"How to Soar Through Seminary," or
" The Top Ten Things I Wish Somebody Told Me
When I Was Starting Seminary"

A Sermon Delivered to the Students of Toronto Baptist Seminary on September 10, 2002

 10.  Remember God values character before knowledge.

Stated more accurately, we must remember that real knowledge will result in character change.

 The Danger:

A.  I have met some men with incredible gifts of speech and intellect who tear apart churches as a result of their flawed character.  Spurgeon spoke of, "the man who preached so well and lived so badly that when IN the pulpit, all said, "Don't come out!" and when OUT of the pulpit, all said, "Don't go back in!"  Our preaching is nothing if it is not validated by our own life.

 Correctives:

A.  We must learn to think correctly about what is important to God!  Character first!  For example, the elder qualifications of 1 Tim 3:1-7 all about character - not your skill set, the breadth of your knowledge or your GPA.

B.  Take a "C" on an exam before you neglect private devotions.  Better yet, do your devotions and get an "A!"  "Don't let the tree of knowledge thrive while the tree of life languishes!" (Bridges).

C.  Make the goal to know Jesus, not ABOUT Jesus.  Train yourself to be discontent with "coldness" in your spiritual life.

D.  Look for ways to make your knowledge change how you live. this is what real knowledge is (I think).  Consider Paul's prayer for the Colossians.

Colossians 1:9-12
For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

           

9.  Find a Church and Stay In It

The Dangers:

A.  One of the great mistakes some students make is to float around "observing" different churches, treating the church like a kind of class or lab!

If I can be allowed to create my own Bunyanesque Metaphor, some students become:

Mr. Critical - Sit in the back of the church and take notes. of all that could be improved and how poorly things are done!  A. W. Pink is an example of a man who became too critical in his ministry so that by the end of his life he had abandoned all church attendance.  (See Iain Murray's sympathetic treatment of Pink in his biography).

Mr. Shallow - This man gets involved in ministry until a) Conflict (then he runs away) or b) Boredom  (and he walks away) or c) He is sinned against (and he crawls away). 

Mr. Self-Amused - This person floats into a church, preaches a sermon, listens to the applause and moves on in the name of "more opportunities."

 

B.  A Second Danger:  You may choose to work through para-church organizations alone for your ministry.  But God has not ordained para-churches, nor has He promised that the gates of hell will not overcome them! 

 The Correctives:

A.  God has ordained the church and even though it often appears stumbling, backward and foolish. it is HIS means and HIS bride.  Settle in and learn to love it!  Learn to work in it!  You will be there the rest of your life.

 B.  Remember that you are a great asset to a church.  Even if your visible ("up front") ministry is limited, you are learning much and can help in many ways.  Besides this, it is great to learn early on in your ministry to be faithful in the little things.  God is able to bring the "big" things when He deems it appropriate.

 

8.  Be Willing to Fail

The Dangers:

A.  Bible Colleges, seminaries and Christian schools can be excellent instructors in the art of "fudging."  You will be tempted to say more than you know ( "I'm short 340 words on my 500 word essay!"!).  You will be tempted to act smarter than you are (such as by using words that make you sound smart, like "epistemological" and "infralapsarianism")

 The Correctives:

A.  Only say what you know. (Eph 4:25)  "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbour, for we are all members of one body."

 B.  Only use words whose meanings you are sure of:   if you are not a sesquipedalian, don't act like one!  Proverbs 17:28  "Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent."

 C.  Nobody despises an honest man.  Be forthright and learn from your mistakes - treat them as providential lessons.

           

7. Be Willing to Die

The Danger:

The ministry is a calling that can be full of dangers and difficult tasks:

            - speaking to people in their sin

            - being continually evaluated (in your public and private life)

            - wrestling with grammar, history and languages and trying to you're your                                  
              study relevant to your flock

            - telling a couple you won't marry them

            - watching people leave the church for the wrong reasons

            - watching people leave the church for the right reasons (and wondering
               why it couldn't be "that other family!")

            - getting yelled at by an angry wife who is looking for a target

            - getting flirted at by the adulterous woman who seems to promise life

 The Correctives:

You must learn how to die to yourself now!  Don't wait to start this most crucial part of your ministry and Christian growth.  It involves at least these three things and more:

 A.  Mortification

            - be accountable for your sin with someone you're scared of

            - start to deal with the little, silent and secret sins of your heart

            - read John Owen Vol 6!!

            - study the holiness of God

 B.  Evangelize Sinners

            - get used to being attacked

            - keeps life black and white and not gray

            2 Timothy 4:5 "But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist,
              fulfill your ministry."

 C.  Promote Others

            - one of the hardest things to do in ministry

            - if words of Jesus are true, the only position we should vie for is the lowest

Mark 9.they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest.   ³⁵ Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, "  If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."

 
6.  Beg God for Humility

The Danger:

A.  Sometimes terrible pride is found in Christian academia.  Why?  Certainly part of the reason is that "knowledge puffs up."  You know there were not 3 wise men and that 1 Hesitations is not a Bible book - thus, you seem smarter than normal church folk!

 B.  While you are here, you live in a secluded world with clean and friendly people.  You have daily fellowship with men and women who, like you, long to know Christ and are united with you in a common purpose to train for His call.

 The Correctives:

A. Pride comes before the fall. 

Proverbs 16:18 "Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling."

 B.  God is opposed to the proud

James 4:6  "But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."

1 Peter 5:5  "You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."

 

5. Invest time with older pastors and older people who have walked with God.

The Danger: 

All that glitters is not gold. novelty and newness do not necessarily mean "better."

The Correctives:

A.  You can sometimes learn more from 10 minutes with a seasoned soldier of the cross than in 25 hours of class work.  Don't misrepresent me. the class work is necessary, like a solid foundation on a great cathedral.  But take some time to look up at the stained glass.  Set up appointments with godly pastors and ask open-ended questions like, "What are some things you love about your calling?"  "What have been some of the hardest lessons for you to learn?" or "If you could do it over again, what would you do differently?"

B.  Be a Timothy: find a Paul!!

2 Timothy 2:2 "The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."

 

4.  Be Positive in Your Ministry

The Danger:

Learn the power of encouragement.  People are beat up and the godliest are already keenly aware of their sin.  It is often a mistake (especially) of young men to preach the law and crush the sheep!

The Correctives:

A.  Work now at encouraging people. especially the ones you don't like.

B.  Concentrate on "pulling" more than "pushing" / "wooing" more than "warning"

1 Thessalonians 5:11  Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.

Hebrews 3:13  But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Romans 15:5  Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,

The last three are particularly for those of you men preparing for pastoral ministry.

3.  Start Pastoring People Now

The Danger:

A.  You must not think that you will one day "become" a pastor once you have finished all your education. 

The Correctives:

A.  Start pastoring people now.  One distinguishing mark of Spurgeon prior to his call to pastor was his effective ministry.  He was evangelizing the lost, ministering to the poor and praying for those he met.  Therefore, love people:  evangelize, encourage, shepherd, and know them well enough to be of some use to their souls.  Even if your "church" is a Sunday school class of 4 boys - be their pastor and shepherd them.

B.  Remember that the New Testament model is to "recognize" pastors, not create them.   Ephesians 4 is clear that pastors are a gift to the church, so act like one now to find out if you are that gift!  If you are, the people of God will confirm it (and you).

 

2.  Become a Pastor of Your Own Soul

The Danger:

A.  Prepare to be lonely in ministry. 

Someone has said the "loneliest profession in the world" is the pastorate.  How rare it is in the ministry to have other men involved with your life pastorally, caring for your soul and admonishing and encouraging you.

Paul writes to Timothy (2 Tim 4)

"¹⁴Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. ¹⁵You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.  ¹⁶At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them."

B.  Prepare to be tempted in ministry.

Spurgeon wrote:  "On the whole, no place is so assailed with temptation as the Christian ministry."  The Devil does not want godly, caring, sanctified preachers on the loose and you could become so busy caring for everyone else's welfare that you fail to fight the good fight of faith.

 The Corrective:

A.  Learn and pray to be single-minded in your devotion to Jesus!!

 (2 Tim 4)¹⁷But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. ¹⁸The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

 B.  Learn to honestly evaluate yourself, improve yourself, rebuke yourself, teach yourself

 C.  Aggressively pursue relationships of openness and integrity with a few trustworthy men.  If you can do this with another pastor, that is even better.

 

1.  Learn How to Pray

The school of prayer has one teacher and one curriculum.  The Teacher is Jesus and the curriculum is "practice."  When I evaluate my own prayer life, I am not sure I have made it out of Kindergarten yet.  Learn to make prayer instrumental rather than supplemental to all your decisions, ministry, work and family life.  Learn to pray first.

 Acts 6:4  "But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

Romans 12:12  "rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,

Colossians 4:2  "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving