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C. J. Mahaney: "But don't I need more than the cross?"

Thanks to Tim Brister for this C. J. Mahaney quote...

Do we ever move beyond the cross, beyond the gospel? Is there any sense in which we "graduate" from the gospel? The question Mahaney is addressing is, "But don't I need more than the cross?"

“In one sense, the answer is no. Nothing else is of equal importance. The message of Christ and Him crucified is the Christian hope, confidence, and assurance. Heaven will be spent marveling at the work of Christ, the God-Man who suffered in the place of us sinners.

In another sense, the answer’s yes. You do need more. You’ve been saved to grow, to serve in a local church, to do good works, and to glorify God. But the ‘more’ you need as a follower of Christ won’t be found apart from the cross. The gospel isn’t one class among many that you’ll attend during your life as a Christian–the gospel is the whole building where all the classes take place! Rightly approached, all the topics you’ll study and focus on as a believer will be offered to you ‘within the walls’ of the glorious gospel.

Name any area of the Christian life that you want to learn about or that you want to grow in. The Old Testament? The end times? Do you want to grow in holiness or the practice of prayer? To become a better husband, wife, or parent? None of these can be rightly understood apart from God’s grace through Jesus’ death. They, and indeed all topics, should be studied through the lens of the gospel.”

- C.J. Mahaney, Living the Cross-Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing (Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 2006), 149-150.

John Piper: You Need The Gospel Every Day

Spurgeon: Trials As Stepping-Stones To Greater Things

This Charles Haddon Spurgeon quote is taken from Steve Miller's great little book on Spurgeon, called, C. H. Spurgeon on Spiritual Leadership:

"Faith leads us to believe in difficulties being overruled to promote success. Because we believe in God, and in His Holy Spirit, we believe that difficulties will be greatly sanctified to us, and that they are only placed before us as stepping-stones to grander results. We believe in defeats, my brethren; we believe in going back with the banner trailed in the mire, persuaded that this may be the surest way to lasting triumph. We believe in waiting, weeping, and agonizing; we believe in a non-success which prepares us for doing greater and higher work, for which we should not have been fitted unless anguish had sharpened our soul. We believe in our infirmities, and even glory in them; we thank God that we are not so eloquent as we could wish to be, and have not all the abilities we might desire, because now we know that 'the excellency of the power' shall 'be of God, and not of us.' Faith enables us so to rejoice in the Lord that our infirmities become platforms for the display of His grace."

Six Worthy Pastoral Goals...

This seems like a pretty full picture of what pastoring ought to be all about. This list of six pastoral goals comes from a book by Derek Prime and Alistair Begg entitled, "Being a Pastor" [HT: Biblical Preaching].

1. Feed the flock - John 21:15-17

2. Proclaim the whole will of God - Acts 20:27

3. Present everyone perfect in Christ - Colossians 1:28-29

4. Prepare God’s people for works of service - Ephesians 4:12

5. Equip God’s people to be fisher’s of men - 2 Timothy 4:5

6. Keep watch over oneself until the task is complete - 1 Timothy 4:16