Better Chaplain Series - Love the Local Church

The US Army changed its slogan years ago to, “An Army of One.” I do appreciate the sentiment of individual strength, the acronym ONE (Officers, NCOs, and Enlisted), and the idea that for a just cause we would fight even to the last man. But the slogan was scrapped before long because it was deemed a hindrance to esprit-de-corps. A successful Army must be made up of multitudes from the tactical, logistical, fiduciary, strategic, and operational levels.

Likewise, the chaplain must have a robust network of encouragers, helpers, volunteers, friends, prayer-warriors, teammates, and experts. We have term for God-sent versions of these, we call them the local church. A chaplain of one is cut off from an invaluable network of godly counsel and burden bearers.

I am not exaggerating when I say that at least half my job is knowing the right people. Due to deployments, transfers, and unexpected absences I’ve operated professionally very near to a chaplain of one, and the amount of ministry that had to be shed or shelved to keep the chapel running was tragic. But even there we reached out for augmentees, deputized NCOs from other offices, and utilized volunteers to care for our people. Guess where most of these came from? If you guessed church-connections you’d be right.

More than anything else I say to encourage chaplains I try to emphasize, “Be committed to the Local Church”. Build and be built, be encouraged, be rebuked, be challenged, be fed. Have disagreements, meet burdens, bring a burden, pray for them, be prayed for, rejoice, weep, eat their food, provide a meal, invest in their kids, entrust your kids to them. What more can we say? The local church is Christ’s bride on earth, she's blood-bought, she’s wonderful, she’s growing, and she has a hope and a future. Is she perfect? No, but if you want to be a better chaplain, you’ll fill what is lacking in her sanctification.

"The church is in trouble," that's what they say anyways. The problem is most of what they call the church is not the church, and the church is not quite as in trouble as everybody thinks. As a matter of fact, the church today is absolutely beautiful–she's glorious, she's humble, she's broken, and she's confessing her sin. ~ Paul Washer

Key Verse: Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. ~ Hebrews 10:24-25

More:

1. Can you think of lone-ranger chaplains, ministers, or evangelists who are doing great things for the kingdom? Can you think of any who have fallen into grievous sin with the excuse that they were spending too much time alone?

2. If you don’t like my bride, what will happen to the relationship between you and I? If you slander her, neglect her care, and belittle her are you and I going to be friends? How does Jesus feel about how you’re caring for his bride? Is he jealous for her care? Is his jealously a good thing or a bad thing for you?

3. Andrew van der Bijl spend his life encouraging the church in closed countries through Bible donations, prayer, preaching, and visits. He credits much of his success to those who supported his visits. Likewise, William Carey said, “I will go down into the pit, if you will hold the rope.” Are you going? Who is holding your rope? Read Matthew 25:34-40 and Galatians 6:2 and consider who is ministering to you as you minister to others.

4. Resources:

van der Bijl, Andrew and John & Elizabeth Sherrill. God’s Smuggler. Grand Rapids: Chosen Books, 2015.

Green, Keith. The Sheep and the Goats. Pretty Good Records, 1980, Vinyl.

DeYoung, Kevin and Ted Kluck. Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2009.

Fuller, Andrew. The Armies of the Lamb. Edited by Michael A.G. Haykin. Dundas, Ontario: Joshua Press, 2001.

Shearer, Canyon R. "Love the Local Church." Trust and Obey.  Jan 9, 2019. https://trustobey.blogspot.com/2019/01/love-local-church.html

Shearer, Canyon R. "Love the Southern Baptist Convention." Trust and Obey. May 31, 2020. https://trustobey.blogspot.com/2020/05/love-southern-baptist-convention.html

A Favorite Cartoon of Brother Andrew - Displayed Prominently in His Office

Better Chaplain Series - Spend More and Be Spent

If the cost to enter Heaven were $1, would you pay it for someone you loved? How about someone you didn't know? Or someone you hated? If you'd spend $1 to save someone's soul for eternity (and I hope you would) then we've set a precedent: people are worth spending for. If you'd spend $1, would you spend $10? $100? $100,000,000?

We know that the price to enter Heaven is perfection, and the price to pay for our sins is infinite, so we can't pay someone's way into Heaven, especially when we have our own debt to pay. Only one person was able to do that, and he did it perfectly. As John Flavel so masterfully put it, the Father brought in all our bills so that Jesus could clearly see what was owed, all of them so there could be no after-reckonings, and at his own hands Jesus inherited this debt and therefore chose to suffer the wrath that was ours. It was charged all upon Christ and discharged there, though it impoverished all his riches, emptied all his treasures, and proved a kind of undoing to him. (paraphrased from The Covenant of Redemption Between the Father and the Redeemer)

But, Jesus said something very interesting and Paul confirmed it, "Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12) and "I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body...for this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me." (Colossians 1:24, 29) The expectation is that Jesus purchased us with his blood, once for all, but the work of taking that message to the nations is left for the church to do and fund.

Chaplain, you are doing no good for the kingdom in sitting on the resources God has entrusted to you. Paul was happy to spend all he had, even his own health and life, and he said if it was possible, he would have even given his own salvation (Romans 9:3). What are we missing when we won't gladly spend to glorify the Saviour who spent so much to win our eternities?

Christopher Columbus bankrupted his vast wealth by funding missionaries to Israel, he justified it this way, "He who has gold makes and accomplishes whatever he wishes in the world, and finally uses it to send souls to paradise." Will you spend $1 to take the gospel to a lost and dying world? How about more?

Key Verse: I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. ~ 2 Corinthians 12:15

More:

1. During a recent mass-hysteria event we agreed that giving would be diminished so we should tighten our spending. It was easy to say, "We can't afford that." Several months into the event we realized that giving had not been hindered nearly so much as we expected. I learned a valuable lesson that it is easier to not spend money while making excuses than it is to spend money as a good steward. If you're not spending or being spent for Christ, is it because you don't have resources? Or is it because you're making excuses? Why was Judas Iscariot upset about spending ministry funds? Take some time to meditate on John 12:4-8.

2. George Mueller is famous for making his ministry needs known only to God, and in so doing he cared for many orphans and inspired many people. Charles Spurgeon is famous for making his ministry needs known to anyone who would listen, and in so doing he cared for many orphans and inspired many people. Both men spent enormous amounts of money to bring the message to people and make disciples. Would you say their money was well spent? What is more important to them right now as they rest in glory: 1) The money they no-longer have 2) The souls that were won? Is it a faithful saying that, "The gospel is a message of generosity!"?

3. In the parable of the talents, did the unfaithful servant squander the funds entrusted to him, or did he simply fail to use them? Find the answer in Matthew 25:14-30. Do you have any money or gifts in your charge that are sitting around gathering dust? If you spend more, will God entrust you with more? Read 2 Corinthians 9:8,11.

4. A popular economic saying is, "You have to spend money to make money." The spiritual equivalent is "Why would anyone give to your ministry if you're not properly stewarding what you already have?" Churches often bring in more than they spend because faithful stewards want to see their donations put to work for the kingdom. What is the likelihood that you don't have enough because you don't spend enough?

5. Resources:

Benge, Janet and Geoff. C.T. Studd: No Retreat. Seattle: YWAM Publishing, 2005.

Pierson, A.T. George Muller of Bristol: His Life of Prayer and Faith. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1999.

Gruden, Wayne. Business for the Glory of God: The Bible's Teaching on the Moral Goodness of Business. Wheaton: Crossway, 2003.

Better Chaplain Series - Imposter Syndrome

It has been said that joining a new unit is like trying to watch a television show starting on season five. The characters have complex backstories, the history is cloudy and difficult to understand, and there is a flow and cadence that doesn't come naturally to those just getting involved.

If there is a good news, it's that this is not unique to you: the vast majority of your unit feels this same way. Recognizing that you're the new guy--feeling like an imposter--is the first step to diving in and being a valuable character for the seasons you're on the show.

Jesus came to his own, but they did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. ~ John 1:11-13

The chaplain is an apostle in the sense that they have been ordered to be where they are. An important step in getting over the imposter syndrome is realizing that you aren't operating on your own authority: the Bill of Rights, a United States Code (Title X), a commander, and a supervisor have told you to minister to these people. It is not optional, so failure and shrinking is not an option. Your God has commissioned you to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins (Hebrews 5:1).

It will not always be easy, you may work at an intelligence center where doors are literally locked to you, or in a geographically separated unit where you have members all over the world, or you may be following a chaplain who made shipwreck of the squadron. But easy is not your calling. You have the words of eternal life, where else can they go?

Key Verse: "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." ~ John 20:21

More:

1. Paul was a prisoner on a foundering ship bound for Rome, he saw the need and offered a solution, but he was not listened to until long into the strife. Once he was trusted he led many safely ashore, and many safely to eternal life. What would have been the result if Paul had "stayed in his lane"? Read Acts 27:8-44, and focus on verses 11, 21, and 33.

2. If your base has a historian, ask to attend his briefings and understand the mission and history of your unit. Would it be accurate that the person who was most viewed as an imposter in history was Jesus Christ? Yet he increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. Paul likewise studied himself approved, and often quoted the history and great thinkers of the cultures he visited. Before long the chaplain should be the recognized expert on the history, the present, and the future of the unit.

3. Desmond Doss was a conscientious objector during World War II; he was ridiculed, persecuted, and seen as a liability. But on the day he won the Medal of Honor he repeatedly showed his courage, dedication, and value by saving 75 soldiers who had been left to die on the top of Okinawa. Chaplain, you likely won't be put in a situation where you can win the Medal of Honor, but how can you show your dedication to your people as a minister of the gospel of God so that you can win their hearts and minds for Christ?

4. An Army chaplain friend, Marcus Marroquin, wrote an article (cited below) which encouraged me to give my contact information to every senior leader on my first day at a new base. A few days later we had a tragic situation and everyone knew how to reach me. No-one cared that it was my first week, and we got to work and provided care and hope in an almost hopeless situation. Chaplain, as you do nothing else in your first days, make sure everyone knows how to contact you; in their hour of need it won't matter if you've been their chaplain for five minutes or five years.

5. Resources:

Robinson, Peter and Marcus Marroquin. "Leading in Gaps: Intentional Leadership During Times of Military Assignment Transitions." The U.S. Army Chaplain Corps Journal, May 2024, 35-39. Accessed 8 Feb 2025 from https://tjaglcs.army.mil/Portals/1003/Journals/U.S.%20Army%20Chaplain%20Corps%20Journal%20May%202024.pdf

Booton, Herndon. The Hero of Hacksaw Ridge: Desmond Doss. Coldwater, MI: Remnant Publications, 2016. (Read the book before you watch the movie)

Leiter, Charles. "The Loneliness of the Lord Jesus." I'll Be Honest. Sermon preached 1 April 2014. Accessed 8 Feb 2025 from https://soundcloud.com/illbehonest/loneliness-of-the-lord-jesus.

Better Chaplain Series - Preach In Season and Out

Who is the loudest voice in your life? For many this is their constantly shifting desires, appetites, and pride. For others the authority is a celebrity or strong personality. Others may appeal to history or tradition.

The faithful chaplain knows that true authority comes from God and Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead. The Word of God reigns supreme and forever, even though a time is coming and is now here when people will not endure sound teaching, but will accumulate authorities who will tell them what they want to hear.

The authority is not the ambassador, or the chaplain, or your opinion (no matter how good you think it is), it belongs to the king. It is his Word that has power and the teaching that must be shared. It should be at the forefront of your mind, bound on your hands, stored up in your heart and in your soul. And more importantly, it should come out at every opportunity.

Chaplain, share the Word in sermons, in conversations, in invocations, in counseling, and everywhere. Share it openly when people ask, and share it always even when they don't want it.

Key Verse: Preach the word: be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. ~ 2 Timothy 4:4

More:

1. The chapter and verse breakups were added officially in 1558 by Robert Estienne (aka Stephanus); in light of these additions consider if it is necessary to say, "John 3:16 says..." or if the authority of the verse is enough. Consider the book of Haggai which says, "Thus says/declares the LORD..." almost as many times as there are verses. Conversely, Paul says, "It has been testified somewhere..." Does the power of God's Word come from knowing it's the Word of God, or the Spirit who testifies?

2. Amos was as far from a preacher as he could be, in his own words, "I was no prophet, nor the son of a prophet, but I was a herdsman and a [farmer]" (Amos 7:14), but God turned him into a powerful preacher who awoke many who had heaped lying messengers to themselves. If God could turn even Amos into a powerful preacher, what can he do with you?

3. Paul asks, "If a trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who will get ready for the battle?" How can you communicate the clear commands of God to obey the gospel, so that many can call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. If faith comes by hearing, who have you told? (Confer Romans 10:8-17)

4. Resources:

Parker, T.H.L. The Oracles of God: An Introduction to the Preaching of John Calvin. London: Lutterworth Press, 1947.

Lloyd-Jones, Martyn. Preaching and Preachers. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1971.

Ash, Christopher. The Priority of Preaching. Fearn, Scotland: Christian Focus, 2009.

Better Chaplain Series - Get to Jesus

One of the joys of discipleship is scheduling someone for their first sermon or Sunday School lesson. A few days later it's not uncommon for them to ask the question, "What should I preach on?" I give the same answer every time:

Jesus.

It's not just the Sunday School answer, it's the topic of every faithful Bible exposition. Whether they preach on Genesis 1:1 or Revelation 22:21, or 31,100 verses in between, the answer of what is the main topic of the passage is Jesus.

 I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. ~ 1 Corinthians 2:2

The faithful chaplain must always know how he is getting to Jesus. Whether it's a sermon, a counseling, or a unit engagement, we are not, as Adrian Rogers said, "Just making the world a nicer place to go to Hell from."

If you leave Jesus out but get everything else right, you've denied the faith saying that the Bible can be rightly understood without the main character in the spotlight. And worse, you've necessarily elevated your hearers and/or one of their idols into that vacancy.

From every town and every village and every hamlet in England, wherever it may be, there is a road to London. . .Your business in when you get to a text, is to say, "Now what is the road to Christ?" and then preaching a sermon, running along the road towards the great metropolis–Christ. I have never yet found a text that had not got a road to Christ in it, and if I ever do find one that has not a road to Christ in it, I will make one; I will go over hedge and ditch but I would get at my Master, for the sermon cannot do any good unless there is a savour of Christ in it. ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon

More:

1.  Not all of your hearers will be pleased to hear about the only name given under heaven by which we must be saved. The goal is not to bring unnecessary offense, but to be faithful to the one who sent you. How do you think Jesus wants you to act in light of his statement to his disciples, "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and as innocent as doves." (Matthew 10:16)?

2. As my wife and I walk out of a church service, its tragically common for us to say to each other, "That sermon needed more Jesus." Have you ever preached a sermon without mentioning the name of Jesus? Would you change anything about that sermon if you were going to preach it again?

3. Jesus goes by many names and titles: "Immanuel", "the Logos", "Son of Man", "Prince of Peace",  "Messiah", etc. If the name "Jesus" is going to bring unnecessary offense, is it possible to use a different name and still be faithful? Years ago I had a conversation with a homeless Jewish man whose hope was in a rebuilt temple where he could finally find peace, I took him to Haggai 2:9 and showed him that peace was found in a greater temple but that the rebuilding of the second temple did not bring the promised peace or hope; I left him contemplating a better Temple (John 2:21), not made with stones, but a body prepared beforehand for the Messiah to wear (Hebrews 10:5).

4. Resources:

Papa, Matt and Matt Boswell. Christ the True and Better. Nashville: Getty Music, 2020.

Prince, David. Jesus the Hero: Family Devotional. Lexington, KY: Ashland Avenue Baptist Church, 2016.

Greidanus, Sidney. Preaching Christ from the Old Testament: A Contemporary Hermeneutical Method. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999.

Shearer, Canyon. Honing the Congregation to Be Attentive to Expository Preaching at First Baptist Church New Lebanon, Ohio. Louisville: The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2020. https://repository.sbts.edu/handle/10392/6133 (Read specifically on the Road to Emmaus starting on page 26)