Marcus Orr

This week, as I studied the passage I preached on this morning, Matthew 6:25-34, the Scripture spoke directly to the sin in my life. If you’re not familiar with this passage, it is a portion of Jesus’ famous “Sermon on the Mount” in which he says,

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. – Words of Jesus
(Mat 6:25-34 KJV)

Oh, how I needed to hear these words and apply them in my own life. How often I worry about things over which I have no control. No wonder crowds gathered to hear Jesus preach. His words cut straight to the heart.

I’ve learned that preaching is more than speaking God’s Word, it is an intimate experience in which God first deals with the heart of the messenger. In his book, Biblical Preaching, Haddon Robinson provides a definition of expository preaching which says that:

the truth must be applied to the personality and experience of the preacher. This places God’s dealing with the preacher at the center of the process.

This is exactly where I found myself when confronted with this passage. The words of Christ deliver a clear message about the sinfulness of worrying. When we worry, we either deny the sovereignty of God or we deny the goodness of God. Worry says, either “God, you are not in control” or “God, I don’t believe that you have my best interests at heart.” Worry says “no” to God. Worry says that I believe that I can manage things better than Him. It is an arrogant, prideful slap in the face of an almighty God. It is a sin that drives a wedge between us and God standing in the way of a relationship with Him. The only remedy for this is a repentant heart that acknowledges the sin and relinquishes control to Christ. This is where God led me, through the study of His word, to come face to face with my own sin. That is what God’s Word does when we study it. It is like a magnifying glass that points out the sin in our lives and shows us the need for a Savior who can pardon and cleanse us from our sin.

I encourage you to study this passage. Take some time this week to read Jesus’ entire sermon. It’s only a few pages long. Start in Matthew, chapter 5 and read through chapter 7. Consider what Jesus has to say and what a difference it would make if you applied those principles to your own life.

Technorati Tags: Worry, Anxiety, Sermon on the mount, Sin, Sovereignty of God

There’s an allure to ministering in a large church that I’ve never quite understood. I visited First Baptist Jacksonville for a Pastor’s Conference a few years ago. I believe that there were over 14,000 people there. I went to the conference as part of a seminary course on Church Administration, so we got to view some of the behind-the-scenes administration of the church and it’s facilities. It was very impressive to say the least. There were programs and opportunities for every group that you can think of in which to get involved. The administration and leadership of that church was wonderful and they provide an awesome ministry to the folks in Jacksonville. I don’t believe that I’d be comfortable ministering in a church of that size.

For the last several years, my wife and I have been at First Baptist Church of Alamance, a small, rural church just outside of Burlington, NC. At the time we started attending, the church was in a growing stage and experiencing the pains and stresses that come along with growth. We went to help out our friend, Daniel Gregory, who pastors the church. I’ve learned some important things about ministry from our experiences in a small church. There are ample opportunities for one-on-one ministry. You really get to know the people in a small church environment. They aren’t just faces that you recognize, they are friends. There are a lot of opportunities to be creative in your ministry. Each Sunday isn’t a Hollywood-style production that demands everything to be just so. The worship time can be more flexible since there aren’t the demands of consulting the lighting crew, sound crew, media team, etc. One of the neatest things about small churches is the chance to see individuals grow in their faith and apply the principles you’ve taught. It’s a blessing to watch people making godly decisions that they may not have the month or year before.
As I search for a local church pastorate, I’ve intentionally sought small churches to send my resume to. A post entitled “Advantages of Starting Out in a Small Church” on Les Puryear’s blog caught my attention the other day. Here’s a quote that was particularly encouraging:

In one year at a small church you’ll get to do 25 times the things you’ll get to do on a large church staff. Weddings, baptisms, funerals, hospital visitation, budgeting, preaching, prayer meetings, leading board meetings, and a hundred other things are normal for a year’s work in a small church. On a large church staff you may serve ten years before you get to do 90% of a minister’s ordinary work. Plus, in a small church your ministry impact is directly measurable—you can see the effect quicker driving a small craft instead of working on a huge aircraft carrier. – Les Puryear, Joining God in His Work

This reminded me and reinforced what God is leading me to seek in pastoral ministry. Being in a small church has been a tremendous blessing and has taught me more about ministry than I may have learned in a large church. If you’re reading this and you’re seeking a pastoral ministry, don’t discount the small church. If you’re reading this and you’re a member of a small church, encourage your pastor by letting him know that you appreciate all he does.

Technorati Tags: Pastor, Pastoral Ministry, Church