Gospel-Centered Resources from Midwestern Seminary
It’s another installment in our occasional Bible book feature. This time around, Jared Wilson visits again with the Dean of Spurgeon College Dr. Sam Bierig about the book of Proverbs. Why is it deceptively complex? How do we end up reading the book wrongly? How should we read it, and how should pastors preach it? And where do we see Jesus in it?
Ftc.co asks Jed Coppenger ‘How can pastors push back against the feeling of being isolated in ministry?’.
Ten years ago, I was working at a job I thought was meaningless. I was twenty-three, engaged, and hoping to enter pastoral ministry. The Lord led me to become a member of a healthy church in my college town. I aspired to be a pastor but wanted to serve faithfully as a church member while taking some seminary courses online. I observed the lives of our three pastors, took opportunities to teach, helped set up for Sunday services, and led a Bible study for college-aged young men.
Two years later, my wife and I moved to Kansas City for seminary. I was twenty-six, sitting in class with many young twenty-somethings, and I felt behind in ministry because I had never served in a vocational church role.
As a twenty-six-year-old, I noticed friends starting families, purchasing their first homes, or beginning their first pastorates—and I felt left behind. Being in a seminary bubble, you see God work in individuals’ lives, calling them to serve churches at a young age or in ministry contexts immediately after graduation. I was thankful for my role in our church, even though it was only part-time. It was a paid ministry position, but before long, I found myself dwelling on the fact that I was not a pastor. In my selfish, fleshly mind, I thought God was behind—that He was not doing for me what He was doing for others, and they were much younger than I was.
Friends, whether you are in ministry or not, we can be tempted to think our sovereign, all-knowing, governing Lord is behind in placing us where we want to be. Here are three encouragements for those who struggle with contentment in the here and now.
Remember: God Is Always at Work
In a viral tweet, John Piper stated, “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.” For those in Christ, knowing that God governs your life should be the most peaceful news. Jeremiah 10:23 says, “LORD, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.” God is always at work in our lives, guiding and directing our steps. Most of the time this is a mystery we spend long periods worrying about, but we are told in Matthew 6:34, “Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
People often say hindsight is 20/20—and providence proves this to be true. There are ways God is working for my good that I am completely unaware of. My knowledge is limited because I do not stand outside of time, but God does, and I take comfort in this. While here on earth, God may seem behind according to the timeline we want. We have ideas of what our life will be like in five years, but God alone has true and complete knowledge of this. That is why we can trust His timing and be content where He has given us opportunities to serve Him, whether in a local church or a nine-to-five job.
I worked many odd-and-end jobs that God used to provide for the next steps He had for me. We may never understand the purpose of God’s present placement in our lives. I never understood why I worked at a pantyhose factory while taking seminary courses online. Looking back, God was shaping me for service in His church. Human beings are meant to have limited knowledge, and that limitation should direct our gaze to the One who knows all things.
Trust: His Timing Is Not a Mistake
I can’t help but think of John 11 and the two grieving sisters who were convinced Jesus was behind. When Lazarus grew ill, they sent word to Jesus—yet He stayed two days longer. By the time He arrived in Bethany, Lazarus was dead, and both Martha and Mary said the same thing: “Lord, if you had been here…” To them, Jesus was late, operating on His own timeline instead of theirs.
But Jesus knew exactly what He was doing. Martha’s faith is shown in her words, “But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Yet even she didn’t grasp that the One standing before her was “the resurrection and the life.” They were not prepared for the glory He was about to reveal.
Jesus didn’t send a messenger ahead to reassure them. He didn’t heal Lazarus instantly from a distance, as He had done for others. He waited. Why? Belief. He delayed so that His disciples—and these beloved sisters—would see more clearly who He is. His apparent slowness was actually purposeful love.
And isn’t that our struggle? We often assume God is behind on the healing, behind on the provision, behind on the rescue. But what if He is holding back because we are not yet ready for what He intends to show us? What if, like the father in Mark 9, we are meant to cry out, “I believe; help my unbelief”?
What would it do to our faith if God revealed everything He was doing in our lives?
Rest: Trusting in God’s Timing
Throughout my path to pastoral ministry, these Scriptures on waiting have steadied my heart:
Now, at thirty-three, serving as an Associate Pastor in Arkansas, married nine years with three little girls who fill our home with life, I look back and see the Lord’s fingerprints all over my story. Every challenge, obstacle, and unexpected turn was preparing me for what He had called me to. I’m still on that journey, but one truth has become unmistakably clear: trusting His providence always leads to good—even when the road feels slow.
Lamentations 3:25 declares, “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” That is my counsel to the aspiring pastor, to the single young man longing for a wife, to the college student eager for the mission field.
God is not behind. Wait for Him.
Jared welcomes his wife Becky to the podcast for this special Thanksgiving week episode. They talk about family traditions, tips and reminders for being a gracious host, and how to remain thankful even in the midst of anxious or uncomfortable Thanksgivings.
Ftc.co asks Dan Darling ‘What advice do you have for Christians who struggle with cynicism?’.
Maybe this question echoes faintly in the back of your mind. Perhaps it slips in unnoticed as sorrow fills your heart and quickly becomes something to dwell on. Even if this question has never consumed you, my guess is that you’ve asked it before. It’s a functional rite of passage for those interested in apologetics or taught in the school of suffering. Maybe you haven’t asked it out loud, but you’ve likely felt the tension of this question: Why do bad things happen to good people?
“No one is good but God.” Perhaps you can even hear that answer. It’s how we tend to respond to this question, isn’t it? We point to Jesus, the perfect God-man who died for our sins, reiterating that there are no good people and that all of us deserve the judgment of God.
And this is correct. Paul tells us in Romans 3 that no one is righteous. Everyone has sinned. Sin incurs the wrath of God, and if everyone has sinned, then we all deserve the judgment of God.
People die because of sin. Judgment happens because of evil. Bad things happen because God is just.
And yet, even as I affirm this answer in its entirety, two passages in the Bible have reshaped how I view this question.
The Mystery of Justice
The first passage is Genesis 18. In this passage, God promises to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their wickedness. Abraham, knowing that his nephew Lot lives in Sodom, intercedes with God.
“Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” he opens (18:23).
What could perhaps be taken as innocent curiosity soon begins to show its true colors: “Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it?” (18:24).
Abraham believes that the entire city of wickedness should be spared on account of a few righteous. His question borders on assuming the answer: “Of course God would spare the whole city on behalf of the righteous.” The next verse tells us why.
Abraham continues in 18:25, “Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”
Abraham isn’t accusing God of being unjust. He’s saying that because God is just, he can’t wipe away the righteous with the wicked. It would be unjust to do so, and this is why Abraham seemingly assumes the answer in his question. But, of course, Abraham is merely a man, and we see examples throughout Scripture of people who have skewed perspectives.
Yet, I don’t think Abraham has a skewed perspective here. For one, far from rebuking Abraham for his strong words, God promises that he will not destroy the whole city if he finds fifty righteous, seemingly indicating his agreement with Abraham (18:26). Additionally, Lot—whom Peter calls righteous (2 Pet. 2:7)—is indeed saved by God from the destruction of Sodom. Finally, Abraham never repents, nor does the narrative ever seem to critique Abraham’s words. By all accounts, Abraham’s words seem to be true: the righteous should not be punished alongside the wicked.
The passage leaves Abraham ignorant of the outcome. God’s departing promise is that he will not destroy the city if ten righteous people are present in it. The next time we see Abraham is in Genesis 19:27, where he goes up the mountain to speak with God and watches smoke rise from the ashes of Sodom. We have no record in Scripture of him meeting Lot again, no promise from God that Lot would be spared. Amid the mystery, Abraham is left with his faith in a just God. Abraham may not know that Lot survived. He may not know why God chose to destroy the city even with Lot there. But he does know that God is just and faithful, even when it seems like bad things might happen to good people.
The Mystery of Death
The second passage that speaks to this question is Ecclesiastes 8:14, where Solomon writes, “There is an enigma[1] that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is enigma.”
The context reveals that Solomon is speaking of death. Here, like Abraham, Solomon wrestles with the mystery of the death of the righteous. How can this happen? How can the wicked survive in all their sin while the righteous die what seems to be the sinner’s death, despite their righteousness? How can bad things happen to righteous people?
Solomon doesn’t give us answers. Quite the opposite, in fact. He tells us that regardless of how hard we try, we will not find out all that God is doing in the world (8:17). We know he is still talking about the death of the righteous because he returns to this subject in 9:2, telling us again that “the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil,” that is, death. He doubles down, saying, “This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all” (9:3).
Solomon, writing inspired words of Scripture, tells us that the same death happening to both the righteous and the wicked is not only mysterious, but evil.
Assurance Greater Than Answers
When people come to us with questions of theodicy, seeking to understand how a good God could allow bad things to happen to people he saved, we can tend to be dismissive. We rightly cast focus onto Christ who, though innocent, suffered on our behalf, all the while unintentionally dodging the very question Scripture itself asks.
But when we come to Scripture with this question, it doesn’t blink. “You are asking the right question,” comes the reply from its pages. It gives us some answers—enabling salvation, producing holiness, refining faith—but much is left a mystery. It is a mystery why God causes bad and good to fall both on the righteous and unrighteous, but it is not a mystery that God does it.
Perhaps that’s scary for you. You know God as a comforter, not a pain-giver, and the thought of him knowingly causing bad things to happen is uncomfortable. But to you, my friend, I say this: God is a good God. He is sovereign and in control, and that’s a very good thing. We don’t always know why God brings bad upon the good, but we know that he is always just, and he will ultimately more than make up for anything we’ve lost or any pain we’ve felt.
This makes all the difference.
So often when bad things happen, we turn to Scripture with our questions. We want answers, but instead we find promises. Promises of eternal life, of pain becoming a thing of the past, of wrongs made right, and of justice that will be done. And this means that even in the enigma of pain and suffering, even in the mystery of bad things happening to righteous people, we don’t have to fear.
You don’t always know what God is doing in your life. But he does. So you can trust him.
[1] I understand the Hebrew term hebel, often translated “vanity,” to refer more accurately to “mystery.” See Jason S. DeRouchie, “Shepherding Wind and One Wise Shepherd: Grasping for Breath in Ecclesiastes,” The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology 15.3 (2011): 4–25.
How does a church create a healthy, biblical culture? No church wakes up one morning known for evangelism or its thriving young adult program. Some aspects of a church’s culture depend on its context—the urban church will have a different makeup than the rural church. But much of a church’s culture is shaped by what it consumes, celebrates, and is intentional about.
You Are What You Eat
No doubt you have heard this expression before. It is used to encourage healthy eating so as to make one healthy. This is also true for the local church: the church will become what it “eats.” What does your church consume the most? The sermon? Missionary testimonies? Culture-warrior diatribes? Political debate?
If we audited the average church’s ministries and services, we might be surprised to find that what they “eat” is mostly sides and desserts. Imagine Thanksgiving dinner. I love mac and cheese, dressing, and mashed potatoes as much as the next guy. But isn’t the turkey what makes Thanksgiving special?
Sides shouldn’t overshadow the entrée at Thanksgiving. Sunday morning, like Thanksgiving, is special in large part because of the entrée—the Word. When we prioritize the sides and desserts, which aren’t bad in themselves, we miss out on what makes the meal truly substantive. A church is what it eats, and if we want the church to be special, we ought to prioritize consuming that which makes it special.
You Are What You Celebrate
I have heard the essence of this expression a number of times. “Celebration” doesn’t necessarily mean cheering or giving a standing ovation for a particular topic. It can simply mean what is most positively talked about in your church. Your church will become what you celebrate.
It is easy to become the church that celebrates ________. What dominates your announcements time? What is most discussed at the church business meeting? What are the “wins” mentioned in staff meetings—attendance, giving, visitors, community outreach events, baptisms, new discipleship groups?
Many churches celebrate the “sides” mentioned earlier, and their culture begins to reflect it. They become the church of missions, or young people, or amazing kids’ programs, and so on. Churches that celebrate the ministries God has given them are in no way wrong, but how does that same church speak about the Word? Is time in the Word spoken of positively?
You Are What You’re Intentional About
I first heard this expression spoken of in reference to the University of Texas football team. Over the last few seasons, they had been known for losing close games late in the fourth quarter. So, they became very intentional in practice about making the last 30 minutes or so the most intense and focused part of the entire session. They focused specifically on late-game situations, and it paid dividends.
This principle is no less true of churches. Perhaps the most obvious example is the common Wednesday night prayer meeting. After a potluck dinner, those gathered sit down to hear a 15 to 20-minute sermon, followed by prayer requests.
Of the requests, 95% are for health-related concerns. Of the praise reports, another 95% focus on positive health updates. Whether by conviction or coincidence, many churches are intentional about praying for health-related concerns, and it shows during their prayer meetings.
Praying for health-related concerns is not bad in itself. At my own church’s prayer meeting, we regularly pray for physical ailments. But we also want to be intentional about praying for the many other things that God cares about, particularly the Word. So, we intentionally pray for the preaching of the Word at our church and other sister churches, as well as for our own desire to hear the Word. Intentionality goes a long way.
Changing a Culture
Many churches and pastors wonder how they can change their church’s culture or reputation. Surface-level changes may occur with a new logo or an influx of young people who prefer a certain style of music. A critical way to change a church’s culture from unhealthy to healthy is by changing what they eat, celebrate, and are intentional about.
How can a church eat God’s Word? Change your diet. Add in fruits and vegetables and remove the extra calories. Ensure your services are filled with God’s Word so that your people leave full and satisfied. Many people leave church “full” the same way they leave a plate of cookies—they are stuffed, but quickly realize they are uncomfortably full. Fill your service with God’s Word so that your people leave full, and because it isn’t junk food, they will leave satisfied.
How can a church celebrate God’s Word? Simply put, make sure time in God’s Word is positively spoken about. I have seen churches that, despite having a dedicated sermon time (perhaps even a whole hour!), don’t celebrate that moment. Talk to members, and you can quickly discover whether they celebrate God’s Word or merely tolerate it until they move on to things they like more. Pastors have a tremendous ability to teach the church how to celebrate God’s Word. Speak positively about the preaching moment before your sermon. Speak positively about it even when you’re not scheduled to preach. Model what it looks like to sit under a sermon with a positive attitude.
How can a church be intentional about God’s Word? A dedicated sermon time with little to no other mention of God’s Word will work against intentionality. The healthy churches I’ve had the privilege of being part of intentionally placed scripture readings throughout the worship service. Beyond Sunday gatherings, they were intentional about keeping the Word at the center of lunch tables, staff meetings, discipleship groups, men’s ministry, mom’s Bible study, and so on. Churches that are intentional about the Word become centered on the Word.
A church that is serious about eating, celebrating, and being intentional about God’s Word will become a Word-centered church. If you want to change the culture of your church, consider intentionally changing both their diet and their celebrations.
What makes a theology biblical theology? Shouldn’t all theology be a biblical theology? On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson welcomes guest Sam Bierig, Dean of Spurgeon College, to talk about the special category of biblical theology, how the average Christian can engage in it, and resources available to help us engage in it well.
Ftc.co asks Mat Alexander ‘How can pastors push back against the feeling of being isolated in ministry?’.
The Overlooked Art of Delivery
Delivering a sermon is an aspect of preaching that often receives insufficient attention. Much of this stems from the reality that pastors rightly do not wish to focus on entertaining their congregation. Rather, a pastor seeks to glorify the Lord, who uses the “foolishness of preaching” (1 Cor. 1:21) to spiritually nourish his people. Yet, effective sermon delivery can enhance this impact. Most people can learn to speak dynamically, but doing so on the Lord’s Day without theologically sound or edifying content is a mistake preachers must avoid.
No matter how much importance one places on compelling sermon delivery, failing to maintain a congregation’s interest—or speaking primarily to entertain—poses significant problems. Unfortunately, too often, pastors give little thought to delivery until they step into the pulpit. How, then, should a pastor approach improving delivery, and how can he balance content with the act of delivering it effectively?
Not every pastor is a dynamic or gifted orator. But, as Spurgeon noted, “It is not the work of a shepherd to strike his sheep, but to feed them.”[1] Pastors are called to be attentive to how the Word is exposited and proclaimed so that a sermon spiritually nourishes the congregation. Elements of delivery—emphasis, rate, volume, tone, and non-verbal cues—reveal the pastor’s heart and are essential to an impactful sermon. These concepts can, however, be overlooked because a pastor doesn’t want to appear all show and no substance. What, then, are some faithful reasons for considering improvements in delivery?
Everyone has heard preaching that could be delivered more effectively. This is not always a result of poor exegesis. Sometimes, a preacher’s communication habits distract, bore, or detract from the message of God’s Word—and no pastor wants that.
A faithful pastor preaches Christ and Christ crucified—the message that saves souls—and learning to convey this truth is worthy of every pastor’s effort. Preaching God’s Word well is essential (2 Tim. 4:2), and effectively communicating the Word is a central element of the gathering on the Lord’s Day. A pastor must engage his congregation in a way that keeps them attentive to God’s Spirit—something that is strengthened by dynamic delivery. When a pastor proclaims God’s Word with clear and compelling delivery, the gospel is more likely to resonate in the hearts of the congregation.
The weight of preaching led Spurgeon to observe, “Preaching has often driven me to my knees, and chained me to my Bible.”[2] Compelling delivery helps a congregation perceive the pastor’s sincerity, while the pastor’s ethos connects him with the congregation and the congregation with God. When a pastor has internalized the sermon’s content and written God’s Word on his heart, the congregation can see this and be moved by it—an effect often achieved through sermon delivery.
Powerful delivery reminds a congregation of the power of God in His word. Yet effective delivery begins with a pastor internalizing a passage and guiding the congregation to think deeply about the God of the Word. Because the gospel has impacted the pastor personally, the pathos of the sermon is conveyed with the conviction of one transformed by God’s Word. Rather than drawing attention to the sermon itself, compelling delivery displays the saving power of Christ.
How to Improve Sermon Delivery
So, how can a pastor improve delivery in a way that allows the congregation to focus on God’s Word?
Be thoroughly familiar with your manuscript or outline, and ensure the sermon is carefully planned and rehearsed.
Enter the sanctuary before Sunday, stand behind the pulpit, and preach either the introduction or the entire sermon. This practice encourages reflection on how God’s Word resonates in your own heart. In this act, God often works uniquely and powerfully within the pastor’s heart. And one never knows who might be present in the audience, even when it seems the sanctuary is empty.
Invite a young aspiring pastor or a retired pastor from the congregation to listen to part of a sermon rehearsal or provide feedback on a section of the manuscript. This creates an opportunity to mentor—or be mentored. Every pastor can use sermon rehearsal time as a moment for discipleship. Moreover, the person invited will sense the significance of their role, recognizing this as a chance to contribute to ministry on the Lord’s Day by helping enhance the sermon’s impact.
It is difficult for most pastors to listen to or watch their own sermons, yet doing so is highly beneficial. Every preacher needs an honest critic, and as the adage goes, “You are your own worst critic.” By observing a sermon they have delivered, a preacher can notice elements that others might miss. Both effective and ineffective practices can be identified by watching a video of—or listening to—one’s own sermon.
Review the primary components of effective public speaking. Look through an old textbook or notes for the essential elements of strong delivery, considering aspects such as volume, pace, eye contact, hand gestures, tone, poise, and skills learned in a Public Speaking class that may have been forgotten. A pastor can gain valuable insight into improving sermon delivery by reflecting on how one enhances public speaking. While a speech and a sermon are different, many of the same principles apply.
Spurgeon noted, “Study successful models. I made Whitefield my model years ago. Buy his sermons.”[3] Even the Prince of Preachers studied diligently to improve his sermon delivery—not to gain an audience, but to magnify Christ. Few things speak to a congregation as powerfully as a pastor’s love for God’s Word, expressed with passion and conviction.
[1] W.Y. Fullerton, Charles Haddon Spurgeon: A Biography (Chicago: Moody Press, 1996), 221.
[2] Ibid., 220.
[3] Ibid., 221.
