Biblical Eldership Resources - Africa, Johannesburg (2026)

BER AFRICA seeks to educate the church in Africa in the TRUTH according to God's Word regarding Church leadership.

18/06/2026

WHY DON’T OUR SERMONS CHANGE PEOPLE?
-Alistair Chalmers

I was speaking with a friend yesterday. I sent him my sermon manuscript for some feedback as I’m preaching in a context that I’ve not spoken in before. He said something, in a wider conversation about preaching in general, that got me thinking…

“Sermons are often 90% information and 10% application. Yet pastors expect lives transformed after every message.”

That line has stayed with me.

Not because it is universally true. There are many faithful pastors preaching Christ week by week with clarity, warmth, and pastoral wisdom. But there is enough truth in the observation to make us uncomfortable.

Many of us in conservative evangelical churches rightly prize biblical preaching. We want careful exegesis. We want theological depth. We want context, structure, precision, and faithfulness to the text. And rightly so. The preacher is not called to entertain, speculate, or offer therapeutic musings detached from Scripture. He is called to “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2).

But somewhere along the way, many sermons have quietly become lectures with a Bible verse attached.

The result? Congregations leave informed but remain unchanged. Minds stimulated, consciences untouched. Notes taken, but sins unmortified. We explain the text carefully, but often fail to press the text home.

And then we wonder why transformation feels rare.

INFORMATION IS NOT TRANSFORMATION
Now, to be clear, the problem is not teaching doctrine.

The Christian faith is gloriously doctrinal. Jesus commanded us to teach believers “to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). Paul tells Titus that elders must “give instruction in sound doctrine” (Titus 1:9). Truth matters. Theology matters. Precision matters.

But throughout Scripture, truth is never given merely to fill minds. It is given to shape lives. The Bible does not separate revelation from response.

Consider the pattern of the New Testament letters. Paul spends chapters unfolding glorious doctrine, and then repeatedly says therefore.

“I appeal to you therefore… present your bodies as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1).

“If then you have been raised with Christ… seek the things that are above” (Colossians 3:1).

“Walk in a manner worthy of the calling” (Ephesians 4:1).

Biblical preaching does not merely explain what God has said. It calls people to repent, believe, obey, worship, endure, forgive, flee sin, trust Christ, and live differently because of what God has said.

In other words, preaching is meant to aim at the heart.

THE PURITANS UNDERSTOOD THIS

One of the strengths of the Puritans was not merely doctrinal accuracy, but experiential application.

Read men like Richard Baxter, John Owen, or Thomas Watson and you quickly discover they were not content simply to explain truth abstractly. They relentlessly applied it.

They addressed the weary believer, the proud church member, the hypocrite, the suffering saint, the tempted husband, the fearful mother, the wandering young man, the self-righteous moralist. They wanted truth to land.

Modern evangelical preaching can sometimes feel oddly detached by comparison. We may explain justification beautifully while never addressing the hidden po*******hy, bitterness, greed, anxiety, prayerlessness, or unbelief sitting quietly in the pews before us.

But preaching that never searches the conscience will rarely stir transformation.

WHY APPLICATION OFTEN GETS NEGLECTED
There are several reasons this happens.

1. WE FEAR BECOMING MORALISTIC

Faithful preachers rightly want to avoid sermons that collapse into “try harder” Christianity. We know the gospel is not self-improvement.

But avoiding moralism is not the same thing as avoiding application.

The apostles constantly applied truth imperatively. The key is that biblical imperatives flow from gospel indicatives. Grace trains us to renounce ungodliness (Titus 2:11–12). Union with Christ leads to holiness. The gospel empowers obedience.

Application divorced from Christ becomes legalism. But doctrine divorced from application becomes sterile.

2. WE EQUATE DEPTH WITH COMPLEXITY

In some evangelical circles, sermons are unconsciously evaluated by how academically impressive they sound.

Greek word studies. Historical background. Commentaries quoted. Intricate theological distinctions.

None of these things are bad. Many are deeply helpful. But a sermon is not a seminary lecture.

A preacher may demonstrate enormous learning while never actually helping people follow Jesus on Tuesday morning.

The deepest preaching is not necessarily the most technical. Sometimes the deepest preaching is the sermon that exposes the heart and exalts Christ plainly enough that ordinary Christians walk away convicted, comforted, and changed.

3. APPLICATION IS HARD WORK

Exegesis is difficult. But pastoral application is difficult in a different way. Application requires knowing people.

It requires understanding temptation, suffering, family life, work pressures, cultural idols, fears, distractions, and spiritual struggles. It demands that pastors and preachers think carefully about how particular truths confront particular people.

Good application is rarely generic.

“Pray more” is easy to say. Helping exhausted parents, anxious students, discouraged widows, and distracted professionals understand how this text reshapes their specific spiritual lives requires pastoral wisdom.

Preachers Must Aim for the Heart
The preacher’s task is not merely to transfer information. It is to herald God’s Word in such a way that people encounter God through His Word.

That means sermons should engage the mind with truth,the conscience with conviction, the heart with affection, and the will with obedience.

Of course, only the Holy Spirit can truly transform anyone. Preachers are not manipulators. We cannot manufacture spiritual life. But we are called to preach purposefully.

The Reformers often spoke about preaching as “the Word of God in the mouth of man.” That is an astonishing responsibility. We should therefore preach expecting God to work through His Word.

Not merely informing people, but changing them.

WHAT DOES BETTER APPLICATION LOOK LIKE?

Good application is not tacking on five rushed minutes at the end of the sermon.

It is woven throughout.

As the text unfolds, the preacher continually asks:

-What should this truth cause us to believe?
-What should it expose?
-What should it comfort?
-What should it change?
-How does this point us to Christ?
-How should Christians respond?

Application should also be specific, concrete, realistic, affectionate,and gospel-centred.

For example, preaching on God’s sovereignty in suffering should not merely define providence accurately. It should help the grieving believer trust God at the graveside. It should steady the anxious mother awake at 2am. It should comfort the Christian facing redundancy or chronic illness. Truth must touch life.

LISTENERS HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES TOO

Of course, the burden does not rest entirely on preachers. Congregations can subtly encourage informational preaching by treating sermons primarily as intellectual products to evaluate.

We can become sermon critics rather than humble hearers. It is possible to admire preaching while resisting repentance.

Ezekiel describes people who enjoyed hearing God’s prophet, but would not obey him:
“You are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice… for they hear what you say, but they will not do it” (Ezekiel 33:32).

That should sober us.

Every sermon is an opportunity not merely to learn something, but to respond to God.

Before listening, Christians should pray:

“Lord, show me Christ.”
“Expose my sin.”
“Strengthen my faith.”
“Help me obey.”

And after the sermon, discuss it, pray through it, revisit it, and actively apply it. A church culture shaped by responsive hearing changes the atmosphere of preaching entirely.

WE NEED WARM-HEARTED ORTHODOXY
The answer is not less doctrine.

The UK church desperately needs robust, serious, Bible-saturated preaching. We need pastors who can handle Scripture carefully in an age allergic to truth.

But we also need preaching that burns.

Preaching filled with truth and tenderness, theology and urgency, exposition and exhortation, doctrine and devotion.

We need sermons that do not merely explain justification, but make sinners flee to Christ. Sermons that do not merely define holiness, but stir believers to pursue it. Sermons that do not merely analyse the text, but press eternity onto the conscience.

The goal is not simply informed congregations.

The goal is transformed people who increasingly love Christ, hate sin, cherish holiness, and obey God’s Word.

After all, Scripture itself says:
“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22).

This article first appeared here => https://achalmersblog.com/2026/05/22/why-dont-our-sermons-change-people/?mc_cid=a93a99183b&mc_eid=fe4e28fd4e

14/06/2026

Dear Church Leaders,

We are praying that the Lord will keep us
-Watching faithfully over the flock
-Warning firmly against error
-Withstanding fiercely for the Word

That our love for our Lord would be seen in our actions. Amen!

www.BiblicalEldership.com

13/06/2026

WALKING WITH AN UNSEEN LIMP:
God’s Enduring Faithfulness in the Private Pain of a Pastor’s Wife
-Katie Deckert

Abstract:
Katie Decker is a pastor’s wife who offers encouraging exhortations to other pastors’ wives based on the truths of Scripture and her own struggles during difficult seasons of ministry. She points pastors’ wives to God’s grace and faithfulness, and she reminds them of Christ’s love for the church despite its sins and weaknesses.

For fifteen years I have held a position that doesn’t have an official title, a job description, or a definitive role. I’m a pastor’s wife. I’ve found being alongside my husband in ministry to be simultaneously a beautiful privilege and an incredible burden.

My husband began formal ministry at twenty-three years old, just months before we were married. We had big dreams for how the Lord might use our family, but none of those dreams included a long journey through the school of suffering. We never wanted a megachurch. We thought ministry would look a lot more like committing to an ordinary means of grace ministry and then trying to be faithful for a long time. The Lord had other plans.

Of course, we wept with friends in ministry who told stories of the deep sorrow caused by persistent, unrepentant sin among church members, but in our naivety, we thought the Lord would tell a different story through us.

IN THE SCHOOL OF SUFFERING

Fast forward ten years, and it felt like ministry was out to get us. All those stories we’d heard from others were becoming our reality. I watched as my fun-loving, tenderhearted husband grew exhausted and took on a solemn look of defeat. I spent hours praying for the Lord to sustain us in those hard days. During every sermon he preached, I prayed for clear thinking, clear communication, and Spirit-filled encouragement, despite the sleepless nights. And I watched in awe as God continued to give my husband favor in the pulpit. But I also watched as his shoulders were visibly saddled with the overwhelming weight of ministry as he made his way back to the pew after each sermon. We were sinking together under the burden.

As God always does, he used that season in our lives to sanctify and teach us.

He sustained our marriage, our children, and our souls, even when it felt like the sea of suffering was crashing in on us. But when we finally packed up our house and moved to a new area, it took years for me to see how truly broken I was.

On our last Sunday at that little church, I wept as the congregation around me sang, “When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, ‘It is well, it is well with my soul.’” I wept for the agony we had endured, for the sin we had seen, for the dreams that were dying before my eyes. I wept for my own loss of sweet friends I would no longer worship alongside weekly; for the beauty of what God had accomplished in the lives of these precious ones through his Word; and for the many wonderful saints who ached at our departure. I didn’t understand why we had to walk away from our dreams of a healthy church in this city; I didn’t understand why we had to say goodbye.

I had long been learning in this school of suffering, and I felt like I was ready to graduate.

BLESSED WHILE WALKING WITH A LIMP

Because our God is so incredibly faithful, he continues to teach me through the painful process of healing. He is too good to waste even an ounce of our suffering. Like Jacob, who wrestled with the Lord, I have begged of him a blessing through the pain, and I have gleaned more than I could have asked for or imagined. But I now walk with a limp.

The beauty and pain of being a pastor’s wife is wrapped up in the fact that this role isn’t actually an office in the church. It comes with a myriad of blessings, like getting to know much of what is happening among the Lord’s people. As Erin Wheeler put it, “I treasure these things in my heart like Mary.”1

But this “job” also comes with unique, and often unseen, sorrows.

The limp I walk with comes from hours on my knees. Yet, even in the pain, I have received more of God himself. When the sorrow has weighed heaviest, I have been most keenly aware of Christ’s strong arm sustaining me. When the ugly words that spewed from the saints were harshest, I saw more sweetly the beauty of my Savior’s gentle call to “come.” When kind encouragement came like water in a parched land, I felt keenly the embrace of Jesus through the welcome of his people. Now I consider my husband’s calling a joy, because my Lord has gently been applying balm to my soul through the Word and the fellowship of the saints.

ENCOURAGEMENTS FOR DIFFICULT SEASONS

If you are a pastor’s wife walking through a difficult season, hear this: God sees, knows, and cares. Your unseen limp is seen by him. As you beg him for a blessing in your own life, consider the encouragements.

REJOICE IN YOUR SORROW

There is nothing like pain to make you seek a doctor. There is nothing like sorrow to send you to the Great Physician. This is why you can, with James, “count it all joy” when you fall into “trials of various kinds” (Jas. 1:2). God can reveal his kindness and faithfulness to you in ways you have yet to imagine. Sorrows can become joys as you walk with the Savior.

REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE

You are a wretched sinner in need of a great Savior. But there is good news! In Christ, that is exactly what you have. Jesus has borne your sin and shame and extended to you, through faith, the only real solution to your eternal problem. You have a great Savior, and in him you are chosen, beloved, adopted, redeemed, rescued, and justified. You don’t need the approval of others—because you have his! I recall Rico Tice once saying:

When we know we are children of God, we don’t fear the rejection of others—we’re loved by our Creator! We don’t fear their mockery—the Maker of the cosmos thinks well of us! We don’t fear the withholding of a favor or a promotion or anything else—we’re heading to glory in heaven.2
2 .

So when someone says that you or your husband are rotten, you can say with joy, “We are! But we have a glorious Savior, and I’d love to talk with you about him.”

FIND A FRIEND

Find one or two trusted sisters and share with them the whole truth. Tell them the pain you’re feeling. Tell them when it’s hard for you to love others. Tell them when you’re straying from regular time in the Word and prayer because of discouragement or busyness. Pursue honesty even when it means you just weep. If this feels impossible in your own local church right now, ask a pastor’s wife from another church to grab coffee. She’ll likely understand and could probably use the same encouragement.

DON’T GROW WEARY IN DOING GOOD

When Paul gives us the instruction to “not grow weary of doing good” (Gal. 6:9), he doesn’t give any exceptions. Instead, he tells us to favor those who are of the “household of faith” (v. 10). But what about when the household of faith is causing your pain? There is wisdom in establishing boundaries for certain circumstances and that should be done prayerfully and with counsel from others. But Paul’s admonition remains. We are called to do good to fellow Christians whenever we have an opportunity and to never grow weary in this task.

I wish I could say I’ve done this perfectly, but I am not Jesus, and I’ve failed here more than I’ve succeeded. But if it was always easy to do good, then we wouldn’t need the reminder to not grow weary. At times, people will assume that you have poor motives, or they will gossip about some little detail you’ve forgotten. Sometimes they will simply be unmoved by your kindness. Do good anyway. God has commanded it, and he only commands what is good.

DON’T GIVE UP ON THE CHURCH

We naturally try to stay away from the things that hurt us. When other Christians cause us pain, we can be tempted to think, I love Jesus, I just don’t want anything to do with the church. But Jesus is not a brideless groom. His bride is the church, and he has called every believer to be a part of her and to fiercely love her because he loves her.

The church is made up of sinners this side of heaven. You will hurt others, and others will hurt you. Therefore, meditate on the beauty of Christ’s unrelenting faithfulness to a bride who often gives herself to other lovers, and see yourself in that picture. Then have that same compassion for his people. Don’t give up on the church. Jesus hasn’t, and he has been with her much longer than you have.

DRAW NEAR TO JESUS

Jesus loves you and he will not leave you. He sees your pain, and he works through sorrow to reveal himself in the midst of the storm. He may not immediately stop the waves of sorrow from crashing in, but he will be a safe place to hide as they roll over you. Draw near to him. Meditate on his Word. Learn his heart. Seek him diligently.

The pain of a pastor’s wife is often as unseen as her work. And yet, God is faithful. He only wounds in order to bring about a greater healing. He is too good and too faithful to allow your suffering to be fruitless.

1 .Erin Wheeler, “The Privilege and Power of a Praying Pastor’s Wife,” 9Marks, https://www.9marks.org/article/the-privilege-and-power-of-a-praying-pastors-wife/.

2 .Rico Tice, “Who Are You?” The Good Book Company, https://www.thegoodbook.com/blog/interestingthoughts/2015/03/31/who-are-you/?srsltid=AfmBOoqF9oZ7o5mvomqVW1_xrIOdytI2OleEDTEkTkgT9H-dud5ndE1S.

- Katie Deckert
is a pastor’s wife and a mom to three children in northern Virginia, where she is a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA.

This article first appeared here => https://www.9marks.org/article/walking-with-an-unseen-limp/

12/06/2026

MINISTERING TO THE DYING
-Bob Deffinbaugh

Out of the grief of losing three children, the late Dr. Joseph Bayly wrote an excellent book, The Last Thing We Talk About: Hope and Help for Those Who Grieve*. He wrote that when someone is dying, people avoid talking about death, thinking they’re doing the dying person a favor. But the dying person knows!

My first funeral was for a woman who died of cancer. When we were on the way to her funeral in Oklahoma City, her husband said to me, “She never knew she was about to die.” I thought, “That’s isn’t the way it worked with me. We talked about death every time I went to see her.” She wanted to talk about eternity. In fact, one of the questions she asked me was, “What does it mean when Jesus said, ‘Before Abraham was I am’?” She wanted to know and to be assured of what would happen to her after death.

Death is an uncomfortable reality for the living to face. But those who are dying long to be treated with love and dignity at the end of their earthly life, as they prepare for what is ahead. Here are some things we can do to minister most effectively to those who are dying:

CONTINUE TO TREAT THEM AS PEOPLE

When someone is dying, people around them begin to withdraw, especially when the person’s communication skills diminish. It is sometimes subtle—like the loss of eye contact. When my grandmother was losing her hearing and had difficulty engaging in conversation, I noticed that some of my relatives would never look at her. It was as though she was a non-person. I vowed that I would always look my grandmother in the eye. Even if she didn’t know who I was, I would make sure she knew that I was talking to her.

It is essential that we continue to treat dying people as people. Look them in the eye and talk to them—even about death.

CREATE A FRIENDLY AND EMPATHETIC ENVIRONMENT

As Dr. Bayly points out, the hospital and its clinical environment have a way of making those last moments more difficult. He contrasts the way his grandfather died in hospital bed with all the tubes and noisy equipment as opposed to his grandmother, who died in the family bed, where her children had been born, with the warmth of the family surrounding her. Whether the person is in a hospital, a hospice facility, or at home, we must do what we can to make the environment as comfortable as possible for them.

It is important that we minister to the dying as people who are still alive, even if they are in a coma. Speak to them as though they hear, because they very well may. And if they are unsaved, speak the gospel.

We must also remember and empathize with the ones near those who are dying. Our ministry is to them too. On visiting Bob who was dying, my friend Jim asked Bob’s wife how she was doing. She just broke down and wept. She said, “Of all the people who came, not one asked me how I am doing.” While all the focus was on Bob, she was going through great anguish as well.

DON’T WITHHOLD THE TRUTH

My best friend, whose father was dying, said his father would hold his hand and after all were gone would ask, “Tell me, son, are they telling me everything?” When we withhold the truth from those who are dying, we think we’re doing them a favor, but we’re actually preventing the blessing of letting them know where they are with the situation.

If they are unbelievers, they need to know God. They need to know their days are limited and that they need to trust God before they die. And if they are believers, they are going to be seeing Jesus soon, so talking about heaven is the most encouraging thing we can do.

Joni Eareckson Tada’s book Heaven talks about Jesus in the context of heaven. People who trust Jesus and believe on Him must be encouraged to bring their focus on the good things that lie ahead.

A man in our church had a serious case of melanoma and went into remission after a few months of treatment. He later told me, “I am almost disappointed. I had gotten so ready for heaven. I thought I was really going.” Isn’t that a good thing? To be really longing for heaven?

TALK ABOUT IMPORTANT THINGS, NOT TRIVIAL ONES

The first woman I ministered to who was dying had a lot of Christian friends who would come, especially on Sunday afternoon. Now Sunday afternoon is when the Dallas Cowboys played. One day she told me after her friends had left, “Our conversation today was worthless.” They were talking about the Cowboys and the game, something a dying person doesn’t care about—she was looking to be with the Lord. Sometimes we find it easier to talk about trivial things when we are to be talking about serious, eternal stuff.

People Who Are Dying Have Questions—And They Should. As You Talk With Them, Ask Them If They Have Questions And Seek To Answer Those.

Talk to them about the funeral service as well. It may feel awkward to bring it up, but it’s good to know what the person’s wishes are if you are performing the funeral. They might have preferences for how the service will go, or a particular song they’d like.

Silence can be welcome too. Resist the urge to talk just for the sake of talking. Sometimes those who are dying—and their loved ones—simply want you to sit quietly with them in their grief.

ENCOURAGE THE DYING PERSON AGAINST BEING A “MODEST CHRISTIAN”

Twenty-five years before she died, my grandmother wrote me a note instructing me not to talk about her at her funeral. However, other people want to hear about the person, especially if they were of faith. In such cases, let the dying person know that you will not glamorize or undo their lives but you will have to talk for them.

When people know they are dying, they don’t care as much about shame or embarrassment and become open about talking about their faith.

Encourage them to use their suffering as a stewardship for getting the gospel to those who will be left behind. One believer who was dying of Alzheimer’s included in his will a beautiful statement: “Witness to the doctor who will turn off the machine.”

Encourage them also to say or write the things they want their loved ones to know before they die. A mechanic who worked on our garage door came to Christ later in his life. One of the things that marked his conversion was that he wanted to set things right. Sometimes people can do things that will help those who are left behind—like writing letters to their children that will continue to minister to them well after the person is gone.

HONOR THE PERSON’S WISHES FOR END-OF-LIFE CARE

Sadly, sometimes the family of the dying person is faced with the decision of whether to continue or remove life support. When the mother of someone at our church was diagnosed with cancer and was given two weeks to live, it was told, “We are not prolonging life but prolonging death.”

For a believer, to prolong death is no service, and ideally that believer would have already expressed that desire so the decision is easier for the family.

One man who was a believer wrote these instructions in his living will (what a wonderful thing for the medical team to read when they have to read the living will to find out if they can legally withdraw life support!):

To the person who makes the decision to terminate the medical treatment or who may be required to disconnect any life support system, I wish to assure you that you are not taking my life, and I do not want you to feel any guilt or remorse.

No man or group of men can take my life against my Lord’s will. My God can and will preserve my life independent of life support systems, if He chooses to do so. I choose to live only if the Lord has a purpose for my life and restores my life and strength sufficiently to serve his purpose in such a way that I will rise up from this bed of affliction.

My prayer is that God will bless you for serving me. In the event if there be any who read this instruction that are concerned about their own inevitable death and eternal destiny in heaven or hell, I recommend consideration of the following Scripture verses: Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8–9.

My reason for choosing to die under these circumstances rather than struggle for sheer existence of life is because I have a deep abiding faith in the ability and promise of my Lord Jesus Christ to preserve and transport me to a place that He has lovingly prepared for me. Death is not final, nor to be feared. I am looking forward with great joy to being with my great God and my Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, and with many of my family and friends.

*Bayly’s book is also published under the title The View from a Hearse: A Christian View of Death.

Photo by Age Cymru on Unsplash

-Bob Deffinbaugh

This article first appeared here => https://www.biblicaleldership.com/2026/06/09/ministering-to-the-dying/?mc_cid=a93a99183b&mc_eid=0dcdf36ab1

11/06/2026

PASTORING THE PESTERING CONSCIENCE
-Trent Hunter

Abstract:
Trent Hunter offers biblical principles and practical suggestions to help pastors care for members with particularly sensitive consciences. Whether it’s through knowing their people well and proclaiming God’s grace clearly, through preaching, through a team of elders, or through one-on-one counseling, pastors should be intentional about speaking the truth in love to those who are pestered by their conscience.

“How do you pastor members who have extremely sensitive consciences?” Our elders asked this during my pastoral candidacy. They loved and knew their people. I made good use of Romans 14 in reply. But experience did not inform my answer.

Today, after eight years, it does.

Conscience is our moral faculty that assesses what is good and bad(1)—a unique feature of our humanity, not a bug. But the conscience can be buggy. A conscience may be seared so that an alarm does not sound when it should (1 Tim. 4:2). Or it may go off needlessly.

I’ve met church members who are hard on themselves.

Like radar that mistakes birds for bombers, their consciences hold them in a state of emergency. They live under the threat of God’s judgment. They apologize a lot. Some are hard on others, too. Like air traffic controllers with defective equipment, they cry danger when there is none. They accuse a lot. They may mean well. Or they may despise rather than welcome their brothers and sisters (Rom. 14:10). The issues are many. Intensity levels vary.

How do we pastor members with extremely sensitive consciences?

Our mind may jump immediately to the counseling appointment. We’ll get there. When we do, we’ll make good use of Paul’s model and instruction in Romans 14. But as I thought about my own pastoring, the whole of the ministry came into view.

Here are four venues for pastoring especially sensitive consciences.

1. PASTOR THE CONSCIENCE AT THE FRONT DOOR

We meet all kinds of consciences at the front door—that is, the membership class, a newcomers’ reception, or conversations after the service and over coffee. Each conscience is shaped by a different upbringing, the preaching they’ve been under, and the part of the country they’re moving from. Those with especially sensitive consciences are usually new believers or Christians deeply shaped by people who played a key role in their salvation or growth.

Here are a few ways to pastor the conscience at your church’s front door.

SPEAK JOYFULLY OF GOD’S LIBERATING AND TRANSFORMING GRACE

Our pews are lined with stories of burdened consciences set free by grace through the Word. This includes many who traveled in especially strict fundamentalist circles. You never know what the Lord will do in the life of your next guest. Let the joy of this good news be the first note you strike. Everyone needs to hear it, especially those with sensitive consciences.

TELL GUESTS WHAT TO EXPECT AND WHAT YOU EXPECT

This is just good hospitality. Teach on your Confession of Faith (what you believe together) and your Membership Covenant (how you live together). Get specific. Use Albert Mohler’s “Theological Triage” to illustrate why your church does not treat all differences alike.(2)

Explain and illustrate how you guard the gospel by granting differences on tertiary matters.

KNOW YOUR REGION AND RUN ALLERGY TESTS

“I don’t like the music” was something I was used to hearing in church work. But “God doesn’t like the music” was new to my ears after moving to my region.

We speak with guests about the priority of the congregation’s voice and the enhancing role of music. One guest asked, “Would the elders be willing to sign a statement stating they would never change the music at the church?” With love and candor, I replied, “No, we would not.” I explained, and he joined. He made no trouble when change came.

DISTINGUISH BETWEEN YOUR CHURCH CULTURE AND YOUR CHURCH’S CONVICTIONS

The topic of music illustrates this point as well. For years, we were well-led from the piano. In our search for a vocational director for congregational singing, we were flexible to be led by piano or guitar. We needed the right man with the right convictions. Understanding the sensitivity of some guests to what’s appropriate for the church’s worship, I’d say this in our receptions: “At Heritage, we are jealous to guard the congregation’s voice in our singing on Sunday. We’re led by piano. Down the road, we could be led by guitar. But our commitment to singing will remain.”

Speak Lovingly to, for, and About Your Congregation—Tough Love Included
I don’t let my children condescend to one another. Neither do we despise one another as church members (Rom. 14:1, 10). We want our guests to pick up on a spirit of love and mutual affection in their earliest interactions with our church. This may require tough love at times. This doesn’t happen often, but sometimes a member lets their guard down with the pastor and makes a joke about members who take issue with alcohol (or vice versa). I don’t laugh. Sometimes I correct the attitude on the spot. They usually thank me later.

2. PASTOR THE CONSCIENCE IN THE PULPIT

God sanctifies consciences through his Word, primarily through the pulpit. As James Montgomery Boice is famous for saying, church leaders overestimate what they can achieve in a short period but underestimate what can be done over the long term. That applies to shaping consciences as well.

Here are a few ways to pastor the conscience from the pulpit.

TALK ABOUT, TEACH ON, AND SPEAK TO THE CONSCIENCE

We don’t preach to rocks. Or animals. We preach to people with consciences that can both accuse and defend them—accurately or inaccurately (Rom. 2:14–15). So, let’s take our cues from the apostles who spoke about their own consciences in pursuit of a hearing: “My conscience is clear” (2 Cor. 1:12). Warn the flock by speaking of the “insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,” unable to feel (1 Tim. 4:2). Appeal for purity by warning against a “defiled” conscience that approves what is evil and rejects what is good (Titus 1:15). Finally, preach the joy of a conscience cleansed by the blood of Jesus with which we draw near to God (Heb. 10:22). In short, be sure the conscience gets airtime in your preaching.

UNDERSTAND YOUR CONTEXT BUT NEVER UNDERSERVE THE TEXT

Do you have members who are teetotalers? Your audience should inform how you preach on Jesus’s transformation of water into wine in John 2:1–11. But don’t fail to preach the joy of the kingdom captured in the gift of wine. Be careful to avoid embracing strained interpretations to avoid touchy topics. Yes, the wine Jesus made was an alcoholic beverage, miraculously well-aged even. He saved the best for last (2:10).

MANAGE YOUR CHURCH’S OVERTON WINDOW BY WORKING THROUGH BOOKS OF THE BIBLE

Every community has an Overton window—a window of acceptable ideas and speech.3 Are there taboo topics in your church? If you’re doing book-by-book exposition, God eventually brings them up. Thankfully, when your text puts you outside the Overton window, you’re in good company. Here’s a suggestion: when you find your text outside the window, slow down. For my church, I slowed down in our series through Colossians. In four sermons through 2:16–23, we defined legalism, considered the various ways we undermine Scripture’s sufficiency, and mapped the path for deep inward change. (4)

Take Responsibility for the Emotional Temperature of the Church Around Specific Issues
The regular preacher also bears responsibility for the spirit of these discussions. How you talk is how they will talk. How you feel is how they will feel. Are you walking on eggshells to avoid upsetting people? That’s the kind of church you’ll have. Alternatively, are you feisty and dismissive toward those with more sensitive consciences? In the long term, that’s the kind of church you’ll have.

DON’T DISCOUNT THE VALUE OF A LITTLE HUMOR

Don’t make fun of your differences. But do have some fun with them. One friend’s church was preaching through Genesis and tackled the age of the earth. Church members took different positions, and the topic could have gotten contentious. Here’s what those pastors did. The older pastor taught a lesson titled, “An Old Man for a Young Earth.” The younger pastor—say his name was Joe—taught by a different title, “A Young Man for an Old Earth.” The next week, a church member brought a sign, “Joe is not young, and the earth is not old.” There was nothing malevolent about it. These pastors effectively led their church to hold essentials and get along despite this difference.

3. PASTOR THE CONSCIENCE AROUND THE ELDER TABLE

Preaching is central, but not enough. Healthy churches need a stable of elders who shepherd the flock of God among them (1 Pet. 5:1–2). If the elders are not getting along on a topic broached by the Sunday sermon, the sheep will know. Elder teams do well to pursue the same mind on specific subjects as well as an overall approach to getting along with differences where they remain.

Here are suggestions for pastoring the conscience around the elder table.

WORK THROUGH YOUR OWN ISSUES FIRST

Elders are to be examples to the flock, which includes how they relate with one another. Large teams like ours—pushing fifteen to twenty men at times—have a natural disadvantage in dealing with touchy topics. But eventually, taboo topics eat trust. It’s worth the work to get on the same page. Or if you can’t, work to agree on how to relate given your differences.

KNOW YOUR SHEEP AND KNOW THE SCRIPTURES, IN THAT ORDER

Every church has its issues. Elder teams can’t master every subject. But teams can get a working handle on the topics that keep coming up among their flock, or don’t but should. Our elders differed on the moral status and practice of alcohol, a reflection of our church’s differences. This was a taboo topic for us. So, we surveyed ourselves as a team to chart the spectrum of convictions and practices, then shared our experiences with alcohol personally and pastorally. Next, we read the relevant Scriptures and summarized our shared observations and differences. Third, we discussed and agreed on a way of relating to one another and the church, given our study. Differences remain, mostly in practice, but this is a non-issue now.

DON’T LET SO-CALLED “MATTERS OF CONSCIENCE” SABOTAGE ETHICAL DISCUSSIONS

Elder teams should be able to discern the difference between a debatable matter and a matter of moral significance. A movie that depicts a murder is different than a film that displays a woman’s naked body. Those who object to the latter are not “weaker.” They’re seeing God more clearly, for the pure in heart shall see God (Matt. 5:8). “Pure in heart” is a thing.

UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE’S TEACHING ON WORLDLINESS

What is worldliness? Should the church avoid cultural expressions that come from the world, whether clothes or music? John tells us, “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world” (1 John 2:16). Worldliness is loving only those who love you back, being anxious about your life, and bickering about who is the greatest (Luke 6:32; 12:22–31; Mark 10:42–44). That kind of thing. Moses came down the mountain and found idolatry, which is worldliness. The music and dancing at the foot of the mountain were problematic because they were to the wrong god (Exod. 32:19).

EQUIP THE SAINTS FOR THE WORK OF MINISTRY IN A BODY WITH DIVERSE CONSCIENCES

In addition to teaching and godly counsel, good books go a long way. I’ve used three. Andy Naselli and J.D. Crowley’s Conscience: What It Is, How to Train It, and Loving Those Who Differ offers a careful unpacking of its title. Our elders used this book to anchor our discussion on conscience issues. For a shorter treatment, try Kevin DeYoung’s The Art of Turning: From Sin to Christ for a Joyfully Clear Conscience. For a longer treatment, read Rediscover the Joy of a Clear Conscience by Christopher Ash. And for children, That Little Voice Inside Your Head by Andy Naselli.

4. PASTOR THE CONSCIENCE ACROSS THE TABLE

Finally, we reach the one-on-one conversation—across the dinner table, the coffee table, or the table in your office. Here we take our lessons from Paul’s letter to the Romans, his famous fourteenth chapter. I’ve organized these lessons with five words for easy recall when you need them.

Before you head into your next meeting with a sensitive conscience, remember these five words.

WELCOME

With love for sensitive consciences, Paul commands us, “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him” (Rom. 14:1). Not everyone will. Because of their own over-accusing conscience, they may impose a sense of alienation on themselves. With great hesitation, one brother met with me to ask if it was okay if he stayed in our church even though he was bothered in his conscience by a certain church practice. With a little instruction and a lot of warmth, he remains with us today. Their conscience may condemn them. Others may despise them. Make sure they’re welcome with you.

WARN

With concern for sensitive consciences, Paul commands them, “Let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him” (Rom. 14:3). This means they cannot leverage Paul’s command to the strong to manipulate the entire church to live just as they do. Neither should they leave the church because someone else has different thoughts or practices on a matter of conscience. This will require maturity on their part and instruction from you on how to discern a debatable matter. One of our elders is fond of asking, “Could a reasonable Christian read the Scriptures and take the other position?” Use that question.

TRAIN

On one hand, train this brother or sister to honor the Lord by obeying their conscience (Rom. 14:6, 12, 14). Remind them, “Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” (14:23). On the other hand, train them to know when it’s time to disobey their conscience.5Paul’s choice of the word “weak” indicates that this is not a desirable condition (15:1). Where the conscience is misaligned with God’s Word, the Christian does well to recalibrate their conscience with uncomfortable obedience to Scripture. Concerning bacon, Jesus told Peter to “take up and eat.” Peter replied, “By no means, Lord” (Acts 10:14). But Jesus had the final word: “What God has made clean, do not call common” (Acts 10:15). Jesus is Lord over all, including the conscience.

REFRAIN

Paul tells us to welcome the weak in faith, but added, “Do not quarrel over opinions” (Rom. 14:1). Reason with them from the Scriptures, but do not legitimize every opinion with debate. It is tempting. Some claims provoke. Some arguments are downright fanciful. Ask God for wisdom to know when to correct and when not to engage. Paul seemed to know what many of us have learned, that there is no end to such discussions.

REMAIN
This is not a condescending command: “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves” (Rom. 15:1). Or, as one friend put it, “Love them more than you hate where they are at.” Hang in there with them. Members with especially sensitive consciences are not in the way of ministry; they are your ministry. And they are partners in ministry. Learn from their obedience to what they believe the Lord requires.

ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER ON THE PATH TO A JOYFULLY CLEAR CONSCIENCE

The goal in all our efforts is a congregation marked by peace with God and one another.

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience. (Heb. 10:22)

So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. (Rom. 14:19)

This takes time. Consider the placement of these exhortations in their respective letters, ten and fourteen chapters in.

So, brothers, mind the front door. Shepherd your people from the front on the Lord’s Day. Pursue a unified front as elders. And get in front of your people one-on-one when they need you. Some with a pestering conscience need help, others need encouragement, and still others need rebuke. Be ready to administer the right medicine for the soul of each patient. And as Paul said, “Be patient with them all” (1 Thes. 5:14).

Walk with these sensitive—and sometimes over-sensitive—souls, one foot in front of the other.

1 .This definition is from Kevin DeYoung, The Art of Turning: From Sin to Christ for a Joyfully Clear Conscience, pp. 13–14.

2 .Albert Mohler, “Theological Triage.” 9Marks, 2010. https://www.9marks.org/article/theological-triage/.

3 .This idea is commonly used in discussions of what is politically possible at any moment based on what ideas are acceptable to the voting public. Joseph Overton suggested that politicians stay inside this window of acceptable ideas to avoid coming off as too extreme. Politicians will also strategize for how to move the Overton window to make currently unacceptable ideas seem attractive. By way of application, expositional preaching is the way we seek for God’s Word to define what is right and wrong, good and bad.

4 .The following four sermons are an example of slowing down in a series to deal more surgically with a subject raised by the text. “The Problem of Add-On Christianity,” Colossians 2:16–23; “The Problem of Ultra-Biblical Christianity,” Colossians 2:17–18; “The Problem of Super-Spiritual Christianity,” Colossians 2:18–19; “The Problem of Extra-Pure Christianity,” 2:20–23; “Union with Christ, Power for Life,” Colossians 3:1–4.

5 .Andy Naselli, “Don’t Always Follow Your Conscience.” Desiring God, 2016. https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/dont-always-follow-your-conscience

-Trent Hunter serves as pastor for preaching and teaching at Heritage Bible Church in Greer, SC.

This article first appeared in => https://www.9marks.org/article/pastoring-the-pestering-conscience/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly&mc_cid=76fe218498&mc_eid=b3fbc89e30

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