Training Young Men for Ministry (Midwest Center for Theological Studies) — Paul Washer

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God's Use of the Weak

Use the weakest among men. We should not boast in not having the keenest intellect or the deepest powers of thought. But we do not need the keenest intellect or the deepest powers of thought to be used of God.

God will oftentimes take the runt of the litter. He'll take a Gideon hiding in a wine vat. Oftentimes when men see another man that has some sort of apparent usefulness to God, they look at that man trying to determine from where does that usefulness come.

That is a foolish endeavor. You should always look toward the providence of God. Also realize this, that the man speaking is not always, is often not, the most noblest among those who are sitting in the audience.

I remember one time speaking to a very large crowd and I had taken a text in Ezekiel 36. To my terror, I looked over to my right and there sat Dr. Mugliar. How many of you know him? Oh, he's not on the internet, he's not on YouTube.

He's a Hebrew scholar from India. And he has forgotten more about Ezekiel 36 than I have ever learned. And so the one thing that we ought to always realize is that the fact that you're brought before other men does not make you the most noble man in the bunch.

God will oftentimes exalt the weakest so that those who boast, boast in the Lord. Oftentimes young men also, they look for, they think, well there's a certain spiritual level out there and if I reach that level, then I will be mightily used of God.

Well, I suppose that may be true, but I'm not really sure what that level is. And if there is one out there, I'm sure I haven't reached it. It is all the grace of God. It is all the providence of God.

Christlikeness and Judgment

Here's something else. Do you think that all being able to stand before you puts my worries to ease with regard to the day of judgment? Do you think just because a man is known, it makes him right with God?

Don't think so much about being judged for your usefulness or the greatness of your ministry. Think more about being judged for your Christ-likeness. The character of Jesus Christ that you do or do not display.

The Great and Fearful Work of Ministry

Now I'm speaking to ministerial students. I have been in the ministry. It is a good thing you desire, but it is also a terrible thing that you desire. And I want to read something. I've brought so many books up here, I guess in case I run out of things to say.

But I want to read something to you from the Reformed pastor. The first time I read it, it just absolutely grabbed a hold of me with regard to what the ministry really is. You see, the world looks at you as nothing more than a buffoon on a sitcom.

Anytime any minister who believes the Bible is portrayed by media, he is always portrayed as a buffoon or an immoral man or some sort of social prehistoric animal. But the fact is, we're the ministers of the gospel.

That's who we are. And our work is greater than any president, any king, any surgeon on this earth. It is a great work, but it is a terrible work. It is a frightening work. Listen to what Richard Baxter says.

The ministerial work must be carried on diligently and laboriously as being of such unspeakable consequence to ourselves and others. Men don't speak that way anymore. You see, today the minister is told your ministry is of unspeakable consequence to others, but rarely, as he told, and to yourself.

And yet Paul told Timothy, save yourself and others too. And he goes on, he says, we are seeking to uphold the world, to save it from the curse of God, to perfect the creation, to attain the ends of Christ's death, to save ourselves and others from damnation, to overcome the devil and demolish his kingdom, to set up the kingdom of Christ and to attain and help others to the kingdom of glory.

Now that is a task. Furthermore, it is a task that cannot be carried out by carnal means. We are to be spiritual men. We are to think spiritual thoughts. We are to use spiritual tools. And we should sooner desire to cut off our arm than to depend upon it.

If there is a malady that strikes the church of Jesus Christ today, it is trusting in the arm of the flesh. Instead of abandoning ourselves to the things that God has given us. His word, His gospel, His good spirit, His providence to uphold us.

Church-Based Training for Ministers

Now, I made up a lot of notes, things that I want to share about training, about training men. Now, I have never been a seminary professor and would never even claim to qualify to be one. But I have trained men.

Most of them in cane huts or adobe mutt houses, out in the middle of the jungle or in the back of a boat. But you see, it is all the same. Men are men. The ministry is the ministry. And it is always to be done the same way.

And that is the biblical way. The way God had intended. Now, just as by way of introduction, I want us to go to 2 Timothy 2. And forgive me, not only did I not sleep last night, I didn't bring my reading glasses.

So if I come up with something rather creative, just stand up and tell me. 2 Timothy 2. But let's begin in verse 1. You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And what you have learned from me in the presence of many witnesses.

Entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others. Now, before we start, I have been given the assignment of teaching the benefits of a church-based theological education. And I believe in that.

But I want to put something of a disclaimer out there that I know my hosts would agree with. And it is this. I am not here to speak poorly. To come against any Bible institute or seminary that is devoted to the Word of God and to the God of the Word.

As a matter of fact, I applaud many of the Bible institutes and the seminaries and Bible colleges around this country. I'll give you an example, Southern or Boyce or Covenant. And if my sons, when they get older, feel led of the Lord to attend one of those institutions, if they're still walking with God as they are now, I will applaud it.

What I am here to say is this. The church of Jesus Christ and her ministers must take up, once again, a duty that has been given to them and that they have no right to delegate to others. And that is the training of ministers.

The training of ministers. And also, I would say this. That those churches that are around seminaries, such as Southern and other useful seminaries throughout this country, they need to become directly involved with the training of the young men.

Not just in word, but in deed. They must realize the inherent limitations of all seminary training. The seminary, as good as it can be, as helpful and useful as it can be to the Kingdom of Heaven, it is not a church and it is not a training ground for God's men.

And I think most seminary professors and leaders would stand here today and say, that's true. Now, I want us to look for a moment at 2 Timothy 2. First of all, if you look at this passage, you find something very, very unique.

Not about the passage itself, but the way it is used today. Primarily, and for the greater part of my life, I only heard this passage quoted within the context of one-on-one discipleship of one Christian to another, and particularly on campuses with campus student outreach groups.

All about discipleship. All about discipleship. We need to disciple people. We need to find faithful men and we need to pour our lives and our knowledge into those men. Well, that is very, very true and I applaud all those campus groups that are doing that, but that's not what this text means.

This text is in the context of Paul teaching Timothy what to do with the church. And he's not saying that we should start a student group in which we're trying to do one-on-one discipleship with new converts.

What he is saying is, Timothy, it is the job of the church and the ministers of the church to pray about, to seek out faithful men with special callings on their life and pour their lives into them. It is all about the church and it's all about church leadership.

The Church Has Not Failed

It seems to me today that the church can just be cast aside. It's almost as if God, your plan with regard to reaching the peoples and edifying your own has failed. And so we must go outside the church and do all these other ministries.

That's not true. That's not true. First of all, let me just mention, just speak for a moment on this. We hear so much about the failure of the church today. It's not true. The church hasn't failed. We hear so much about the sin, the ungodliness of the church today.

That's not true. The church is not ungodly. The problem is this, we're calling things church that are not church. We are calling people Christian who are not Christian. There is a sense in which the evangelical community has done the same thing that the Catholic community has done for centuries.

And it is this, you try to witness to somebody and they bring up the Inquisition. I'm not going to hear you because look what the church did. It wasn't the church who did that. Because the Catholic church, if you can call it such a thing, was killing the church.

In the same way today you try to witness to someone and it's all about, well you evangelicals. The term evangelical can no longer be used in my opinion. It means absolutely nothing. I want you to know that you should stop looking at everything that's called Christian and stop considering it to be Christian and then blaming God for something He's never done.

God has a church. It is His bride. His providence created her. His providence sustains her. And although she is weak, although she is battling, she is beautiful. And she is advancing and she does know to whom she belongs.

And she acts like it. The church has not failed. We've just changed all the definitions. The foundations are completely gone and it is our task as ministers of Christ to reestablish those foundations.

To rise up with a clarion call, a clear voice, and explain to men who God really is. Explain to men what salvation is really about. What the gospel really means. What happens when someone really gets saved.

And what is the church biblically. And bring all this stuff that's done outside the church back in. Not rebaptizing it, but making it what it's supposed to be. Now, He says, You then, My child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

Elders Training Ministers as Sons

Here's the first thing that I want you to see. Notice how Paul the Apostle addresses young Timothy. He's not addressing him as some nameless face in a lecture hall. Or some attendee to a certain conference.

He is addressing him as his child. That is one of the aspects of training ministers in the church. That a group of elders come together and they decide that they're called not only to care for the flock, but to train the ministers who will eventually take over their place.

And they recognize these young men and they treat them as sons, as children. Not as numbers. Not as a great many graduates. But as individuals that they have given their heart to them. Let me give you an example.

You've all heard that I didn't sleep last night. And I'm really feeling the effects. And you sit there and you think, well, what was he doing? I was talking to my son because he couldn't sleep. I was reading to my son, the Hardy Boys.

I wish it had been the Scriptures, but it was the Hardy Boys. Till three in the morning. And then when he was asleep, I sat there and watched him. Because you're always afraid, is he going to stop breathing?

And then the sun comes up and you realize, I've got to take a shower and go to Owensboro. And you say, that's what a father does. I just gave you, God just gave you, a magnificent illustration of what it means to take a young man under your wing and train him for the ministry.

As a child. As a son. So he says, you then, my son, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to faithful men. Now here's something that I want you to see.

Bold and Public Teaching of Scripture

Paul, boldly and publicly, before many witnesses, he taught Timothy. He wasn't ashamed. He didn't backpedal when someone contradicted him. But he taught what he knew from Scripture. Boldly and publicly.

Now, in this center for training, you must be humble. You must recognize that wisdom was not born with you. Wisdom will not die with you. But at the same time, those who are professors here, they must stand up and they must teach young men boldly and publicly.

God has not called you to teach these young men a gospel. He has not even called you to teach them a reformed gospel. He has called you to teach them THE gospel. He has not called you to give this group of young men a certain view of God.

He has called you to give these young men THE view of God. The teacher, the pastor, the one who trains future generations must realize that he is always taking a risk. You are not men who simply teach a whole bunch of different views so that possibly one of them is right and you're not blamed for the outcome.

No. You who are teachers must dive in to the Word of God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength and you must come up with real answers, backed by real conviction and you must proclaim those convictions to these students so help you God knowing that on the day of judgment you will be held accountable for what you teach.

But knowing that you taught exactly what you saw in Scripture and exactly what you believed and exactly what you lived by. It's extremely important. Now, I want you to look. He says, My child, be strengthened by grace that is in Christ Jesus.

As we're going to see in a moment, any sort of theological learning is more than the intellect. It involves the intellect, but it is much more than the intellect. It is a supernatural work of God and it is dependent upon the grace of God.

You as a student will always be at the mercy of God. You will always be in need of prayer. You will always be dependent upon Him. Some of you, I am sure, have fantastic minds, but your mind is not good enough.

You need the grace of God strengthening you, teaching you, sustaining you, and applying what you learn in your head to your heart and to your hands and to your feet. This is not an intellectual endeavor.

It is primarily a work of the grace of Almighty God. Now, he goes on and he says, What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others as well.

In the Reform Movement, I noticed something that I don't like. Learning for the sake of learning. Learning for the sake of learning. You see, here's something. You go to a charismatic meeting, and what's the big boast there?

Power. White coats, beautiful music, and power. Blow on people, knock them down, do all sorts of things. I can do miracles. You go to the Southern Baptist Convention. What is it all about? It's all about buildings and budgets and the number of people that you have baptized, whether they're converted or not.

We scoff at all of that, but realize also that we as Reformed people, oftentimes we boast about what we know, and the guys who know the most, we put them in front of everyone else. Do you realize that there is a celebrityism that is being created that it stinks in the nostrils of God among Reformed people?

Every conference, the same people, to be like them, to touch them, to get close to them, it all stinks. This is not about just learning. This is you learning the Gospel, that you might love God. And not only that you might love God, but that you might love men, that you might go out from this cloistered place, that you might go out from an ivory tower, and you might go down the mountain where the demon-possessed boy is and bring some deliverance through the preaching of the Gospel.

I meet so many young Reformed guys that honestly I think they would dress like Puritans if someone would let them do it. And they love old books, and they fight over them in libraries, but they won't witness to a prostitute.

They won't talk to anybody about Christ. They're all about what they know. But look what he says. He says, Entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Not only are they able, but they're willing.

Listen to me. This world is filled with people who are dying and going to hell. Just this very night, countless children will be abused. This very night, countless drug addicts and prostitutes and drunks will die and split hell wide open.

Now we know it's their own fault, but it was our fault too, and it is the grace of God manifested toward us that causes us to want to learn, not for learning's sake, but that we might glorify God with everything that we have, and then go out and reach men.

I want to reach men. I want to win men. I want to preach to men. And I don't have to apologize for that kind of language. I'm as Calvinistic as anyone else, but I try to win men and reach men. And so what is training here?

It's a group of men, elders. They've studied well. They have fought many battles. They carry scars. This is not their first rodeo. Not only do they pastor God's people, but they are constantly on the lookout for young men whom they can train that when they go the way of all flesh, those young men can take their place.

And not just take their place in the study. And not just take their place in the pulpit. And not just take their place in the conferences, but take their place... Now, let's go on. I want us to go for a moment to 2 Timothy 3, verse 16.

The Full Course Ministry of the Word

He says, As all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

Now, I'm a Midwest farm boy and I don't have a lot of culture. But I married a woman that, praise God, has some culture about her. She loves to cook and she is a very, very good cook. She tells me that a full course meal, a full course meal requires at a minimum four dishes.

It requires a soup. It requires a salad. It requires a meat, whether that be beef, chicken, or fish. And it requires a dessert. And she is quick to tell me that if one of those are missing, you no longer have a full course meal.

Now, I want you to see something here in this text. In verse 16, all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. A full course ministry of the Word of God, at least in this text, requires four things.

Teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. Yet, I submit to you that in most ministerial educational models, these four things are not found. Only one of them. We teach men. We bring them together.

We put them in seminaries. We bring them into Bible institutes. And we teach them and teach them and teach them. And we do not realize that we're only doing one of the four things we ought to be doing to them.

When you bring men into a large classroom setting and all the training they ever get is lecture after lecture after lecture, they are not getting the full strength of a true ministry of the Word of God.

It requires that they be taught. But a personal relationship is required so that they might be examined and reproved. And they are not left there just reproved, but lovingly corrected. And not just taught, not just reproved, and not just corrected, but trained over and over and over and over again, so that when they leave the folds, the battle they will face will not be a surprise to them.

They will be trained. Now, I want to stop here and I want you to recognize what I'm saying. Think about it. Even in church, the ministry of the Word. What is it? Preaching, preaching, preaching, preaching.

And in that preaching, yes, there is reproof. But we are missing something. The personal relationships that are required to really allow the Word of God to run and be effective. When I trained men in Peru, I would bring them around me.

They walked with me. They did everything with me. Some of them lived with me. We were in such a relationship that when I taught them and they went counter to the Scriptures, I could reprove them. And not only reprove them, leave them dangling and hopeless, but grab them and teach them the right way to go.

And not just teach them, but teach them over and over and over again until it became a habit in their life. That is impossible. Impossible. Outside of a church-based training of ministers. It's absolutely impossible.

So one of the reasons why our ministers are so anemic is they're not getting a full course meal. They're only getting one platter. Only one platter. We say, well, that's supposed to be taken up in relationships.

What kind of relationship? Young men, a lot of you run in bachelor groups. You're always hanging out together, studying together, talking together. Do you examine one another's life? Do you lovingly reprove one another?

Do you look for correction? Do you ask for it? And what about training? Have we thrown that out the window altogether? There is so much more than just learning in your head. You must walk with older men.

And those older men must take it upon themselves in that relationship to not only teach you in the lecture hall, although the lecture hall is important, but also to reprove you when they see you are not walking according to what is right.

And not only to reprove you, but to correct you and to set you back up on your feet so that you might walk as you ought to walk. And not only do that, but do it so many times that eventually you become trained.

And that right there, if I were to stop and go home right now, is the great advantage to training a small group of men in the context of a local church. But now here's something that I'm going to challenge you on.

If you do that and you get good at it, more young men are going to come. And then more young men are going to come. And then you know what's going to happen? You're going to become exactly what you've run away from.

So what is the key? It is not to set up here in this city a theological center of the universe. It's not just to train young men. Let me give you a hint. Start bringing in some pastors. Have a pastors conference and start teaching pastors to do what you're doing.

Because eventually, the young men coming to you, it's going to get so big that you're no longer going to be able to do anything right anymore. Now, he says here, we have four things. We have teaching, reproof, correction, and training.

Teaching Doctrine from Scripture

Tonight, I just want to talk about teaching for a moment. About teaching. I want to read some things that I've written down here. First of all, teaching here refers to teaching, doctrine, doctrinal truths.

And the one thing that you ought to come away with in this is that the Bible is the ultimate source for all spiritual truth. For every truth concerning the Christian life. And that the exposition of Scripture is the means of communicating that truth.

Now, I want to say this first of all. That the commandment to teach people, the commandment to teach young ministers is not fulfilled. Fulfilled. Has not been fulfilled when the following occurs. When the teacher has only instructed the mind or intellect of the student in matters pertaining to theology, ethics, devotion, or ministry.

When that has occurred, teaching has not been accomplished. It has not been accomplished where the teacher has only instructed and admonished the student in the disciplines of experimental religion. When that has occurred, teaching in its fullness has not been accomplished.

It has not been accomplished where the teacher has only instructed the student in the practice of ministry, especially when the methodologies are founded upon carnal leadership models and Madison Avenue marketing strategies.

Rejecting Pragmatic Church Growth

Now, this is where we need to stop. I don't know how aware the rest of you are of what's going on in the world, but the greater part of all theological education in the world today has absolutely nothing to do with theology.

Has absolutely nothing to do with doctrine or true biblical ministry. We have been invaded by Wall Street, by Madison Avenue. Many young men go off to schools and the only thing that they are going to be taught is how to do something.

And not even how to do it according to the Scriptures, but simply how to get it done no matter what it takes. Churches today are being built all over this country, and I use the word church loosely, are being built today all over this country based upon models that have more to do with Walt Disney than they do the Apostle Paul.

And we have turned the church into a Six Flags over Jesus. If you are here, you are not here to learn how to go out and do something big. You are here to learn about God from His Word, to find out what He desires and to learn His way in applying that.

Another thing I want to say, teaching has not been done, and listen to me carefully, because this is happening all over the place and it's happening in our convention. It's happening everywhere. Teaching has not been accomplished where the teacher has instructed the student in the fine art of making the church more relevant or palpable to carnal men.

The men who do this should know what they're doing. You go on the Internet, you go into Christian bookstores, you go into church growth seminars, and you go into many, many seminaries and Bible institutes, and what are you going to find?

How to make the church relevant or how to make the church attractive to the lost community outside its doors. Am I right? Well, let me tell you, in very harsh words, exactly what that is. It is this. Men who do that are taking the bride of Christ and painting her up like a whore in order to attract as many lewd and carnal men as possible and sell her to them.

That is what's going on in this world today. Now, you're here to study. But I hope you're here to study so that you will become men of God. And if you are men of God, you will love the bride of God and you will do anything necessary in your power to protect her, to honor her, and to honor her husband.

Look at what we're doing. Pastors go out today and what do they do? They send out inquiry into the questionnaires, into the community to find out what kind of church the community wants. And then they change her.

I want you to think for a moment. I have a little daughter, 2 years old, what Pastor Waldron was saying about his daughter earlier. I mean, I love my boys, but that little girl, I mean... Now, just imagine this little girl.

She grows up and she's protected by her mother and her father. 18 years old. Innocent. Doesn't know even much of what's going on in the world. And then some men come by and they take her and they strip her of her simple clothing that her father and mother gave her.

And they clothe her with the most gaudy, sensual rags. And they paint her eyes. And they redo her hair. And then they march her in front of carnal, wicked men in order to attract them. That is what the pastors in this country are doing to the church of Jesus Christ.

When the judgment of God comes down upon this nation, Hillary Clinton will not be first in line, nor will Barack Obama, but most of the evangelical pastors in America will be first in line. And I want you to know something.

If my wife were to go to Walmart one night about 11 o 'clock to buy something she had forgotten and some men grabbed her and tried to rape her in a car and you walked by and you saw it happening, but you were so afraid of your reputation or so afraid of your place in the denomination or so afraid of men that you just kept walking by because you didn't want to cause trouble.

Because you wanted unity. And you let my wife be mauled by those men. After I find those men and deal with them, I'm coming after you. You see, I've gone from reading notes to preaching. This is what it's about.

You are men of God. You're young, yes. You must be trained. Not so you can go out there and have some kind of wonderful ministry and everybody invites you to their conference. You must be trained because there is a bride to love, there is a bride to serve, there is a bride to protect at all costs.

At all costs. And yet, instead of teaching men to be men and to love God and to love His bride, we do just the opposite. We send men to be trained on how to make this homely girl that belongs to Christ.

Teaching has not gone on when you go to a seminary or a Bible institute that simply teaches you how to strip the bride of Christ of the beautiful, simple garments He has given her and replace them with the gaudy attractions of this world.

Remember this, young men. If you are going to use carnal means to attract people into your church one day, you'll have to use greater and greater carnal means to keep them. The commandment to teach has been fulfilled when the full counsel of Scripture has been communicated in matters pertaining to doctrine, ethics, devotion, and ministry, leading to the student's progress in sanctification and usefulness in the ministry.

Knowledge for Love and Sanctification

I want to learn. I got here early today and found myself in the library, so I was looking at some of the books. I want to learn, but I don't want to learn for learning's sake. I want to learn about Him so that I can love Him more.

I want to learn about Him so that through the knowledge of Him, I might grow in sanctification and be more pleasing to Him. I want to learn about Him that I might serve Him. It is not merely about knowledge.

Knowledge has an end. And that end is this, a love for God, a love for God's people, and a likeness to God, being conformed to the image of Christ. Now I want to read again. The commandment to teach has been fulfilled when the full counsel of Scripture has been communicated in matters pertaining to doctrine, ethics, devotion, and ministry, leading to the student's progress in sanctification and usefulness in ministry, and setting the course for the student's future personal progress in the faith.

Now listen to me, young men. Here's what happens to most people, most men, who go to any sort of Bible school. They study for three years, and when they've got their studying done, they go out and minister, and they hardly ever return to the study again.

Now they may go to the study to prepare sermons, but not to prepare themselves. They may go to the study because they have to preach somewhere or answer someone's questions, but they don't live there just to know God and to know more of His Word.

When you graduate from any institute or center, you have not finished your studies. You have only learned a few tools and guidelines so that you may now begin to study. It is a lifetime... Bill McCloud is one of the godliest men I have ever met.

To pray with him is a school. It is fearful. He's the only man alive today that's been in a sustained national revival. He's an old, old man. To hear him pray is to tremble. I believe that one of the secrets to his life is now in his 90s.

It's from his conversion. Back in, I think, somewhere around 20 years old, he has read through the Bible at a minimum of three hours a day for now on 70 years. I think he has read through the Bible 400 times with the purpose of growing in grace, with the purpose of being a more useful minister.

I should spend more time in preparing sermons. I really should. But I don't regret that I have spent the greater part of my life preparing me. I would beg you, young students, and I'm going to talk about this later.

Oh, I beg you to learn Greek. I beg you to learn Hebrew. I beg you to learn it all. But I beg you to spend hours a day alone with God in His Word on your knees. Let Him teach you. Now, I want to look at the goal of teaching for a moment.

Christ Formed in the Minister

First of all, turn with me just for a moment to Galatians chapter 4, verse 19. One of the goals of instruction, of teaching. My little children, for whom I am again in anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.

One of the things a professor in a seminary or a Bible institute must come to grips with is this. Not all the young men that come under his tutelage will actually be truly Christian. We take for granted that men are Christian and because of that, our pulpits are filled with lost men.

And our churches are filled with lost people. And that is particularly a problem in the Southern Baptist Convention because there we have created a subculture, a Christian subculture, in which someone is born Southern Baptist and so they go to Southern Baptist preschool on Sunday.

Southern Baptist activity. Southern Baptist Sunday school. They go to church. They go to the youth. Their whole life revolves around the church, but they never have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.