It's not often I use my blog to request prayer for myself, but this week I am burdened for the responsibility that is placed on those who preach and teach in their churches. You may ask, "What happened to increase your burden this week?" Well.....let me tell you a story.
My father died when I was 23. He was a good man and a Dad I both looked up to and in many respects wanted to live up to. He was strong in fortitude and character and was well respected in the church. He had a very high view of the bible and as a lay teacher would often take studies through books of the bible with our lounge room full of people. Just a short time before my dad died, he gave me a biblical reference book to encourage me to study the bible more. In the front cover he wrote, "To Stephen, Happy Birthday from Mum and Dad, 2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." I often open that book just to look at my dad’s last written words to me. I'm thankful for the reminder they give me. Today when I read this verse, it's impossible not to think of my father's example.
As time went by, the words of this verse were not lost on me. They took me to seminary so that I might be really concerned about biblical accuracy to teach the bible. They were often in my mind when I could sniff out a heresy and not be ashamed to point out error. They sometimes emboldened me to make confident statements of authority because not being ashamed of biblical accuracy had to look and sound like something. If you are going to stand on the authority of the word of God before other men, you better be confident about handling it right.
Twenty-eight years post-Dad, this week, I find myself preaching through 2 Timothy and landing on this passage. Paul tells Timothy to present himself to God as one approved. Often when we consider this word, we think about being approved before other men. I think, for sentimental reasons, deep down I also wanted to be someone who might have found the approval of my dad - even though he's no longer around. Timothy is not being told to find self-approval or man's approval. He is being told to work unto God's approval. This is not approval like God's saving favor - we don't need to work for that. This is approval that simply means that we are being pleasing to God. We live to please him.
In his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Romans 12:1. Paul's appeal is for the church in Rome to present their whole life in a way that pleases God. The motivation for their whole life was to be pleasing to God with their whole being, body, mind, and soul. This is exactly the same motivation that Paul is suggesting to Timothy when he tells him to present himself to God as one approved. We live to please God. We preach to please God.
Brothers and sisters, your pastors and elders need your prayer. Pastors and Elders, like any other human beings can be tempted to find approval from other men and women. When it's as sentimental as a lost father, it can be very strong. It can happen in various ways for various reasons. We might want approval to be seen as one who stands boldly. We might want approval for our intellect or research. We might want approval for how we so accurately and skillfully defend the faith. The list goes on.
As much as anyone, pastors and elders are in the fight to deny self and exalt Christ. Our desire as much as any other believer is to present our bodies as a living sacrifice acceptable to God. Living with a motivation to please God doesn't come naturally for any human. It takes God's grace through prayer and intentional preaching to ourselves about what is most important in every task - the glory of God.
Please, please, pray for me. I do not want it ever to be about me. Pray for your pastors as we do work hard in the text of Scripture. Pray for us that we only ever do it to find the approval of God. When we do, the natural outflow of that will always be the edification of his people.
Would my dad be happy? Maybe, but it doesn't matter if God's not.