A Leadership Lesson From @JohnPiper

In preparing a training session on hospitality I found myself wading through a few older John Piper sermons. In one particular sermon from 1985 I read this quote:

“When I am dead and gone and another man stands in this pulpit to candidate as your pastor, O how I pray that you will ask: Does he relate everything to God? Or is he content to simply promote morals? Is there distinctively Christian theology in all he says? Or could his messages be spoken by a tender-hearted secular psychologist with keen insight into how to get along better?”  -John Piper, sermon from 1985

That was 1985. Fast forward to 2012/13. The day has arrived when “another man stands in the pulpit” of Bethlehem Baptist Church. That man is Jason Meyer. Of whom Piper has said:

I joyfully and expectantly commend him to you with all my heart. Not only because of a long list of gifts and graces and competencies, but also because I believe God has chosen him and anointed him for this role. May the Lord confirm this with a hope-filled, happy, unified vote of the Bethlehem family.

It is because of the mercy and goodness of God that Bethlehem Baptist Church is supplied with a godly pastor. The means that God used to accomplish that purpose can be found in Piper’s statements from 1985. For 30 years he gave his flock a vision of what his successor should look like. It was not by accident that Piper could say, “I joyfully and expectantly commend him to you with all my heart”. Piper had labored for that moment for three decades.

The lesson for us?

The second that you step into the pastorate begin preparing the congregation for your successor and being praying for him.

It is not that you do not intend to have staying power. You prepare for your successor because you are not in control of your stay. Unless the Lord returns, the church you now serve will someday have someone else as their shepherd. A faithful shepherd prays that his sheep are fed for their entire life—not just for the season in which he has the title of her pastor.

What To Do With “Young Whippersnappers” and “Old Coots”

“I wish my letters may be a bridle to you and yours a spur to me.” 

Those words came from the pen of John Newton to a much younger John Ryland, Jr.  Newton was almost 50 when he wrote these words, and Ryland was only around 20.  Ryland was just beginning in the ministry and Newton had been converted and laboring for the Lord for almost as long as Ryland had been alive. 

It seems to me that Newton’s relationship with Ryland should be one that is emulated all throughout our churches. 

Those that have been believers for quite some time can and engaged in ministry for a decent season can have a tendency to get calloused and thereby complacent.  They (am I at the point of saying “we”?) sometimes need to be spurred on by those young whippersnappers that have zeal, youthful vigor, and really crazy ideas. 

Those that are just setting out in living the Christian life and in engaging in Christian ministry can have a tendency in their zeal to act to hasty, think too black and white, and many wear themselves out quickly.  We (yeah, I’m still going to claim to be a young whippersnapper at only 30) need more seasoned men and women to bridle us. 

Every Newton needs a Ryland.  And every Ryland needs a Newton.  It takes humility for both parties to see this.  I pray that the Lord may raise up many relationships like this within our churches. 

He may not appreciate being the “seasoned minister” but my friend Terry has often been my Newton.  There were many times that through email correspondence he would “reign in” my youthful vigor with seasoned words of encouragement.  I owe a good amount of my Christian growth and irenic spirit to not only folks like Newton but men in my life like Terry. 

If you are a Newton I encourage you to pursue a Ryland to pour your life into and also one to be spurred by.  Allow yourself to be rebuked by his/her passion and boldness.  Have patience with his youthful zeal—commend it, but reign it in. 

If you are a Ryland I encourage you to pursue a Newton to learn from.  Allow yourself to be trained and seasoned by these gracious men/women.  Do not be so arrogant to think that you know things far better than someone that has probably already lived your life.  But also do not be afraid to ask questions and spur this man/woman on in the Lord. 

One last thing of note.  Newton pursued a young Ryland via letter writing.  He called him on his youthful arrogance but encouraged him with warm affection.  The Newton’s of the world will probably need to be the ones that pursue the Ryland’s…it seldom will work the other way around. 

I Need Your Help

To my fellow gospel ministers:

If you had 13 weeks to train a young man for ministry (knowing he will get more training later) what things would you be sure to cover? And what resources would you use?

It is all in my head and heart somewhere...I am having difficulty mapping it out and making it organized. I would hate the first 3 weeks being spent on me trying to figure out where we are going.

Here is what I have so far. I am wanting to sum it up as best I can. I have found five broad categories of ministry. Lead. Plead. Read. Bleed. And for lack of a better rhyming term...Breed. I want to teach a few principles of leadership--mostly that we are called to be a servant (Mt. 20:20-28). Here is a list so far:

Lead with gentleness (1 Pet. 3:16)
Lead with courage (Joshua 1)
Lead with humility (Phil. 2:3, 1 Pet. 5:5)
Lead with your life, authenticity (1 Thess. 2:8, 2 Tim. 3:10-11)
Lead with holiness, example (2 Tim. 2:22-26)
Lead with labor, suffering (2 Tim. 2:3)
Lead with passion, fervency (1 Pet. 5:1-5)
Lead with appropriate patience (1 Thess. 5:14)

There needs to be some teaching about where leadership comes from; this will probably be covered in our discussion of Matthew 20.

What would you add? What resources would you use? How would you teach these things? Obviously modeling them in my own life. How would you put this young man in situations where these graces would be brought out and cultivated?

Later I will discuss--Plead, Read, Bleed, and....Oh, I really need another name for this...Breed.

UPDATE: I think I have figured out how to avoid the word "breed" as a category. The concept of reproducing can fall under a category in leadership. One of the categories will now be "lead to be replaced".

Borrowed Light: Today in Blogworld 04/02-07

With the infrequency that I have been able to blog, perhaps I should change the title to "This Week" in Blogworld instead of "Today".

Josh Harris has an excellent article on mentoring. He has experienced first hand the impact of mentoring. (CJ Mahaney mentored Josh). It would be my prayer that young men might be humble enough to pursue older men, and that older men might be confident enough in the gospel to mentor them.

Tim Challies urges us to Draw Out the Infection of sin through accountability partners. It is always difficult for younger pastors in smaller settings to find accountability partners, but this has motivated me to pursue it even further.

Dr. Galyon gives us Packer's 4th and 5th points on Calvinism.

Last week I linked to several articles on Mahaney interviewing Sinclair Ferguson. Go here and see it all.

Which one of these seven counterfeit gospels have you bit into?

Great question, great advice. Piper considers whether a pastor can preach what he does not feel.

One of my favorite sites the Reformed Mafia appears to be shutting down. Apparently the name "Mafia" has gotten a few people in trouble. This is no joke. I thought it was at first, until I tried accessing the site. I will let you know when something similar is up and running.

I almost made it without linking to a C. Michael Patton article. But this one, on Grace-Centered-Theology and Rewards, can not be passed up.

This is why I do not drink beer:
(HT: The Thinklings)