Moving Forward In Pakistan
An update from Scott Crook, Lead Pastor of CrossPointe Church, Arnold, Maryland, USA…
Through a wonderful partnership between Sovereign Grace Churches and TLI (Training Leaders International) we are seeing the gospel go forth in the nation of Pakistan. For the past six years we have traveled to a neutral site in the Middle East to meet with ten Pakistani pastors. These dear brothers have faithfully served together for many years. They travel on foot and on motorbike to different villages in their country every week preaching the gospel and making disciples. Even though they are under constant threat of persecution, they baptize hundreds of new converts every year. They hold Bible studies and leadership conferences, sometimes under the cover of night. Every time they complete a training with us, they immediately return home and train other leaders with the same material. They are truly faithful stewards!
The TLI curriculum is meant to provide seminary-level training for one week, twice a year. The goal of the training is to equip pastors to understand and faithfully communicate the truths of Scripture. Josh Montague and I recently returned from Jordan for one such training. Drawing from the Book of Isaiah, our studies focused on how to preach, teach, and apply Old Testament prophecy with the ultimate goal of seeing Christ in all of Scripture.
Every moment spent with these brothers is an encouragement. They are full of joy, laughing and enjoying fellowship with one another. They passionately sing and worship the Lord through memorized psalms, using the nearest wooden table as percussion. And they are eager to praise God for everything they are learning. Here are a few highlights:
One of the first lessons focused on how Old Testament prophets should be first understood in the context of the Old Covenant. (Promises made to Israel then, judgments delivered to people then versus trying to apply them directly to people in the New Covenant today. Then we see how Christ fulfills every promise and applies those to us by His grace).
One of the Pakistani pastors stood up in the middle of the lesson and humbly confessed that he had missed this connection. He shared that for most of his ministry he had preached and taught from a legalistic standpoint, giving people commands without giving them grace. He informed the class (peers who look up to him) that he would preach differently from now on. He would keep the gospel central, knowing that we obey because we love Christ, because of what He has done for us, not because we fear judgment. The men agreed this moment was a turning point for them all. Jesus powerfully revealed His grace in a way they had not seen before, and we give Him all the praise!
By the end of the week, each pastor stood before the class and delivered a short sermon from Isaiah using the tools they've learned. One of the brothers is a 75-year-old man whose wife recently passed away last year. Instead of staying home, he told us he came on this trip because he wanted to continue to grow in his understanding of the Bible and how to be a more faithful preacher. He delivered a beautiful sermon from Isaiah 8:1-10, reminding us that while God's judgment is just, there is grace, forgiveness, and restoration for all who trust in Christ.
And then, on the last day of class, and the last sermon of the day, a young pastor new to our training stood to deliver his sermon. All week he had been very quiet and reserved. But he had faithfully been taking notes and paying close attention. When it was his turn to preach, we were all expecting a calm, bashful delivery. But how wrong we were! He preached with passion and courage. With humility and joy. With faithfulness and fire. It was clear he had been affected by the text before he preached it. I was fighting back tears as he proclaimed Christ clearly from God's Word in the power of the Spirit. Even his Pakistani brothers were surprised!
The training for these dear brothers ends with one more trip in June. But our relationship with them, and exploring their desired partnership with Sovereign Grace continues. Thank you to all who have prayed for and supported this work. God continues to bless. And He’s not done yet!
