Trusting God in the Mundane & Practical
Lately I've been reading through the Pastoral Epistles, thinking that they would be a good resource for developing a biblical view of how to start and lead a new church plant. It turns out a friend has been reading them, too, and made the comment that it's interesting how there's really nothing in I & II Timothy or Titus about raising money, renting a facility, advertizing the new church, etc. Paul's concerns are spiritual and very relational. This observation is right on and well worth remembering.
It struck me this morning, in thinking about his observation, that this is pretty much true of the entire Bible. There are no practical instructions for how to sow barley, tend the fields as it grows, harvest it, thresh out the grain, or mill it into flour. I think this is for two reasons.
Firstly, God knows that we know how to do these mundane and practical things. They are part of what is common to men, whether they are God's people or not. The Bible isn't concerned so much about these kinds of things. So, secondly, the Bible focuses on the spiritual. What does the believing barley farmer do that the pagan barley farmer doesn't? He trusts in God. He sows, tends, reaps, threshes and mills in faith. He knows that it is God who causes the rain to fall and the sun to shine. He knows that it is God who will provide for his needs in whatever circumstance of life, rain or shine, or lack thereof. But that doesn't make him lazy. He still sows, tends, reaps, threshes and mills, and he does it to the best of his ability. This glorifies God and shows the farmer's faith in Him and thanks to Him.
The same principle applies to church planting. We know, in today's society, that we need a place to meet, there are certain costs involved in "doing" church, and that we need to plan wisely for these things. But this is not where our hope lies. Our hope and trust is with God, that He will raise up Christ's Church. So Paul in the Pastoral Epistles focuses on the spiritual attitudes, characteristics, habits and disciplines a biblical church ought to have. We need to wisely, prayerfully, and in faith do those practical and mundane things that are necessary, and we also need to wisely, prayerfully and in faith follow after God's wisdom for us given to us through Paul in his instructions to Timothy and Titus, and that wisdom that reveals the ordinary means of grace - God's Word, prayer, the sacraments, etc. - that God has given us for the health and true growth of the body of Christ.
It struck me this morning, in thinking about his observation, that this is pretty much true of the entire Bible. There are no practical instructions for how to sow barley, tend the fields as it grows, harvest it, thresh out the grain, or mill it into flour. I think this is for two reasons.
Firstly, God knows that we know how to do these mundane and practical things. They are part of what is common to men, whether they are God's people or not. The Bible isn't concerned so much about these kinds of things. So, secondly, the Bible focuses on the spiritual. What does the believing barley farmer do that the pagan barley farmer doesn't? He trusts in God. He sows, tends, reaps, threshes and mills in faith. He knows that it is God who causes the rain to fall and the sun to shine. He knows that it is God who will provide for his needs in whatever circumstance of life, rain or shine, or lack thereof. But that doesn't make him lazy. He still sows, tends, reaps, threshes and mills, and he does it to the best of his ability. This glorifies God and shows the farmer's faith in Him and thanks to Him.
The same principle applies to church planting. We know, in today's society, that we need a place to meet, there are certain costs involved in "doing" church, and that we need to plan wisely for these things. But this is not where our hope lies. Our hope and trust is with God, that He will raise up Christ's Church. So Paul in the Pastoral Epistles focuses on the spiritual attitudes, characteristics, habits and disciplines a biblical church ought to have. We need to wisely, prayerfully, and in faith do those practical and mundane things that are necessary, and we also need to wisely, prayerfully and in faith follow after God's wisdom for us given to us through Paul in his instructions to Timothy and Titus, and that wisdom that reveals the ordinary means of grace - God's Word, prayer, the sacraments, etc. - that God has given us for the health and true growth of the body of Christ.
Labels: Church Planting, Ordinary Means
