Effective Pastors Build Bridges

I have been a Pastor, Missionary, and Bible Institute Instructor overseas for almost three decades.  In that long period of time I have taught hundreds of students Biblical Theology, Systematic Theology, as well as many of the individual Books of the Bible so that all the major doctrines of the Christian Faith have been taught.  Through all this instruction I am inclined to agree with most who have ever taught that the one who learns the most is not the student but the teacher.  And one of the most important lessons I have learned after thirty years of trying to transfer weighty doctrinal matters from the text of Scripture to the head, heart, and hands of my students is that while the transfer of biblical information  is necessary for spiritual transformation, it alone does not lead to this transformation apart from relational bridges. 

Physical bridges, like the Golden Gate Bridge, are used to transfer vehicles, objects, and people across spans of space.  The heavier the object or person, the stronger the bridge must be to sustain the weight crossing it.  One cannot expect to drive a semi-tractor trailer carrying several tons of rock over a foot bridge and not expect disaster.  Likewise, pastors and others tasked with teaching the Scriptures and in particular those weightier more difficult to “wrap our minds and hearts around” doctrines of the Faith cannot expect to transfer these truths to others effectively let alone without incident, minor or otherwise, unless there are suitable relational bridges in place by which to make the transfer.

Now, this does not mean that we cannot teach people we have no personal relationship with or connection to.  What it does mean is that this kind of anonymous teaching alone, while perhaps transferring the right information from head to head, is not enough to produce spiritual transformation.  Our goal, as pastors and teachers, within the context of the local church, should never be the mere transfer of information so that our people only "get the truth right" but, rather that they "get it lived".  Again, in my opinion, this requires, what I am referring to as, "relational bridges" by which biblical and theological truths are effectively transferred from teacher to student.

The first relational bridge that is necessary for effective spiritual instruction to take place is that between the pastor or teacher and God Himself.  The mere teaching of the Bible to others apart from enjoying a current, personal, vivacious, and life transforming relationship with the very Author of Scripture is a putrid exercise that your hearers can smell a mile away.  In addition, Bible study that merely engages the Bible as a tool to be used, a textbook to be mastered, a handbook to be referred, an antidepressant to be prescribed, an encyclopedia of morality, or worse yet--a book of sermons to be preached and thus, has no relationship with God is a spiritually empty and powerless exercise.  Until, the Bible becomes, in our personal and pastoral study, an encounter with the living Triune God in which we are hearing His authoritative voice speaking through His inspired words in Scripture, it does not become relational  to us.  If the Bible is not connected to us in any sort of living and relational way we cannot effectively relate it to others regardless of how well we teach. 

The second relational bridge required for the effective learning and life-application of God's Word is the bridge connecting the student to God Himself.  If the hearer in the pew, classroom, or coffee shop has no viable connection to and with God via the Gospel they have no ability to receive a heart transfer of Scripture regardless of how well-prepared and connected the teacher is.  God's truth is pure foolishness to the unbeliever (1 Cor. 1:18).  Blood transfusions do not take place between the living and the dead.  Apart from the Spirit of God at work in our hearers' lives even our Spirit-empowered teaching falls on deaf spiritual ears.  There must be a saving and living connection or bridge between student and God for effective spiritual teaching to occur.  This requires the bridge of the gospel.  Certainly, the hearing of God's Word is necessary for that gospel bridge to be put in place (Rom. 10:17).  However, until it is in place all the effective and Spirit-filled teaching in the world cannot produce spiritual fruit. 

Finally, the third bridge (and this list is not exhaustive) is that which connects the teacher or pastor to the listener.  While this bridge connection is not as important as the previous two, it is still important.  Pastors who know their people and who are known by their people by virtue of time spent together building the relational bridges (connections) of love, trust, and credibility have a much easier time of it when it comes to trying to transfer biblical and theological truths to their flock.  Living life together creates the pillars upon which strong bridges, able to transfer weighty spiritual truths are built and maintained.  This assumes and of course requires more than a mere professionally distant approach to teaching.  It demands a more "up close" and personal encounter between the pastor and parishioner in which both are known and dear to the other (1 These. 2:7-8).  It requires that we as pastors love our people at least as much as we love to preach to them.