Dogs & Doghouses

The number seven is sometimes recognized as the biblical number of completion. There are lots of sevens in the Bible (beginning with the creation account given in Genesis and ending with a few things in Revelation). So, I thought I would share seven things I learned from my first 7 years of being a Pastor. These are in no particular order.


1. We need the grace of God
As a matter of fact, the only way that any of this is possible is by the grace of God. Paul said he could do all things through Christ (the source of his strength). Remember this. The only reason we can step towards righteousness is because Christ is enabling us to do so. His grace is sufficient; it’s the only source of grace out there. God’s grace, given by the shed blood of Jesus Christ is what saves, nothing else. A hungry person needs food and God’s grace – not just food. The thirsty soul needs something to drink and God’s grace – not just water. Hell is full of people who died with full bellies, wanting nothing but God’s grace and the salvation offered through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

2. Learn and teach the Bible
If you don’t, who will? Lots of people believe things (not everyone knows why). The world is full of religion and ignorance about God’s Word; religion and ignorance leads to superstition. The Bible has never failed to console me. It has never failed to offer solace. Context, context, and more context; the Bible is not a box of Legos™ that you get to make up as you go along! Ignorant Christians worship an unknown God and have no better a clue than the Athenians who did the same.

There are enough books on psychology, sexuality, politics, the news, and, yes, religion. Believers need to preach and teach the Bible. If we don’t who will?

3. It’s ok to say, “I don’t know.”
This is only honest. Never feel as though you have to say something when you don’t know what to say. A thoughtful person can always offer, “I’ll have to look into it.”

4. Let God set the expectations
I’ve known any number of young preachers and church workers (myself included) who have been discouraged almost immediately after they get out of seminary. One of the things I was guilty of was reading, studying, and preaching the Bible, but at the end of the day I didn’t always accept what was there.

Seminary students are often under the impression that everyone is as “on fire” for the Lord as they are. They may think that everyone wants to know Greek and/or Hebrew, that church history is general knowledge, and that people love long sermons and will toil long hours to serve God. It takes about two weeks for an astute person to recognize otherwise.

Additionally, the world has also impacted our thinking on what we should “have” as servants of God. The ministry should be full-time. It should come with a parsonage, insurance, mileage reimbursement, and lots of excited helping workers. These are false expectations.

The Bible shows many different pictures of God’s people. Some, like Nehemiah and Ezra, are indeed willing to go the extra mile for the Lord. Most serve only after a period of kicking and screaming, excuse making, and/or trying to find someone else to do it.

I can put this in any number of secular frames for consideration:

• I want to ride with the Magnificent Seven but I usually end up with The Dirty Dozen
• Even the master chef has to set tables once in a while
• People don’t care how you build the house, they just want to see it completed

When we fail to allow God to set our expectations, when we stop accepting what we read in the Bible, the next thing to happen is discouragement. Being discouraged has caused any number of qualified men to leave their calling.

5. A church is not a building
The Bible example of a church is a group of people. This is in stark contrast to churches of today that are replete with mortgages, utility bills, schedules of events, telephones, entertainment centers, and any number of other treasures on earth. Serve and worship with people, not with the building. The goal is to glorify God, not satisfy our own flesh.

These metaphors might help:

• Would you rather have a dog or a doghouse (and please don’t answer with a sophomoric response about not liking dogs because you know what I mean)?
• A school of fish doesn’t meet in a building.
• A married couple may have a house, but not a home.

6. Legislate morality in your own life
James 5:16 tells us that it is the effectual fervent prayers of a righteous man that availeth much (not the effectual fervent prayers of a backslidden, unconcerned, reprobate). The only reason Jabez had his coasts increased was because he was more righteous. Read the Psalms of David and don’t buy into the feel good prosperity gospel that’s for sale today.

We get to say yes or no to any number of things. Make sure we say yes to the right things and forbid the bad things.

I love it when people say you can’t legislate morality when it seems we’ve done a fine job legislating immorality. Just you keep your own nose clean because in the big scheme of things that’s the nose you will have to answer for.

7. If you don’t want to be here, then go
I guess coming from a pastor that sounds callous. So let me add a little. In Matthew 18:15 – 17, Jesus specifically shows us how to handle problems in a church. I know it sounds shocking, but these guidelines work. Alas though, they take a certain amount of maturity.

For example, let’s say you have a big problem – like someone says something the wrong way or what you wanted to happen at the business meeting doesn’t happen. So you collect that and hang on to it and add it to your collection of other things people have said to you that you’ve taken the wrong way or you throw it on the pile of other things that didn’t happen your way at the business meeting. You really have one of three options.

First, you can take care of it the way Jesus said to by actually talking with and interacting with another human being in an adult, Christian manner; with an attitude of love and service to Christ. Second, you can hang around with all that bitterness in the back of your head and your built-in excuses for why you just can’t ‘enjoy’ services, infecting others with your crap attitude and saying your own share of incisive things. Or third, you can leave. My vote is to take option one. But if you can’t bring yourself to do that, then just leave.