The Faithful Preacher (Foreword by John Piper) by Thabiti M. Anyabwile

Author:Thabiti M. Anyabwile
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Crossway
Published: 2009-02-02T00:00:00+00:00

The Divinely Approved Workman: Semi-Centennial Sermon (1874)

The General Conference of 1872 was a disappointment to Payne, as he observed “many things said and done . . . inconsistent with the Christian spirit.” The conference, according to Payne, was filled with the worst sort of politics. With the death of long-time bishop William P. Quinn in 1873 and financial trouble at Wilberforce, perhaps this address is best understood as an attempt to set down a more full summary of his views on education and the ministry as he approached retirement. This sermon was delivered in February 1874 at Allen Chapel AME in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. . . . And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.

— 2 TIMOT H Y 2 : 1 5 , 2 4 - 2 5 .

The word workman implies work to be done and a master to oversee the work that is to be done. It also implies a house, an edifice, a temple—more or less important, more or less grand, more or less durable, lasting for centuries, accommodating generation after generation. This supposition covers the facts of the case to be considered because the church of God is called “the house of God” [1 Tim. 3:15], a “holy temple” [Eph.2:21], “the temple of the living God” [2 Cor. 6:16]. But this temple is a spiritual temple. The workman, therefore, must do spiritual work in this spiritual temple; and his work is all the while under the sleepless eye of the Omniscient Master, who is solicitous about the manner as well as the ability of the workman, because this temple is of the highest importance as well as of vast dimensions and durability embracing all time and all races and therefore all the generation of men.

Now each local church is nothing more and nothing less than a chamber in this Spiritual Temple, and the Divine Master is equally interested in its purity, perfection, and beauty. But to do this the workman should study the character of his Master as well as the work that is to be done. And this leads us to the first thing in the text that is to be expounded—the question, what is to be studied? First, he must study God in order that he may learn the character of the Master whom he has to serve and conform his own character to that Master’s will. Now God has manifested and is manifesting Himself in three different ways. The workman, therefore, will do well to study these manifestations of the Deity.

a. The first is Nature around us. We cannot open our eyes or ears without seeing forms and hearing voices speaking in behalf of an existing but invisible Deity. In these we

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