Butler, Michael

I am now in my 4th year at The Master’s Seminary in Southern California and I will be graduating with an M.Div in May 2016. I am a member of Grace Community Church under the shepherding-pastoral / teaching ministry of John MacArthur. I serve under the direct leadership of pastor Bill Shannon in the Faithbuilders fellowship group at GCC. I teach a bible study in the home of elder Tom Leman on the first and third Friday nights of each month.

I am eager to gain more experience in the pulpit where I may be used to expound upon the inerrant and infallible Word of God. The Scriptures have been given to the Church by Jesus Christ for the glory of God, the edification of the saints, and the salvation of the lost. I have had a passion to preach God’s Word since I was nine years of age. As a youth I pursued my friends and strangers with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have seized every opportunity the Lord has placed in front of me to proclaim His Word to this lost and dying world and build up the Church through scriptural edification. In 2012 the elders and members of my church came together and asked that I consider pursuing a theological degree; so that I may be of greater use in serving Christ’s Church. My wife and I gave up everything we had, sold our home, our furniture and our vehicles in pursuit of becoming servants unto His precious flock. It is our joy to continually offer up the sacrifice of our lives for Him as we seek to call people from every tribe, ethnic group, and language to repent of their sin and place their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

For a sample sermon please click here.

Thank you for considering me as your next pulpit fill.

Honorarium: FREE; Freely Jesus Christ gave of Himself so that we might become the children of God.

Travel Expenses: Paid by host

Philosophy of Preaching: Verse by verse method of expository teaching/preaching.

Philosophy of Ministry

A Proper View of Scripture

The Scriptures are the very Words of God (2 Timothy 3:16) and for that reason inerrant. The truths of God’s Word do not change and are therefore absolute. Scripture is the foundation of truth upon which the church is anchored. Therefore its content is what guides the church in how it functions internally and what it proclaims to all people. Scripture is the final arbiter, judge and jury of every ministry carried out within the church. To suppress the voice of scripture in the church is to suppress the work, wisdom and blessings of God.

Inspired – Scripture is “breathed out” by God. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
Inerrant – The Word of God is void of error. God conveyed truth to divinely chosen individuals. What is written has not strayed from the original formulation of truth as it existed in the mid of God. (Psalm 19)
Authority – What Scripture says requires obedience from the believer. Every aspect of ministry (whether a sermon, Bible study, program, or activity) must be driven by an understanding of the authority of Scripture and must bring Scripture to bear upon the lives of believers.
Sufficiency – 2 Peter 1:3-4, Psalm 19; 2 Timothy 3:17, Hebrews 4:12 – 2^nd Timothy 3:16-17 states, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” This verse proclaims that the Word of God is sufficient for all areas of ministry, including preaching, teaching, and counseling believers unto godliness. Anytime the church gathers, the emphasis must be on the proclamation of God’s Word and the exhortation to obey it. (1 Timothy 4:13)
Relevance – Scripture is relevant for every situation. (Psalm 19; 119:105; Isa. 40:8, 2 Tim. 3:17) Although it may not give explicit answers to every trial Scripture will always give us the principles in which we can glorify God in every situation.

A High View of God

God is holy, righteous, and just.
We must seek to exemplify His communicable attributes
A failure to have a high view of God leads to toleration of sin and a focus on man, demonstrated in teaching and programs. As a result the church reflects a man-centered ministry that attempts to please peers rather than glorify God.
A high view of God will lead us to view His Word as the compass for our lives.

A Low View of Man

Mankind is totally depraved. On his own he can do no good (Romans 3:10-18), on his own he is unable to understand or accept the things of God (1 Corinthians 1:18; 2:14) his heart is wicked (Jer. 17:9-10) and his goal in life is selfish and only evil continually (Gen. 6:5; Eccl. 9:3).

Man is corrupt, wickedness so permeates his entire being that he is enslaved to it and no amount of eloquence on the part of the evangelist is able to grant him life. He is spiritually blind. The evangelist’s only hope as he seeks the conversion of the lost is found in the sovereignty of God.

Man was created to glorify God, but because of sin, he seeks to glorify himself (Rom 3:23)

The goal of all true ministry is to lead man to a relationship with God through obedience to His Word.

A Correct View of the Church

The church is composed of all who have repented of their sin and placed their faith in Christ and is a living organism made up of true believers (1 Peter 2:5). Christ so loved the church that he died for her (Eph 5:25). Christ both nourishes and cherishes the church (Eph 5:29). He is head over His bride (Eph 5:23) “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Eph 2:20). It is through the church that believers are equipped to mature into likeness of Christ (Eph. 4:11-16)

Believers are to edify one another with their spiritual gifts (Rom 12:6-8; 1 Peter 4:10-11), regularly assembling together (Heb 10:24-25) A ministry must seek to foster in God’s people a deepening love for and commitment to one another (the church).

The church exists to worship and glorify God (1 Cor. 10:31; Heb. 13:15)
The church exists to be a storehouse of divine truth. (1 Tim. 3:15)
The church exists to provide a context of loving fellowship for the purpose of edification (Eph. 3:16-19, 4:12-16)
The church exists as a training center where people can grow through the application of teaching (1 Cor. 12-14; Rom. 12; Eph 4)
The church exists to be a light in this dark world, for the evangelization of God’s elect (Matt 5:13-16, 28:19-20; Titus2:11-15)
The church exists to provide accountability (Matt. 18)

A Scriptural View of Leadership

Spiritual leaders are not masters but servants. Their servant leadership comes from their divine call to serve (Acts 20:29) Elders or overseers have a responsibility to equip (Eph 4:11), care for (Acts 20:28) and teach (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:9) the members. The members are to respect (1 Thess. 5:12) and submit to these leaders (Heb. 13:17), but not to treat them as infallible (1 Tim. 5:20)

Leaders must reflect the character of Christ to be models for the flock (1 Thess. 2:4-12; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-5)
Leaders must adequately equip their people to do the work of the ministry (Eph 4:12)