REFLECTED GLORY IN MINISTRY

Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the LORD had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him. (Exodus 34:30-35)

Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. (2 Corinthians 3:12-13)

Moses' authority as spiritual leader derived from his intimate relationship and communication with God, which resulted in the divine glow on his face. This reflected glory did not last, but faded until Moses's next encounter with the LORD. Hence, the Apostle Paul noted to the Corinthian church that Moses "used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away" (2 Corinthians 3:13 NASB). In the context of Exodus we may infer that the only glory the people were to see was the reflected glory of God, not any human glory in Moses himself. And the only authority Moses had was derived from his communion with God.

           

By way of application, every minister of Christ today should ask himself, "Do people catch a glimpse of the glory of the Lord when I stand in the pulpit and expound His Word?" If not, what is lacking in my on communion with God?  Years ago, I heard of a church that had an inscription on the inside of the pulpit: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus” (John 12:21).  A good reminder for every preacher!

           

In the Apostle Paul's analogy, however, Moses is representative of the Old Covenant. The glory of the Old Covenant, which Paul calls "the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones" (2 Cor. 3:7) was a fading glory. It was glorious because it reflected God's holiness and righteousness; it was fading because of Israel's disobedience. God's purpose in forming a holy people of His own would be fulfilled in the New Covenant through the sacrifice of His Son and the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers. That glory, "the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 Cor. 4:6), will not fade away.

MAYBE WE SHOULD CONSULT THE BIBLE

This year marks 42 years that I have been an ordained minister. I have ministered in more churches than I can count, as a missionary on both sides of the Atlantic, as a pastor, as interim pastor, and as pulpit supply. To my recollection, only one church I know of actually followed biblical standards in calling a pastor. (But it was so many years ago that I’m not sure if it really happened or if I just dreamed it!)

As a missionary, I ministered in many churches across the country, raising support, reporting on our ministry, and participating in conferences. After our missionary service, I pastored two churches and preached in churches of various denominations. What I have learned – and it’s a painful lesson – is that while churches I’ve known staunchly professed their faith in the Bible as the Word of God and pastors preached from that Bible, they instinctively turned to other resources when problems arose or major decisions had to be made.

For instance, I have ministered in several churches who were seeking a pastor, and I have shared the Bible’s standards for pastoral ministry, even providing a checklist system for evaluating a candidate based on those standards. Yet time after time churches ignored the biblical standards in favor of psychological profiles and church consultants. Their major concern, hardly concealed, is “compatibility” of the prospective pastor with the congregation. The result of such an approach is often unsatisfactory, and sometimes disastrous. Other times, in spite of the congregation’s worldly, superficial approach, the pastor turns out to be what the Bible says he should be. God is gracious!

Why would a church that claims to believe the Bible neglect to meditate every day on First Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9, First Peter 5:1-4, Acts 20:28-35, and other pertinent passages before considering any candidate for the pastorate? Or nominating an elder or deacon?

Then there are those problems that inevitably arise in churches, because they are made up of people. There are interpersonal conflicts. There are differing views of ministry. There are differing priorities in many areas. Personal tastes and preferences become sources of conflict.  Time to call a “church consultant,” right? Why not first see if the Holy Spirit would reveal the root problem through prayerful reading of God's Word?

The root of every conflict is not hard to discern: it’s sin. Ministry involves challenges and decisions, but they do not have to result in conflict. It’s sin that spoils great opportunities for glorifying God and turns them into conflicts that do just the opposite!

So why don’t church members and pastors turn to Bible study and prayer when problems[i] threaten the peace of the church? Why don’t we follow our Lord’s instructions for conflict resolution as given in Matthew 18:15-17?

First, it is time-consuming and requires a great deal of effort. Agonizing in prayerful study of God’s word is not as attractive as getting a quick solution from another source. But if we’re not willing to quiet ourselves before God and listen for His “still, small voice,” we will inevitably lean on our own understanding, an act of pride.

Another reason, I’m convinced, is a lack of confidence that the Bible really has the solution to our problems, that the biblical directives will really work out best when followed. Christians – yes, even pastors – don’t really trust the Holy Spirit to guide the church by means of His Word to a godly resolution of every problem and challenge the church may face.

Admittedly, the Bible is not a problem-solution manual, but the Bible deals with our most fundamental problem – sin – in all its manifestations. Through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit it guides us to repentance and restoration. We need not look for specific passages that deal with specific problems. Every book of the Bible gives insight into our nature and how we can deepen our relationship with God and others.

David James-Morse, a missionary to Peru whom I met many years ago, told of a personal crisis during his first term on the field, a crisis that nearly led to his quitting and going home. He decided instead to shut himself up in a small shack on the compound and give himself to Bible reading and prayer until God gave him guidance. And God did give James-Morse guidance. The result was a revival that resulted in several churches being established in the jungles of Peru. Well, how did he go about reading the Bible? He said he started with Genesis and just kept reading and praying until God gave him direction.

We are far too concerned about problem-solving, and far too little concerned about humbling ourselves before God. Yet in the presence of the power and wisdom of God, problems turn to praise and trials turn to triumph. The problems of every church come down to the main problem in every individual who makes up that church – sin. And at the heart of sin is pride.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7 NKJV)

The Apostle Paul told the Colossian church how to have peace with one another:

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3:15-17 NKJV emphasis added)

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[i] The word “issue” has become more popular than “problem” in recent decades. The preference for “issue” actually grew out of lawsuits, particularly in the auto industry. If company documents contained the word “problem,” that was used as an admission of guilt! An “issue,” on the other hand, could be anything from a real problem to what color the upholstery should be! Now we all have issues!

YOU SHALL BE WITNESSES

After decades of ministry, I am more convinced than ever that it is not what we do as Christians but what we are that has the greatest impact for Christ. It is not the number of people with whom we have shared the gospel, how many conversions we can number, how many churches we have planted, or the average attendance at our services, that matters for eternity. It is the quality of our ministry that makes a lasting change in lives.

After his resurrection, just before ascending to heaven, Jesus commissioned his disciples with these words:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

Certainly there is a commission to do something. The disciples’ ministry was to extend “to the end of the earth.” (Compare Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 24:47). But the emphasis in this last statement of Jesus’ commission was on being. “You will be my witnesses.” The power of the disciples’ words would be evident from their life. When Peter and John were called before the Jewish council for preaching gospel of Jesus and his resurrection, the council noted:

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)

I’m convinced that every Christian, especially those in full-time ministry, need to give more time and attention to being what God wants us to be. That means backing off from frenetic activity in the Lord’s name at the cost of neglecting  a deepening fellowship with the Lord Himself.

An example of quality over quantity comes to mind. I know a missionary whose ministry for many years was in a support capacity. He rarely preached in Sunday services, but he always made sure he got to know every individual and couple who attended. One Sunday, a couple visited from a distant town because they had heard about the church through a radio ministry, a ministry that “support” missionary had helped set up and run. That humble missionary and his wife invited the visitors to their home for dinner, and they spent the entire afternoon listening to them pour out their sorrows. The couple shared they had come to the point of divorce, but they agreed to visit this church as the last hope for their marriage. What they found was new life in Christ. Not long afterwards that couple was baptized and became the nucleus for a new ministry in their town. It was the quality of life of that missionary, his being, that made the crucial difference.

The story repeats itself across history. I think of the Scottish pastor whose humble ministry had not produced many converts, yet one of them was a boy named Robert Moffatt, the great missionary who opened the interior of Africa to the gospel. We probably will not know until heaven just how many lives we have touched for Christ just by being faithful and by deepening our communion with Christ.

Among the people who came to Jerusalem for the Passover the week Jesus was crucified were some Greeks. They came to Phillip with this simple request: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”  That’s exactly what people need today! They need to see Jesus in the lives of his brethren, those born of the Spirit God. People need to take note, as did the Jewish council, that we have been with Jesus.