Mistakes We Make in Training Young Preachers

     There are many wonderful Bible colleges.  I fully recognize that many of the things I am going to say will not apply to some of them.  For this, I am glad.  As I have dealt with young preachers, I have been concerned.  There is a hesitancy on the part of many of them to actually get involved in the work of God.  They seem, as a whole, to desire far more training than my generation did and then, to endeavor to do less once they have receive the extra training.  I hope the following thoughts will be helpful to all of us who invest our lives in helping others prepare to serve God.

We train their head and not their heart.  There are young preachers who can explain the difference between sub, supra- and infra-lapsarianism, but have no burden for souls.  There are those who can tell you in detail why they believe in the pre-millennial return of Christ but seem to have no interest in the wayward teenagers in their own neighborhood.  There are those who can tell you with great authority exactly how God expects a marriage to be conducted but find it burdensome to invest in helping a troubled young couple actually improve their marriage.  There must be a heart for God and His people before anything will be accomplished in His work.

We teach them procedures without principles.  There are some places, who in an effort to be practical, have given list after list of “how to do it” while failing to teach the principles behind the procedures.  The procedures can be helpful, but the principles are vital.  I am reminded of the young bride who insisted, for the first 10 years of her marriage, that the ends of a roast had to be cut off before it could be properly cooked.  Her husband often questioned her about this, but she insisted that this was the right way to do it because it was the way her mother had always done it.  One day, she became curious herself as to the reason and asked, “Mom, why do we cut the ends of the roast off?”  Her mother said, “Well, the only reason I did it was because my pan was too small.”

We teach them to analyze instead of to appreciate.  Young preachers become critics.  They know what’s wrong with everybody’s sermon, everybody’s philosophy, and everybody’s church.  Some of this may occur naturally, but I am convinced a significant portion of it is due to the fact that they are taught by critical teachers (many of whom could never do half as much in the local church as the people whom they criticize.)

I preached a while back, at a particular Christian college and later learned that the students studying for the ministry were given the responsibility of critiquing every chapel speaker.  They were to analyze his introduction to his message, his exposition of Scripture, and his use of illustrations.  Some eleven or twelve items were on the list.  I could not believe it.  I honestly think that had I known this was the case, I would have either refused to preach or told the young people to put their lists away and pay attention to the sermon.  Chapel is not – or at least should not be – for analysis.  Chapel is not a time to critique.  Chapel is a time to let the Word of God speak to your heart.  Whoever the idiot is who thought it was helpful for young preachers to sit around and criticize men of God who came in to speak to them needs to have both his head and his heart examined.

We teach them to obey rules without teaching them to reason.  Some of us have done a good job of teaching our young people how to dress and how to behave and what music to listen to.  Unfortunately, we have never taught them why we dress a certain way, and why we listen to a certain kind of music.  All of our standards should be based on principles from the Word of God.  Young people must know the Bible.  If they know the Bible, they can apply it to any life situation.  If they only know the rules, they will one day find themselves unable to answer the questions of others as to why their rules exist and may in their own hearts, turn away from good standards because they do not know the reasons behind them.

We teach them academics without teaching them application.  How many young preachers have a good understanding of Bible doctrine but do not know how to pray?  How many of them can tell you all about the life of Christ but do not know how to win a life to Christ?  How many have a wonderful theory of discipleship but have never discipled anyone? 

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus tells the story of two men who built their houses.  The one whose house was built on the sand experienced disaster.  The other, who built his house on the rock, withstood the storms of life.  Please note that the difference between the two houses was not in their knowledge.  The house on the sand was an example of the man who “heareth these sayings of mine [Christ’s] and doeth them not.”  The house on the rock was an example of the man who “heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them.”  The difference was not in the knowledge.  It was in the application of knowledge.  Unapplied knowledge is useless.

Liberals and Pharisees

   Several years ago, I preached at a church about 45 minutes away from where I pastor.  The folks there learned that I was to preach at another church in the area.  “Well,” they said, “that’s not a bad church. But they don’t have very good standards.” 

“Really?” I responded.

“Yes,” they went on to explain, “they have mixed swimming activities for their youth group.”

“Oh,” I said, “you’re probably right.  I think they do.”

When I went to the second church to preach, they made mention of my having been at the first. “Well,” they said, “that’s a pretty good church, but they don’t have very good standards.” 

“Really?” I responded.

“Yes,” they went on to explain, “they allow music that we would not have in our church.”

“Oh,” I said, “you’re probably right.”

   It was intriguing to me that each church deemed themselves to be better than the other because of a particular area where their standard of behavior was higher.  For the one church having mixed swimming activities was a far more egregious offense but to the other, having music that was not as conservative as theirs was far more significant. 

    The most interesting thing, though, about the story to me, is not the attitude of the two churches toward each other. You see, I don’t find fault with two of the entities in this illustration. I find fault with three. Because after hearing the response from both churches, I felt that I was the one who was really right because our church neither allowed mixed swimming activities nor used the kind of music in question!  Have you noticed that people who have higher standards of behavior than we do are usually, in our mind, Pharisees?  We deem them to be silly, excessive, “hyper.”  We make call them “ultra-cons.”  On the other hand, people whose standards of behavior do not reach up to ours are compromising, liberal.  They certainly can’t be right with God and “do the things they do.”  Here are a few thoughts about standards of behavior.

•    They are essential. No principle can be widely applied without specific guidelines.  The reason we have traffic laws is so that we may drive safely.  Underlying all of our laws is the concept of safety.  Why then, don’t we just post large, flashing signs on all of our roadways that tell us to “Be Safe!”?  Well, one person might think it’s safe to drive 100 mph down I-75 and another might think that 50 mph is the safe speed.  Some people will very politely pause at each intersection to give others a chance to go while others will barrel through, assuming that everyone will stop for them.  Any honest person must admit that specific guidelines - stop signs, yield signs, speed limit signs and the like - are necessary for us to fulfill our goal of driving safely.

•    They are universal. Those who criticize others for their “stinking standards” have standards of their own, albeit ones which are in their mind, not nearly so malodorous.  McDonald’s Restaurants have standards. Have you seen the signs that say, “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service”?  Now, it happens that I can pay for and eat my hamburgers equally well without my shirt and shoes on.  There is no commercial reason that I must war a shirt or a pair of shoes when going to their establishment. . . they simply require it. They want a particular level of clothing among their customers.  While we may not all have eaten at such restaurants, we know that restaurants exist which do not allow gentlemen to dine there without having a necktie on.  Though I do not golf, I was once taken on a golf outing at a very expensive golf course in Palm Desert, California. I wore blue jeans.  To my surprise and dismay, I discovered that denim was not allowed on the course!  I had to purchase appropriate attire from the pro shop at an exorbitant price.  Why, those Pharisees!  How dare they tell me how I must dress!

•    They do not demonstrate spirituality. If an ungodly man with shoulder-length hair gets a haircut, he is immediately transformed into . . . an ungodly man with short hair.  A harlot who puts on a modest dress becomes a harlot in modest attire.  Our young men who join the military are not rendered more godly when their heads are buzzed.  It is true that spiritual people, in order to please the Lord, will endeavor to maintain godly standards of behavior, but maintaining the godly standard of behavior is not what makes them spiritual. Their spirituality is determined by their walk with and love for the Lord Jesus Christ. 

•    Our attitude toward them is indicative of our heart.  While our church would be very much on the conservative side when it comes to standards of behavior, I preach often at churches which may, in one or more areas, not have the same practices as we do.  I believe what we do is right; I believe it honors the Lord; I believe I could give Biblical reasons for our behavior. I do not believe that those, who in one area or another, fall short of our standards of behavior, are somehow unspiritual. Sometimes they are uninformed. Sometimes they are new in the faith. Sometimes, for reasons beyond my comprehension. God has dealt with me concerning matters about which He has not dealt with them.

•    They are not the end, but the means to an end.  Behind every policy there should be a principle.  Behind every principle there is a Person we should be trying to please - the Lord Jesus Christ . . . for what it’s worth.

The Old Guys and the Young Guys

   There seems to be in every generation some tension between young men and old men.  The old guys tend to see the young guys as compromisers.  The young guys see the old guys as hide-bound traditionalists incapable of change even when it is necessary.  The old guys are sometimes jealous of the young guys, particularly if they are having good success. The young guys are disdainful of the old guys because they are out of touch, unaware of current culture, and unable to minister to the younger generation. The old guys tend to see the young guys as disrespectful, and the young guys tend to see the old guys as controlling. Young guys can sometimes be a bit rebellious, and old guys can sometimes be more than a little bit cranky. 

   Of course, the story of Rehoboam from I Kings 12 comes to mind when considering this topic. Much is made of the fact that he forsook the counsel of the old men and took the advice of young men who had grown up with him. Obviously, the advice of the old men was right.  He had an opportunity to serve his people, to demonstrate kindness to them, and to earn their affection and loyalty for the rest of his life. I find it particularly intriguing that the Scripture tells us that he “forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him . . .” (v. 8).  The Scripture does not tell us that Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men when he took a different approach than what they had suggested. It tells us he forsook their counsel when he began to listen to the counsel of the young men. Sometimes the very act of listening to our peers can be a rejection of our patriarchs.  Having received good, godly counsel from the old men, what need was there for Rehoboam to go to the young men?

   And yet, there are Bible examples of the old guys making mistakes. Paul was wrong in his judgment of John Mark. He ought to have given the young man another chance.  Barnabas, who certainly by this time had become very much the junior partner in ministry, was correct.  I believe it is God’s desire that the old men be a Paul to the young man’s Timothy. I believe God is most glorified when the Joshua honors the Moses who preceded him and keeps intact his truth. 

Here are a few thoughts for the young guys and the old guys.

• Each should respect the other.  A young man of God is still a man of God.  Those who are older need to be careful not to treat him as “a kid.”  I find it extremely helpful to refer to the young men in our church - particularly those who have grown up in our ministry - as “brother” rather than simply calling them by their first name.  This is a term of affection, a term of connection, and a term of respect. I do not usually call the students in our Christian school or the teenagers in our church “brother,” and when I take a recent graduate and refer to him in this way, it demonstrates that I view him as man. 
• Young men can learn from old men, and old men can learn from young men.  I do not believe that information is only to be transmitted from the old to the young. After all, in the Book of Job, it was the young man, Elihu, who was much more accurate than either Zophar, Bildad or Eliphaz.   It would be helpful in a relationship that most older preachers have with younger preachers if they would listen to their ideas, adopt some of their programs, and try to understand the principles by which they operate. There are many cases in which I have learned from a younger man. 
• The older and the younger generation should not allow minor differences to divide them.  I wear a suit and tie to preach Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night.  I do not now, nor have I ever had (except for a brief time on vacation at the urging of my wife and daughters) facial hair.  However, if a young man in a hot climate determines that it is better for him to not wear a tie at his midweek service, I’m not ready to write him off as a New Evangelical.  Nor do I want him to feel that I don’t respect him or appreciate him.  He’s doing something I would not do and might not be able to do with a clear conscience. He is not sinning.  He is not violating a Bible command. I think I should be allowed to grow facial hair - after all, I have none on my head!  Maybe I will someday, but I doubt it.  But please remember that D. L. Moody, Charles Spurgeon, and virtually all the prophets had facial hair, as did our Savior.  On the other hand, a young man should not be offended or critical if an older man asks that he wear not only a tie but a white shirt when he comes to preach for him.  I often wear different colors of shirts than white when I preach.  But if I preach for a man for whom I know this is an issue, I always wear a white shirt. I respect his desire to stay on the right side of things and will not allow a minor difference to divide me from him. 
• Each generation should recognize and promote the blessings and successes of the other. One of the great delights in my life is to preach at churches pastored by young men.  I have the opportunity often to preach for people like Bros. Steven Chappell, Adam Zamora, Chris Chadwick, Ryan Beilfuss, Michael Jones, and a host of others 15-30+ years my junior.  It is a thrill.  I regularly tell others of their success. I frequently write about a young man in the Preacher’s Page in order to give him exposure and let others rejoice in what God is doing.  At our Summer Preaching Conference, I often include a younger preacher whom I believe will be a blessing to our people but might not have attained the notoriety of some of our other speakers. Likewise, it is wise for a young preacher to have some older preachers speak to honor their faithfulness: to recognize that their many years of walking with God have given them some deep and helpful insights into trends and truth. 
•  Old men who are concerned about the direction of younger men should reach out to them rather than condemning them.  Why are we so quick to believe that someone has compromised?  Why do we accept a negative report without making a phone call?  Why is it when we do make a phone call it’s only to “check up” on a young man and never to love or be an encouragement to him?  When I feel sensitive that a young man may be drifting some, and I have a relationship with him, I often try to encourage, help, befriend, and spend some time with him. Sometimes, I discover that there was no reason for concern.  How often do we make a mess because we fail to heed the Bible admonition:  “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” (Proverbs 18:13) or “Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.” (I Timothy 5:19). 
• Both old men and young men need to be committed first to truth.  This means that the old man needs to be able to explain the Bible principle behind his decision. This means that the young man needs to be willing to pay attention to the Bible principle, even if it winds up prohibiting a great new method he wishes to use.  For what it's worth.

A Godly Heritage

    My dear friend, Dr. Paul Chappell, honored my dad, Dr. Ken Ouellette, on Wednesday night of his Spiritual Leadership Conference:  giving him the Compassion Award.  A beautiful video was played, telling of some of the ministries in which my dad had served over the years.  Of course, I often think what a wonderful father I have and how grateful I am to have been reared by him.  This event occasioned a few thoughts on my part.  I decided to try to put on paper the three most significant gifts I was given by my father.

 Spirituality

    I always knew my dad had a genuine love for the Lord.  He read his Bible.  He memorized Scripture.  He would pray at the drop of a hat.  It has always been real to him. God had saved my dad as a 21-year-old college student the first time he ever heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He began to walk down God’s path for his life and never turned - or even looked - back.

    My dad also has a genuine love for people. He believes that we serve God by serving people.  While he may have, on occasion, been irritated or upset by someone, by and large, he tried to befriend, encourage and uplift the people who came across his path.  I have no doubt this is why so many people love my dad - because he genuinely cares for and about them.

    Dad has always had a genuine love for the work of the Lord.  Whether it was pastoring a church in Perry, Michigan, superintending the Detroit City Rescue Mission or traveling the country as an evangelist, he was always excited about seeing people saved, seeing Christians draw close to the Lord Jesus, seeing preachers encouraged and seeing God’s work go forward.  I grew up thinking the most wonderful thing in the world was to do the work of God.

 Security

    My dad taught me that I could depend on him.  I believe this made it easier for me to depend on God. While I am sure there were occasions where work or other complications kept my dad from keeping a promise, I can’t remember them.  In my mind, if Dad said he would be there, he was there. If he said he would do something, he did it.  If he said I was going to be permitted to do something, I was permitted to do it.  I always believed that my dad could take care of any situation.  If a drunk got rowdy at the Rescue Mission, dad knew how to roll his coat down behind his back and twist it so that the man’s arms were pinned to his side and he was rendered harmless. 

 One day, a boy down the road from our home on Fair Street in Royal Oak, Michigan, took a small hammer used to play a toy xylophone and hit my sister with it, causing her to cry.  Since I was the big brother, I walked down to the boy’s house, took the same hammer, and hit him until he cried (this was probably while I was still under the law and not under grace.)  Later that evening, the young man’s father came and knocked on our door. I answered the door and said to him, “May I help you?” (I knew why he was there but I was playing dumb - not a difficult task for me. )

   “I want to see your dad,” he said.  My dad came to the door. Mr. Norton proceeded to tell my father what a  juvenile delinquent I was and how terrible it was for me to beat up on his son.  He further said that if I ever hit his son again, he would come down and beat up my dad!  Now, you must understand that at this time, my father was finishing up his days as  superintendent of the Detroit City Rescue Mission and was just entering full-time evangelism.  He was well-known across our state and in many places across the nation.  He had a testimony to uphold and a reputation to maintain. 

   And so, he looked at Mr. Norton and said, “You and what army!?”  Then he jumped off our small front porch and into the yard (he later told me that this was so Mr. Norton could have room to maneuver if he wanted to try anything.).  He proceeded to tell Mr. Norton that his son needed to stay away from our house, stay away from his daughter and that he did not even want to see him walking down the sidewalk in front of our street.  I’m not sure what it was about the gracious words that proceeded from my father’s mouth, but I do know that Mr. Norton soon turned around and went home 

   Not only could I depend on my dad, I was accepted by him.  While my dad did not excuse bad behavior, he punished disobedience; he accepted me as I was.  If I was good at something, that was great.  If I wasn’t good at it, that was okay, too. He never made me feel that I needed to fulfill his unfulfilled dreams for him to love me.  He never made me feel that I had to have certain recognition or earn a certain place. He simply loved me as I was, for who I was.  I believe one of the greatest gifts my father gave me is security. He was secure in his God and who his God had made him. He gave me the same sense.

 Satisfaction

   My dad has always been content with his lot in life.  He has always been grateful for the opportunities he has to serve God and whatever provisions God gives him.  I’ll never forget the night that my mom and dad were rear-ended by a young man who left them upside down un a ditch. When I got to the hospital, they were still lying on the wooden boards on which they had been carried from the ambulance.  My mom and dad were separated only by a curtain and could hear each other speak.  My dad’s first words were, “Well, I just keep trying to say, ‘Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings and made us to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus . . .’”  Then after a moment, he said to my mother, “You know, hon, it could have been worse.”  My mother said, “Worse!  We could have been dead!”  My dad without any hesitation, said, “Well, dead I could live with.”  Now, you need to understand, this was no minor accident.  It was later determined that my father’s neck was broken at the time he spoke those words.  Yet, he was looking on the bright side of a very bad situation.

   In the very early 70’s, while I was still a student in college, my dad preached a meeting at the Gratiot Avenue Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan. He was given a $1000 love offering.  Remember, the minimum wage at this time was about $1.60 an hour.  I was very impressed with the size of the offering given to my father. “Wow, Dad,” I said, “You keep this up and pretty soon you’ll be in the big time.”  Dad smiled, looked at me and then said, “Son, I’ve been in the big-time for twenty years.”  You see, to my dad, being in the big-time was not having a big offering, preaching at a big church, having a big name or a big position; it was serving a big God. 

Thank the Lord for a godly heritage.