Well, sleep or a sermon by C.J.? Tough choice, huh? You can see from this that the C.J. talk won that battle in the Warnock house. Listening to both Driscoll and Mahaney "live" on the same day has to be every preacher's dream!

C.J. read from the opening of 1 Corinthians 1:

“Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

God is faithful. Paul is a compelling example of cross-centered pastoral ministry. This can make all the difference in your ministry. The Corinthian church no longer had a focus on the cross, and was tolerating division, sexual sin, and lawsuits. Their meetings “did more harm than good.” In spite of this, Paul always gave thanks to God for them! Paul's affection for this church is extraordinary. Why is this? It is because of the call of God on him. This call begins with the call of the gospel on our own souls. We ourselves have experienced the miracle of regeneration.

Mahaney says he reads Spurgeon on this passage the Saturday night before he preaches. This is to edify himself and humble himself as he thinks, “That's how preaching should be done, and what I do will not be as good as that!” He quotes Spurgeon, who emphasized the mystery of why God calls us to salvation and to ministry. Our calling should evoke our greatest gratitude. Where would we be without his call?

If I ask “Why me?” then the only thing I see in me is sin. It has to be God's initiative. I was running after sin. God acted upon me, before I had faith in God. God interrupted me in my sin and initiated his salvation. Yes, repentance and faith do come as a result in our lives.

"Why me?" I do not know!

Be intensely grateful, and earnestly love God in reply to what he did to you— determined in eternity past. Wonderful, overwhelming mercy. An unexplainable, incomprehensible expression of God's mercy.

Pastors need to be able to have a good view of the call of God in order to be able to love and be patient with their people. The influence of sin that continues in Christians gives pastors job security! Remember that progressive sanctification is a process and not an event. Sometimes it is even difficult to perceive. Leaders have the privilege to care for, to preach to, and to counsel those who are in the process of being conformed to the image of Jesus. Don't be exasperated by your people if they seem not to be developing as quickly as they should in their fight against besetting sin. If you believe in your call, you will have faith for them and affection for them. Don't correct those for whom you do not have faith and for whom you do not have affection. They must not perceive frustration. Review 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 and remind yourself that this person is the object of divine activity. God will complete his work! They have previously been acted upon by God.

We need to transfer truth to them in a way that gives hope to the person being corrected. The letter of 1 Corinthians is all about correction. But what sets Paul apart is his exemplary attitude to this Corinthian church. Paul begins by giving thanks for them, and by celebrating their giftedness—he even thanks God for the things which by their abuses are causing problems. He identifies God's grace. Paul even says in chapter 9 that they are the seal of his apostleship!

If you have a divine perspective, you will see where God's grace is at work. How can we train our eyes to see the means of grace?

1. Spend time re-familiarizing yourself with the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit. Then, when you look at your people, you will see God at work.
   
   
2. Make a habit of praying and giving thanks to God for evidences of grace at work in others.
   
   
3. Begin any critique (e.g. of a sermon, or whatever) by celebrating how God was at work BEFORE any helpful improvements.
   
   
4. After every conversation, leave behind someone who has been encouraged and edified—recognize that God is at work in their lives. Build a grateful church.