is pointing his bow. So frequent are these attacks, and uncomfortable, that the saint's soul might be tempted to say "Flee as a bird to your mountain". This psalm is not about what the wicked are doing however, no it is about the saint on which this psalm focuses. Under pressure and ensuing wickedness, what is the response of the righteous?The mountain is a tempting place for us to flee. After all, what matter is it of ours what this society chooses for itself to become? What matters is that "the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright". Therefore, "The LORD trieth the righteous". Like as with precious metals, HE puts them to the test in a foundry to separate us from the dross and prove to us HIS righteousness's worth. This separation and purification is not to be sought from atop some distant mountain top away from it all. It comes only from being in the boil and tumult of the cauldron's hottest flames. For us, no doubt, these are dangerous and unfamiliar grounds. So much so, that it must be said to us as a reminder that "In the LORD,” the saint must put his or her trust.Before we run out onto the political and social battlefield shooting at whatever target seen fit, let's better consider verse four at the heart of this psalm:“The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord's throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.”- Psalm 11:4"The LORD is in his holy temple” (Gods Holiness)Our LORD is much different from the lords of the rest of this world. This LORD alone is holy. It is not for this LORD to rule as we see fit. Who are we? Are we holy in the same sense? Not unless we allow HIS reign to have its effect upon us to such an extent that we reflect nothing but HIS holiness. Sadly, this is something that in our haste, we often neglect to maintain.
There have been plenty of similar occasions when we have raced onto the battlefield with our thoughts and bias, our beliefs, our strict legalism, our own insistence and our way of fixing things - only to shoot ourselves or our brothers in the foot. And by our inept misrepresentations of Christ, the person and purposes of Christ have been ill presented and represented.
"the LORD'S throne is in heaven” (Gods Reign And Judgement)The view of the battlefield that this LORD has from above is much different from ours here in the trenches. What is right in our own eye, so often is not the correct place from which strategic judgments should be made. Countless times we have foolishly played right into our enemy's stronger hand. No, this is a different kind of war, fought with different kinds of weapons - not the weapons we bring in from home on our own. Our fleshly weapons do not suffice.
"his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men” (The Inescapable Watching of Gods Eye)As saints, we should never think that this LORD's critical eye is not upon us as well. HIS eye beholds all the children of men. If anything certain can be said of the scriptures, it is that this LORD's eye is more upon HIS saints - more than any other. "The wicked and him that loveth violence,” this righteous LORD may "hateth" but, "the LORD trieth" with a keen loving interest those whom HE has chosen and imputed HIS righteous covering over - desiring from them a willing and constant improving compliance.The Search for AnswersIt is quite natural for the world at large to neglect these crucial political and social foundations: God's holiness.God's reign and judgment.The inescapable watching of God's eye. This is how they end up with this unruly and divisive climate that they have trapped us into. Neglect. The wicked neglect the holy things. They also ask, "What can be done?” “What can the wicked do?” and answer it with, "radicalize what we've been doing and cram it down the peaceable and law-abiding citizen's moral conscience". These citizens, these masses, have become easy prey for the wicked to take full advantage of for much more wicked and hidden purposes. They have been made to feel disenfranchised, victimized, systematically oppressed, made to covet what they do not have for themselves, and become inflamed - led by the snoot of social compassion by the wicked to a place upside-down, where upright and civil society would rather not go - forsaking God and holy things.It is quite inexcusable however when the congregation of saints also personally neglect these pillars of sanity. That is how the saints end up in the unenviable and indefensible position of having allowed these societal ills to fester unattended and undressed for far too long. Instead of becoming influencers of society, we saints are labeled the neanderthal - we are the archaic, we are the racist and insensitive and bigot. We ponder, “how did it all came to this?” What is left that we might do? Well there is not much of anything left to do when we've already allowed the foundations to collapse in all around us. That is unless the LORD Himself is willing to do something about it through us.Some saints might ask, "What is it that is different about this particular age?”Lets observe:Today, there is the talk of "cutting the tree down at the trunk.” Marxism exists in this country like it has never existed before. In Marxism there will be no space afforded for this LORD we freely today speak of here, nor will there be a place for these foundations - not even the thought of HIM or them. What do we do then? The Marxist doctrine plans to use Socialism as the blowtorch to clear and level the field for this “inevitable", they say, "stateless society". No one is served by this wicked ideology in the end - not the disenfranchised, nor the victim, nor the impoverished, not even those foot soldiers fighting for it - nor the elite, nor intellectual, not even the socially compassionate. By that time, these all will have been proven to have been "useful idiots” - as will have, the saint. This truth has been proven numerous times in the previous century. Is it time now for this to be proven again?For Country? Yes and NoThe psalmist nearly pleads for us, the church - saints! - to sing forth in unison: "In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?" A good many of us, I believe, are being guided by the scripture such as the Psalms and by the Holy Spirit to replenish the “front-line” as a test of this generation's metal. It is not that this country is morally superior and worth the extra fight. It is not that this country does not have massive problems needing to be addressed. It is that the "righteous LORD loveth righteousness” and so should we, and that the LORD is our foundation bedrock no matter what the country. If the godless have made it close to impossible socially and politically for the upright to operate in, and attack us politically and socially and ever increasingly, then it is time for the foundations to be upheld and boldly defended, Not for us to once again flee! If, in a society, the foundations have been destroyed, now they must be rebuilt. If they are on the brink of collapse, then the righteous must hold them together, Not sit back and watch them crumble - reinforce them!We have only to make sure that we are upholding the foundations of our LORD's righteousness in fact and not just what we see as right in our own eye!"If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”[END]About Randy: Randy Pritts is the author of the “Back to the Psalms Series” audio project and the upcoming 2020 book “Foundations Of The Like Precious Faith Series”. Follow Randy at his website likepreciousfaith.us which features a wide variety of original and classic Christian content, bible translations, dictionaries, indexes, and other public domain resources for the modern “like precious faith” believer’s ongoing edification.J.N.Wheels is now on Patreon! Support my work for as little as $3/Month.https://www.patreon.com/JNWheels?fan_landing=true

This video is about Mark chapter 4 verses one through twenty (Mark 4:1-20) in the Bible (The Parable of the Sower). Not everyone who hears the gospel and the message of salvation wants to bow the knee to Jesus Christ as their Lord and as their Savior. More at https://jnwheels.comMy BOOK: https://jnwheels.com/a-book-about-assistant-pastors-for-assistant-pastors-by-j-n-wheels/Support me here:https://jnwheels.com/support-my-patreon/

“Awaken Deaf Ears”I woke this morning and these three words were the first thought in my mind.Awaken. Deaf. Ears.I really believe that phrase. I believe that God wants that. Not because it popped into my mind this morning but because thats what He does. He’s good at this sort of thing.But were good at other things, like deafening our ears and blinding our eyes.I believe God is moving to cause this generation to hear Him and see Him.But right now the many idols of our age are blinding us to the one who would become our rescue and salvation.So many distractions exist in our lives. And the idolatry of self is a hard and mighty foe to cast down.But, like passing through the eye of a needle, nothing is impossible with our God.Do we still believe that God opens blind eyes?Do we still believe in Jesus, the one who raises the dead?Do we still believe that deaf ears can be opened?Can the dead bones be raised to life and made whole?I believe. I still believe that. Thats not ancient history, its a present reality.We must now proclaim this reality that is ours in Christ, that He is Savior of the world. That he is the one who has rescued us from our sins.Be bold believer. It is time. Its time to obey that great commission. To go into all the world and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.What grabs our attention, better than most anything? Pain.I believe that God is using the pain and realities of these times to bring us to our knees. To humble our hearts and allow us, by the grace and mercy of God, to see Him. To Hear Him.So, Where are the preachers?Where are those who will go for him?Where are those messengers who are willing to be counted as fools for His sake and for His Gospel?He is saying, “who will go for me, who will I send?” Where are those who will answer?“Here I am Lord, send me.”ENDSupport me on Patreon! $3/Month helps a ton!https://jnwheels.com/support-my-patreon/My New Book:https://jnwheels.com/a-book-about-assistant-pastors-for-assistant-pastors-by-j-n-wheels/

This Sermon about the church in Antioch addresses these topics:What is a christian?What does Christian Character look like?Antioch was where the church was first called christians.My Book: https://jnwheels.com/a-book-about-assistant-pastors-for-assistant-pastors-by-j-n-wheels/Podcast: https://jnwheels.com/the-3m-podcast/

For The Historical Record - How We Processed The Onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic - Corona Virus With Joel Wheelersburg & Ryan Ritchey-Wilson. This recording was recorded 4 weeks prior to when stay at home orders were issued throughout colorado and the country. more at JNWheels.commusic: Bensound.com and Evan Schaeffer

Have you ever wondered how previous generations of christians processed pandemics, plagues and virus's? Join me as we travel back in time 500 years and find out how Martin Luther processed how he and others might think about the bubonic plague that was ravishing Europe and his town. Audio Book reading of Martin Luthers, "Whether One May Flee From A Deadly Plague." From Luther: https://blogs.lcms.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Plague-blogLW.pdfFrom "The Hill": https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/488675-the-plague-coronavirus-and-martin-luther-why-they-all-matter-nowMade Possible by Craftsman Home Inspections llc CraftsmanColorado.com Music: Evan Schaeffer and BenSound.com More at jnwheels.com

On the Minister The Ministry and Me Show, Jeremiah shares about Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem before His death on the Cross and then Resurrection Three days later. Come enjoy part of the Easter Story. What is Easter?What is Resurrection Sunday?Music:BenSound.comAndEvan SchaefferMore at jnwheels.com

We talk about Facing The Reality of Death and Finding Our Hope in Christ during the corona virus (Covid 19) pandemic and we talk about Martin Luthers courage during the Bubonic plague. With Jeremiah Wheelersburg (J.N.Wheels) and Joel Wheelersburg. Subscribe to this Christian Podcast 2020 on iTunes, iheart radio and wherever you listen to podcasts.More at:https://jnwheels.comFollow on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/JNWheels-199365716784076/Subscribe to the Podcast:iHeart RadioiTunesListen to “The Minister The Ministry & Me Show” on Spreaker.PodbeanGoogle PlayStitcherPlayer FMMusic: BenSound.comand Evan Schaeffer

Lindsay wanted to talk about something other than the Covid-19 pandemic so we decided to record a podcast about running while running! We wanted to give you a podcast moment where you can sit back and chill with us and enjoy our conversation and not feel so isolated. We talk about running, what to do when you have to Pee on a run (thanks to Joel dropping in on our podcast via speakerphone)! we reminisce, talk of learning discipline and mental toughness and laugh a little. I hope it provides that moment away from the coronavirus and gives you some time in community with us, the Wheelersburg's.Made possible by Craftsman Home Inspections llcCraftsmanColorado.comMusic:Evan Shafer and BenSound.com

A Word to Pastors, Leaders and Content Creators during The Corona Virus. Be Brave. Be Bold. Music: BenSound.comMore at jnwheels.comMade possible by Craftsman Home Inspections llc www.craftsmancolorado.com

A Christian response to the corona virus and covid 19 pandemic. Face your Fears and Trust in God.more at www.jnwheels.com made possible by Craftsman Home Inspections llcwww.CraftsmanColorado.com

Word Art by J.N.Wheels Reflections on the sovereignty of God.More at jnwheels.comMusic: Mattia Cupelli Full Text:Here we are, we cannot wonder...Not too far...Lost or not, wether we think we are or not... we are here.. right where we are and he knows it. We are where we are, and here is where we belong... for now.. but not for eternity.We have run. Heart beat... run. Bump, pound, thump..Thump thump heart. Run but go nowhere. How can we run? Omnipresent does not follow... it does not run. Where you are, there He is. Run from God? How is that?In How many directions do we walk? In how many ways do we wander?Faint heart faint. Rest heart rest. Fall, and what follows is all you were ever running after.Running away, yet running after.Embrace the Son...For He has won every heart that belongs to the King.Belong where you always belonged...And, finally....rest.

Full text below.Watch this in Blog Film format on YouTube:https://youtu.be/_toN15clxc4For all the doubters, discouraged and downtrodden... here is a letter to self. From my first blog post ever, almost a decade now. I wrote this because I have always struggled in faith. A letter to my self was a way for me to keep myself encouraged. If you ever ask questions like “what does it mean to believe in God?” Or “What is faith?” This one is for you. More at https://jnwheels.com/the-3m-podcast/Music by Mattia CupelliFULL TEXT:Dear Me,Some say, “It is hard to believe.”They honestly state, “I cannot believe in what is unseen.”“I have no faith toward God, because I cannot see Him with my eye.”And yet without reserve, doubting, they place their measure of faith in what is seen.“Unless I can see it, it will not satisfy.”The faith of disbelief in God is placed elsewhere.You might say:“I faith what I feel.”“If I feel it, I believe it. If I taste, touch, hear or see it, I accept it.”“If I can argue for it, or reason through it, than surely I would give my life for it.”As people, we mostly believe that it is a satisfying thing to be able to see the object of our affections. But if you can see what you place your hope in, yet draw no joy from it, there is no pleasure in the seen thing at all. I have found most often that the seen things are the empty things – the letdowns in the end. We looked to be fulfilled and yet fulfilled we are not.Empty we come to our table and there find no fullness at all – only the same old desire unfulfilled. And so we are on the hunt.Searching to be satisfied.Our hearts are beating for a single treasure.The desire of man is probing the pleasures of life – hoping – expecting by faith, and panting for calm in a world full of storm. The desire of man is to be satisfied, and yet seeing, we are still wanting. And hearing many things, we are still deaf to the answer. Seeing the objects of our faith, most of us are unmoved. I don’t mean that we are not accepted or are without some definition or meaning or purpose, but I mean that we are left unaffected. Untouched by our roaming faith.Money is the god of some and yet though they move money, money does not move them. I can change my surroundings or possessions with money but money cannot speak to me, comfort me, hear my cries and relieve my anxieties. It cannot bring relief and companionship to the lonely heart.Sex is the god of many. All effort, emotion, and mind are consumed with this act or vision. Faith in the groped-for fleeting satisfaction of fornication. Yet we are untouched or fulfilled by sex. Though moving in sex, though moving from one partner to another in this act, we are not moved by it in heart. Satisfied but for a moment only, and then the moment passes. Lasting satisfaction is lacking because sex satisfies mostly the body but for a moment then, it is fleeting. The body is left hungering only for more but without being truly and lastingly pleased.Dreams,Degrees,Education,Self-worth,Popularity,Praise,Heroism…And the list could go on.We are searching for contentment.The mind and body are hungry for meaning, but what if man is more than just body and mind? Though what is seen is natural, what if in what lies beyond the “eyes-seen” world is where we are only satisfied? In the seemingly unnatural?Though men move naturally toward satisfaction and self-worth, they are not moved by what they grope for.What if the seen does not satisfy because the unseen in man hungers for the ultimate satisfying treasure – worth that cannot fade away. Love that is not fleeting. Purpose that lasts beyond this life – beyond time. The treasures that we know – the felt treasures are all effective for only a moment of pleasure. But what is unseen is unaffected by material treasures. The spirit of man that lives beyond this temporal life is yearning to be satisfied by the unseen – the spiritual. The body is possessed by spirit, and knowing that the body is rotting, the spirit is longing for its maker – the creator and satisfier of all things.Your need and my need is spiritual, not fleshly.Not worldly, but godly.Reality is, that the body is dead without the spirit and the spirit is dead without God.Long ago, God breathed His very breath into a pile of dust and brought man to life. His breath became our source of life and we are as His creation, longing to breath from the source once again. Satisfaction awaits but only at the fountainhead. You, being created in the image of God, who is Spirit, are longing to be touched by the God who formed you. To truly be moved by that which you place your faith in.God moves me.I am moved by Him.He is moving in me.Gushing out brilliantly.Over and under, in, through and out of the deepness of my heart, spirit, mind and emotions.I have searched the world over and have found only sweet, fulfilling satisfaction in Him alone. His Spirit lives in me and I am supremely satisfied in Him!I have not seen Him with the eye but have experienced Him with the heart and deep into my spirit, which He has made alive. And in knowing Him, I am complete and satisfied in mind, heart and faith.There are those who even see with the eye and still do not believe. But I have heard His still and small voice whispering to my spirit, calling me to be in Him complete and there be completely satisfied.I am a faith-walker – needing not sight but knowing Him through the experience of His touch upon my life. He has lit the path of life and inflamed my heart to burn for Him. He walks upon the landscape of my soul, and in heaven, though here on earth I now walk with Him in pleasure forevermore.My desires are for Him alone.He changes me,Renews me,Makes me whole, therefore I am wholly His.I have been delivered up to my God for His good pleasure. I am a sacrifice upon the alter of allurement. I have tasted and now see. I am lured by His immeasurable grace toward me. He is the hunter, I am His prey, and I have been caught by the one who only wholly loves me and cares for my soul. I am pleased to be trapped by His love. This is the result of his affections toward me and my experience of faith in Him.He is a God to be experienced, not intellectually beheld.But you must run after Him! Searching and calling after Him to be found, and there, you will no doubt be found by Him. But faith is an action as well as a reality, and the reality and faith-filled Creator of faith is longing to be your desire and object of faith.Yet as we know, reality is often tested.But know this my friend, the God of reality will be found as real as life and more powerful than death come the end of your life. And there, in that moment, having not experienced Him here you will surely never know Him there.Are you experiencing your God, or just reading about Him? The seen does not satisfy because we were meant to be other-worldly.Our unseen spirit is most greatly delighted when enraptured by His Spirit – seen with the spiritual eye.Come boldly before your God today and experience Him in all of His glory. Let Him blow your mind. See Him and be seen by Him with Fresh eyes.Safe in Him,J.N.Wheels

FULL Christmas Special - The 3M PodcastOur Full Christmas Episode with Andy Johnson, Joel Wheelersburg, Ryan Ritchey-Wilson, and J.N.Wheels. Also, with New Christmas Music by Brandon Bee and Kingdom Citizens! (links to their music below). Come have fun with us and celebrate the birth of our savior!More: https://jnwheels.com/the-3m-podcast/Music: bensound.comKingdom Citizens Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/kingdom-citizens-christmas-vol-1-single/1489833517Brandon Bee Music:https://music.apple.com/us/album/away-in-a-manger-you-changed-the-world-single/1490505227

What is Thanksgiving? What do we have to be thankful for in Jesus Christ?Our Thanksgiving Special with guests Joel Wheelersburg, Ryan Ritchey-Wilson, and Lindsay Wheelersburg with host, J.N.Wheels.https://jnwheels.com

Sin caused us to go from unashamed to filled with shame. From peace with God to fear of God. “I was afraid,” said Adam. In his nakedness, Adam realized that what he was now feeling, was not in God. He had become something else. He had become sinful and this was something he had never experienced with God. God was not this new thing. The contrast was obvious to Adam. God was pure and man was stained. There had been no shame with God… but now, with sin, He was scared with God. Scared of God, His Creator and friend. God, in the garden with man as a sinner, was a scary thing to Adam. He recognized the Holiness of God in contrast to the sinfulness in his own heart and mind. His consciousness was no longer at ease but it was bothered. “Hide! Hide Adam!” That was the new thought in his mind. Because he recognized that He would be judged as unholy in contrast to the perfect creator before him. He was now a broken vessel. The pieces were scattered across the floor. And the thought of standing before His first love - God, and accepting this fact was too much to bare… and so he hid himself. But God was not scared. He was not afraid of these consequences. He pursued his broken man and woman. His masterpiece was not beyond repair. Even from the first, God was ready to put the pieces back together. Man was about to find out what love is, and what love can do. It can forgive the greatest and gravest of failures and mistakes. It can heal the wounded and most broken of hearts. It can calm the storms and fears that we all feel. We recognize the failure and He provides the reconciliation. He takes it upon Himself to cover the shame we all feel and He covers it by His blood. He sacrificed His own creation and clothed Adam and Eve in the skin of an animal for the first time. He created the covering that would ease their shame until Christ would come to cover us forever! We are the broken and He is the saving grace. Let that comfort you in your pain and help you to look at Him once again, as loving creator of all things. Your gracious and loving creator, friend, and God. The broken things can and have been restored.These are the Broken Pieces and Saving Grace.Music: BenSound.comMore: https://jnwheels.com

The first loss that came to exist at the first error of mankind was the loss of peace. We were once content with and only mindful of the good things that God had graciously and lovingly provided for us - the fruit of the earth, comfort and care, the companionship of the spouse God had given to us as a good and needed, loving remedy to loneliness - a way for us to express and share the love God had put into our hearts, and lest we forget, the best and most complete gift we ever had - the gift of Gods presence - walking with God, in fellowship with Him, here on earth. The creature in conscience and physical relationship with the Creator. Man and women were complete in this relationship - but not for long. The first loss came - it was the loss of this peace. The man and woman had been naked and no shame was felt - they were unashamed. Imagine that. So at peace with one another and ourselves, that we were not preoccupied with the way we looked or didn’t look. We thought more about others and God than we thought about our own insecurities. But sin (that transgression and first error) entered the world as we chose to disobey God’s direction and choose against God. The results were the loss of our peace. We, for the first time in human history, we were ashamed. We felt shame. We noticed and identified with pain for the first time. It hurts to be a sinner. That is our reality. And sin had entered our being - our bodies and minds were now infected. The bodies suffer, but so does the mind. Naked. What a shame was felt when we noticed that we no longer were content to be noticed - now, with our flaws - we were no longer content to be ourselves wholly - and the pain of insecurity grabbed hold of ourselves and we did what scared people do - we hid… and we hide. Music: BenSound.comMore at: https://jnwheels.com

We talked about easter, resurrection day and why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ important? Is it relevant and what does it have to do with us? Oh, and we also talked about spider man and comic book collecting... and Jesus!

Still Not ProfessionalsTen Pleas for Today’s PastorsStill Not Professionals: Ten Pleas for Today’s Pastors is a celebration and extension of John Piper’s Brothers, We Are Not Professionals. With two brief exhortations from Piper and eight others from veteran pastors, this short ebook aims to strengthen and challenge Christians in general, and pastors in particular, for the labor of everyday life and ministry. The contributors were asked to express their “heart of hearts” for fellow leaders. You’ll find these chapters tap into profound human themes, in both the pastor and his flock, and will be of use, we hope, beyond the North American context of the contributors.by John Piper Modal , Daniel L. Akin Modal , Thabiti Anyabwile Modal , Mike Bullmore Modal , Sam Crabtree Modal , Ray Ortlund Modal , Jeff Vanderstelt Modal , and Douglas WilsonRead here by J.N.WheelsFind the Still Not Professionals link from Desiring God Here: https://www.desiringgod.org/books/still-not-professionalsSupport The Minister The Ministry and Me Show (The 3M Podcast) or get T-Shirts, Mugs, notebooks and more while still supporting jnwheels.com here: https://jnwheels.com/donate-support/ Full Text:BROTHERS, TRAIN UP THE NEXT GENERATIONMike BullmoreI find there is a persistent temptation in my life and ministry. It is the temptation to just finish my own race faithfully.“What’s wrong with that?” you ask. It actually sounds fairly biblical, almost Pauline. “I just want to finish the race. I don’t want to be disqualified. I want to be found faithful to the end.” Which is well and good, except if the understanding of faith- fulness to the gospel is limited to and concerned only with my allotted three score years and ten, or if by reason of strength, four score.I don’t know about you, but with the challenges and weight of pastoral ministry, sometimes I can be reduced to “Lord, just help me to be faithful to the end.”And on the flipside of that temptation is the simple fact that it is very hard to be passionate about, and to maintain passion for, the future, especially if that future is beyond our sight. It is easy for me to be passionate about my children’s well-being. And it is easy to extend that passion to their children. But for 42Still Not Professionals Ten Pleas for Today’s Pastorshow many generations out can you maintain that passion? For me it’s hard to go much beyond three generations without fall- ing into abstraction.I share that simply to illustrate that there is a difficulty, even in our understanding of something as good as gospel faithful- ness, in holding the future clearly and rightly in our minds. This can contribute to a tendency to define faithfulness to the gospel too much in terms of our own tenure.Let me state my point positively: Necessary to our faithful gos- pel ministry is an investment in the gospel ministry that will come after ours. I see this laid out in the first two chapters of 2 Timothy.Disciple Faithful MenPaul says in 2 Timothy 1:14, “Guard the good deposit entrust- ed to you.” Then, a few verses later, picking up some of that same language, he tells Timothy, as part of his “guarding,” to“entrust to faithful men” what has been entrusted to him, and part of that “entrusting” is teaching them to pass the same thing on to others (2 Timothy 2:2).Paul is telling Timothy that an essential part of faithful gos- pel ministry is this investment in the next generation. It is not some optional add-on. In other words, when Paul tells Timo- thy to “guard” the gospel, he is not just calling Timothy to pro- tect the integrity of the gospel from the effects of false teaching. He is also calling Timothy to fight to preserve the continua- tion of the gospel against the effects of erosion over time, even beyond Timothy’s time.So let me say it again. Essential to our faithfulness in gospel min- istry is this investment in a succeeding generation of gospel ministers. 43Still Not Professionals Ten Pleas for Today’s PastorsBeware Hezekiah SyndromeI believe the greatest challenge to this is what we might call the “my lifetime” tendency, a tendency we see exemplified in a certain Old Testament Israelite king. Perhaps you remember the story. Hezekiah is king of Judah. Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, comes to attack. Hezekiah, with Isaiah’s help, prays and prevails. Hezekiah gets sick and is instructed by Isaiah to get his house in order. Hezekiah cries out to God and is grant- ed fifteen more years. Upon hearing of this, the king of Babylon sends envoys, ostensibly to congratulate Hezekiah on his recov- ery. Hezekiah in his dim-witted pride shows off the national treasures. The envoys return to Babylon. Isaiah asks for a report of their visit. Hezekiah tells Isaiah what he did. In response, Isaiah predicts the coming Babylonian captivity. Then this.Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.”What makes this account even more compelling and sober- ing as a warning to us is the fact that Hezekiah was extremely influential in reforming the spiritual life of Judah: cleansing the temple, restoring temple worship, reinstating Passover, and reorganizing the priesthood. See the account in 2 Chronicles. He made an impressive contribution along very important lines.But then there is this episode late in his life which betrays both his pride and his myopia. Despite all his zeal, there was, apparently, an absence of zeal for what happened after he passed off the scene. 44Still Not Professionals Ten Pleas for Today’s PastorsAvoid Temporal ShortsightednessRichard Baxter brings a wonderful way of addressing this in his book The Reformed Pastor. He writes, “If you will glorify God in your lives, you must be chiefly intent upon the public good, and the spreading of the gospel through the world.” The alternative, according to Baxter, was “a private, narrow soul always taken up about itself that sees not how things go in the world. Its desires and prayers and endeavors go no further than they can see or travel.”Baxter is talking about the possibility of a geographical shortsightedness, but we might also be guilty of a temporal shortsightedness. That was Hezekiah’s case.Baxter called his readers to just the opposite—a largeness of soul that “beholds all the earth and desires to know how it goes with the cause and with the servants of the Lord.” Paul’s words in 2 Timothy call us to the very same thing but looking out into the future. “How will it go with the cause? And what can I do to fuel this cause into the future?”Let us not be content to simply say, “As long as all is well in my lifetime.”Cultivate Far-Seeing VisionIn contrast to Hezekiah’s myopia, we see Paul’s far-seeing vision, and it becomes especially poignant in view of Paul’s imminent departure. Remember this is the same letter in which he says, “The time of my departure is at hand.”Paul asks Timothy to think a certain way about gospel ministry. And he asks Timothy to train the next generation to think this way about gospel ministry. And God asks us to think 45Still Not Professionals Ten Pleas for Today’s Pastorsthis way about gospel ministry. Necessary to faithful gospel min- istry is an investment in the next generation of gospel ministers.This should translate into very concrete realities in our weekly lives. This is a responsibility the church shares corpo- rately, but it will require of you a very definite investment of time, energy and purpose.Invest in the Next Gospel GenerationWhat will this look like? Let me suggest four possibilities. First, devote yourself to faithful gospel ministry, especially the min- istry of the word. The best way to train men to faithfully preach the gospel is to faithfully preach the gospel. William Perkins wrote, “So, let every minister both in his teaching and in his conversation work in such a way that he honors his calling, so that he may attract others to share his love for it.”Second, pay attention to the young men of various ages in your congregation. Notice how they receive your preaching. Notice how they process your preaching. Notice any deepening affections for God and his word. Keep your eyes open.Third, create contexts for the young men who catch your eye to practice and grow in their handling of the word.Fourth, and this must not go unsaid, pray very specifical- ly for God to raise up the next generation of gospel ministers. Pray for your replacement, but pray also for more than that. Pray with an eye, and a heart, toward the future and the con- tinuing success of the gospel in the world, until Christ comes.

Still Not ProfessionalsTen Pleas for Today’s PastorsStill Not Professionals: Ten Pleas for Today’s Pastors is a celebration and extension of John Piper’s Brothers, We Are Not Professionals. With two brief exhortations from Piper and eight others from veteran pastors, this short ebook aims to strengthen and challenge Christians in general, and pastors in particular, for the labor of everyday life and ministry. The contributors were asked to express their “heart of hearts” for fellow leaders. You’ll find these chapters tap into profound human themes, in both the pastor and his flock, and will be of use, we hope, beyond the North American context of the contributors.by John Piper Modal , Daniel L. Akin Modal , Thabiti Anyabwile Modal , Mike Bullmore Modal , Sam Crabtree Modal , Ray Ortlund Modal , Jeff Vanderstelt Modal , and Douglas WilsonRead here by J.N.WheelsFind the Still Not Professionals link from Desiring God Here: https://www.desiringgod.org/books/still-not-professionalsSupport The Minister The Ministry and Me Show (The 3M Podcast) or get T-Shirts, Mugs, notebooks and more while still supporting jnwheels.com here: https://jnwheels.com/donate-support/ Full Text:BROTHERS, BUILD A GOSPEL CULTURERaymond C. Ortlund, Jr.Gospel doctrine creates a gospel culture. The doctrines of grace create a culture of grace, a social environment of accep- tance and hope and freedom and joy. Jesus himself touches us through his truths to create a new kind of community. With- out the doctrines, the culture alone is fragile. Without the cul- ture, the doctrines alone appear pointless.Isn’t the doctrine-creating-culture dynamic what we find in the New Testament? For example, the doctrine of regeneration creates a culture of humility (Ephesians 2:1–9). The doctrine of justification creates a culture of inclusion (Galatians 2:11–16). The doctrine of reconciliation creates a culture of peace (Ephe- sians 2:14–16). The doctrine of sanctification creates a culture of life (Romans 6:20–23). The doctrine of glorification creates a culture of hope (Romans 5:2) and honor (Romans 12:10). The doctrine of God—what could be more basic than that? — cre- ates a culture of honesty and confession (1 John 1:5–10). 38Still Not Professionals Ten Pleas for Today’s PastorsNo Doctrinal ShortcutsIf we want this culture to thrive, we can’t take doctrinal short- cuts. If we want this doctrine to be credible, we can’t disregard the culture. Churches where the doctrines of grace create a cul- ture of grace bear living witness to the power of Jesus. I think of it very simply like this:Gospel doctrine – gospel culture = hypocrisy Gospel culture – gospel doctrine = fragility Gospel doctrine + gospel culture = powerIf we want our churches to compel the attention of our mission field—and, of course, we do—then, brothers, build a gospel culture! Don’t settle for preaching the truth only. Build a rela- tional ethos that feels like the gospel. It’s powerful.Not an Optional Add-onFrancis Schaeffer, in his book The Church Before the Watching World (page 62), wrote this:One cannot explain the explosive dynamite, the dunamis, of the early church apart from the fact that they practiced two things simultaneously: orthodoxy of doctrine and orthodoxy of community in the midst of the visible church, a community which the world could see. By the grace of God, therefore, the church must be known simultaneously for its purity of doctrine and the reality of its community. Our churches have so often been only preaching points with very little emphasis 39Still Not Professionals Ten Pleas for Today’s Pastorson community, but exhibition of the love of God in practice is beautiful and must be there.A gospel community is authoritative. Schaeffer used the phrase “orthodoxy of community” to say that. The beauty of humanrelationships is not an optional add-on for an otherwise com- plete, biblical church. Gospel culture is as essential to our wit- ness as gospel doctrine.Do you consider purity of doctrine essential? Probably. Do you consider beauty of community essential? Hopefully.The urgency of this depends primarily, of course, on who God is. If God has revealed himself to us as truth only, then beauty of community is merely a preference for certain person- ality types. But if God has revealed himself as truth and love, both simultaneously, then the beauty of true community is authoritative. And it is authoritative: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15).Wonderful GraceTheologically conscientious churches are not always gospel cul- tures. The Reverend William Still, a patriarch of the Church of Scotland in the twentieth century, preaching on Romans 5:5 and the love of God being poured into our hearts, said this:I wonder what it is about poring all over a great deal of Puritan literature that makes so many preachers of it so horribly cold. I don’t understand it, because I think it’s a wonderful literature.... I don’t know if you can explain this to me. I’d be very glad to know, becauseit worries me. But I hear over and over and over again 40Still Not Professionals Ten Pleas for Today’s Pastorsthis tremendous tendency amongst people whodelve deeply into Puritan literature that a coldness, a hardness, a harshness, a ruthlessness—anything but sovereign grace—enters into their lives and into their ministries. Now, it needn’t be so. And it isn’t always so, thank God. And you see, the grace, the grace, of a true Calvinist and Puritan—that is to say, a biblical Puritan and Calvinist—is wonderful.... But O God, deliver us from this coldness!The problem is not Reformed theology. Inherent within that theology is a humbling and melting power. The problem is when that theology is not allowed to exert its natural influence. Instead, our own native religiosity can create a culture contrary to our theology. And our religious culture, whatever it is, reveals what we really believe as opposed to what we think we believe.If we are ungracious in our relationships and ethos and demeanor and vibe, then we are contradicting the very grace we preach and disempowering our churches in the eyes of the watching world.But when we press our theology humbly and boldly into the culture of our churches, starting with ourselves and our own need for God’s grace, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is!” (Psalm 133:1).