One Ministry Of The Word

We live in a day when the responsibilities given by the risen Christ to His shepherds are being woefully neglected, and as a result the precious flock of God suffers. Men who fill the office of pastor neglect their call due to their pursuit of influence or personal notoriety, their laziness, or in some cases their ignorance as a result of training in an academic rather than a truly pastoral context. Mark has done a service to the Church by pointing us back to the biblical description of ministry that takes place both “publicly and house to house” (Acts 20:20). He has also reminded us that men from the ranks of the Reformers and the Puritans practiced a more even balance between public preaching and pastoral counseling than our modern “church-CEO” pastors. I pray that the Lord Jesus would raise up many men who would deliver their own lives for the sake of His people. May many read this work, count the cost, and either take up their responsibilities by the grace of God or get out of the ministry.