One of the most disheartening aspects of contemporary church life is the misunderstanding of a biblical call. Too many pastors today are more concerned with climbing the corporate church ladder than being faithful where God has placed them. On the one hand, many ministers seem to want bigger churches, better pay, and more job security. Doesn’t this grieve God? On the other hand, many churches treat pastors as expendable hired-hands rather than men placed by God to move God’s church in God’s direction. Doesn’t this grieve God, too?
How would God have us look at this issue? Scripture is clear that God calls men into full-time ministry. In other careers, a person may feel God leading them toward one vocation or another. The pastorate is different entirely: God does not “hire” a minister; He “calls” him (Jeremiah 1, Isaiah 6, John 21, and Act 9). The minster is not free to pick any church he so chooses . . . even if the church offers to treat him better and further advance his career. The Lord must move the pastor to another place. The reverse is also true. The church is not free to change pastors like pairs of socks. Removing an Under-Shepherd from a place of service cannot be done unless God moves that minister to another place of service or the man becomes biblically disqualified from the office.
So what does a biblical call look like? D Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said “The preacher is a man of one thing. This is the thing to which he is called and is the greatest passion of his life.” This calling is an inner drawing of the Holy Spirit, confirmed by the corporate body of believers, and of such an inner burning that a man cannot stop preaching the Word of God. In an era of professional and highly educated clergy, one would think ministers would have laser focus on the primary task for which God has set their lives apart (i.e., to preach the Word – 2 Timothy 4:2-5). Rather, we pastors all-too-often get caught up in the eye-candy of what our pastor friends have and what we don’t have. Both pastor and parishioner think “the grass is always greener on the other side.”
Pastor: Ministry is a calling, not a career. Be faithful where God has placed you and allow Him to determine your place of ministry service. It’s called surrender, not control.
Church Member: Love your pastor and pray for him daily. Encourage him. Remember God placed him in the church for a reason and to fight against him to buck against God’s authority.
2 Comments
Kenneth Mcintyre
for some , I would say a calling. For some, it’s a living. Think Joel Osteen.. Do you really think his is a calling ?
Jordan Sellers
TT, from out of nowhere with the hard hitting opinion piece!
(Did editing miss the error in the final paragraph, or was this published as written?)