Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor

I recently finished Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor by D. A. Carson. In this account, the New Testament scholar gives insights and memories of the life and ministry of his father Tom Carson. His ministry is not one of flash and fame, but of extraordinary faithfulness. Tom Carson was faithful to the little things of ministry while serving in a difficult place (French Canada) during a difficult time. His son writes, “Between 1950 and 1952, Baptist ministers spent a total of eight years in jail for preaching the gospel.” Yet he turned down opportunities to leave for more favorable conditions and remained determined to “stay because I believe God has many people in this place” (His son comments that this is referring to Acts 18:10 and his father’s perseverance in the doctrine of election).

Additionally, Tom Carson was faithful in loving and caring for his family. This is particularly evident in his looking after his wife during her struggle with Alzheimer’s. This ultimately became his ministry and yet he never complained or grumbled about his circumstances. He continued to faithfully plod along.

Tom Carson faithfully fought the good fight. He labored to study and memorize Scripture and stayed before the Lord regularly in prayer to his dying days. His final sermon was preached just six weeks before he died.

Though his ministry was not overwhelmingly fruitful or his name famous, Tom Carson was faithful and he finished well. I found his story inspiring and encouraging as I struggle to finish well.

Killing Sin

Romans 6:23a (ESV)
“For the wages of sin is death…”


We live in a culture that is casual, even comfortable with sin. Even in the church we do not take sin serious enough. We fail to realize that a lifestyle of sin has grave consequences. Sin destroys our connection with God. It drives a wedge between us and our Creator and apart from repentance the result is eternal death. As believers our connection with God is always in jeopardy because of our propensity to sin. Genesis 4:7 informs us that “sin is crouching at the door” waiting to pounce on us and ruin us. Sin that is not confronted hinders our prayer—connection—time with God. Psalm 66:18 tells us that if we “cherish iniquity” in our hearts the Lord will not listen to us. If we are disconnected from God with are in grave danger and our souls vulnerable.

To protect this connection we must be aggressive and proactive. John Piper would say that serious personal vigilance is necessary. We must stop trying to manage our sin and crucify it. Puritan John Owen says that it must be our constant daily duty to mortify our sin. In fact he urges us to “always be killing sin or it will be killing you.”


Explore More:

Are there any sins in your life in which you have grown comfortable?
What sin or sins are most likely to derail you from reaching your potential in Christ?
What is your strategy to deal with those sin(s)? (Mortify it…crucify it and nail it to the cross?)
Is your connection with God real?


Prayer:

Lord, give me a heart that is sensitive to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Help me to be quick to confess and repent of sins. Help me to take sin seriously and have a desire to crucify it and nail it to the cross.

Snow Day!!!

A shot of my study on Tuesday.

The 3

That's me in the center with 2 friends that I am determined to see FINISH WELL! Everyone needs a committed team that will take responsibility for their holiness.

Leadership & Accountability

Romans 14:12 (ESV) 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

One day each of us will stand face to face with our God and explain why we did what we did…not a comforting thought, at least not for me. As leaders, influencers, we are especially vulnerable. Our words, actions, and attitudes have great consequence and can potentially derail someone’s faith.

In view of the accountability that we will one day have with God, what are you doing today to be accountable with the authority you have been given?

In his book, Minority Report, Carl R. Trueman says: “Accountability is thus crucial in leadership. Choice of advisors and confidantes is critical….If you want to avoid personal moral disaster as a Christian, you need to establish mechanisms of accountability before you think you have any problem; and for leaders this is even more imperative. Being surrounded by yes-men and lackeys might stroke the self-image; but it will do nothing to prevent self-destruction.”

When was the last time someone asked you probing questions about your actions and decision-making that made you uncomfortable? To whom do you answer for your actions and decision-making? Bottom line: Who is holding you accountable?

Andy Stanley says: “As a next generation leader it is incumbent upon you to do all you can now to prepare yourself for your eventual success. Your gifts will open doors. Your character will determine what you do once those doors have opened.”

Explore More:

1. Do you have an accountability team you can trust? Do they mind making you uncomfortable with tough questions that go deeper than sports or weather?
2. How are you being proactive in protecting yourself in areas that you know you are weak?
3. Have you recently done a honest self-examination to considered areas of personal weakness, areas that if you compromised would disqualify you from ministry? Who have you asked for help or accountability in those areas?
4. How are you developing your character so that it will sustain you through future successes?

Prayer:
Lord, help us this day to walk with you. Bless us with godly friends who love us and desire to see us finish well. Help us to be honest with ourselves and sensitive to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Develop our character that we will finish well and hear you say: “WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.”