| Description: We live in a day when the responsibilities given by the risen Christ to
His shepherds are being woefully neglected, and as a result the precious
flock of God suffers. Men who fill the office of pastor neglect their
call due to their pursuit of influence or personal notoriety, their
laziness, or in some cases their ignorance as a result of training in an
academic rather than a truly pastoral context. Mark has done a service
to the Church by pointing us back to the biblical description of
ministry that takes place both "publicly and house to house" (Acts
20:20). He has also reminded us that men from the ranks of the
Reformers and the Puritans practiced a more even balance between public
preaching and personal counseling than our modern "church-CEO" pastors.
I pray that the Lord Jesus would raise up many men who would deliver
their own lives for the sake of His people. May many read this work,
count the cost, and either take up their responsibilities by the grace
of God or get out of the ministry.
Stephen Gambill, Pastor Reformed Baptist Church of Nashville 134
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