It is a distinct honor to participate in this year’s Bethlehem Pastors Conference. I have benefited significantly from these conferences over the years and I never anticipated that I would have this privilege or be in this position.

Honor Where Honor Is Due

I was reading recently about a gentleman who was piloting his Cessna, his small private Cessna, out to the runway and found himself, prior to takeoff, behind the Concorde. He described specifically what that experience was like with the supersonic Concorde taking off the ground shaking beneath him, the flames obvious from the Concorde as it ascended. And I want you to know last night a Concorde took off, and this afternoon in the form of John Piper, another Concorde is scheduled to take off and you’re looking at a Cessna. Therefore, I would like you to adjust your expectations accordingly. Do not be disappointed if the ground does not shake beneath you.

Actually, when John asked me to speak, when he invited me, I was initially stunned. After thanking him for this honor, I appealed to him to invite someone else and I gave him some suggestions, some men who I thought would be more effective. Obviously, my appeal was denied and since my appeal was denied, I now refuse to be denied the opportunity to thank and honor this man — a man who I am honored to number among one of my heroes, Mr. John Piper.

John, I know that this isn’t your preference, but at this moment you are not in authority. Now knowing you, I’m aware that could change at any moment and actually I’d welcome it if you’d relieve me from my responsibilities. You have created this conference and you have overseen this conference for 12 years. I want to thank you for that. Everyone here has benefited. Hold Your applause for now, but when I’m finished, restrain yourself no longer. Not the message, this honoring. Although I’d appreciate that as well.

I have benefited significantly from your writing and your teaching. I have encountered a great and gracious God through your ministry. I deeply appreciate your commitment to and your love for, not just the local church in general, but this local church in particular. I deeply appreciate your example. You are an example of passion for God and his glory. I appreciate your example of humility as well as how we have interacted and at times when I have disagreed with you or sought to bring to your attention a possible, hopefully helpful, area of correction, you have been receptive. And when one finds one’s heroes humble up close and personal, one is greatly gratified before God.

I am privileged. I’m honored to be numbered among your friends. As I said a moment ago, you are numbered among my heroes. I’m no expert on Jonathan Edwards, but I have no question he would be very proud of you. I also have no question God is very pleased with you and I know that I am deeply grateful to God for you and I suspect I’m not alone.

So though this is not your preference and I trust you understand the glory is exclusively the Lord’s, it is biblical for us to give thanks to those God has used as a means of grace. And you have been one serious, significant means of grace to us all. So would you please stand and we, through our applause, would like to give thanks to God for you.

A Humble Request

Thank you very much. That was very appropriate. I really have only one criticism of this conference. I’m not sure that John can appreciate what’s involved for those of us who come from a lengthy distance, or from slightly, or even significantly different climates. I know that each time I’ve had the privilege to be here, my trip really begins with a conversation with a travel agent trying to understand how a single individual ticket to Minneapolis and back costs more than flying my entire family to Hawaii and back. And then when I arrive here, at times I have encountered gail force winds and so I am making my way to the conference. I am wearing more clothes than I am apt to wear at any time at home and having difficulty just walking. The cold here is particularly mean and nasty. It’s as if the cold air just mocks whatever clothing you have on. Normally when I’m outside here, I feel naked. It just doesn’t matter what I put on it comes right through and affects me.

Then we arrive and John is only speaking once. Since this will be my last time addressing you and maybe the last time I’ll be allowed to come, I would like to file an official humble formal protest and appeal that in future conferences, Mr. Piper, please speak more than once. Personal preference. Disappointed he’s only speaking once at this particular conference, but it does appear that there’s going to be a lively panel tomorrow.

By the way, John will be coming at the end of my message to provide you with questions you can ask him tomorrow at the panel, in relation to my message as well. It’s interesting John invites you to speak and then it’s apparent to me that he’s going to critique you during the panel. I regret to inform you brothers, the panel appears to be fixed.

The Adventure of God-Centered Leadership

Please turn to First Corinthians chapter one if you would. And let me also thank Dr. Boice for his outstanding message last night. And thank him even more for his exceptional example as well. We also communicate to Dr. Boyce that I look forward to observing John and Dr. Boyce interact at the panel tomorrow. I have assigned myself the job of moderator tomorrow. I’m not really going to answer any questions, but I’m just going to moderate between the interactions of Dr. Boice and Dr. Piper and enjoy that.

And if Mr. Bryant would like to participate, he is welcome, as well. But what an honor last night to sit at dinner with John and Dr. Boice. It was to say the least, a highlight. So I want to express my respect and appreciation for both these men. Their influence far exceeds their awareness.

Well, the title this morning is Grace and the Adventure of Leadership. Perhaps an improved title would be the Adventure of God-Centered Leadership. The Adventure of God-centered Leadership. Often when I teach, I quote the great reformer, John Calvin, but there’s another Calvin I quote occasionally, and that would be Calvin of the comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes. I have no question that this is a first at a pastor’s conference. How many of you are familiar with Calvin and Hobbes? It’s okay, you can identify yourself.

John, are you familiar with Calvin and Hobbes? You are. Very good. For those of you who are not, Calvin is a mischievous little boy with an unusual and vivid imagination. Actually, Calvin, of Calvin and Hobbes, at one point said that the difference between him and the rest of the world is as follows, “Happiness isn’t good enough for me. I demand euphoria.” I thought you would appreciate that.

In the first frame of this particular comic, it is the middle of the night, the room is darkened. Calvin has awakened and he is obviously fearful. He cries out in the first frame, “Mom!” In the second frame, Calvin’s mother appears. She is startled and obviously concerned. She turns on the light and she says to young Calvin, “What’s the matter?” Calvin, now seated up in bed, says the following, “How do ugly things like octopi and hairy bugs reproduce? Are they actually attracted to each other?” In the third frame, the mother, who is obviously not pleased, expresses her frustration with her raised voice and says, “It’s 3:00 a.m.! Go to sleep!”

And then in the final frame, Calvin is now accompanied in bed by his friend Hobbes. And Calvin staring out at us says, “Come to think of it, I wonder how people are attracted to each other.” And Hobbes responds, “I’ll bet that’s why they close their eyes when they smooch.” This morning I am not going to attempt to explain how people are attracted to each other. I leave that for the panel.

Paul’s Surprising Attraction to Corinth

I would like us to consider a more difficult and relevant scenario to us as pastors, and that is the following: How could Paul be attracted to the Corinthian church? How could Paul be attracted to the Corinthian church? What biblical explanation do we find for Paul’s exemplary attitude toward the Corinthians? Particularly in light of their serious doctrinal deficiencies and their opposition to Paul personally? What explanation do we have in Scripture for his attraction to this church, for his godly attitude toward this church, for his affection for the Corinthians? As you are aware, I’m sure, the Corinthian church was a piece of work.

Just let me briefly remind you. In 1 Corinthians 1:17, Paul begins to address the serious doctrinal era that is present in their midst. They have drifted from the centrality of the cross. They have been seduced by human wisdom, and so that adjustment begins in chapter 1:17. In 1 Corinthians 1:10, he begins to address the divisions that exist within the church. There are four emerging factions and he identifies those in 1 Corinthians 1:12.

Actually, he had one serious challenge because not only were there four emerging factions all in need of adjustment, but there was broad opposition to Paul himself. And what you have here, his dilemma, which is highlighted for us in 1 Corinthians 1:12 is that three of these factions were ascribing an excessive significance to leaders. And so that must be adjusted and Paul makes that adjustment brilliantly as the wise master builder he is in 1 Corinthians 3. He adjusts this excessive ascribing of significance to leaders, he helps them distinguish between actual grace and leaders as a means of grace, and he teaches them about God being the only one who can possibly give increase, even though he and Apollos obviously are participating together as laborers in the Lord.

And yet he must also remind them that no one is more humanly responsible for the existence of this church than he is. So he turns his attention to that in 1 Corinthians 4. After adjusting this attitude in 1 Corinthians 3, then in 1 Corinthians 4, he reminds them that he is their father in the Lord and that in effect, no one is more humanly responsible for their existence than he is.

Look at 1 Corinthians 5, if you would. Here we are introduced to immorality. He says:

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! (1 Corinthians 5:1–2).

It was immorality which would appall the average Pagan, instead provokes only the tolerance of the Corinthian church and they are particularly proud of their tolerance. They are obviously in serious need of adjustment. They were a lawsuit happy church as well. In 1 Corinthians 6, we are introduced to the litigation which was not unusual among believers in the Corinthian church.

In 1 Corinthians 11, we are informed that even as they would gather for the Lord’s Supper, some would become drunk. Obviously, you are aware in 1 Corinthians 12–14, they had been both misunderstanding and misusing the gifts of the Spirit. And actually in 1 Corinthians 11:17, Paul says:

But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse.

It is my theory that having to work with the Corinthians is why Paul spoke in tongues as much as he did. You would speak in tongues too if you had to work with the Corinthian church. The Corinthian church was in desperate need of correction and adjustment. And yet, I turn your attention back to chapter 1. And yet, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:4:

I give thanks to my God always for you . . .

Affection from a Divine Perspective

I read that and I think, “What’s up with that?” I find Paul’s attitude toward the Corinthian church extraordinary. How could Paul be attracted to this church? What explanation do we find in Scripture for his exemplary attitude? How can I emulate his example? I submit to you the following: Paul’s attitude, Paul’s exemplary attitude toward the Corinthians and his extraordinary affection for the Corinthians was created by his divine perspective of the Corinthians. Paul’s exemplary attitude toward the Corinthians, his extraordinary affection for the Corinthians was created by his divine perspective, by his divine perspective of the Corinthians. It was the transforming effect, if you will, of an alternative perspective.

Imagine that you are on the receiving end of this letter from your daughter who has been away at college:

Dear mom and dad, since I left for college, I have been remiss in writing and I am sorry about my thoughtlessness in not having written before. I’ll bring you up to date. But before I do, please sit down. Are you sitting down? It is very important you sit down before you continue reading this letter. I am getting along pretty well, now that the skull fracture and concussion I got when I jumped out of my dormitory window, when it caught on fire, shortly after my arrival, is pretty well healed. I only get those sick headaches a couple of times a day.

Fortunately, the fire in my dormitory and my jump was witnessed by an attendant at the gas station. He ran over, took me to the hospital and continued to visit me there. When I got out of the hospital, I had nowhere to live because of the burnt out condition of my room. So he was kind enough to share his basement bedroom apartment with me. It’s sort of small, but very cute. He’s a very fine young man and we have fallen deeply in love and we are planning to get married. We haven’t set the exact date yet, but it will be before my pregnancy begins to show. Yes, mom and dad, I’m pregnant. I know how much you are looking forward to being grandparents and I know you’ll welcome the baby and give it the same tender care and devotion you gave me when I was a child.

The reason for the delay in our marriage is that my boyfriend has an infection that I carelessly caught from him. I know however that you’ll welcome him into our family with open arms. He’s kind, and although not well-educated, he is ambitious. In conclusion, now that I’ve brought you up to date, I want to tell you that there was no dormitory fire. I did not have a concussion or skull fracture. I was not in the hospital. I am not pregnant. I do not have an infection and there is no boyfriend in my life. However, I have failed history and science, and I wanted you to see these results in their proper perspective.

Now, that’s an illustration of the transforming effect of an alternative perspective.

Our Perspective of the Church

Paul’s perspective of the Corinthians was a proper perspective. Paul’s perspective of the Corinthians was a divine perspective. The question for each of us this morning would be as follows: Is this our perspective? Is this our perspective of the church that we have the privilege to serve and lead? Now, I want to read 1 Corinthians 1:1–9, and I’d like us to discover this morning together, this biblical transforming perspective and attempt by grace to emulate Paul’s example:

Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge — even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you — so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

A Needed Correction

The primary purpose of 1 Corinthians is obviously corrective in nature and the correction begins in the opening paragraph. Please notice that in 1 Corinthians 1:1, Paul immediately asserts his apostolic call. This would be necessary because of the widespread opposition to him and ultimately its effect on the gospel. So he asserts, he reminds them, he in effect insists upon his apostolic call. You’ll find the absence of this insistence when he writes to churches such as Philippi or the Thessalonian church. There’s no need to assert or insist upon his apostolic call because there’s no internal controversy, which exists among those churches. So the adjustment, the correction, if you will, begins even in the opening paragraph.

The adjustment continues in 1 Corinthians 1:2, which says, “To the church of God, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be holy.” He’s already alluding there to the ethical implications of the gospel. They were in deep need of those ethical reminders. He continues in 1 Corinthians 1:2 and addresses in effect their arrogance and their independence when he writes, “Together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.” He is addressing their arrogance, their independence, and their moral superiority, reminding them of the wider body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 1:4–7, he directs their attention away from the gifts of the Spirit to the gracious activity of God, who provides those gifts. And in 1 Corinthians 1:7, he begins to adjust their eschatology.

The primary purpose of this letter without question, I’m sure it’s obvious to you, is adjustment. But I submit to you it is Paul’s attitude toward the Corinthians that makes this adjustment so impressive and so effective. It is his attitude toward this church. His legitimate exercise of authority is impressive and it is effective because it proceeds from a genuine faith for the Corinthian church. It proceeds from a sincere affection for the Corinthian church that was created by a divine perspective of the Corinthian church. That divine perspective is obvious in, number one, Paul’s understanding of the call of God. That divine perspective is obvious, first, in Paul’s understanding of the call of God, or effectual calling.

The Perspective of Calling

In 1 Corinthians 1:1, he refers to himself as “called to be an apostle.” In 1 Corinthians 1:2, they were “called to be holy,” and in 1 Corinthians 1:9, they were “called into fellowship.” Theologian Sinclair Ferguson writes that one of the most frequent one word descriptions of the Christian is that he is called. Without a doubt, this is a central theme in Paul’s thinking and in Paul’s writing. Whenever Paul makes a reference to the call of God, whether it’s a reference to election or a reference to vocation, he is acknowledging and affirming the sovereignty of God. He is acknowledging and affirming the sovereign grace of God. He is acknowledging and affirming the initiative of God. He is succinctly stating that divine actions always precede human decisions.

Now, this is never to minimize or dismiss human responsibility. Scripture teaches obviously divine sovereignty and human responsibility, but the accent and the emphasis in and throughout Scripture is upon the sovereignty of God. Anthony Hoekema writes the following statement. He says:

We must therefore affirm both God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility, both God’s sovereign grace and our active participation in the process of salvation. We can only do justice to biblical teaching if we firmly hold onto both sides of the paradox. But since God is the creator and we are his creatures, God must have the priority. Hence, we must maintain that the ultimately decisive factor in the process of our salvation is the sovereign grace of God.

There’s no minimization here of human responsibility. Mr. Hoekema refers to it as significant, but the emphasis is upon the sovereignty of God. The ultimately decisive factor in the process of our salvation is the sovereign grace of God. And Paul’s emphasis on effectual calling is a reminder that the ultimately decisive factor in our salvation is the sovereign grace of God.

The Effects of Effectual Calling

Now, gentlemen, I submit to you this morning that the doctrines of grace — election, effectual call, regeneration — are of immeasurable personal and pastoral benefit. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the personal. I would be remiss because I cannot read a reference to the call of God and remain unaffected because I really am a most unlikely individual to be addressing you men today.

There are many in attendance who are more qualified and more capable to teach this session, but there aren’t many in attendance who were more sinful than I was prior to conversion. Now, I’m not in any way ignorant of the nature of sin. I have been well instructed by John Owen. I have also very much appreciated the writings of Jonathan Edwards, particularly as he relates that the older he became, the more aware he was of how pervasive and subtle his sin was. And I would agree. When I look back now prior to my conversion, the events surrounding my conversion, and I compare my awareness of sin presently with my awareness at that particular point in time, there is, in effect, no comparison. For I have grown to some small degree in my understanding and appreciation of the holiness of God and therefore I’ve become all the more aware of my sinfulness and all the more appreciative of amazing grace as demonstrated and expressed through the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But I’ve never grown familiar with my conversion. When I said a moment ago I’m a most unlikely individual to be addressing you, I was converted at the age of 18. My religious upbringing was parents who were at best nominally Catholic. I was unimpressed with what I observed and experienced as I attended mass. I rebelled at an early age at the insistence that I attend Catholic school on Saturday. That interfered with athletics and that idol was not to be in any way delayed by Saturday Catholic school. At an early age, I was no longer afraid of my parents and their authority, so I ceased going to mass as well. I will not give you unnecessary details. I merely am seeking to bring to your attention hopefully so that you can relive your own conversion experience and have a fresh appreciation of how amazing grace is this morning. I bring to your attention how meaningful it is to me when I read about the call of God.

I immersed myself in high school in the drug culture, and when I say immersed, it is no exaggeration. I partied with passion. I am ashamed of my sin. This is by no means a glorification of my sin. But I do stand here to testify that where sin abounded in my life, grace has abounded all the more. I partied with a passion and I sought to influence others.

Acted Upon by God

A friend of mine who I had participated in competitive swimming with for a number of years had relocated to Florida. A period of time after his relocation, he experienced the new birth. He had a burden, an immediate burden, to return to our area and to share the gospel with those friends that he had grown up with, and I was one of them. He arranged to meet with me at my house one evening and I assumed that we would be partying together. As I filled the pipe with hash that was supposedly from Colombia and began to take a toke and offer it to him, I was immediately surprised when he declined. I was perplexed, but I was not deterred from continuing on.

Bob then began to share his new birth experience. Now, please understand this would’ve been a young man who would’ve experienced the new birth some two to three weeks earlier, so he was in many ways deficient theologically. He would not have made James Kennedy proud to hear this individual share the gospel. But he had some understanding of the cross and some understanding of my need for forgiveness.

Gentlemen, all I can tell you is that as he communicated his understanding of the gospel, the cross, his experience of forgiveness, one moment I took a toke of hashish and one second later I was regenerated. My regeneration was not because this individual had led me through a sequence of specific prayers or explained to me the details related to repentance and faith. And I’m not minimizing the importance of repentance and faith. I’m just trying to isolate that moment when I knew I was the recipient of a call from God. You see, I was a Calvinist experientially long before I was informed doctrinally. I had no question that God’s activity preceded my response. I had no question that I was acted upon by God before I acted in response to God. Now, I’ve come to learn that I was incapable of acting in response to God until I was first acted upon by God due to pervasive depravity in my life. But at that moment, I was aware that God had acted upon my heart and that something internally had changed.

I did not smoke that pipe again that evening, nor in the near future. He provided me with a King James Bible. I opened it and I stayed up literally all night reading this Bible and underlining passage after passage, none of which I comprehended or could have explained to anybody who had inquired. All I knew was that this book was like no other book that I had ever encountered and that within the contents of this book lay the explanation for what had taken place in my heart. God had called me, God had intervened. Gentlemen, it was the first time I ever heard the gospel. I’m unaware previous to that moment of ever hearing the gospel communicated. I was not involved in any church. I was unaware of the existence of evangelicalism. I was simply committed to partying. I was immersed in the drug culture. My passion was pleasure. I was not just ignorant of religion in general. I was ignorant of religion in total and totally disinterested as well.

God Gets the First Choice

Obviously, in my nature I was an enemy of God and hated him. I was not crying out quietly or privately. I was not particularly desperate. Actually, I was thoroughly enjoying myself and the enjoyment that I received and derived from my various activities was observed and appreciated by those in my relational network, and they sought to emulate my example. I was not desperate. I was not convicted. I was not asking questions about the existence of the universe and my ultimate purpose and meaning. I was simply one of a multitude of individuals scattered across the country at that time who were obviously dead in sin, who in a moment because God is good and gracious, because he is merciful, received a call and their lives have never been the same since.

My historical hero is Charles Spurgeon and he wrote the following:

I believe in the doctrine of election because I’m quite certain that if God had not chosen me, I should never have chosen him and I am sure he chose me before I was born or else he never would have chosen me afterwards. And he must have elected me for reasons unknown to me, for I could never find any reason in myself why he should have looked upon me with special love.

Mr. Spurgeon challenges us. I ask any saved man to look back upon his own conversion and explain how it came about. This is how it came about: We were called.

The Pastoral Ramifications of Calling

Now this not only has immeasurable personal benefit, but the doctrines of grace have immeasurable pastoral benefit as well. It’s called vocation. You are confronting to differing degrees, certain challenges. I have my own. I am very aware this week that as I return, I’m going to be immersed in phase two design and development with our architects. A few years ago, we purchased 45 acres of land. We built a facility which cost 7.2 million dollars. That facility has been paid off for the glory of God. I anticipated that any phase two construction would be so postponed for the future that someone else would be involved in leadership of the church, that surely by the time we needed to be involved in phase 2, I would’ve delegated the senior pastor position. I did not anticipate it would happen as soon as it did. But it is upon us and we have no choice but to pursue phase two.

Now, initially, as we began to explore and architects submitted proposals, you must understand that when we first purchased the land and built the original facility, phase one, 7.2 million dollars was beyond my comprehension. I found it difficult for my lips and mouth to even form the word “million.” Whenever I said million or millions, that was hyperbole, but this was reality. I was looking at bills that told me it was reality. And that was a test. It was a manifestation of God’s faithfulness and it was also a manifestation of the joyful, sacrificial, and generous giving which characterizes the church that I have the privilege to serve, a church I don’t deserve. They are exceptional people.

And now I find myself confronting phase two, something that I didn’t think I would have to lead through. And the bill has come back, or at least an initial estimate, for like a gazillion dollars. You want to do phase two? It’s a gazillion dollars. Now, what’s interesting is that, as I think back over the past, 7.2 million isn’t as much as it once was. That was an intimidating figure to me at one time and for a lengthy period of time. I’m not saying it’s pocket change, but when people come to me and they say that they have a one million dollar project, a two million project, a three million dollar project, I find I’m full of faith for projects of that cost.

But now I’m looking at a project that initially came in at 12 million, has expanded to 22 million, and we are just wrestling with what exactly God would have us build. I am supposed to determine that, along with the pastoral team I have the privilege to serve with, bring that to the congregation, and lead them through this whole process of sacrificial giving over a lengthy period of time, and doing so joyfully to the glory of God, so that we might construct a facility that can express and extend our mission together and enable us to more effectively proclaim the gospel to Montgomery County and add people to Covenant Life Church as he wills. I am primarily responsible to lead them through that process. And when I study these figures, when I look at these figures, which I cannot relate to, which seem so much more difficult than 7.2 million, what is it that sustains me? The initial figure is 12 million dollars more. That’s the initial figure, and you know it never works out to the initial figure.

So, in those private moments, when I am pacing my office and feeling a certain fear and apprehension, what is it that sustains me? I submit to you what sustains me is the same thing that sustained Paul in the midst of his hardship, in the midst of his suffering, in the midst of his challenges equipping churches. And I, by no means, am comparing what I’m going through right now with anything that Paul went through, but I am saying to you, categorically, that what sustained him sustains me and can sustain you as well.

A Change in Plans

What ultimately sustains me? What ultimately sustains me is not getting out a calculator and adding up how many people are in the church. And if this many people give this much money over this period of time. No, that doesn’t sustain me. As a matter of fact, it’s very unwise to do that. Very unwise. And actually, listen to what’s happening. You will appreciate God’s sense of humor. When we walked through phase one fundraising, something happened. Now, we are not a congregation populated by numerous wealthy individuals, but there was one wealthy individual in our midst, and he was a fine man, worthy of respect. As a matter of fact, when he first came to the church, he asked to get with me, and I said to him that I could not make that a priority, and his response was, “I respect you. I’m going to pursue involvement here because you didn’t meet with me.” So that’s what kind of man we’re talking about. He’s an impressive man, a generous man.

Right as we’re beginning phase one, he legitimately relocates. I’m just saying to the Lord, “What’s up with that?” We’re talking about, this man has serious money and he’s generous and he has been encouraging me in this process. He said, “Buy the land, build the facility. Buy the land, build the facility.” And now he’s leaving. We began phase two, at least the appeal for funds, last year. The Sunday I was giving the first message to introduce phase two — design, development, construction, etc., and appeal for gifts financially — on the Saturday before, I got a call from another guy who has come to the church since this guy left, and he has some serious money too. He pays cash, okay?

He calls me and he begins to encourage me. He wants me to know how much he appreciates the church, how much he’s benefited from the church, how he’s been helped by the church, all he’s learned from being a part of the church. It’s detailed, it’s specific, it’s edifying, it’s encouraging, and in the end he tells me they’re leaving. He tells me they’re leaving. I hung up the phone, I walked out of my office, I was doubled over in laughter. I could not stop laughing. I was laughing so hard and so loud that the pastors I served with all began to come out of their office. They wanted to get in on this laugh. And when I caught my breath, I told them, I said, “You won’t believe it. You won’t believe it. You won’t believe what I just heard.” I said, “Do you know this guy?” They said, “Yes.” I said, “He’s leaving.” And they didn’t find it funny at all. I understood my Father’s ways.

He was saying, “I’m going to reduce you, again, back to your call. I started this church. I created this church. I called you to participate for a season. This facility will be constructed because of my faithful call. And if necessary, I will remove a primary means of grace. But removing this individual does not mean I’m withdrawing my blessing, it just means I’m turning your attention to the source of your blessing. But I will provide, as I did in phase one.”

A Relationally Sustaining Call

Now, we all walk through challenges where God so arranges circumstances to remind us that being sustained by our call is sufficient. And so, our call is of immeasurable pastoral benefit and it is of immeasurable relational benefit as we interact with those we have the privilege to serve. Paul was aware that the Corinthians were called. He was more aware of the prior activity of God in creating this church than he was of the present deficiencies that existed in the church. And the question for each of us today is which are we more aware of?

This is a divine perspective. Divine perspective is Paul writing to this church, with all their deficiencies, and reminding them from the outset the call of God. Paul lived conscious that he was acted upon by God before he acted in response to God, and he lived aware that this Corinthian church was the creation of God as well, that they exist only because of the call of God. And when he reminded himself of the call of God, when he reminded them of the call of God, when you remind yourself that those folks you are serving have first been acted upon by God, it will impart faith for change and perseverance for the process. It’s what this does to you. That’s the difference it makes.

This past week I received a critical letter from an individual. Actually, it was worse than critical, it was accusatory. And I don’t want you to misunderstand, I come from a church that excels in gratefulness and encouragement. This really is an exception, not the norm. I am very aware that, on any given Sunday, I receive more encouragement from the people I have the privilege to serve than most pastors do in their entire lives. I don’t understand that. It is purely the mercy of God, the mercy of God in its purest form.

But we are a relatively large organization and the senior pastor is in desperate need of progressive sanctification, so God is wise in providing individuals who have a particular call on their life as well. It is a call to reveal my sin, a call to provoke my sin. And this individual, we’re like pen pals. He’s written to me a number of times, although “pal” might be a statement of faith on my part. And so, I periodically receive these letters. They are not observations, they are accusations. I am normally misquoted or taken out of context. I am assigned ungodly motives. They are a test when I receive them, they are a test. How many of you, you can almost tell by the very envelope, at least I can. You can give me two envelopes, and at times I can say, “This one is from God. This one is demonic.” Okay?

Imparting Faith for Change and Perseverance

Now, I wrote him back a letter. And at some point in the next week or two, I’m going to see him. Here’s going to be my test. Which am I going to be more aware of? See, he has been acted upon by God, there’s no question. I don’t question his conversion. He’s not the recipient of false assurance. My test is going to be, when I interact with him, am I going to be primarily aware that I am interacting with an individual who God has already acted upon, or am I going to be interacting with an individual who I’m more aware has serious deficiencies that aren’t changing in my preferable timetable? And those deficiencies seem to be uniquely directed toward me.

See, when I reflect upon his call, do you know what happens? That divine perspective alters my attitude toward this man. And do you know what? When I approach him with that altered attitude, it provokes receptivity and responsiveness in his heart toward me. But when I don’t reflect on the call of God in his life, I approach him motivated sinfully. I approach him self-righteously. I have insight. I can take his letter and I can bring his attention to the sins which abound. And sadly, I can do that in a way which isn’t humble and redemptive. A divine perspective of the church you serve will impart faith for the congregation as a whole and for particularly difficult or immature individuals in particular. Faith for change and perseverance for the process.

The Perspective of Grace

Second, Paul’s understanding of divine perspective was evident in his recognition of grace. First Corinthians 1:4 says:

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus . . .

This is remarkable. Gordon Fee writes that what is most remarkable about this thanks-giving is the apostle’s ability to thank God for the very things in the church that, because of abuse, are also causing him grief. In light of the adjustment necessary related to their attitude toward the gifts and the practice of the gifts, I would not begin this letter with, “I always thank God for you.” Had I been responsible for this church, that is not how I would’ve begun this letter. My tendency would’ve been to dismiss the gifts categorically, all together.

Not Paul. Paul recognized that the gifts present among the Corinthians were evidences of God’s grace. Therefore, he could give thanks for the evidences of grace, while eventually adjusting their attitude toward the gifts and their practice of the gifts. Brothers, I submit to you, only the humble can identify evidences of grace in those needing adjustment. Only the humble. The self-righteous are not capable of such leadership.

If I could quote, and I’m not an avid reader of the comics, I’m an avid reader of the sports page, but I’m not an avid reader of the comics. But here is another comic, which is, I think, an excellent illustration. It is from “Peanuts.” The cartoon box opens with Lucy and Linus in their living room, and Linus is curled up in a chair. He’s quietly reading a book and Lucy, who I’m sure you’re familiar with, is standing behind him and she’s got a funny look on her face. And she turns to Linus and she says, “It’s very strange. It happens just by looking at you.” He says, “What happens?” Lucy calmly answers, “I can feel a criticism coming on.”

Listen, apart from grace, we all become like Lucy. What do you feel coming on when you observe your congregation? What do you feel coming on when you think of someone who is opposing you or being unsupportive? They haven’t changed in your preferred timetable? They are immature. What do you feel coming on? I was watching “Pride & Prejudice” with my family. And at one point Elizabeth’s father has discovered, in a letter received from Mr. Collins, that the arrogant, self-righteous Mr. Darcy was interested in his daughter, Elizabeth. And Elizabeth’s father assumed his daughter shared his disdain for Mr. Darcy, only to discover that Elizabeth had had a change of heart. And the father comments as follows, “Mr. Darcy? Who never looks at a woman except to see a blemish?”

As I was observing, I thought how often that is my pastoral approach as well. It is so easy to look upon others and only or primarily see a blemish. Now, don’t misunderstand. We believe in correction at Covenant Life Church and we practice it. I’m not minimizing it and I’m not dismissing it. It’s just not what I’m accenting this morning. And your correction will not be effective unless you have a divine perspective of the one you are correcting, because your heart won’t be filled with affection for them or faith for change on their behalf. You’ll be Lucy. When you look at them, you’ll feel a criticism coming on. You’ll be Mr. Darcy, who never looks at a woman except to see a blemish. That describes too many of us, as pastors, too often.

Evidences of Grace or Areas in Need of Growth?

Here’s the question for application: Which are you more aware of, evidences of grace or areas in need of growth? Which are you more aware of? Which are you more aware of, evidences of grace or areas in need of growth? Paul was aware of evidences of grace among the Corinthians, and he points them out and details them there in 1 Corinthians 1. Which are you more aware of? Ask yourself, in relation to your wife, which is she more aware of as a result of interacting with you, evidences of grace you observe or areas which are in need of change and growth?

At times, when I have the privilege to participate in biblical counseling, and a couple has come in with an unresolved conflict, I begin with this exercise. I say to the husband, “I would like you to begin by identifying a number of evidences of grace you observe in your wife’s life.” And if that man can’t do that, I know I’ve already identified the root problem. He’s bitter and he’s self-righteous. And we must begin to adjust him at that point if there’s any hope of resolving the conflict he assumed was going to be primarily addressed when he came in. I will ask the wife to participate in the same exercise as well.

How about your children? Ask yourself, what are they more aware of, evidences of grace you’ve observed or areas in need of growth? If your child is more aware of areas in need of growth than they are of evidences of grace you observe, you eventually will exasperate your child. Now, I’m not minimizing the importance of discipline. We are to discipline and obviously train our children in the instruction of the Lord, but when was the last time you specifically and sincerely informed your child of an evidence of grace you observed in his or her life?

Brothers, if it’s been longer than a week, it’s been too long. This will ensure that when it’s necessary to adjust them — and inevitably it will — they will be prepared for that adjustment, knowing that you are for them, secure in the fact that you have already identified evidences of grace that you observe.

Thanksgiving as a Lens of Divine Perspective

I have the privilege to lead a large pastoral team. There are 13 other men who serve on our pastoral team besides myself. One of my top priorities is to teach them how to motivate by grace. And they are an exceptional pastoral team. I have sought to train them to motivate by grace. I will consistently seek to draw attention to the evidence of grace I observe in their lives. Spontaneously, in a pastors’ meeting, I will identify a certain pastor and say, “Now, we’re going to go around the room and I want everybody, one by one, to give some specific observation you’ve had of an evidence of grace in this individual’s life.” This isn’t some exercise in self-congratulations. There’s nothing superficial about it. We’re talking about evidences of grace. It’s God-centered. It’s thanking God for his distinct work of grace in someone’s life.

Do you know how often individuals are unaware of the progress they are making? Often, their progress is evident to everyone but them. And that’s why we must work to help them recognize that the Holy Spirit is at work in their lives, by identifying evidences of grace, in a similar way as Paul identified those evidence among the Corinthians.

So I will lead groups, small groups in this particular practice. Do you know why? We do this with the church as well. When we gather for our monthly all day pastors meeting, the first hour is exclusively thanksgiving. We give thanks to God for the specific evidences of grace, because you know why? All day we are going to be dealing almost exclusively with problems that need to be solved. And it is possible, by the end of the day, to no longer have a divine perspective of Covenant Life Church, as we work through one individual and one issue after another.

So the best way to start the day and the best way to end the day is to detail before God the evidences of grace which abound, because that positions our hearts for a proper evaluation of the church and ensures that we are protected from losing or abandoning a divine perspective of the church. And so, we will spend concentrated time just giving thanks. No prayer requests are allowed. It’s just specific thanks of evidences of grace that we have experienced as a pastoral team in serving this particular church. I seek to use Sundays for the same purpose. I seek to seize every opportunity I can to identify, for the folks in the church, evidences of grace.

We don’t just take an offering, we use it as an opportunity to inform people of an evidence of grace, the difference their finances are making. Here is a part of the church that you might be unaware of, but there’s an evidence of grace manifested here. And to give glory to God and for your edification, we want you to know about this evidence of grace. It’s an impartation of encouragement. It leaves the church, not in any way minimizing the sin that we do challenge, but aware that God is at work and that grace is abounding and therefore they find faith to approach the sin that needs to be confronted and the change that is required. They find faith for that change and they find fresh perseverance for that process as well.

Confronting the Inner Siskel and Ebert

This is a high priority. Equip your church to discern evidences of grace, to be appreciative of evidences of grace. Without the divine perspective provided in the first nine verses of this 1 Corinthians, one could only be critical and pessimistic of the Corinthian church. Without what we find here, without this acknowledgement of God’s call, without this recognition of God’s grace, and the evidences of grace, one could only be critical and pessimistic. And too often, members of our congregation are viewing our churches or evaluating our churches without the perspective of the first nine verses.

David Pryor writes in his commentary:

The sad thing is that dissatisfied church members will often naively think that another church in the area will somehow be better than the one they now attend.

That’s right, it is naive. It’s naive to think that any church would be better if you attend, because when you attend, it will no longer be better. See, I realized that years ago. My fantasies about attractive alternative situations were always marred by one thing: I was in them. That’s the problem. Whatever I could create with my imagination involved myself, and where I am, there’s indwelling sin and therefore we no longer have a fantasy anymore. We need to register, Pryor writes, for this primary truth. Paul looks at the Corinthian Church as it is in Christ Jesus before he looks at anything else that is true of the church. That discipline statement of faith is rarely made in local churches, the warts are examined and lamented — I’m not minimizing those — but often there’s no vision of what God has already done in Christ. That is accurate.

Too many churches are populated by spiritual Siskel & Eberts, who just think their function in the church is to observe, to criticize, and to evaluate. They are self-righteous. They are self-appointed. They are Lucy. They are Mr. Darcy. They need to repent. They need to be confronted with this divine perspective. I have used this at times, I hope wisely and skillfully, to appeal to people who are struggling. They are aware of deficiencies, and it’s not that I’m dismissing or minimizing their deficiencies, but if that is the accent, if they are unaware of evidences of grace, if they are always unfavorably comparing Covenant Life Church to any other local church or national church, I will introduce them to the Corinthians.

Pastors, if you’re having a bad day, I really commend to you just even a superficial reading of 1 Corinthians. If you have an unfavorable assessment of your church personally, read 1 Corinthians. You will be encouraged. You will be encouraged. You’ll begin to anticipate eternal reward again because if these folks are going to be rewarded, and if Paul is going to be rewarded, then there’s great hope for us as well. I’ve said to people, “Let’s consider the Corinthians. Let’s do a comparison. Let’s do a local church comparison.” I say, “We’re going to compare the Corinthians with Covenant Life Church. We’re going to compare your experience here with the Corinthian Church. Okay, we begin now. Have you heard the gospel? Is there an error as it relates to the gospel here? Is not the primary message you hear at this church the cross?” They say, “Yes.” Okay, we’re making great progress.

I say, “Have you been sued? Have you ever been sued since you’ve been in this church? In all your years involved in that small group, did anyone ever sue you who was a part of this church?” They say, “No.” I say, “When we’ve had communion, has anyone ever been drunk? Anybody ever in the history of Covenant Life been drunk during communion? Has anybody ever been committing immorality with their stepmother in Covenant Life Church and not been disciplined?” What am I providing them? I’m providing them perspective, aren’t I? If they’re humble, it can have a transforming effect.

Appreciation and Evaluation

Listen, as pastors let us emulate Paul’s example in being preoccupied with a divine perspective. We will be appropriately affected as a result. I say this based on the authority of God’s word. Listen carefully. What Paul says is true of the Corinthian Church is true of your church as well. You are called. Your church is called. There are evidences of grace in your church. I submit to you that if Paul can find evidences of grace in the Corinthian Church, what is your excuse for not finding evidences of grace in your church? If he can find evidences of grace in this church, I can find evidences of grace in my church. If I don’t, I grieve the Holy Spirit because he has provided those evidences of grace.

You must begin, I would encourage evaluation. We evaluate Covenant Life regularly and ruthlessly as a pastoral team, but we begin any process of evaluation with an appreciation of the evidences of grace in our midst. It was Paul’s preoccupation with this divine perspective which created a fresh faith and affection for the Corinthian Church.

The Perspective of God’s Faithfulness

He was aware of God’s call. He recognized God’s grace, and finally his confidence was in the faithfulness of God. His confidence was in the faithfulness of God. Paul is full of confidence for the future of this church. Full of confidence. Look at 1 Corinthians 1:8. This is remarkable. He says:

[He] will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I find it remarkable that Paul could express such confidence about a church whose current status is anything but strong and whose current behavior is anything but blameless. How can this man be so confident? He will keep you strong to the end. You will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. How can he be so confident? Well, he’s clear on the source of his confidence. First Corinthians 1:9 says, “God is faithful.” That’s the source of his confidence. In other words, “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.” That’s the source of his confidence and that is to be the source of our confidence as well.

As I contemplate the future of Covenant Life Church, the source of my confidence is not in the exceptional pastoral team I have the privilege to serve with. It is not in the exceptional congregation I have the privilege to serve and relate to. The source of my confidence for the future of Covenant Life Church is the faithfulness of God. That’s the source of my confidence and I can be as confident as Paul was in the Corinthian Church as I relate to Covenant Life Church. I can bring them that same confidence, and what a difference that makes, particularly when I have to correct them. He was confident in the faithfulness of God.

Entrusted to the Faithfulness of God

The wife that I do not deserve is in attendance this morning. In May, we will have been married for 24 years. To interact with her even briefly or casually is to think more highly of myself because that’s the kind of reflection she is. She has always been more mature than I am. She has always been more godly than I am. She is the most godly individual I know, and I am grateful beyond words that she said yes to me.

Our wedding is still vivid. We do not have it videoed, but it is not necessary because the details are still vivid. It was a unique wedding in certain ways because Carolyn’s father, who loves her deeply, did not want me to be a minor player in the wedding. As you are aware, most of the time when there is a wedding, the groom and the groomsmen shuffle out from the side and suddenly appear. It’s not a grand entrance by any means. Then there is the grand entrance. Let’s say in this building the doors open in the back and everybody stands.

Well, Carolyn’s father wanted her to have a grand entrance, but he wanted me to have a grand entrance as well as a way of just affirming my headship. This wasn’t my preference, but it was wise to defer. I had to be a part of the rehearsal, and so in the auditorium, which was a little different than this, I entered from the back right-hand corner. I entered from the back, walked down, walked all the way across the front and then to this point where, in effect, Carolyn then came through those doors and then she came toward me from that side of the auditorium.

I had to coordinate this thing. We had to get a good song and I started to do the wedding walk. Ladies do the wedding walk. I came to the wedding walk and tried to coordinate it so that I’m here when the song ends, and thought this was silly. How are you supposed to do this thing? I don’t know. Walking is no problem until you’ve got to think about it, and think about how to be gracious and have coordinating steps here and listening to this song. I’m also anticipating the abuse of my friends who are in no way going to be supportive. That’s why I love them. That’s why they’re my friends. The door’s going to open and they’re just going to laugh.

It’s right before I’m to make my grand entrance. We are in the side room, and in this room are just two people, Carolyn’s dad and myself. In a moment that I had hoped would be memorable for a lifetime, I sincerely and dramatically extended my hand to my future father-in-law. I said, “Dad, thanks for your trust.” Carolyn’s father without hesitation extended his hand to me and said these exact words, “I don’t trust you; I trust the Lord.” Now, I hope you’ll agree with me that there was a certain degree of pseudo-spirituality in that statement. I think you’ll also agree with me that it wasn’t wise for me to adjust him at that moment.

Gentleman, in November I took a very long walk down an aisle with one of my daughters holding my right arm. There was a veranda in the back of our auditorium that was created. It was beautiful. I told Kristen the night before that we were going to pause there because I was going to seize that moment as my final teaching moment as being a loving authority in her life. I was going to draw her attention to the grace of God that made it all possible. Thank her for her obedience, for she had honored her father in an exemplary way her whole life. She had reflected her mother. This is stupid for me to say this because it is difficult for me to restrain myself. As David said earlier, she has relocated to Chicago to be a part of a church planning team. We are committed to a mission and it involves sacrifice, and that was a serious sacrifice for me.

We stopped under the veranda. People were standing and a special song was playing. I interacted with her in a way that both of us will always remember. I looked up and I saw Brian on the stage. He’s a gem. I just waved. When I got up to the platform, I did something different than my father-in-law. I had told Kristen, “Kristen, when we get to the other end of this aisle, you will be under somebody else’s authority. But I will always be your father and you will always be my Kristen.” When I arrived, I took her hand and I placed it in his. It was more than symbolic. I said to him, “Brian, I trust you.” As I walked back to my seat, I thought dad was partially right. He got the more important part right because ultimately my confidence in the future of that relationship is not in their impressive character. Ultimately, my confidence is in the faithfulness of God.

Reoriented on the Calling, Grace, and Faithfulness of God

Gentlemen, in my opinion — it’s biased, but it’s accurate, and I make that assumption about many of my opinions — there is nothing more important nor there is anything more satisfying than the privilege of being a pastor. I do not want to minimize its difficulties. I have no question here that there are men serving churches that are far more difficult than I could even imagine. I’ve served the same church for 23 years. It’s the only church I’ve known. Cal Ripken will retire as an Oriole, and I’ll die at Covenant Life Church with great joy. I was reading recently Edwards’s “A Farewell Sermon,” and I just broke down and cried numerous times because I said Lord Edwards deserved Covenant Life and I deserved Northampton.

Pastoring can be difficult and some of you have challenges I can’t relate to. You have people that are unsupportive, that are slanderous. I wish there was a way I could provide so that you could avoid the pain. Pain is not my preference. I was reading an article recently in “The Post” which talks about people who go to the dentist and don’t have anesthesia. I read that and it was incomprehensible to me. They featured this one guy. He’s obviously a man’s man, the kind of guy you meet at 7–11 at 4:30 a.m. getting a couple of half smokes and a large Coke. You just think this is incredible, chili dogs and this is breakfast. Just that kind of a guy. They showed him, he’s having his teeth worked on and he’s got no Novocaine. I mean, I ask for Novocaine when I’m having my teeth cleaned.

As a matter of fact, just a few years ago I went to the oral surgeon because since I was a teenager, my dentist said, “You have three wisdom teeth, you need to have your wisdom teeth out.” There was no pain. Every year I would just say, “Sir, there’s no pain. Until there’s pain, I’m not going to have my wisdom teeth out. Why would I go through all that pain when there’s no pain just to have my wisdom teeth out?” They would appeal and they say, “Well, your teeth are going to start moving.” I say, “Well, I’ll assess the damage as it unfolds, but they’re not moving right now. I’m not particularly handsome and I don’t care. I’m a great athlete.” The essence of true masculinity.

Finally, just a few years ago, one of my dentists said there’s the potential for cancer. I suddenly felt led to go to the oral surgeon and have these taken out. But I’m sitting in a room and everybody there is 16 and 17 and 18. All right? There I am bald and old. The guy gets me in the chair and he holds up x-rays. I knew these x-rays better than this guy did. I could tell him exactly where those wisdom teeth were. He said to me, “Well, Mr. MahaneyI need to share one thing with you. The one here down in this corner is so impacted that I can’t discern the difference between that tooth and your jaw, so that’s going to be a difficult one.” Of course they got all the stuff on now to where you just think, ooh, this is going to be ugly. Then he says to me, “Mr. Mahaney, would you like anesthesia?”

I said, “Yes, I didn’t know there was an option. You came recommended, but I’m concerned.” Then he said, “Would you like local or general anesthetic?” I said, “Oh, I want national. I want international. I want every drug you can legally put in my body. Okay? That’s what I want. I want you to know something. I want to wake up a week from now and I don’t want to remember this happened. If I see you at the mall, I don’t want to recognize you. That’s the kind of drug deal I want you to do on me.” Do I want anesthesia?

Don’t you wish there was relational Novocaine? Don’t you wish there was? Don’t you wish there was relational Novocaine? Don’t you wish there was relational Novocaine? See, when you get a letter like I described earlier in the message that is accusatory and slanderous, don’t you wish there was relational Novocaine? Don’t you wish there was relational Novocaine to that individual who seems just committed to oppose you? Don’t you wish there was relational Novocaine for whoever you’re thinking about while I’m making this point.

There’s not. There’s something better. There’s divine perspective. There is a recognition of God’s call, there is an acknowledgement of evidences of grace, and there is confidence in the faithfulness of God which can create within you both faith and affection for those you have the privilege to serve and lead. The past is addressed by acknowledging call, the present by recognizing evidences of grace, and the future by confidence in the faithfulness of God. Let us allow divine perspective to transform our attitude toward those we serve and create fresh affection for those we have the privilege to serve and lead.