Posts by Nick Batzig
The man of God needs to be ready for the long, hard race set before him. We need to cast off any idea that sprinting will win the race for us. "We have," in the words of the Apostle, "need for endurance" (Heb. 10:36)--both in the Christian life and in Christian service.
One of the most important and rewarding ministries we can ever enter in on is that of ministering the truth of God's word to the children of a local church. God has entrusted the children of believers to the care of both the pastors and congregants of a local church. It is our duty and privilege to prioritize ministry to these little ones. As we give ourselves to a prayerful and joyful commitment to teach them the central truths of God's word, we find that we are the recipients of unique blessings. What greater joy than to know that our God and Father has sent us to care for and nurture the children of His church. May He give us the grace to do so with earnestness and great care--for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.
While it is the duty of all Christians to visit the sick, it is especially the responsibility of elders and deacons in Christ's church. As we seek to fulfill our Lord's call for us to care for those with mental illness or who are in physical distress, may we also see His hand of providence in bringing to our minds the valuable lessons He is seeking to teach us. There is a reciprocal benefit to pastoral visitation of the sick when we do so with an eye to God's sovereignty and the biblical truth about ourselves. When we purpose to visit those with physical infirmities in order to call on the Lord for them, to bring them the precious truths of His word and to walk beside them with compassion and empathy, the sick are comforted, we are edified and God is glorified.
At the very outset of his magnum opus, the Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin famously explained that no man can come to a true knowledge of himself if he does not first "contemplate the face of God"...While theologians have made frequent appeal to this statement (both for its profound truthfulness, as well as for its place at the opening of one of the greatest writings in all of church history), it is a truth that held a place of primacy to Calvin in his preaching.
There is one area of supreme importance where growth is always needed yet sadly neglected. It is the need for us to resolve to give our lives to Christ in the worship and service of the local church. In a very real sense, it is right for us to insist that the church should come first in the order of priorities of our lives.
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