By Tom A. Faulk

I was gloriously saved at age 24, on March 19, 1978, at the Cleveland Baptist Church under the preaching of my pastor, Dr. Roy Thompson. It was Palm Sunday and appropriately, he preached on the Lord’s triumphant entrance into Jerusalem. At the close of his message, Pastor gave an invitation, pleading with people to come to Christ. “If you want to be saved, slip your hand up and I will pray for you,” he said. At that moment, without any will of my own, my hand shot straight up like a rocket. Altar workers were facing the congregation. Virgil had seen my raised right hand and walked up the aisle to the end of my pew. When I turned to him, he asked me if I wanted to be saved. Holding on to the pew in front of me with knees knocking, I said yes. He motioned for me to follow him to the front of the church where he and I would kneel on the altar. He recited Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” He asked, “Do you believe that Christ died to save you from your sin?” Yes, I said. He led me in a prayer to receive Christ as my Saviour. When I stood up at the altar, I was disorientated. Virgil and another gentleman assisted me to the front pew of the church. My wife, Laura, was saved as well. She left her place in the pew when I did. Walking out of church that day to locate my car in the parking lot, the devil, as though he was perched on my right shoulder, whispered in my ear, and said something to the effect, “nothing happened, it’s not real.” I ignored the lie and returned to attend the evening service. The following Sunday, my wife and I were baptized.   

In October, seven months after I was saved, I sensed the call of God while reading Paul’s testimony in Acts 26. When I read verse 16, “But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister” from a black recliner in my living room the Spirit of God spoke to my heart. The Spirit of God used Paul’s testimony to call me into full-time ministry. I jolted out of my recliner and hurried upstairs to kneel at the foot of my bed where I surrender my life to the Lord. I told the Lord that I will go anywhere, to do whatever He wanted me to do. I was only 7 months old in the Lord. I had asked the Lord to confirm His call through Pastor’s message the next time I attended church. On Wednesday, October 25, 1978, He answered my prayer and as promised, I walked the aisle to make my decision public. Pastor Kevin Folger met me at the altar. He shared Luke 9:62 with me that night, the verse his father shared with him when he surrendered to the call of God. “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”  

I started taking evening Bible institute classes however, after one semester I transferred my few credits to enroll at Hyles-Anderson in the Fall of 1979. I graduated in 84 earning a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in pastoral theology.  

In the Fall of 1984, I was pastoring my first church in Darke county, Ohio at age 31, just 6 ½ years after I was saved. Though I had been to college, I was a novice. I had no internship or hands-on ministry experience, which forced me unfortunately, to base everything on what I observed from a pew.  

Looking back is painful when I recall my inexperience and inabilities. However, driven by a changed life and the call of God, quitting was not an option. If it were possible to start over, knowing what took so long to learn, I would do some things differently.

Let me make this clear, My wife Laura and I have a great spiritual heritage for which we are eternally grateful. This lesson is not designed to put the blame on anyone. I failed to fully prepare for ministry. Church life, college life, mentors, and more were helpful, it was what I needed, however, nothing or no one is a substitute for Bible study, sermon and ministry preparation. 

If you are called to ministry, if you are planning to spend a lifetime laboring in the Word, or a lifetime in the pastorate, let me make a few suggestions. The outline represents what was missing in my life when I started ministry in 1984. 

I. DEVELOP BIBLE STUDY HABITS      

The Apostle Paul said to young Timothy, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2Ti 2:15) The word study implies to be diligent or to make a diligent effort to rightly divide the word of truth. “Rightly dividing” means to cut straight or to handle rightly which refers to a proper delivery and application of biblical truth. 1Ti 3:2 says regarding pastoral qualifications that a bishop, an overseer, must be “apt to teach.” 2Ti 2:24 repeats this truth, “and the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach…”  Apt to teach implies to become a skillful teacher. It is impossible to rightly divide, deliver, or defend the faith without a diligent study of the Scriptures.

1Peter 3:15, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.”

The word “answer” comes from a Greek from which we get our English word Apologetics. Apologetics is the ability to defend the faith. Is it possible to defend what you don’t know? The honorable goal of a diligent study and a purposeful pulpit ministry is not the acceptance of men but the approval of God. If we will be approved of God, we must become a diligent student of Scriptures.  

What are some of the benefits of a diligent study of the Scriptures?

1. A Study of the Scriptures will establish you in the faith. (Col 2:6-7)
2. A Study of the Scriptures will produce a working knowledge of the Scriptures.
3. A Study of the Scriptures will produce convictions supported by Scripture.
4. A Study of the Scriptures will produce, Lord willing, sound doctrinal messages.

II. DRAFT PULPIT MESSAGES FROM YOUR STUDY  

Personal Bible study or preparing sermons will benefit your pulpit ministry. Study produces a wealth of material from which to teach and preach.

Preaching styles vary however, the goal is to explain the Scriptures. 

The word expound is used in Lk 24 regarding the Emmaus Road disciples. Jesus appeared to them in verse 17 and said, “What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?” While in Jerusalem they did not see their risen Savior (18-21) “in the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week.” Neither the women according to verses 22-24, therefore they expressed their doubt in what Christ had told them before he was crucified.   

Jesus said to them in verses 25-27, “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” 

To expound is to thoroughly explain, to unfold the meaning, or to interpret. The Greek word translated expounded in Lk 24:27 is translated interpret 3 times in 1Co 14, once in 1Co 12.   

Jesus expounds on the Scriptures concerning Himself for the duration of their walk to Emmaus. Emmaus was a village threescore or “60 furlongs” or 7.5 miles from Jerusalem. It would have been about a 3-hour walk. Jesus authenticates His own claims by expounding on Himself from Scriptures beginning at Moses and all the prophets. It was a 3-hour Study on Christology. 

III. DETERMINE TO BE A WISE MASTER BUILDER (1Co 3:5-15)  

We get our English word architect from the Greek word translated masterbuilder. The Apostle Paul had laid the foundation for a church in Corinth for example, by preaching the Gospel for 18 months (Acts 18:1-11). In 1Co 3 he instructs the Corinthian church to build on the foundation of Jesus Christ with gold, silver, and precious stones or the doctrines of Jesus Christ. Wood, hay, and stubble undoubtedly represent erroneous teaching. If we will be a wise master builder, we must build upon the foundation with the right materials, or the right doctrine, or doctrines of Jesus Christ.    

This truth has challenged me to know some things, for example…

1. Know the Doctrines of Christ. 

One of the attacks on fundamentalism is biblical illiteracy, or the absence of doctrine, or a failure to rightly divide the word of truth. Sarcasm, berating, fabricating doctrine, or preaching for doctrine the commandments of men (Mt 15:1-9) is considered good preaching in some circles, however, this is far from expounding the Scriptures. In my early years, I was just as guilty and for several reasons.  

• One, I did not have a working knowledge of the Scriptures.   
• Second, I parroted other preachers.   
• Third, it was considered good preaching.   
• Fourth, I wanted to be accepted.  

1Corinthians 3 is an exhortation to build upon the foundation of Jesus Christ with gold, silver, and precious stones. I understand that gold, silver, and precious stones are commonly associated with works of eternal value as in laying up treasure in heaven (Mt 6:19-21). In addition, you and l will be rewarded at the Judgment Seat of Christ according to the quality not quantity of our works, however, some teach that gold, silver, and precious stone refer to the doctrines of Jesus Christ. This truth is illustrated on the Day of Pentecost. meaning that Peter laid the foundation in Acts 2:14-41, and we find the Apostles building on that foundation in the verses that follow, namely verse 42, “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

The Apostle Paul reminded Timothy about the importance of Bible doctrine. 

• 1Ti 4:13, Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.  
• 1Ti 4:16, Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.  
• 2Ti 3:16, All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.  
• 2Ti 4:2, Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.  
• Paul was careful to declare all the counsel of God in Ephesus. All the counsel of God is all the will or purpose of God regarding Jesus Christ. Acts 20:26-27, Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.  

2. Know the primary role of a pastor.   

The words, pastor and shepherd are interchangeable. They are translated from the same Greek word. Examine John 10 carefully and you will discover that the primary role of a shepherd is the welfare of his flock. 1Peter 5:3 clearly says that the church is God’s heritage, meaning that the church belongs to the Lord. A pastor’s role is the oversight. What a shepherd is to his flock, a pastor must be to his. The word oversight in 1Peter 5:2 means “to care for, or to overseeing the welfare of the sheep.” The Good Shepherd in Jn 10, exemplifies oversight. Oversight includes feeding, guiding, instructing, including protecting the sheep from predators and other danger (Acts 20:28-31; Psalm 23). If we will be a good shepherd, we must know our flock, the terrain, and that which threatens their well-being.   

3. Know the primary purpose of ministry.

According to Eph 4:11, 1Co 15:58, and 2Ti 4:1-5 for example, the primary purpose of the church is the work of the ministry or the work of evangelism. Evangelism is not the only activity of a church (Acts 2:41-47) but based on the Book of Acts, evangelism should be the chief end of all the activity of a church. The ministry of Jesus Christ clearly demonstrates this truth (Mt 20:28; Lk 19:10; Mt 10:1-15). Jesus exemplified, taught, authorized, and commanded His disciples to evangelism the world. Evangelism, which cannot be disputed, produced churches throughout the three regions of Palestine (Acts 9:31; 11:19-26). There is a scarcity of churches because there is a scarcity of spirit-filled Gospel preaching/evangelism. If we will significantly advance the Gospel beyond the neighborhoods of our church, we must plant more churches. The biblical approach to church planting according to the Book of Acts, is evangelism.