WHY DO CHURCHES CHOOSE PASTORS AND PASTORS CHOOSE TO ACCEPT THE INVITATION TO COME PT 2

I will write this article established upon my own personal experiences. I recollect these events in my own personal encounters. As a whole many churches are clueless as to procedure that they should pursue in commissioning a Pastor. And I am not so confident about us as preachers that we do not have the identical problems.

It has been my experience, that if I am to submit a résumé, I have to tailor make it for the kind of church that I am sending the application to. If I know the church is a KJV only church, I am in trouble. If the church is known as a "free will" church, I am in trouble if I address this issue. If this church is a soul winning/altar calling church, I am in trouble. You get the point. You might say, what is wrong with a free will, KJV, soul winning/altar calling church? Nothing. I was raised in one of those independent fundamental Baptist churches. But if you have changed your view points, then there will be problems. I know not to give a résumé to a Presbyterian or a Methodist church.

I have been told by some, that if you want a church, you need to make sure that your résumé reads good, address the right questions, is crisp statements . In other words don’t be real honest.

I have had some to tell me, you don’t need to mention that you are not Southern Baptist, nor GARB, or WBF, BBF, etc. You don’t need to mention that you are not KJV only.. You do not need to mention that you are an expostional teacher. You do not need to mention that you are not a door to door soul winner. And that you preach doctrinally rather than the fuzzy feeling kind of talking. And I am not to mention that I teach the Doctrines of Grace, as are Spurgeon’s point of view. Just wait unto they get you as their pastor and then share with the church.

I often hear this statement: "We are seeking the pastor that God would have this church to have, not necessarily the kind of pastor we would want" While that is a great statement, and one that is correct. The fact is, generally the church is not really looking for God’s man to do God’s work. The church is looking for their idea of what they would like for God’s man to do in that church.

When I accepted the pastorate at Madison Baptist, and First Baptist, or even the two short term pastorats of Southern Baptist Churches, the first response to our coming were near disastrous, some were catastrophic. Well that point was overstated.

I remember in asking the pastor’s search committee of the two SBC, "Did you pray that God would lead you to the pastor that He would choose." And both times they said, "Yes" Than I said, "Then why have you rejected the leadership of the pastor, whom you believed the Holy Spirit lead you to bring to this church?" They had no answer. Who missed the leading of the Holy Spirit, the church or the preacher?

I have read a few questionnaires. I am amazed at the questions that are asked! I am not sure that most address the biblical idea of a Pastor. I Timothy and Titus give us the qualification for a Pastor/Elder. Those alone are the best set of qualifications that a church could follow in seeking the kind of minister that God would want for their church. And I am not sure a questionnaire answers those qualifications.

So why is this procedure of selecting a pastor or staff minister so hard?

Of course, the churches that are already in existence are a product of their training from the previous pastors and leaders.. Churches are today what they have been becoming. All churches have their idea what makes a great church. Unfortunately the church body is made up of people with dozens of different opinions as to what makes a good church and a good minister. The local church body of members usually is a collection of a smorgasbord of folks with as many convictions as there are people in the church. There is rarely a First Corinthian 1:10 congregation: ""Now I beseech you, church members, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, but that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." (I don’t thank Paul was speaking of Baptist Churches do you?)

When you ask the membership what they would like to see in the next Pastor?. There will be as many ideologies as there are members. The membership will designate a pastor search committee, to search in their behalf and then when the committee submits to them their choice, more frequently than not they will say no. The praying of the Search Committee and the Membership is as if they are praying to two different Gods. Which is of course impossible.

I have seen this process many times. Within a few months of the new preacher’s introduction into the church, the church is prepared to see him depart. Generally I always think, they called him, rather than the Holy Spirit. I also hear the new preacher say, "The Holy Spirit called me to this church." Yep! That might be true, but the membership will say, it’s time for you to leave.

I can say this same thing, in this process that the Pastor of the church selects an Associate. Staff member. I have been employed by the Pastor, and then asked to leave within fourteen months, when the church desired me to stay. My mother said to me, "Charles if you are successful, as a youth pastor, you can be sure he will find a way to fire you" She was 99.9% correct.

Too often I have been tooooooo electrified in going to a church to minister, enamored by the size of the church building or the salary either as a staff pastor or the pastor. And too often the result has not been very enjoyable.

I have been often asked "How did you know that the Lord really wanted you to go to that church?" My answer is generally this: "Give me a year and I will let you know if it’s been the Lord’s will to be here."

What would make you say then, "This has been the Lord’s will that I came to First Baptist Church of Altoona, Kansas. I have said: The Nunnenkamp/Heaton/Alana Families, The Barnhart Family, The Busby/Frye families, The Cornwell Family, to name just a few.

I remember when our associate pastor questioned my staying at the church as pastor, Allen Nunnenkamp said "Since Charles has been here as Pastor I have been saved, my wife baptized and my family been saved........" And he named reasons why he was glad that I came as Pastor.
By the way I could use the same formula for Madison Baptist Church, after 30 years since I was pastor, there are still some good folks still active members of that church.

How do you know it’s the Lord’s will to go to a church, and then you are fired by the Pastor. If the results turn out to be men and women who have ministries like Alan Harris, Dave Greegor, Bill Rinehart, David Critcher, Randy Webb, Teresa Mills. To name a few. If the Lord can use a servant, even in a very small way, to accomplish His glory, then it’s His will for that servant to be there.

I Corinthians 2:10 "But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God."

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY CHURCHES CHOOSE PASTORS AND WHY PASTORS CHOOSE TO GO TO A CHURCH?

Have you ever wondered why churches choose pastors and why pastors choose to go to a church?

Dr. George Norris had a class during the summer at BBS on practical circumstances that we as students should know about if we were going to be preachers. Many of the students had just been saved two weeks before their pastor sent them off to college.

Dr. Norris invited a dozen of us students to his church on Saturdays to teach us some things we would need to know about ministry. This was not even a school class. This was a free services by a great man and theologian and pastor.

One of these lessons was on visitation.(this is a fundamental term for visiting people in their homes sometime during the week or on Thursday night ( This also could be a term which means "Soul Winning.") "Do you men know how you are going to build the church that you are going to pastor?", Dr. Norris asked. This was in 1965. As an efficiently seasoned student I was to speak up and say I knew. So we were sent out into the highways and byways in the community around the Gideon Baptist Church of Fort Worth to enlist people, or take a survey as to who we could get as prospective members. This gave me an opportunity to show my stuff.

The following Saturday, in our class, Dr. Norris commented on our project of getting prospective members. He said "I want to give you an example how not to take a survey." And he used me as an example. I guess I was not ready for the pastorate.

This was a life savor for us, because as a whole we were really clueless.. I do remember that he did encourage us to start a church from scratch. I wish I had taken his advice.

This was the norm for fundamentalism. Start a church. Ask God where He wants you to go, and go, start knocking on doors, win souls, and hang out a sign and go to it. Amen brother.

There have been many very successful men who have accomplished this task successfully. And this is wonderful. My father-in-law Robert "Bob" Temple started the Victory Baptist Church in West Portsmouth, Ohio.

Instead of starting a church in Roanoke, Virginia, where I thought about, I took the advice of my and Charity’s friend Linda Clark Shelton., and we went to Wooster, Ohio, as a Youth Pastor. As a side note. In spite of that suggestion, we have remained life-long friends. Her mom and dad Richard and Elizabeth Clark have also been wonderful friends for nearly forty years.

After fourteen months, we left Wooster and went to West Porstmouth, Ohio. So what does the Lord have for us to do now? We pondered this question? How are you to know how to discern God’s will for your life? I am after forty years trying to learn the answer to that question.

This time I didn’t ask Linda Clark. Rather we heard that there was a church in need of a pastor in Minford, Ohio. I remember driving over to the church and looking into the building to see if we could see what the attendance was. You do that you know. If I recall, they had twelve to come to Sunday School that Sunday in June of 1971. "Lord are you calling us to this church?" What was I thinking? What was the presuppositional equation that I am to use to know God’s will?

I was totally clueless as to what I was doing. I knew I could preach, but that was about it. Who knew the history of this church? I was to learn this church was 150 years old and had a history of short term preachers. But I didn’t know that when I accepted their invitation to preach at this church. As I found out soon, this was a GARB church, which was deacon run. I was certainly not prepared for this church government

So why would God direct us to this church, and why would God direct the people to choose me as their pastor? I have yet to figure this out! But it’s like when you are married, it’s no longer a matter of God’s will, you are in this for eternity. Sorry, Charity, but you are attached with me until we die.

Would you believe, before the month wasout, the members wanted me out. How is it that they prayed that the Lord would direct them to the right pastor, and they believed that He had, and when the pastor comes, they are ready to vote him out in the first sixth months he is there.

How is that possible? How do people discern God’s will? I actually think people are genuinely stupefied about this issue of God’s will. Here the church had twelve in church the Sunday I arrived, and in six months we had over ninety. And they asked us to leave. A vote was taken, and would you believe they said that the vote was in our favor. So we stayed. Maybe we should have prayed about that decision. For the next three years, we really had a very fruitful ministry.

Today, the church is doing rather good. Some thirty years later, Randy Barkley is still doing the work of ministry, the bus ministry that is. He is one of the rewards of ministry in that church.

How do you know the will of God for ministry, when to stay and when to leave?

We will continue to look at this question in the next post.
Thanks to those who have make comments, via e mail...

Charity proof read, and truth check, and to Alan Harris: Charity did checked the spelling.

HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED INTO MINISTRY BY THE LORD

In some recent blogs the question has been raised, "Has God rung your phone!" "Has God given you a Call to Preach?"
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Let me go back to 1962 while living in Roanoke, Virginia. I was fourteen years old and in middle school eighth grade. We were asked that school year to think about our life’s work. What would we like to become when we finished school. We were to write a paper concerning a career. Of course at fourteen you don’t really know. I had this thought about becoming a sport’s announcer. I also thought about going into drafting, maybe going to Virginia Tech.

I don’t remember when the thought came over me, but I had this intrinsic thought about ministry.

It seemed to me, that I might like to preach. Where did that came from? I at the time had no clue, except it was really strong on my mind.

I had been going to church since birth. Mom played the piano, and dad preached. At fourteen, I had not missed a single Sunday in my entire life. Church and Sunday School were our life. Dad and mom were totally involved in ministry and it was their life 24/7. Everything I knew to this point about ministry was good.

When the time came for me to give my report in school. I decided that the report would be on a career in Sportscasting. Just before I gave my report, the boy that sat in front of me got up and said, "I want to be a preacher." For some reason, I was really embarrassed. In my mind I felt that I wanted a career in ministry, but was embarrassed to mention it. That boy was not afraid to say what he wanted to be.

So my ninth grade school year classes were geared toward the career in sportscasting, or possibly in drafting. I did like the classes. The ministry was still on my mind, but I had no intention of acting upon those thoughts.

Then in 1963 I entered Jefferson High School. I tried out and made the football team and basketball team. I enjoyed sports in the summer, playing softball and trying boxing.

That year at church, Fred Henson was my new Sunday School Teacher. I remember in his classes he was teaching First Corinthians 3:10-16. I still remember the text in 12: "Now if any man build upon this foundation , gold, silver, and precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, every man’s work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is." Fred expounded upon these verses for several weeks. And during that time, my heart and mind was set on preaching and learning God’s Word and building a foundation upon gold, silver, and precious stones.

I remember shortly after this that I talked to dad about preaching. In December 1963, dad asked me to teach the teenagers. Ron Taylor, who was teaching the class, enlisted in the Army and went to Viet Nam. I was glad that dad asked me. Dad said that he had seen my desire to learn God’s Word, and said that I was always studying, and that I was reading a lot of books in his library.

Here is what I know. I enjoyed teaching. Then I remember reading "IN HIS STEPS" and was so convicted that I said, "Dad, I would like to preach Sunday night." And dad said OK. In shock I said OK. So I began to preach in dad’s church for the next several years. I then began to be asked to preach in youth rallies in other churches. This was the greatest joy in my soul. For the next twenty-seven months I was preaching and teaching every week.

I knew this was going to be my life’s work. There was no question of that desire for sure. I was so into this ministry that it took precedent over anything else I was doing. They told me I was good playing football, and softball, and basketball. I was even in the school band, but my thoughts were on learning the Bible. And I couldn’t concentrate on playing sports and playing in the band.

Dad was always careful about pushing me into ministry. As a matter of fact, he was very quiet about this. He let me preach and teach to see if that is what I desired to do. I decided I would go to Seminary at Arlington, Texas.

I told my girlfriend since the 10th grade that I would go to Seminary and then we would get married when I finished school. But first I wanted to get my training to preach and learn the Bible.

My dad had a heart attack in 1964 and for a time was unable to preach, so I often preached for him. He finally got better and preached, but in February 1966 he had another heart attack and died in two weeks. The members asked me to become the Pastor of the church. I was no Spurgeon who pastored at 18. I said I needed to go to college for more training.

After my father died, I was asked by Rev Gene Arnold of the Fellowship Baptist Church in Roanoke, Virginia to come and work in the Youth Department. He asked me to preach on the church’s radio program, and then some at the church.

So did God call me to into His service? Here is what I can say. I was doing what my heart and mind, and soul and desire were telling me to do.

I desired to build upon a foundation that was going to be gold, silver and precious stones. And I fully believed that this foundation was the Lord’s Work.

There was this mental and spiritual tug on me then, and in these forty plus years, the tug has never left. There is no greater joy than following and knowing the Lord.

Charles

A DEFENSE, AN ARGUMENT FOR THE USAGE OF TECHNICAL RESEARCH BOOKS.

Today in the 21st Century, books seem to be less used, and the CD software is in. Most of the works in books are not on the Internet

All these volumes were bought while I was Pastor at First Baptist Church, in Kansas. 1980-96.

THEOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE NEW AND OLD TESTMENT WORDS
An Expository Dictionary of O.T. / N.T. Words W.E. Vine
Theological Dictionary of the N.T. Bromiley

THEOLOGICAL DICTIONARY OF THEOLOGY
Evangelical Dictionary of Thelogy Walter A. Elwell 1200 entries
The New International Dictionary of the N.T. Theology Colin Brown, editor
Four Volumes: Outstanding theological work. Each entry is arranged under the alphabetical order of the English terms which serve as a focus for the articles on key Greek words. There is a discussion of the word in secular Greek. Then a discussion of the word and related terms in the O.T.

THEOLOGICAL WORKBOOK OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
Two volumes by Harris, Archer Jr. and Waltke
CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY
Millard J. Erickson L Berkhof
SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY SET TOWARD AN O.T. THEOLOGY
Lewis Sperry Chafer Walter C. Kaiser, Jr

STUDY BIBLES
Dickson’s Analytical Bible, and Dictionary
The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible - Spiros Zodhiates
Words are given the Strong’s numbers, the grammatical notation is given. And many words are given explanation by Spiros.

Several works I bought while pastor at Madison Baptist in Minford Ohio in 1972. At the time I had really no clue as to the significance of the work by these great men:

THE EXISTENCE AND ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
Stephen Charnock (1628-1680)
THE BODY OF DIVINITY An EXPOSITION:

Thomas Watston

JOHN’S CALVIN’S CHRISTIAN INSTITUTE

The idea in this linguistic and grammatical analysis, is not a goal of itself, but rather should LEAD TO A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PASSAGE AS A WHOLE. It’s called moving from synthesis to analysis and back to synthesis.

Biblical preaching/teaching is, by explication, the assignment of bringing about a challenge between people of the 21st century and the Word of God. The idea of exegesis is to discover that Word and its meaning in the 1st century. The assignment of preaching/teaching is to know well both the exegesis of the text and the people whom that Word is now to be spoken again, as a living Word for them.

As a footnote: Exegesis simply means "What did the Biblical author mean? It’s the historical investigation into the meaning of the Biblical content." So what is the process of doing this assignment?

I do not recall this process being taught in Seminary in 1966. Fundamentally a task that should have been the first course taught to the student.

I am thankful that the Lord directed my attention to John MacArthur in the 80's. I relied heavily upon his material during the process of learning the process of expository preaching.

Without any question or apology, MacArthur formed my grid in the process of preparing a sermon. But I never was satisfied just to take MacArthur’s word on any text, the joy was learning how he arrived at his conclusion. The task of discovery was what I enjoyed.

These books were recommended at the Shepherd’s Conference.
LINGUISTICS & BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION: Peter Cotterell & Max Turner
OLD TESTAMENT EXEGESIS: Douglas Stuart
NEW TESTAMENT EXEGESIS: Gordon D. Fee

Throughout the analysis and synthesis, therefore you will ask: ‘Exactly what is the biblical writer talking about?" You get a possible subject, then you take the subject you have back through the passage and relate it to the details. Does the subject fit the parts?
Is your subject an exact description of what the passage is talking about?

Footnote: What I have recognized and discovered from 2004 is that you acquire
books that reflect your theological point of view. 99% of all the books that I have purchased and have had influence over my thinking have been books I have agreed in theological view points.

What do these references books offer? To the serious person who wants to study the Word of God with a closer understanding of the teaching of the Bible. There will be a concise discussion of meaning and use of the key terms of the Bible . Why do we really need these reference books to get the meaning of the Word of God? Because the work of knowing the Bible is not a work of one man. First I think, the Bible is the revelation of God. God has used the Bible to reveal Himself in the Scriptures. Secondly, this revelation of God was given to man over a period of many hundreds of years. It was expressed in ancient languages. It employed the thought-forms of vanished civilizations.

In order to understand the meaning and significance of Scripture, it is imperative to understand the meaning and use of its language against the background of its history and social structures.

It was said of John Calvin: (learned this in the last few years)
"How energetically Calvin, having first established what stands in the text, sets himself to re-think the whole material and to wrestle with it, till the walls which separate the sixteenth century from the first became transparent! Paul speaks, and the man of the sixteenth century hears. The conversation between the original record and the reader moves round the subject-matter, until a distinction between yesterday and to-day becomes impossible. If a man persuades himself that Calvin’s method can be dismissed with the old-fashioned motto, "The Compulsion, or motivation, or drive, of Inspiration," he betrays himself as one who has never worked upon the interpretation of Scripture." Karl Barth said this of John Calvin.

The goal of biblical study-- like that of expository preaching - - is an understanding of the text which enables its message to speak directly to the readers or hearers in his contemporary situation.

In this process there are two main stages characterized by the term exegesis and hermeneutics.
Hermeneutics is concerned with reflecting on words and events from the past and interpreting their significance for us today. However, before this may come about there must be the prior stage of exegesis, the clarification of words, phrases, clauses, and sentences as their authors intended them to be understood and as they would have been understood by their original hearers.

It is the exegesis of biblical terminology that is the primary concern why we need these books.
These textbooks, references books endeavor not simply to analyze, classify and catalogue, the most important words that occur in the New Testament. They also seek to trace the meaning and use of words in secular Greek, the Septuagint and other versions of the O.T. uses by the early church in the N.T. period, comparing them with the Hebrew of the O.T. In many of these works done in these reference books they have taken into account the use of the words in the Dead Sea Scrolls, and writers like Philo and Josephus. Then they have been very careful to examine the NT writers themselves in order to ascertain the precise shade of meaning which each work attached to the words used.

How do you do this? By learning from those who have been gifted to do the research for you. I will tell you, I am thankful for the work of these men who have taken the time to do this kind of work.

To understand the Scripture one needs an understanding of: History, Geography, and Archaeology in the times of the writing of the Scriptures.

With all the above thoughts in mind, and I hear men say, "I only use the KJV to preach the Word of God!" Who are they trying to impress?

Some folks might say, "Charles, who are you attempting to impress?" Many people in our churches really believe that the preacher doesn’t have to work hard to prepare for a sermon. Just read the scripture and talk. Yes! Once upon a time, I thought as a preacher that God would send you a manuscript on Saturday.(kidding) Then later I thought, now I have the Internet I will ask God to e mail me each week.

Tiger Woods won his fifth consecutive golf event today.

First Baptist Church in Altoona, has a new pastor.

A LITERAL AND SPIRITUAL POTLUCK EXAMPLE

"If preaching starts and ends with the sermon on Sunday, and it is distributed to individuals as portable property to be taken home in notes or a cassette tape, it cannot help but be the means of fostering interpretive violence. Because it will inevitably put the text at the disposal of the listening or speaking subject's own structure and agenda. The violence comes when we put our own meanings or agenda onto Scripture. The violence comes when the preaching of the Word separates us as individuals over against one another armed with the interpretation we want because we do not come together in mutual submission to discern the Scripture’s meaning for our lives today. If preaching is to avoid this violence, it must foster communal practices among us that allow us to submit to one another in the work of the Spirit to interpret the Scriptures. We do this not as a democracy, but as a Spirit filled community where we submit to each other’s authoritative gifts. Of course, to even think of doing church this way requires a new imagination." Dave Fitch. Pastor/Professor. Pastor of the Life on the Vine Chrisitan Community in Chicago, for goodness sake.. And he was asked to give an address at the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, no less.

I left Bigelow Church this morning, having listened to Dr. Frank Tallerico preach from Galatians 2:11-16. I could have picked up a cassette tape made by our sound tech Bob Bender, Jr. and the notes provided for each member. But I didn’t need to do that. Holy Anger there was interpretive violence? I didn’t have to pick up a cassette tape and replay the message at home. As I was sitting on the second pew just a few feet from him, the violence in my mind, surely Dr. Tallerico could see the anger oozing from my face as he explained the text from his NASV!!!!!!! Did you know Dr. Tallerico has never asked for my well trained theological viewpoint for the interpretation on any passage that he is about to preach on Sunday Morning. Nor has he to my knowledge asked any of the other elders in the church. Who does he think he is Dr. Jack "KJV" Hyles?

I need to submit to Dr. Tallerico the paper written by Dr. Fitch on this subject." Dr. Fitch said. "If you are to avoid this violence, it must foster communal practices among us that allow us to submit to one another in the work of the Spirit to interpret the Scripture." I don’t even think he looked at me for approval as he spoke. Dr. T said, "What was the issue that got Paul so uptight, and led him to this scene with Peter?" I sure could have helped him out! Dr. T said Paul was uptight (He should have used "agitated".) "And Paul addressed their hypocrisy." But the KJV said "dissimulation" not hypocrisy. Then he got on verse fourteen. Paul saw that they walked not uprightly, according to the ‘truth of the gospel." Here Dr. T could have had some help, from my many years of pastoralship and training in theological Greek linguistics. If my "authoritative gift" had been asked, I would have said. That phrase "they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel." "Walked not uprightly" is a present action indicative. "they were not walking on the straight path towards the truth of the gospel." Dr. T used this verse "to show how a person is saved that is at the issue.." I might have suggested when you are not walking on the straight path, it could possibly mean, they were going to the outdoor theater, and going to the Galatia Brew and Beer Pub. And some of them were going over to hear Dr Simon who is in the Emergent Movement. And that some of the men were not coming to worship with a suit and tie. That is not walking straightly upright. And Dr. T tells us the Biblical idea of how a person is saved. What can I say.

I mean Dr. T "let go of expository preaching for preaching that "funds imagination."

Well, I think I will e mail this to Dr. T. and maybe he will get the hint of my "interpretive violence". But now that I have said all this, I do feel rather good.

I am going to suggest this point: We need to have "a collaborative friendship to understand and engage the emerging post-Christian culture" We need to engage in "a literal and spiritual potluck" at the Brew Club next Wednesday for lunch. But Dr. is an Reformed Italian, so I am not going to hold my cup for Brew (coffee).

See what happens when you don’t have church on Sunday Night..........

A PITCH FOR USING TECHNICAL BOOKS IN PREPARING FOR A SERMON

"ALMOST ALL OUR WISDOM, JOHN CALVIN OBSERVED, CONSISTS OF TWO PARTS:"

THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND OF OURSELVES (Institutes of the Christian Religion) But, as Calvin’s subsequent reflections made clear, neither part of this knowledge exists in a vacuum. The two are closely intertwined, and the Word of God which makes this knowledge possible touches every aspect of life.

Footnote: I have had a copy of the Calvin’s Institutes since I was the pastor of Madison Baptist Church in 1972 (860 pages in small small print).

What I have discovered since 2004 is the wide systematizing of Biblical Thinking among preachers, theologians, scholars, and professors. Fundamentalists were separatists. I think that meant not only were you to separate yourself from the world but also from anyone who had a different point of view. Thus you stayed in your own camp of Biblical thinkers. (A treatment of that subject would be good).

From 1962-1982 I was in this camp of fundamentalist thinkers. From 1983-2003 I was in two camps of biblical thinkers. Fundamentalist and the John MacArthur’s Camp. (I said yes, both camps.)

Since December of 1962 I have joined in the collective enterprise of digging up and building. I Corinthians 3:10 "According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundations and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon." (this point is for another blog.} But here only to say, there have been so far three phases of the building up. 1962-1982, 1983-2003, and 2003-presently. Is there a third camp? There is, but I am just reading in their camp.

But since 1962 I have buried myself in the process of digging up the collective knowledge of a number of men. I have always believed that I personally must glean from a collective number of materials and books in the work of the ministry.

"BURY YOURSELF IN A DICTIONARY AND COME UP IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. "
This improbable-sounding piece of advice of the late Sir Edwyn Hoskyns contains a wisdom born of experience.

I think too often as preachers, when preparing a message, we ask the wrong person. It’s not the preacher we should ask what to preach and say. Rather it’s: "What is the writer getting at?" "Why did he say this?" "Why did he put it like that?" "What lies behind that remark that Paul has just made?" So when we move away from our thinking and ask what was Paul’s thinking, we begin to see things in a new light. Believe me you do. I was ever in astonishment when I discovered the world of these books I have listed below.

There is no substitute for individual initiative. One has to study the Bible for oneself. But on the other hand, it is a co-operative endeavor. One cannot, I personally believe, do without the work of others in unearthing facts and bringing to light insights which would otherwise be lost. But paradoxically enough, it is only when others have done this kind of work that one can see the truth in it for oneself.

Personally I owe a special debt of gratitude to a whole lot of folks who have done what I could have never accomplished I appreciate those who researched the Word of God and put the results in volumes of books. My prayer has always been for the Lord to guide my weak mind to the right work, that I might build a biblical foundation of preaching and ministry.
The books listed here were used in the technique, and method, or procedure if you will, how I began to learn how to study and compose an expositional message.

THE BOOKS LISTED BELOW ARE FROM BY PERSONAL PASTORAL TEACHING LIBRARY. FROM 1980-1996.

The books will reflect the way my thinking was cultivated.

LINGUISTIC AND GRAMMATICAL ANALYSIS HELPS
Aids to help examine the details of the passage:
My favorite: :Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament: Fritz Rienecker/Cleon Rogers
The Interlinear Greek-English N.T. Nestle-Marshall

LEXICONS: to help find definitions of a word., root meanings, identification of some grammatical forms, a list of passages where the word occurs, classification of its use in its various contexts and some illustrations that help give color to the word.
I used: Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament.
A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek N.T. Bullinger
The New Brown-Driver-Briggs-Gesenius Hebrew-English Lexicon

CONCORDANCES Sometimes it is essential actually to study a word in the passage where it was spoken or written. To determine the meaning of words through usage, a concordance is essential
If you do not know Hebrew or Greek: you can still learn:
My favorite: Wigram - The Englishman’s Hebrew and Chaldee Concordance of the OT.
Wigram - Englishman’s Greek Concordance of the New Testament, with Strong’s
To study the theological significance of OT words used in the NT

GRAMMARS Meaning does not come from words alone. Words must be understood as they are used in phrases, clauses, sentences, and paragraphs.
A study of syntax examines how words combine to render meaning, and grammars assist us in that study of how words are formed and put together in sentences.
Example A.T. Robertson’s Grammar of the Greek NT in Light of Historical Research.

WORD-STUDY BOOKS These books provide the exegete with insights into words and grammar. A.T. Robertson’s Word Pictures in the NT
The Complete Word Study N.T. KJV Compiled by Spiros Zodhiates
From Matthew thru Revelation in the KJV....
Words in the text numerically coded to Strong’s Greek dictionary, Introduction to each book. Exegetical Notes. Grammatical Codes on the text. Lexical Adis. Geek Concordance. Translations Reference Index. And Strong’s Greek Dictionary.
One Volumn 1300+ pages. Outstanding

BIBLE DICTIONARIES Background and biography

COMMENTARIES A teacher of the Scriptures need teachers. When I taught Romans, I purchased commentaries on Romans, while in Ephesians, I stayed in Ephesians. Read as an Ephesian. They tell me that not every author knows all the truth. Well maybe there are a few who may. What is funny in 2006, when I taught Revelation, I had over 60 books on Revelation, and they all were authors who believed that Revelation was yet future. It was not until 1996 in general and 2005 in specific that I knew and read those authors who believe otherwise.
There are several good N.T. commentaries that I used on a regular basis:

The New Testament Study Bible The Complete Biblical Library Editor Ralph Harris
This Library has sixteen volumes. 1986-1996
1 The Textus Receptus as the basis text of the Interlinear
2 Greek Text in Greek, Grammatical Forms, Transliteration, Translation , an assigned number (5,000) Greek-English Dictionary
3 Verse by Verse Commentary
4 The KJV is shown in boldface type and then more than 60 other versions show various ways the Greek of that phrase may be translated.
The John MacArthur’s Commentaries which came about as a result of his preaching. And in 1980 he had not even started this series
An American Commentary of the New. Testament Edited by Alvan Hovey
1881 , my dad and mom used this set, and I used it first in 1962

What I have recognized and discovered from 2004, you acquire books that reflect your theological point of view. 99% of all the books that I have purchased and have had influence over my thinking have been books that I have agreed in theological view points.
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BASIC EXEGESIS AND HOMILETICS

TRANSLATIONS You need help with the KVJ 1611
26 Translations of the Bible Curtis Vaughan General Editor

Charles Whisnant

THE JOURNEY IN DEVELOPMENT OF MY THINKING ABOUT BOOKS

The purpose of the next several articles is not to give any detail about how to preach expositionally. But how I arrived at trying to understand how I was to start in the process. I am still growing by leaning in this procedure.

Having read Kaiser’s book on this kind of preaching, and having heard MacArthur’s video tapes, I knew I could never do this without help. So I began to learn who I could trust to give me the information I needed to complete this project. MacArthur gave us a list of technical books we would need. Haddon W. Robinson also was helpful.

I had really never heard of these "technical" books. Was it cheating, or bamboozling, or misappropriating to learn what the KJV said from some technical book. I remember I couldn’t even pronounce the word "technical." What would Dr. Roy Johnson say, if he knew I was going to buy some of these technical books. The former pastor of our church said, "I only need the Bible to preach from." That really made me feel bad, you know, that he was smarter than I was. I am sure it’s a shock to a lot of members, that I could not get the KJV. Sorry, folks.

I thought the whole purpose of going to Seminary was to learn how to do this preaching!!!!!
It’s like you have committed a crime if you were to really study the Bible to learn why Matthew wrote the Gospel of Matthew. Preachers like to come up on to the platform and get behind the podium and say, "This morning on the way to church the Holy Spirit gave me a sermon." That is really Holy Spirit powerful preaching they say. But as for me those days were over September 1983.

But first I had to learn how to preach in this new way.
"The distinguishing mark of expository preaching, also called Bible exposition, is the biblical interpretation communicated through the sermon." The expositor must teach his audience the meaning of the text intended by its author and understood by its original recipients.

My first work as an expositor (teacher) I decided to start with the Gospel of Matthew. The idea that I had was to start with Matthew and continue thru to Revelation. However, my plans were changed. Matthew on Sunday Morning Romans on Sunday Night, and I Corinthians on Wednesday Night.

Again reading Kaiser’s book. "Is the meaning of a text to be defined solely in terms of the verbal meaning of that text as those words were used by the Scriptural author? Or should the meaning of a text be partly understood in terms of ‘what it now means to me." the reader and interpreter?"

I had often heard people say, "Charles, I have my own idea of what the Bible means?" "I think Matthew 5 thru 10 means this." I have been amazed over the years how many interpretations have come out of one verse. Haven’t you? "Where is what I think Paul meant when he said..." I would say, " how do you know," "I just think Paul meant this, that’s all I know."
Allen Nunnenkamp asked me one Wednesday Night, "Charles, why are there so many different opinions about what the Bible says?" Why are there so many different points of view about the Bible?

I came to understanding "there is only one meaning for every verse in Scripture." Does this mean that Paul had only one thought, or meaning in mind when he wrote Romans?

Is it possible for us today, to understand what Paul meant when he wrote Romans? And the answer is, we should be able to. How? That is the question.

The term used for this was "exegesis" which is designed to determine meaning.. You are to examine the details of the passage set before you.. Why was Matthew writing this book? Why did Paul write Romans?

Therefore, to get equipped for this work, I began to buy some books to help me comprehend the task before me. When I came to the platform and stood behind the pulpit and opened the KJV Bible, and read Matthew chapter one, or Romans chapter one, I desired to be ready to clearly preach what God had in mind when he had Matthew and Paul to write the books.

Thus, the journey began in this new "expository preaching." And it’s still a journey. I am still learning and growing in this ministry of teaching the Word of God.

Posted by Charles E. Whisnant
Truth read by Charity Whisnant

Next Article will talk about books needed for preaching