Category: Ministry

Bearding the Lion in His Own Den

by Mike Avery, posted in All Articles, Ministry

–October of 2005

Bearding the Lion in His Own Den

Since 9/11, President Bush has developed a doctrine on terrorism that seeks to find, confront and destroy the terrorist in the very land that breeds him and in the very cave that hides him.  The Apostle Paul had a similar doctrine for evangelism. He believed in taking the battle to the strongholds of sin.  Like a shrewd general, Paul targeted Ephesus, Thessalonica and Corinth — large population centers, wealthy in commerce and flourishing with pagan gods — with the gospel.  He confronted pagan scholars, cutthroat business leaders, and demon-possessed sorcerers with unflinching confidence that the power of grace would win the day.  He was determined to press the claims of the gospel all the way to Rome.  The gospel must be sounded in the ears of Caesar!

This common approach shared by President Bush and the Apostle Paul comes from the belief that you have to beard the lion in his own den.  Early Wesleyans shared this belief.  John Wesley saw the English people languishing under the tyranny of sin, and took the gospel to the coalmines and open fields.  The Salvation Army marched into the jaws of Hell itself to save the most degenerate and neglected among society.  American circuit riders followed the settlers by boat and on horseback to confront sin and convert the sinner.  The Methodist come-outers of the late 19th century left a staid mother and started hundreds of storefront missions, all for the purpose of getting the gospel to those who needed it most.  Even the first Bible colleges, with but few exceptions, were located in the heart of our greatest cities so that their students could confront the lost masses with the gospel message.  To put it plainly, the Church has always taken the offensive to reach lost souls wherever they are found.

It seems that the contemporary church has lost this philosophy.   America’s population is increasingly more urban, but the Church is becoming more and more suburban or rural.   The great urban centers of America are ripe for the gospel, but the Church is leaving them untouched. Why? Have we lost confidence in the power of the gospel?  Have classism, status-consciousness and racism paralyzed the Church?  Have we silenced our consciences by telling ourselves that we give heavily to foreign missions? Are we so out of touch that we can’t see the rise of a new frontier in missions?

Not everyone has missed the great open door.   Robert Lufton and F.C.S. in Atlanta, Jim Cymbala and Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York, and Eric Himelick in Indianapolis are men and organizations that are bucking the trend and advancing the gospel in the hearts of major cities.  A group of young people right here in Cincinnati are going into the inner city, working the streets, befriending other young people, taking them to Sunday school, church, youth camps, and camp meetings.  They are winning them to the Lord, discipling them in the faith, helping them get an education, and starting them down the road to a meaningful life that breaks the cycle of sin and rescues generations yet unborn.  Five of those changed lives are enrolled in our school right now.  The beginnings look small, but the long-term impact will be huge.

The church holds the answer to the problems within our large urban areas.  It was the gospel that saved England from Revolution, and it will be the gospel that saves America’s large cities from implosion.  But somebody is going to have to rise to the forefront with a confidence in the gospel and a boldness that dares to beard the lion in his own den.

Finding God in a Barber Shop

by Mike Avery, posted in All Articles, Christian Living, Ministry

–September of 2005

Finding God in a Barber Shop

We have a knack of looking for God in the wrong places.  The Wise Men searched for the Christ child in the plush palaces of the capitol city of Jerusalem, only to find him in a humble home in lowly Bethlehem.  The mighty Roman legions looked for God in the glory of Rome and its Caesar, but one soldier found him hanging on a cruel cross and acknowledged that “truly this was the Son of God.”  Pilgrims have traversed the globe seeking Him everywhere from the Vatican City to Mecca.  Even holiness people ramble about the country looking for Him in the wind, fire, and earthquakes of camp meetings and conventions, while more often than not, they find Him in the still small voice of a silent moment or the sermon of an unpretentious, unknown pastor back home.

I forget this lesson occasionally, and God has to remind me that if I don’t pay close attention, I too will miss a sacred opportunity to see Him.  He used my good friend, Oscar, to teach me this lesson again.

Oscar Johnson has been a barber in the Cincinnati area for over forty years.  He is a quiet, gentle, and unassuming man who is liked by everyone.  He has enjoyed perfect health, not missing a day of work for sickness in 43 years.  However, this May a few sharp pains in his back led to a diagnosis of stage-four cancer.  It was so advanced that immediate surgery had to be performed to stabilize the lower vertebrae so his back would not collapse.  It was all so sudden that it left everyone breathless and bewildered —everyone but Oscar.  After six hours of extremely dangerous surgery, he told his family, “This has been a wonderful day.  My family and all those I love have been here together today.”

My wife and I visited him the day after surgery.  I was praying on the way to the hospital that I would say the right things to encourage him.  But when I walked into the room there was no depressed mood or sad face.  Oscar was beaming – literally smiling from ear to ear!  He said, “Oh, Brother Avery, the insurance policy I took out with God forty years ago works!  Every promise is true.  He is working out every detail.  I’m in a win-win situation.”

The outpouring of concern was overwhelming.  His customers span the religious scale from Catholics to Buddhists and Muslims to Protestants.  They wrote over two hundred cards and made at least a thousand phone calls.  Why?  Because Oscar left a clear witness to Christ to everyone who sat in his chair.  A Muslim medical doctor was so impacted by Oscar’s life that he asked Oscar the secret to his happiness.  This was a chance for Oscar to gently point him to Jesus.  The doctor brought his father from Iran to meet Oscar so he could see “the happiest man in the world.”

I could tell you of college students, professors, lawyers, business leaders, and even a Hell’s Angel-type rebel, all who were drawn to Oscar’s bedside to stand for a few moments in the presence of a man who showed them Christ by the very life he lived.

My family visited Oscar last Saturday.  With tear-filled eyes we listened to his closing words, “Brother Avery, whatever way it goes I’m still a winner.  God has wonderful things in store for me!”

So many people in the world long to see Jesus, and God is always faithful to reveal Himself.  I caught a glimpse of Him last Saturday in a hospital bed.  And I can tell you about a lot of men who saw Him and found Him in a barber shop, cutting hair.

Great Preachers

by Mike Avery, posted in All Articles, Church, Ministry

–March of 2005

Great Preachers

I was comfortably settled in at my writing desk preparing to polish off the rough draft of an article I had written for this issue of the Revivalist, when all of a sudden my pen refused to write another word about the subject at hand.  Instead, it wanted to write about some of the great preachers I have known.  The shift in focus could be attributed to the fact that I had just returned home from the funeral of one of the greatest orators in the holiness movement, and I was still thinking about his life and preaching ministry.   Nevertheless, the subject has been on my mind for months, so I gave in and let my pen have its way.

As a preacher, a student of preaching, and someone responsible for the training of preachers, I have had a keen interest in what makes for great preaching and great preachers.   Though notable scholars and great preachers have written numbers of books on this subject, I feel the need to add my observations with a list of the characteristics of some of the great preachers I have known.  This is not a list about good men, good pastors or good leaders.  It is not an exhaustive list.  It is strictly a list of the characteristics I have observed in men that I consider to be great preachers.

1. They are men who have had an encounter with God that marked their lives forever.

For some it was their conversion, while for others it was the point of total surrender and heart cleansing.  For others it was their call to preach.  The issue is not so much when or how they had a life-altering encounter, but that it had indeed happened.  Like Moses, they had a burning bush encounter with God, or like Jacob they met him in struggle.  However it happened, their encounter with God marked them forever and left them with the firm conviction that for them is was “preach or perish.”

2. They are men of strong belief and firm convictions.

Armed with the conviction that they speak for God, they speak with authority and certainty out of a well-developed belief system, which is based solidly on the principles and convictions of the Word of God.  They don’t care whether they speak the company line or not.  They care nothing about being politically correct.  They don’t look the crowd over to see what message fits best.  They speak for God!  We are plagued today with mild-mannered men who have developed the art of almost saying something.  They never draw a line in the sand or speak of absolute truth.  You never know where they stand on anything!  Not so with the greats.  They are men who give no uncertain sound.

3. They are men with big souls.

H.E. Schmul was a man that characterized this as well as any.  He could embrace others that didn’t agree with him on every jot and tittle.  He knew what he believed, was secure in what he believed, and wasn’t afraid to embrace his brother who was a little to the left or right of him. Though he didn’t personally identify with the more mainstream groups, he didn’t just cut them off or de-Christianize them.  J. Wesley Adcock, R.G. Flexon, L.D. Wilcox, R. G. Humble, V.O. Agan, and Robb French were all men of this caliber.  Robb French imposed upon himself some very rigid convictions, but never made others feel spirituality inferior for not doing the same.

4.  They are men with a great capacity and love for all of life.

They are men who walk the narrow way without being narrow minded.  They are not so focused on the world to come that they miss the beauty of the world that is around them.  L.D. Wilcox loved the symphony and attended it often.  He also had a great love for growing flowers, especially roses.  Dr. Dale Yocum was a great lover of science.  He was at home gazing at the constellations or talking with the animals.  H.E. Schmul loved traveling and was extremely knowledgeable of Civil War History.  Millard Downing never lost his love for farming and farm animals.  Larry Smith is quite knowledgeable of antiques and architecture.

5.  They have inquisitive minds that have been developed by constant learning.

They are well read in the Bible, theology, and history.  They have read some of the great literature and the classics.   They stay abreast of current Christian thought.   Their reading has prepared them to speak forcefully to the issues of contemporary life and the current trends in theological thought.  Richard Taylor, Dennis Kinlaw, Larry Smith, and Bobby French are examples of this.

6.  They know how to tell a good story.

They understand the value of a good illustration and know how to tell it with great effect.   Millard Downing, Standley Kendall, Paul Lucas, and R.G. Flexon perfected this art.  Richard Taylor uses illustrations with the most precision of any I have heard.  His stories always enlighten and make the point well.  Great preachers know that the difference between the right word and almost the right word is the difference between a lightning bug and lightning.

7.  They preach the Bible—all of it.  They are not “one stringed” preachers.

Some preachers are always on a “crusade” for their personal agenda.  Great preachers understand that they are Ambassadors for Heaven and that they must speak the whole counsel of God.  Great preachers don’t just ride a hobbyhorse or seek to be known for a single emphasis.  H.E. Schmul said to me once, “Avery, I am not just a ‘holiness preacher.’”  He went on to explain that there was more to preach than the doctrine of entire-sanctification (though he firmly embraced it, preached it effectively, and saw it as central in redemption).  He admonished me to preach all of the great themes of the Bible.

8.  They maintain their individuality and preach out of their own personal gifts and strengths.

Almost every time Larry Smith preaches in chapel he says apologetically, “I’m not an expositor, or a firstly, secondly, and thirdly preacher.  I’m just an exhorter.”   Yet, when Larry lets God use him, just as he is, I know of none that can equal his eloquence and depth.    J.W. Adcock had a photographic memory and could quote his sermons verbatim with great effect, while R. G. Humble, V.O. Agan, and R.G. Flexon read every word of theirs with the same great effect.   Millard Downing had no equal in illustrative story telling.  His ability to use words to graphically describe biblical truth made his ministry both captivating and powerful.   L.D. Wilcox was not a captivating speaker, yet his ability to take a profound theological truth and make it understandable to even children was his strength, and he worked effectively from that vantage point.  Great preachers are comfortable with their style and use it for God’s glory.  If you ever heard O.W. Willis, you could never forget the cadence of his speaking.  Men like Bud Robinson and August Leulf turned speech impediments into a means of captivating an audience.   R.E. Carroll would occasionally punctuate his preaching with a piercing shout.  As unconventional as it may have been, it added something to his ministry.  Wingrove Taylor stands a still as a statue, speaks in a conversational tone, and alliterates every line.  All of these men are very different, yet all very effective.  God needs individual personalities to pour his truth through!

9.  Their ministry is marked by the optimism of grace.

Great preachers are like the tide; they lift people.  The story is told that when the great Scottish preacher, George Matheson, begin to preach in Edinburgh, an old lady who lived a dark, dirty cellar moved to an apartment in an attic that was light and airy.  When asked about her move she said, “You cannot hear George Matheson preach and live in a cellar.”  The ministry of great preachers can be summed up in words spoken about Job, “Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, and you have strengthened the feeble knees.”

My life has been blessed by the unique contributions of many great preachers.  It is my prayer that the young men of tomorrow’s pulpit will allow God to use them to make their unique contribution to His Kingdom.

Pastor – Save Thyself

by Mike Avery, posted in All Articles, Church, Ministry

–October of 2004

Pastor – Save Thyself

Almost everyone knows someone who used to be in the ministry.  Statistics show that for every twenty men who enter the ministry, only one will still be actively involved at the age of 65.  No one goes into the ministry expecting to be a casualty.  Some have to leave for health reasons.  Some wash out because of personal or moral failure (approximately 20 percent are involved in inappropriate sexual behavior).  Some burn out from long-term stress.  Some are forced out by a church.  Some walk out because of a sense of failure.  Some never leave the ministry but “check out” mentally and emotionally.

Fortunately, we all know pastors who have given a lifetime of effective service to the church. They are godly men who have grown old gracefully and still serve the church in their advanced years.  Is there a word of counsel that could expand their ranks?

Sound Advice from a Seasoned Veteran

Every minister ought to read the letters to Timothy at least once a quarter.  The aged apostle gives young Timothy sound advice for staying on course and going the distance.  I Timothy 4:16 is a verse every pastor ought to memorize.  In it Paul gives a three-fold secret to succeeding.

Pay Attention to Yourself

The minister can become so focused on the public aspect of his ministry that he forgets to keep a sharp eye on his private walk with God.  Paul’s advice is clear, “Take heed unto thyself.”  The vast majority of ministry failures (no matter what the visible reason might be) can be traced to the neglect of the pastor’s own soul.  He fails to cultivate an established pattern of private prayer, Bible study and worship.  Pastors who have developed a regular pattern of personal soul care are able to work out of a spiritual fullness.  When ministry flows out of a full heart, it is both satisfying and successful.  But, men who try to draw water out of an empty bucket will be men that are stressed out, overwhelmed, and constantly looking for a different situation.  Whenever we allow our ministry to be motivated by anything other than love for God, or empowered by anything other than His Spirit, it begins to work against us and starts the process of self-destruction.  I keep a quote by James Montgomery Boice on my desk that says, “Christian service isn’t measured by the results we see from it, or even by the example we communicate by it, but what we become through it.”

Never Stop Learning

Paul knew the joys of seeing his message accepted and the sorrow of seeing it rejected.  But, through it all, he continued to preach the word of God in season and out of season.  Regardless of what facet of ministry we are in, we are obligated to clearly, accurately, and persistently communicate Biblical truth. For this to happen, the minister must be constantly learning.  He must continue to expand his knowledge of the Bible and all related subjects that enable him to remain fresh and effective.  One of the dangers of ministry is that it can keep you from learning.  Expanding buildings and activities is much easier than expanding your soul and growing your mind.  But to fail here is to fail altogether.  Shallow ministers and shallow ministries are the seedbed for emotionalism, liberalism, legalism, and all sorts of heresy.

Just Keep Doing It

Those who have been in ministry for some time understand the temptation to throw in the towel, especially when the problems are large, the crowd is small, and the benefits of leaving seem to outweigh those of staying.  But, there is something to be said for just hanging in there and being faithful to preach the Word.

The words of the old apostle seem to lack the smoothness and charm that twenty-first century ears prefer, but if you will simply follow them you will “save yourself, and them that hear thee.”

Evaluating My Relationship Portfolio

by Mike Avery, posted in All Articles, Christian Living, Education, Ministry

–April of 2003

Evaluating My Relationship Portfolio

People who work closely with the stock market have been carefully evaluating their investments over the last few years.  They want a balanced portfolio that will yield both short-term and long-terms gains.    I have been evaluating my investments as well.  Not those in the stock market, but those I make in peoples lives. I want to make sure I’m investing in those relationships that matter most.  (For those who are following, this is my third New Year’s Resolution.)

Life makes tremendous demands on our time and energy.  If we aren’t extremely careful, we will invest a significant amount of time in things that mean the least to us and have the smallest impact for long-term good.  At age 46, I’m realizing how quickly time is slipping away and how few years I have left to invest the talents God has given me. That forces me to be more discriminating in how I invest my time and in whom I invest it.

First of all I want to invest my time and energy in those people who want the investment I can make in them.  People who are passionate about improvement, have a teachable spirit, and have allowed me to develop the kind of relationship with them that makes it possible for me to be a blessing.  To those that are older, I want to be a source of consolation in loneliness, strength in weakness and encouragement in the dark moments of life.   To those that are younger, I want to be what Paul was to Timothy and Barnabas was to John Mark.  To those that are my peers, I want to be a “friend that sticketh closer than a brother”.

I also want to invest in my larger family.  I want to be a good son, son-in-law, brother and uncle. I want to make a serious contribution to the well being of each member of my family.  It’s so easy to take them for granted or just make them a part of holidays and funerals.  I want to give a listening ear, a word of encouragement, a warm embrace and any other means of support available to me to give.  This will take time, but it is time I want to give!

A large part of the stewardship of my time will be given to my sons.  I’m their father, and I refuse to neglect that role.  They will have my time, my heart, my prayers, my counsel, my support, and my ear.  I will proof term papers, talk sports, or sit on the edge of the bed and talk half the night if it builds bridges and makes them better.  I’ll teach, preach and nag (if necessary) until certain values and traits are theirs.  I’ll see to it that they educate their minds, discipline their bodies, value hard work, love their country, respect their elders, act with manners, and treat their mother like a queen (or face the consequences).  This will require and has required a huge amount of time, but I’m going to give it to them.  They’re mine, they deserve my best, and I will not let them down.

A special portion of my time will go to my wife.   Ruth and I have shared so much life in the past 24 years of marriage.  We’ve experienced an abundance of love and happiness.  Together we’ve poured an unbelievable amount of time into the lives of our children and plan to continue doing so until God calls us home.   Together we have pastored, promoted, and presided over various aspects of God’s work.  We have shared sorrow, stress, and misunderstandings.  We haven’t always agreed, but we’ve always been committed to loving and going on.  Ruth has allowed me to invest a huge amount of time in others without complaint.  Yet, I want to invest more of myself in her– more quality time.  I want to invest in our marriage, so we are planning to attend a marriage seminar.  I want her life to be filled with more bright spots, so I’m going to invest in more special moments.  I want a greater degree of “soul connection,” so I’m going to invest in more time to listen and pray with her. Our relationship matters and I want my commitment to it to reflect its importance.

Sooner than I realize, I will answer to God for my stewardship.  When I report on my investment in people, I want to hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”