Help or Hinder? The Pastor/Church Relationship
A Sermon on 2 Corinthians 5:11
Scripture
11Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
Sermon Description
How should pastors view the church? How should a church view its pastor? In this sermon on 2 Corinthians 5:11 titled “For Church and Minister,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on the importance of both a church and its pastor, and how the two relate to each other. Dr. Lloyd-Jones begins by laying out three points centered around Paul’s letters to various congregations and his relationship with them. First, an unsupportive church can greatly hinder the pastor and his ministry, and be a source of major contention that makes it hard for the shepherd to do his work. Second, a good church can fill a vital role by encouraging its pastor. This, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says, is one of the easiest yet most valuable things a church can do. Finally, as Paul declared in the epistle, a church filled with people seeking the Lord and following the pastor’s instruction is the best testimony he can have. Dr. Lloyd-Jones spends the latter half of his sermon addressing the role of the pastor. Like an ambassador, pastors are appointed by God to their position to speak on His behalf to His people. They are the shepherd, and their responsibility is not just to be the “nice guy,” but rather, one who speaks the truth of God’s word. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds on these points and encourages pastors and churches to interact with each other in a way that pleases the Lord and reflects the relationship that Paul had with many of his congregations.
Sermon Breakdown
- The minister has a vital relationship with the church. The church can hinder or encourage a minister's ministry.
- The minister is an ambassador for Christ, called by God to deliver God's message. He is not there just to please people or entertain them.
- The minister's role is not just to impart knowledge or denounce others. His role is to persuade people through reasoning with them and demonstrating the truth of the gospel.
- Paul persuaded people by reasoning with them from the Scriptures and beseeching them with compassion. Though he used his intellect and emotions, his ultimate reliance was on the Holy Spirit.
- Paul was motivated by knowing the holiness of God, the love of Christ, the blessings of the gospel, and the hope of heaven.
- The gospel message offers forgiveness of sins, reconciliation to God, new life in Christ, and eternal hope. This is the message Paul persuaded people to believe.
- Though the world seems hopeless, Christians have an eternal hope and home in heaven.
- Paul prayed that God would bless the minister's ministry with power and that many would be saved.
Sermon Q&A
What Does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Say About the Role of a Minister in the Church?
Based on this sermon, which appears to be from an ordination or installation service for a new minister (Dr. Moore Crispin), I'll extract key questions and answers about the ministry according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones.
What is the proper relationship between a minister and the church according to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the relationship between a minister and the church is vital and reciprocal. He points out how the Apostle Paul devoted significant space in his epistles to discussing this relationship. A church can either "hinder a man's ministry and perhaps can be the greatest hindrance of all" through criticism and unholy living, or they can provide tremendous encouragement through prayer, support, and living out the gospel. Lloyd-Jones states that "ultimately the congregation, the members of the church, are the ultimate verification and attestation of the ministry of the preacher."
What does Lloyd-Jones say is the primary task of a minister?
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that the minister's primary task is to "persuade men." He says, "Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." This means the minister isn't primarily called to please people, entertain them, merely impart knowledge, or simply denounce error. Rather, the minister should be seeking to win people to Christ through persuasion that involves both reasoned argument from Scripture and heartfelt appeal.
How should a minister approach persuading people according to Lloyd-Jones?
Lloyd-Jones outlines a multi-faceted approach to persuasion: 1. Through reasoning from Scripture: "The apostle reasoned with them out of the scriptures." 2. With emotion and heart engagement: "He besought them. He was trying to persuade them. He was moved." 3. With reliance on the Holy Spirit: "His ultimate reliance was upon the demonstration of the spirit and of power."
What motivates a true minister according to Lloyd-Jones?
Lloyd-Jones identifies several key motivations: 1. "Knowing the terror of the Lord" - an awareness of God's holiness and ultimate judgment 2. "The love of Christ constraineth us" - being driven by Christ's love for us and for the lost 3. Knowledge of the blessings the gospel brings - forgiveness, reconciliation with God, new life, and eternal hope
What does Lloyd-Jones say about the minister being an "ambassador"?
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that a minister is "an ambassador for Christ," meaning: 1. He is called by God, not self-appointed: "No man appoints himself as an ambassador" 2. He delivers God's message, not his own opinions: "His business is not simply to voice or give expression to his own views and ideas and opinions" 3. He represents Christ, not himself: "The one business of the ambassador is to convey to the country to which he's sent the views of the government that has sent him"
Why does Lloyd-Jones say churches should encourage their ministers?
Lloyd-Jones speaks personally about how ministry can be lonely, saying: "You have no conception of what a lonely thing it can be to be a minister of a church." He urges church members to encourage their pastors by thanking them for their ministry, praying for them, and supporting them. He believes this encouragement helps ministers persevere in their God-given task despite the many discouragements they face in the modern world.
Itinerant Preaching
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.