Saturday, March 30, 2013

A MAN AS PRIEST IN HIS HOME The Preeminent Challenge Facing Every Christian Husband and Father

For those of us doing the study, read the first chapter and comment at your leisure.

Anyone may join in the conversation. Buy the book, read and comment. Below is a synopsis of the book.



Samuel Waldron with Benjamin Hoak

"THIS IS A GREAT BOOK TO USE FOR A MEN'S STUDY GROUP, It is also a book for a father to use with older sons, to help prepare them for marriage and family. It is simple and straightforward, and always rooted in the text of Holy Scripture." - Michael Gaydosh, founder of Solid Grouind Christian Books

This important book begins with these words - "The concern in this book is rooted in the great calling to serve one another. As Christian husbands and fathers, how should we view our ministry to our family? When our teenager has just vaulted into the annals of history with the stupidity and sinfulness of his behavior, how should we respond? When we let our wives down, how do we respond? When our families are struggling, how do we help them? What kind of ministry should we have in our home?

To support the ultimate conclusion of this book that a man serves as a priest in his home, we must begin with the idea that all Christian ministry is priestly in character. When we talk about ministry, we're referring not just to the official duties of pastors, but to the whole spectrum of dealings among Christians, including such things as counseling, teaching, praying, rebuking, encouraging, helping, etc. To prove the idea that all Christian ministry is priestly in character, we'll look at four arguments."

Waldron and Hoak then walk us through ten concise but meaty chapters intended to define what it means for a man to be priest in his home, defend this position against attacks from inside and outside the church, and describe how this priestly work is to be carried out in the midst of a family stained by sin. This is a challenging book which concludes with a strong word of HOPE in the closing chapter.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. PRIESTLY MINISTRY - The Heart of Christian Service

2. THE SCRIPTURAL WARRANT - Old Testament, New Testament & Christ

3. THE CLASSIC PORTRAIT - The Example of Job

4. PRIESTLY ROLE # 1 - A Man as an Intercessor in Prayer

5. PRIESTLY ROLE # 2 - A Man as a Director of Religious Worship

6. PRIESTLY ROLE # 3 - A Man as a Mediator of Divine Blessing

7. PRIESTLY ROLE # 4 - A Man as an Instructor in Sacred Scripture

8. PRIESTLY ROLE # 5 - A Man as a Judge in Holy Things

9. SPIRITUAL QUALIFICATIONS - Blamelessness, Compassion & Faithfulness

10. HOPE FOR A MAN AS A PRIEST IN HIS HOME

The book concludes with the following encouragement: "How will we ever become the kind of man God wants us to be? Again and again, when our sins are set before us, and we feel our weakness, our lack of compassion, our inconsistency and defectiveness, those issues should drive us back to Jesus Christ. He is the one who says, 'He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'' He is the one who, as Paul says, will transform us from glory to glory when we behold Him (2 Corinthians 3:18).

That transformation takes place when we live in the presence of Jesus Christ. Like Moses, who dwelt in the presence of God's glory on the mountain, our faces will shine with His glory. We have to live with Christ. We've got to wake up with Him. We've got to walk with Him. We've got to end the day with Him. We have to be with Him always. We have to read His Word and speak to Him. As we do, the glory of what Christ is as a priest will begin to enlighten us as well. May God grant it to be so for each one of us."



Post comments on chapter one below. We will move on to chapter 2 when needed or agreed upon.

1. PRIESTLY MINISTRY - The Heart of Christian Service






2 comments:

  1. Just re-read the first chapter. As he states in his book that all of our service "must" be redemptive in nature, just as a priest's role is redemptive. May Our role as husbands and fathers resemble this aspect of being conformed into the image of Christ. How easy it is to point our family and even ourselves to moral standards and not the giver of the moral standard, the Lord Jesus Christ. I know I am guilty of simply laying out Law and loose sight of pointing them to the person and work of Christ, The Law giver.

    What thoughts do any of you guys have on the five aspects of priestly ministry as he laid them out in chapter 1?

    1. The goal of priestly ministry: appointed on behalf of men

    2. The focus of priestly ministry: in things pertaining to God

    3. The concern of priestly ministry: for sins

    4. The spirit of priestly ministry: He can deal gently

    5. The perspective of priestly ministry: with the ignorant and misguided

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  2. There is a lot of good things to say about this book. Bu here is my take from the first chapter…conviction of where I’ve been lacking. With everything that goes on from day to day, its so easy to neglect my role. Here is a line from chapter 1 that stabbed me:

    “If we approach them in a spirit of humility, as sinners redeemed by grace, gently and carefully guiding them through God’s redemptive Word, then we are acting as true priest.”



    Another quote I thought was pretty interesting and worth consideration is this one:

    "All ministry should be God-centered and man-purposed."
    I think that's important when dealing with our family we're to be true to the word which says, "Love our wives as Christ loves the church. That means remembering that when we lead it should be with them in mind...not us.

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