Monergism is offering a 15 sermon MP3 CD on the Doctrines of Grace. From Dr. Arturo G. Azurdia III who happens to be my favorite preacher. Here are the sermons:
The Doctrines of Grace
Christians often speak about being saved by grace. But what does this mean? Does God save us apart from our willing cooperation? Does God’s grace invalidate the demand for our obedience? Why do some people embrace the Gospel while others adamantly refuse it? Is our experience of salvation, from God’s perspective, a predetermined purpose or heartfelt hope?
Track List
1) Total Depravity
2) Unconditional Election
3) Limited Atonement
4) Irresistible Grace
5) Perseverance of the Saints
6) Q&A on the Doctrines of Grace Part 1
7) Q&A on the Doctrines of Grace Part 2
Q&A on the Doctrines of Grace Part 3
Plus:
9) The Discriminating Love of Jesus Christ – John 13:1
10) Did Jesus Pray for You? – John 17:20
11) Monergistic Regeneration Part 1
12) Monergistic Regeneration Part 2
13) The Ultimate Hermeneutic Part 1
14) The Ultimate Hermeneutic Part 2
15) Solus Christus – Isaiah 55:1-12
About the Speaker
Arturo (Art) Azurdia III joined the faculty of Western Seminary Portland, OR, in January 2006. He directs the pastoral mentoring program and teaches selected preaching courses for both masters and doctoral students. Education: BA-California State University (‘81), MA-Simpson College (‘83), MDiv-American Baptist Seminary of the West (‘88), DMin-Westminster Theological Seminary (‘98). Pastoral Experience: 1981-1986: College and Career Pastor at Neighborhood Church; 1987-2005: Founder and Pastor of Christ Community Church. Written Works: Spirit Empowered Preaching and Partners in Preaching
Lionel,
Yes, Art Azurida is awesome in his preaching. He is one of those unknown treasures in the kingdom.
Hey Bro-
Do you believe that there is an office of paid “preacher” mentioned in the Word where a man is primarily paid as a type of public speaker?
-or-
Do you believe what Ketcherside teaches that such a position is unbiblical and actually damaging to the health of the church?
Hutch,
I am sort of in the middle. What I mean is this. I believe a man can be paid for being a traveling preacher or what I believe to be biblically an evangelist! One who encourages, who sharpens by the ministry of preaching (I believe Christians need the Gospel just as much).
I also believe a man can be paid to be an apostle. One who plants churches and may be a mixture of a missionary/apostle (I believe many of our missionaries are more apostles). I believe that person will be the primary teacher for a certain period of time. Maybe 2-3 years maybe shorter maybe a bit longer but his full intention is not to function as an elder but an apostle.
Finally I believe elders should not be paid a salary for their ministry directly (operative word is directly). This man may do a good deal of the teaching especially in new churches or churches that are weak working hand in hand with Evangelist and Apostles as Paul says in Ephesians 4. However the Elder’s job is to work himself into a limited role! As the elder/pastor/shepherd ministers effectively the people he shepherds should become more mature thus not needing him to minister the word as frequently as they become equip to bring mutual edification.
The problem is man like Piper/MacArthur/Ferguson and the like are hybrids. And yes their ministry I believe initially equips saints like me with the handling of the word but as I mature I needed them less. The problem is an ecclesiological one. That is, today churches become vaccums and start to settle and grow and instead of being rivers they become lakes or ponds. But again I believe what the Mahaney’s, MacArthurs, Fergusons, Sprouls offer in their handling of the text are proper I just think they are done within the wrong context and dominate the gathering of the saints perpetually (people sit under their ministry all of their lives but this shouldn’t happen)
Does that answer your question?
Lionel-
Sure, I see where you are coming from; my question was asked to merely help me understand your position better in light of your other posts.
I agree with you that scripture clearly indicates that a traveling church planter has the right to be voluntarily supported for a certain season. Even though he has that right, the optimum example given to him is the preeminent church planter and Apostle Paul who worked with his own hands at a vocation to support himself while traveling. That example is the best example both for the spiritual health of the church planter and the congregations that he plants for a variety of reasons.
So, we seem to be mostly in agreement here.
My question is in regards to seminarians and the paid public speakers that seminaries crank out, whose main or only function is to give 2-5 speeches each week.
Since God’s Word is devoid of any type of reference to or example of such a function or position within the church, this is an error and harmful to the spiritual health of the church.
Preaching a gospel/salvation message in scripture is done before unbelievers. Teaching is done among believers primarily by the entire congregation under the gentle watchful ministry of the elders in order to encourage and build each other up in the faith.
So, when we see unbiblical positions or organizations such as paid teaches and seminaries they exists due to the local church failing to properly make disciples or willingly abdicating their priesthood to a paid hireling.
The example is scripture is for a church planter to work with his hands at his trade as God leads him to plant a number of congregations in a geographic area. This effort can be voluntarily supported by other congregations as the voluntary givers are led by God to do so. Those church planters who cannot support themselves with their own hands and the voluntary gifts of other believers should be honest with themselves that God has not really called them to be a church planter. In the evenings this individual would teach among the fledgling congregations like Paul’s practice was after a day or hard work. The church planter’s goal is to entrust the teaching to faithful believers who are maturing in their faith with the responsibility of facilitating the teaching and exhortation within the congregation as soon as possible. He would then remove himself from the day to day affairs of that local congregation and periodically he would check in on the gathering to see how they are doing and to offer loving guidance and correction as needed. Eventually the congregation would be self sufficient (which I would define as completely dependant on Christ) with the shared teaching done within the congregation by a larger number of people as the discipleship process advances as Paul indicates at some point all should be mature enough to teach. Ultimately that local gathering will begin to send others out to plant other congregations so that the process of making disciples continues.
I firmly believe that the problem is not what these paid public speakers are teaching (although some are teaching garbage) but mainly how they are teaching and the goal of their teaching. What is being done usurps the authority of the priesthood of every believer, maintains the clergy/laity error/heresy, produces dependant personality cult followers, and perpetuates an unbiblical caste of paid public speakers who are inspired by their heroes to attend the unbiblical seminary to become a potentate of their very own flock of dependants.
No, I think it is very harmful indeed.
BTW: There are a multitude of believers with the spiritual gifts of teaching whose lifetime of daily study of the scriptures would qualify them to receive master degree or Doctorate of DIV at a very minimum.
The local gathering should be encouraging all the members of the NC Priesthood to become encouraging teachers according to their faith and gifting.