Pastoral Vision (10)

“See, I have this day set you over nations and over kingdoms,
To root out and to pull down,
To destroy and to throw down,
To build and to plant.” Jeremiah 1.10

We must not fail to expose and oppose evil in all its forms, beginning in our preaching and teaching. Everything’s not OK when we turn a blind eye to evil, or allow people to think that God knows and God understands and they don’t need to be troubled by sin. Or by setting aside the very standard of all that is holy and righteous and good by teaching people that the Law of God no longer matters.

We have a duty to the truth of God to equip people to distinguish good from evil and right from wrong, and to shepherd them along the paths of righteousness and away from any precipice of evil.

Augustine (354-430) was clear about this: “Thus the expositor and teacher of the Divine Scripture, the defender of right faith and the enemy of error, should both teach the good and extirpate the evil. And in this labor of words, he should conciliate those who are opposed, arouse those who are remiss, and teach those ignorant of his subject what is occurring and what they should expect” (On Christian Doctrine).

Preaching has a negative and a positive component. The preacher, filled with the Holy Spirit, must make room for the Spirit to attain conviction of sin in his hearers, wherever that might be required (Jn. 16.8-11). At the same time, the preacher must cast a vision and point in new paths that will urge the hearers on in the pursuit of holiness. Thus those who hear can lay aside the old person and take up the new, pressing on as they do into greater Christlikeness (Eph. 4.17-24).

Our vision for the followers of Christ must equip them to overcome all evil with the goodness of the Lord (Rom. 12.21). But to do so, they must know the difference and begin with their own lives. The goodness of the Lord will only fill up the land of the living as His people become vessels of grace and truth in a world of wrong belief, wickedness, and woe. It’s our job to equip them for such a calling.

Resources for Shepherds
Our new Online Training Page is replete with learning resources of various kinds to help you and your congregation realize more of the presence, promise, and power of the Kingdom of God. Click here to discover the videos, podcasts, conversations, short courses, and other resources—all free of charge—that can enhance your walk with and work for the Lord.

Men, join us for our April Kingdom Conversation on the topic, “Such a Great Salvation.” Unless our vision of salvation is as large as the Lord’s, we’ll miss out on much of what He intends for our blessing. Our book, Such a Great Salvation, will be the basis of the discussion, but reading it is not required. We will meet Thursday night, April 25, at 8:30 Eastern via Zoom. I’ll send out some questions to guide our discussion so you can prepare. Just let me know if you’d like to join us, and I’ll make sure to send you the link. And if you would like to order a copy of Such a Great Salvation, you can click here for the book or here for the free PDF.

Men, we would love to have you join us every Tuesday morning at 10:00 Eastern as we seek the Lord for revival. Men from around the country and elsewhere join for 30 minutes to follow a psalm in calling on God for revival, renewal, and awakening in our time. If you’d like to receive the Zoom link to join us, just let me know by writing me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

From the Celtic Revival
Patrick had a large vision of God, and this played a large part in the success of his ministry:

Our God is not as you suppose; instead,
He is the God of every man, the Lord
of earth and heaven, Who by His holy Word
has made the sea and rivers, and the sun
and moon and stars. He fashioned every one
of them, and keeps them in their place. And He
is Lord of all the mountains, every tree
and creature, and the verdant valleys. He
is God in heaven, and dwells within the sea
and on the earth and underneath the sky.
His life is in all things; all things are by
His grace created and sustained. He makes
them all to live, and rules without mistake
or error. He the light of sun each day  
rekindles, and the light which guides your way
by night—the moon and stars—He makes for you
because He is a gracious God, and true.

- Bishop Tirechan’s Account of Patrick’s Journey[1], 7^th century

You can follow the remaining installments in Patrick’s story by subscribing to Crosfigell. Update your subscriptions or start a new one by clicking here. Soon we will begin a Crosfigell series on the high crosses of Ireland. Hope you’ll join us.

Want to learn about more of the great leaders of the Celtic Revival? You can download the PDF of our book, Lives of Irish Saints, by clicking here. For an overview of the Celtic Revival, download the PDF book, The Celtic Revival: A Brief Introduction (click here).

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[1] From Celtic Flame: The Burden of Patrick