A Pastor’s Burden

I have been asking myself a question the past few months.  This question was originally birthed from a sincere evaluation of the Biblical Christian Life and relates to the function of the Local New Testament Church.  The question is this:

Why are we here?

Is it to gather together on a Sunday or Wednesday, sitting in a pew and listening to someone Preach? Is that really the culmination of the Christian life?  It would appear that for some it is.  ”Going to Church” is what it means to be a Christian to the majority of our Church members.

If “going to Church” defines us as Christian, then what does Monday and Tuesday and Thursday and Friday and Saturday hold for us?

Biblical Christianity is a LIFE, not a meeting.

I affectionately refer to this as the “Rut of Religion”.  But I don’t know what to do about it.  I Preached not long ago on this and asked the question: “If someone was to follow you around for 30 days, how would they define what it means to be a Christian?  For most, it would be a list:

• Go to Church  - even faithfully
• return the tithe
• give to Missions, etc…
• teach/sing/work nursery/parking lot/etc. – whatever ministry one is involved in
• read the Bible
• pray
• … – the list may go on.

For many, this is it.   But that is not Biblical Christianity.  For many, this list is an end – it says “I am doing well…” – the problem is the word “DOING” – the Christian life is supposed to be a deep, passionate relationship with our Saviour.  Out of that will come sevice, but that service is a result of the relationship, not an end to itself.  God help us to not be satisfied with a few chores – help us to be “constrained by the love of Christ”.  God help me to teach and to Preach the relationship not just to service.  And help me to live it.

This is sort of an unintelligible mess – sorry.  It has been been a long time since my last entry and I am trying to get more consistent.  So rather than scrap this, I decided to finish it.  Lord Bless you all.

2011

Here we are in a brand new year.  2010 is gone.  We have packaged it up and returned it to God and there is nothing that we can do to get that time back.  It could be that 2010 was a great year in serving our Saviour; it could be that there was much lacking.  Either way, it is gone.  What we must do now is “redeem the time” that God has given us.  We cannot change the past – but we can change the future.  In fact, God wants to use you to make an eternal impact in this world.

On Sunday Night, Jan 2, 2011, I Preached a message from Exodus Chapter 12, verses 1-17.  In this passage, God shows us the importance of NEW.  Our Theme for this year is taken from 1 Cor 5.17 – “All Things New”.  God desires to make all things new in your life.  In Exodus He shows the Nation of Israel that He is still with them.  At this point there have been 9 plagues that have only made the Egyptians mad at God and the enslaved Nation of Israel, and the Nation of Israel mad at Moses.  God tells Moses what to tell the people – that this is a new month and a new Year and that things will be different from now on.  He tells them to choose a lamb on the 10th day of the month; to kill it and dress it to eat on the 14th day of the month, to paint the door posts with the blood of the lamb, then to eat it.  He tells them to get all leaven out of their homes from the 14th through the 21st.  He tells them how to eat it, how to dress it, how to paint the door posts, what to wear while eating, etc.  God loves us so much that He tells us everything we need to know to bring honor and glory to Him and to have grace and blessing in our lives.  There was planning, prayer and purpose in the passover.  We should begin this new year with some planning, prayer and approach it with purpose.  Let God use us this year in a greater way than ever before.  Determine to read through the Bible this year.  Determine to be faithful to God’s House this year.  Determine to return the tithe to God this year.  Determine to avail yourself for His glory.

Lord Bless,

taking care of yourself in the ministry…

It has been a while since I have been able to devote time to this endeavor, but I am getting caught up with everything which will allow some time.

I have been reading more, in an effort to grow personally as a Child of God and to grow as a Husband and a father, and as a Pastor.  I have so much to learn and so often it seems that life creeps up and diverts my attention from those things that are most important.

So I am reading a book on ministry and came across this thought:

often in the ministry we talk about “burn-out” and needing a hiatus or sabbatical or just a “break from the ministry”.  I have heard many of my Brothers in the ministry say such things.  I have heard good men talk about how they feel that the Church they are Pastoring does not appreciate them or their family, or that they do not have the help that they need in the ministry and therefore have to put in long days, long weeks, long lives and their family suffers.  God never intended for any family to suffer FROM the ministry.  In fact, if we minister according to the plan and will and in the power of God, we will not grow weary in well doing, we will not know “burn-out”, we will never feel that we are working long hours for nothing.  See, God called me to the gospel ministry – to Preach the unsearchable riches of Christ to a lost and dying world.   He called me to Pastor where He has planted me according to His will and His pleasure.  He called me to lead a Church family in the work of the ministry.  To do that, I must be able to help them grow, I must be able to know the will of God in any given ministry and follow His divine leadership and help people to follow me as I follow Christ.

I want to share the story about a frustrated Pastor, who felt that the people of the Church he was Pastoring were not adequately engaged in the work of the ministry.  He thought they were lazy and did not care enough about reaching people.  He thought that they were too content in their slow paced ministry and so he took it upon himself to fix it.  He would set the example for them and set a tireless ministry work ethic that would make them want to jump on board.  After several months that had turned into 20 hour work days as he began new ministries, new outreaches, and new classes, he realized that his family was suffering.  He realized that he had not been home to spend time with his family one night in over 3 weeks.  He had gotten himself so overwhelmed with multiple “ministry” endeavors, that he was losing his family.  So he took his frustrations to a meeting of some of the leaders of the Church.  He began by explaining to them his frustration in as kind and patient terms as his weary and nearly bitter heart could muster.  This is a quote from this book:

“I am doing a tremendous amount of work around here with little or no response.  I’ve increased the number of programs available to the congregation; I’m visiting, going to meetings; plus I’m preparing sermons and classes.  I visit the shut-ins every week, go to the hospital every day.  I’m not looking for praise, but I feel that my commitment isn’t being matched by the leadership of this Church.”  There was a long silence, where I felt people were doing some serious self-examination.

Finally, one wise and patient member, who had seen Preachers come and go, quietly said: “I expect you, as my Pastor, to take care of yourself.  I think that’s a big part, perhaps the biggest part, of your job.  A burned out Pastor is of no use to me or to this Church. Not one person here can take care of you or set reasonable limits for you.  We look to you for leadership in the management of your life.  I’m no theologian, but from Scripture and from your Preaching about the Kingdom of God, I have learned that it is our responsibility to be stewards of that kingdom, to manage what we have, including our time and work, in a mature and responsible way.  That’s what we brought you here to do.” emphasis mine – crh

Could it be that we allow ourselves to get to the point of being “burned-out” because we fail to do what God has for us to do – take care of His purchased soul?  Do I expect others to do what God expects me to do?  I need to command my schedule for His glory.  I must redeem the time for His honor.  Whatever your place in the body of Christ, you have to understand that you are needed.  The proper function of the Church depends upon the proper involvement of every member.  Make sure you take care of your family.  make sure you take care of you.

Lord Bless

Revival

We are in the midst of a great meeting – the Lord has begun to really speak in a great way.  Bro. Wayne Hardy, Pastor of Bible Baptist Church in Stillwater, OK is Preaching for us all week.  Tonight, however, I Preached as Bro. hardy had to go to Ft. Worth, TX to the funeral of a family friend.  It was difficult Preaching in the middle of a meeting – but a few weeks ago, God had begun to lay a passage on my heart: 1 Peter chapter 2.  I knew the passage had to do with the Revival, but I was not sure how.  I felt presumptuous to think I would Preach a message at our Revival meeting.  Not that there is anything wrong with that – in fact, I became convinced through the process that every Pastor ought to consider Preaching a meeting at their Church.  Sunday night we knew that Bro. Hardy would have to miss Tuesday.  So I began praying about having soul-winning, as we normally do on Tuesday.  I thought about taking the night off, as it is a busy week, tiring, and I want to facilitate an atmosphere where God can work, so maybe the folks need rest.  I could use some.  But through it all, God confirmed that I would Preach and He gave the message.  I did not do the text justice, but God did His Truth justice.  Praise the Lord for His grace and mercy and help.  So thankful that He desires to speak to all of us.  I am so thankful that God has allowed me to be a part of a wonderful Church.  I am looking forward to the remainder of the week.  I am praying for revival!

Messages will be posted on our web site soon after the meeting.  www.tbcwichita.com

2 Corinthians #1.

We have begun our new series in 2 Corinthians and I have been very blessed by the study.  I will post notes and thoughts throughout the series here under the heading of “2 Corinthians”

Chapter 1:1-3

1.  Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God…

here, Paul knows, understands and accepts his place, his calling, and his purpose.  He is OF JESUS CHRIST.  Not just this letter, but him; he has presented his body a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God (Rom 12.1)  He has left us a great ensample of what it means to live for Christ.

2.  Grace and peace come from God.  Today, people seek peace, but they seek it in everything other than God.  We have reached a generation that despises the very concept of a sovereign God in Heaven.  Much of this generation hates the name of Jesus and the Bible.  But peace comes from no other source than God through Jesus according to His Word.

3.  Mercy and comfort.  People are also in search of comfort in this world.  People seek comfort in drugs, immorality, alcohol, etc., etc., and they never find it.  Comfort evades them because they refuse to accept the simple fact that God is the God of all comfort.  He is the only source of true comfort.  If we would go to Him in all things, with all things, we would find the peace and the comfort that has been so absent in out lives.

Would you take a moment and just ask the Lord to show you His Truth, His Peace, His mercy and His comfort?  Would you give the Saviour, Jesus Christ, a chance to work in your life.  He wants to.

Lord Bless you all

Con R. Howerton

www.tbcwichita.com

Voices of Disuasion

Yesterday me and my daughters took my mom to a Respiratory testing place to check her O2 levels and get her some mobile O2 tanks.  As she was being tested, I sat in the waiting room reading.  For the last year, I have been irregularly reading “1776″ by John McCullough whenever I have had time.  Yesterday I took that book to read a few pages.  I was struck by a statement made by General James Grant of the British Army.

In Nehemiah, we read the account of an unassuming man availing himself for the glory of God and seeing God use him in a mighty way.  In Chapter 4 we see a group of God’s enemies mocking the work of the Jews:

4:1. But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.  2. And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?  3. Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.

Much was threatened and much mocking took place in the time the Israelites rebuilt the walls – even to the point that the people believed the insults and the work was ceased.  But God prevailed through Nehemiah and a great victory was wrought by God in the hearts and lives of His chosen people.

On August 27, 1776, the US Military entered its first battle as the Army of the United States.  This battle was the Battle of Long Island, or the Battle of Brooklyn Heights.  The US were outnumbered 4 or 5 to 1.  They were outgunned, out trained and out planned.  The British won that battle handily, killing hundreds of US soldiers and turning the “Yanks” in retreat.  General Grant said this in a letter to his commander:

“…glorious day…a cheap and complete victory…You will be glad that we have had the field day I talked of in my last letter.  If a good bleeding can bring those Bible-faced Yankees to their senses, the fever of independency should soon abate.”

We know that the fever was not abated, but completed.

As the enemies of the US mocked the desire for independence, and the enemies of Israel mocked and fought against the rebuilding of Jerusalem, so is the world, the flesh and the devil desirous to see us falter in our service to the Lord.  Don’t give up or give in.  God will use you if you let Him; if you avail yourself for His glory.  Let God use you to make an impact for eternity in the lives of those around you…

Lord Bless

Con R. Howerton

First Post

As an introductory post, let me introduce myself.  My name is Con Howerton.  I Pastor Temple Baptist Church in Wichita, KS.  God has allowed my family and I to serve there since July of 2001.  Check us out on the Web @ www.tbcwichita.com, then come be our guest – we would love to meet you and grow together in the Lord.

My purpose in the blog is to journal my Bible studies, record and share the ways the Lord is speaking to me and even what He is doing in my life, my family and my Church.

May the Lord bless each and every one of you.  I look forward to sharing our wonderful Saviour with the world.

Con R. Howerton