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"Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;
But happy is he who keeps the law."
(Proverbs 29:18)
One of our church members asked me what principles we could implement at our church that have caused so much favor and growth at Brooklyn Tabernacle. It was a great question, and I shared with him that prayer was foundational. BT is less a church that prays than a praying church. Prayer permeates every aspect of this local body of Christ in Brooklyn, NY. Some other principles or lessons I learned from BT that have caused them to do great things are total reliance and dependence upon God for miracles, a pastor who is a Bible preacher and a very strong leader, a unified church, and a godly and committed staff. I think every church would be blessed if they were able to implement these same principles in their church.
One of our pastors on this trip asked the prayer coordinator at BT what would happen if the church began to lose their focus and drift away from prayer. The lady answered very quickly that as long as Jim Cymbala was the pastor, that would never happen! For over 50 years, Jim and Carol have poured their hearts and souls into the Brooklyn Tabernacle. Jim is a pastor who leads with humility and integrity and preaches the Bible. Carol supports him, and her primary role is in worship. She continues to lead the choir to this day.
One of the primary points of emphasis Pastor Jim stressed to us pastors is the importance of preaching the Bible. He admonished us to preach both from the heart and the head. He said, "When we preach with our hearts, we reach people's hearts; when we preach with our head, we reach people's heads. So, we need to preach with both." He strongly warned against the danger of what he called "a numbers game". He gave an example (and even said the pastor's name!) about how the one thing that pastor wants to make sure of is that the vibe of the service makes a person want to come back next week. But Cymbala asked, what if the man died on Wednesday and never heard the Gospel? He said, "We have to exalt Christ and preach the Gospel."
Pastor Jim was very transparent with our group of pastors from Texas. He told us that, "For Christlike pastors, there is nothing but discouragements along the way. So, I just got used to it, and now I wake up each morning and say, 'Ok, what's the new problem today.'" Then, he made a statement that is probably the most memorable comment he made the entire evening. He said, "Paul didn't say, 'I danced the good dance,' he said, 'I fought the good fight.'"
Here are a few more comments that Pastor Cymbala made to our group:
- Preach less and pray more on Sunday.
- If Jesus grabbed the microphone this Sunday in your church, what would he preach on?
- We've institutionalized backslidden-ness.
- We need the continued indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
- Not one person with problems is looking up to heaven and saying, "Oh God, send me someone with a PhD."
- What's the point of your sermon? Most sermons are ruined by too many points. If you can't write it out in a sentence or two, you better rewrite it. Does anything you say have anything to do with what the people are going through? If you don't know what they are going through, then pray with them and find out.
- I have lived with a sense of failure all my life; I think I could have done more.
- God's strength is made known in our weaknesses.
- Pray toward need, and people will come.
- If you only would have asked, I would have helped you.
- Satan wants to pretend to be the Holy Spirit, and he comes like an angel of light. He wants to block you from coming to the throne of grace, because if you get there, he knows his goose is cooked.
I hope you have been encouraged and challenged by this week's devotions. Many of you pray for and financially support our DFEA ministry. Our team greatly appreciates all your support. The greatest thing you could ever do for me, my family, and our ministry is to pray. Thank you!
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