C.J.’s message from the 2008 Together for the Gospel conference, “Sustaining the Pastor’s Soul,” has been added to the sermon archive. To read, listen to, watch, or download the message, click here.

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Sustaining the Pastor’s Soul
C.J. Mahaney                
Philippians 1:3–8        
April 17, 2008
Together for the Gospel Conference; Louisville, KY

 

The audio recording of C.J.’s second message at the 2008 Resolved Conference is now online.

The Cry From the Cross
C.J. Mahaney
Mark 15
Monday, June 16, 2008
Palm Springs, CA
1:02:39 run time; 28.7MB MP3

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Pic by Lukas. 

The audio recording of C.J.’s first message at the 2008 Resolved Conference is online.

God As Father
C.J. Mahaney
Galatians 4:1-7
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Palm Springs, CA
1:15:23 run time; 34.6MB MP3

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Pic by Lukas. 

 

The audio recording of C.J.'s second and final message delivered at the New Attitude conference is now online.

God as Father: Understanding the Doctrine of Adoption in God's Word
C.J. Mahaney
Galatians 4:1-7
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Louisville, KY

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The audio recording of C.J.'s first message delivered at the New Attitude conference is now online.

The Troubled Soul: God's Word and Our Feelings
C.J. Mahaney
Psalm 42:1-11
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Louisville, KY

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From the time I entered public ministry 35 years ago, I was attending conferences. The sum total of conference messages I’ve heard and taught—by my rough estimate—is somewhere near 1 gazillion (which is 1,000 zillions).

Some conferences were average, some good, and some excellent. But New Attitude is special. Here are a few reasons why.

First, the New Attitude conference was designed, and is brilliantly led by Joshua Harris and Eric Simmons, to reinforce several important objectives for college students and single adults. These include transferring the gospel to the next generation, reinforcing sound doctrine, spreading a passion for the local church, and encouraging personal evangelism.

The Psalmist captures the priority of entrusting: “One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts” (Psalm 145:4 ESV). At my age, whatever remaining moments, days, years, decades I have left, I want to represent one generation commending the works of God—and in particular the gospel—to another generation.

Benefits of the Conference

And there are plenty of immediate benefits to the conference as well. In my experience, young adults who attend the conference will experience God’s nearness during corporate worship, the gift of illumination during each sermon, and opportunities to cultivate friendships with other young adults.

Preaching is a priority at this conference. The preaching at this conference is excellent. It makes an immediate impact and has an enduring effect, too. Although world-class teachers are invited to address those at the conference, the conference leaders recognize and express their appreciation for the local pastors—those who are doing the most important work.

The conference is carefully designed not to build young men and women into well-known speakers, but to build them into their parents, their pastors, and their local church.

New Attitude and the Local Church

The effects of the conference continue as young adults return home from Louisville, inspired to invest in their local churches. And that is why, when I was pastoring Covenant Life Church, I used the New Attitude conference strategically. I viewed this event as a unique opportunity for college students and single adults in the church to be equipped to serve the church. So I did all I could to inspire them to attend, knowing the difference this conference would make in their lives and the life of the church.

I would encourage pastors to announce this conference, feature this conference, encourage all to attend this conference, and find ways of supporting young adults in their churches who are limited financially from attending.

This conference will not only prove formative in the souls of those who attend, but will also transfer the gospel to the next generation, and I think you will find it to be a fruitful investment for your own church.

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The New Attitude conference runs May 24–27, 2008, in Louisville, Kentucky. For more information, see the Na website: http://www.newattitude.org/

When I was the senior pastor of Covenant Life Church, I scheduled the entire pastoral team to attend at least one conference, or an abbreviated seminary course, per year. Looking back over the years, this practice has borne much fruit—personally, relationally, and theologically. Together we were sharpened in our doctrinal discernment and were deepened in our love for the Savior and his church. The fruit from these times has been immeasurable.

During these trips, we’ve heard great preaching and teaching. But we’ve also used our meal times (and late evenings) for discussion and application. We spend time encouraging one another, at times correcting one other, and contemplating the future together. We think much, laugh much, and eat much—all to the glory of God.

Something is built during this time together that makes a discernable difference in our relationships with each other and our service to the church we love.

Conferences like Together for the Gospel provide a unique (and all too rare) opportunity for pastoral team building, for deepening friendships, unhurried discussions about doctrine, and strategic planning for the church. Is it my hope that this will be the experience of all pastors attending the conference.

Together Strategically

To benefit from the time together, you cannot lead a group through a conference or class without strategic planning. On the road I kept a theme with the guys—“What we do, we do together.” When attending a conference or a class, I was responsible for planning our time, and planning the time together was critical. I was always alert to the spontaneous, but prior to the trip there was research to be done on the schedule and various options.

My goal was to build us together relationally. I used meal times for the review of content and the specific application of content to each pastor’s life. I sought to hear from each pastor what they were learning and how they were applying that teaching to their lives. So I would make sure that several times together—at least one each day—were intentionally led.

But it wasn’t all study and conversation. There must be athletic competition in some form! There must be winners and losers. Pride must be weakened and humility cultivated. And there is nothing like competition to build character and build a pastoral team together as friends. What you do depends on the collective athletic ability of your pastoral team. Pastoral teams that are athletically inclined can play basketball or football together. For the less coordinated teams, there are miniature golf and Monopoly.

Finally, these trips also provide time to specifically honor and encourage a particular pastor and a great opportunity to identify evidences of grace we observe in each other’s lives. If possible, make sure time is set aside for this practice.

Together for the Gospel

Now, senior pastors, don’t get too excited and jump into your planning if you are attending T4G, because you have been relieved of most of your scheduling responsibilities. It appears my good friend Mark Dever has scheduled T4G tight (but he’s left the schedule pretty free between midnight and 6:00 a.m.).

I had a friend email me inviting me to play basketball at T4G, and I had to sadly email him back and communicate there is not a free moment available! There would be if I were planning the conference.

Oh, how different T4G would be if I were leading the conference (and probably less effective and fruitful, too). Yes, there would be teaching, and plenty of it. But there would be blocks of time for athletic activities. But given the absence of athletic interest and ability that seems to characterize most—but not all—of those participating in T4G and particularly our leader, Mark Dever, there will be NO TIME for anything athletic in nature. (I wish more smart guys were good athletes.)

The Wives and Children

What about the wives? Whenever the Covenant Life pastoral team attended a conference I seized it as yet another opportunity to thank their wives. They are the ones at home sacrificing and serving the children while we are away. So I made it a practice to express my gratefulness for their example and support while the men were away. On the day we left I would have gifts ordered for the wives (like flowers and Starbucks gift cards) and gifts for the kids (like Hershey chocolates) to be delivered at the homes as a small expression of gratefulness from Carolyn and me.

When we returned home, I insisted the guys take an extra day off to care for their wives and spend time making memories with their children.

Traveling Alone

And I know there are pastors traveling to T4G on their own. You have no team, no staff, no one to share the pastoral burden. You have my deepest respect. Though you are traveling alone, you will not be alone at this conference. I am certain you will meet and make new friends during the conference. And if you can make time, introduce yourself to me. I’d be honored to meet you.

Conclusion

So I would encourage all pastors to build into their schedule and church budget at least one conference a year for you and your pastoral team. And if you are leading a church alone, I would encourage you to attend at least one conference a year with a pastor (or pastors) from another church.

As I look back and consider all the wonderful memories and important conversations I’ve had at conferences with my friends, they have been among the richest and most memorable experiences I’ve had in ministry. And I am certain T4G will be no different.

This week Sovereign Grace Ministries is hosting about 100 pastors for the Pastors College preaching conference. Sessions have been presented by C.J., Jeff Purswell (dean of the Pastors College), and Mike Bullmore (pastor and former professor of homiletics at Trinity Evangelical School of Theology).

A highlight has been the informal question-and-answer sessions, with the speakers covering a range of questions on preaching (and a few sports-related inquiries for C.J.). It was during one of these sessions, one brave pastor stood and asked for counsel in his struggle with the discouragement he experiences when listening to prominent and more-educated preachers.

All three panelists, C.J., Jeff Purswell and Mike Bullmore, responded in the following answers.

C.J. Mahaney:

The book A God-Entranced Vision of All Things contains a chapter by Donald Whitney on Jonathan Edwards and his practice of the spiritual disciplines. It’s worth reading and re-reading. At the end of that chapter he talks about how we cannot emulate Edwards’s example in gifting, capacity, and intelligence. What we can emulate is his disciplined use of time.

Whitney argues that given Edwards’s gifting and intelligence, it’s no less than amazing that he was so disciplined in his use of time. Edwards had every excuse to avoid being disciplined in his use of time. I’m familiar with interacting with other preachers clearly smarter than myself.

Here’s what I know. I must do my best. My best will not be as effective as their best. But that would be a false comparison and the fruit of pride in my life. I need to isolate myself from comparing myself to them, and apply 2 Timothy 2:15 to my life and go through a given week saying, “By the grace of God I want to do my best.” My best involves devoting time to preparation, and by the grace of God my best involves serving the Lord with gladness in the preparation process.

On Sunday, at the conclusion of my preparation—and by God’s grace—I want to say I did my best. And where I didn’t, ask forgiveness for my laziness or procrastination.

But this preaching isn’t solely dependent upon my limitations of gifting and intelligence. The text of Scripture and the Spirit of God and the work of the Spirit in and through this text can transcend all of my limitations and find its way into the heart of my hearers. I can proceed with confidence because I am called to preach here.

Calling makes all the difference. Mike Bullmore isn’t called to preach here consistently. Jeff isn’t called to be the senior pastor at the Knoxville church. Mark Dever isn’t called to be the senior pastor at your church. As a preacher in a local church, you are uniquely called. In the mystery of God’s mercy I am called to my church. Therefore God will not disappoint. He’s going to fulfill his promises and has a fixed purpose.

My calling will ultimately serve my church. Therefore I could argue that you are the most important individual to be addressing your church. Yes, you might not be able to deliver the message with the technical skill of Mark Dever or the illustrative skill of Josh Harris. That’s not the point. You shouldn’t be evaluating yourself or comparing yourself to those individuals. Learn all you can and be provoked by them. But the point is that God has called you to be the senior pastor of that church, and the people in your church are built into you and they will hear you in a way they will not hear any of those speakers. Sure, those guys come in and they may preach an effective message, but that’s very different from what you are doing over the course of weeks and months and years to build and serve and lead that church.

Mike Bullmore:

I’m a little reluctant to add to that. I would want to say a few things. Nobody is exempt from what’s been asked. Nobody.

It’s awkward because I don’t consider myself in this elevated way. Obviously, we all have different experiences and opportunities (these are realities). But there are guys I think about in the same way you’ve mentioned. I hear certain preachers and I have this mixed reaction when I listen to them preach. There’s a part of me that says, “I can never preach again. I’m done.” And there’s another part of me that says, “I cannot wait until Sunday.” Because there’s a fire in the preacher’s bones that God has given you and it reaches down to your calling.

And we must take larger biblical realities and apply them here. Psalm 103:14 applies to all of us the same: “For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust” (ESV). That applies to every one of us. So the difference between (you name the guy) and you is minutia on the larger scale. It is God who is at work.

And so your theological conviction about who’s really getting the work done, I think, really sustains you and pulls you up during those times. This is not about my gifts or skills.

Also, I was just thinking about a reference from J.I. Packer’s chapter in Preach the Word. Listen as a past Archbishop of Canterbury expresses his estimation of Charles Simeon (1759–1836).

The quality of his preaching was but a reflection of the quality of the man himself. And there can be little doubt that the man himself was largely made in the early morning hours which he devoted to private prayer and devotional study of the Scriptures. … Such costly self-discipline made the preacher. That was primary. The making of the sermon was secondary and derivative. (p. 152)

What’s being described there is available to every one of us in this same degree.

Jeff Purswell:

We should all be encouraged. That is the most important thing in preaching, is it not? It’s not detailed, exhaustive, knowledge of the original language.

The most important is your engagement with God, which finds expression in his call upon you to care for these people, you delivering God’s Word out of a heart that cares—a heart that loves these people and seeks to serve them out of a responsibility to be their shepherd. All this rests on the only One who can change them, the only One who can illuminate them, the only One who can transform them, the One who promises to do this by his Word. Those are the most important realities in preaching, and they are accomplished by God and not by us.