The Work of Shepherds (8)

And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” Acts 8.18, 19

Christianity and Liberalism
J. Gresham Machen (1881-1937)
“Christianity will indeed accomplish many useful things in this world, but if it is accepted in order to accomplish those useful things, it is not Christianity…if you seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness in order that all those other things may be added unto you, you will miss both those other things and the Kingdom of God as well.”

Believing in Jesus is not a means to some temporal end – good health, prosperity, new friends, doing good, happiness. Believing in Jesus is an act of obedience to a divine command which insists that we desist from our self-seeking, self-serving ways, and give ourselves wholly to Jesus for whatever He desires to do with us. Anyone who comes to the Christian faith with any other motive is not coming to Christ, but to himself. And any shepherd who leads people to the Christian faith for any reason other than to see, know, love, obey, and serve Jesus our Good Shepherd and King, has got his priorities in a mess. The good works Christians do produce many useful things to help others know the touch of God’s grace. But these are not to be sought as ends in themselves. Rather, we must seek Jesus and His Kingdom and righteousness; good works will flow when we are connected to and immersed in Him. Lead the sheep to Jesus; He’ll take care of the rest.

How do you, in your preaching and teaching, keep from allowing the benefits or fruitof Christian faith from becoming ends in themselves? How do you keep Christ central?

T. M. Moore

Fan into Flame
Our book, Fan into Flame, is a handbook on the work of pastors and shepherds. It explains the context and calling of the shepherd, as well as the tools available to us for this work; and it provides useful tools for assessment and planning to improve in the Lord’s calling. This is an excellent resource for leadership training or personal growth into Christ. Order your copy by clicking here. Or contact me about our Pastoral Hope Initiative, during which series of assessments we walk men through this handbook and various other resources. We have waived the fee for this service, so watch this brief video, then drop me a line at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Fellowship of Ailbe is supported through the generous and faithful gifts of those who benefit from and believe in our work. Does the Lord want to use you in this way? Please look to Him in prayer over this question. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the Contribute button at our website, or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452. Thank you.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.All quotations from J. Gresham Machen, Christianity and Liberalism(Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1923, 1974).