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.