Pastoral Ministry

Awareness

Paul had a very strong awareness ofhis calling. He several times referred to the fact that he had not sought this, but God had elected him to be an apostle and a missionary. Like in this passage in the letter to the Galatians:

“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through Hisgrace…”

    Galatians 1:15

Even though not all of us will be blessed with the same assurance of our calling as Paul had, what he says is true for all. God’s calling is simply there – from the beginning of our lives the election for ministry is a part of us. The Bible gives very few explanations about why God calls somebody. I guess Paul’s explanation is the best. God called him through His grace. It was not Paul’s merits or education that made way for him, it was God’s grace. He calls whomever He wants, and He does not need to explain why.

IT WAS NOT PAUL'S MERITS OR EDUCATION THAT MADE WAY FOR HIM, IT WAS GOD'S GRACE. HE CALLS WHOMEVER HE WANTS, AND HE DOES NOT NEED TO EXPLAIN WHY

If you and I try to find out why God called us to be leaders in His church, we will end up with the same answers. I cannot see any reason at all why God would ask me to be a pastor, except His grace. He does what He wants, and for some unexplained reason He called me to be a youth pastor in Norway and then an assistant and a senior pastor in Moscow. If a person thinks he is called because of his personal qualities, he gets a very wrong start. God is the One who gives abilities to people as He chooses. He gives the skill to preach and He gives the ability to love and be compassionate. There is nothing we can boast about; all good things come from Him.

That acknowledgment is a correct starting point for ministry. Never try to understand why God calls you specifically. His elections are a mystery to us. He does what He wants. Our task is to continuously focus upon His grace, praising Him for His salvation and thanking Him that He counted us worthy to serve Him.

To see God’s grace in your calling does not in any way make you vanish. God elects, equips and calls, but it is you who must answer yes and faithfully stay where He places you. God said about Paul that “…he is a chosen vessel of Mine” (Acts 9:15). Paul was the vessel that God needed to bring the gospel to the nations. There cannot be any greater honour than that!

The power of a calling

A calling is not first of all a blessing, it is first of all a responsibility. When you have said yes to serve God, you cannot just walk out when it suits you. You are responsible for someone and that responsibility must be taken seriously.

To accept a calling is therefore also to accept the price that has to be paid. The leadership responsibility can sometimes be a heavy burden to carry. Main characters of the Bible like Moses, Jeremiah and Paul had very troublesome days in their calling, and there were days some of them were ready to quit. But one of the reasons they did not was their deep personal conviction that they had to remain faithful to the mission God had given, no matter how difficult it was.

When Paul testified to the elders in Ephesus about how he endured heavy persecution, he referred to his calling:

“…nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

    Acts 20:24

This profound commitment is the genuine proof of the power of a calling. Paul knew that God had trusted him with a task, and nothing was more important to him than fulfilling that task. People who are called by God will often have a sense of responsibility that is hard for others to understand, because it is a very deep and individual work of the Holy Spirit.

Though the workload will sometimes be intense and the responsibility a burden, there is a deep, God-given satisfaction in fulfilling what you know God has asked you to do. For a spiritual leader there is nothing more precious than this.

Questions

1. What has God spoken to you regarding your life and future? How did His calling appear to you?

2. And how do you respond to that calling?

3. What strength can you detect in your own life as a result of God’s calling?

Chapter 2

A time of preparation

“A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel.”

    Proverbs 1:5

Preparation and ministry are inseparable. Preparation is a part of ministry and will continue as long as we live. We serve God today and at the same time we prepare for tomorrow. We should learn and grow as long as we live. But it is also true that there is a special time of preparation before he who is called to ministry can enter into the fullness of his calling. God says that a church leader should not be a novice, “…lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil” (1 Timothy 3:6). You must be a disciple before you become a minister. To be a disciple means that you understand your need for growth and learning, and that you are willing to be trained by someone more experienced than you.

According to the Gospel of Mark, the very first thing Jesus said to Peter and Andrew was: “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). This sentence contains a lot about what discipleship is. It is to follow somebody, to take on a humble attitude and be willing to change and gain new skills. This attitude is the beginning of ministry.

The more a person values preparation and is willing to learn from others, the more he will do for God. The apostles began their walk with Jesus knowing very little about God’s kingdom or what it means to be a fisher of men. But Jesus day by day and week by week taught them all they needed to know. Because they started as devoted disciples, they could one day become apostles.

When Jesus first met them, the disciples were not ready to take on any kind of leadership role. They lacked knowledge about God and His will, they did not have the compassion a spiritual leader must have, and their character was far from ready to be an example for others. And this is where we all begin. We need to mature spiritually before we can be leaders in the church.

In this chapter I will point out three important areas of spiritual growth: spending time with God, serving in the church and studying. I will speak more about character in the next chapter when we talk about what it is to have a personal ethical code.

1. Time with God

Some parts of preparation occur among other people, but there are other sides that can only take place when you are alone. The foundation of any minister’s life is his personal relationship with God. And that relationship needs to grow not only while you are in church, but also in solitude together with the Holy Spirit.

I was fortunate to fall in love with the Bible when I was a child. When I was around ten years old, I collected my savings, went to the local book shop and bought my first Bible. And without any pressure from my parents, I started to read it daily. I remember the peace and comfort I felt as I made my way through the biblical stories, even though I did not always understand what I was reading. As the years went by, the Bible became more and more understandable and more and more precious to me, and the daily reading became a permanent part of my life.

THE FOUNDATION OF ANY MINISTER'S LIFE IS HIS PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP TO GOD. AND THAT RELATIONSHIP NEEDS TO GROW NOT ONLY WHILE YOU ARE IN CHURCH, BUT ALSO IN SOLITUDE TOGETHER WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.

This habit might not seem significant, but to me it has been an immense strength. Good routines take time to develop, but they provide strength and stability that is very much needed in ministry. This is especially true of how you spend your time when you are alone. If a person can only worship and pray when he is in church, how can he help others grow spiritually?

When Jesus taught His disciples about prayer, He said that it is not the number of words that is important, but the faith and sincerity of the heart. He said that God is a Father “who is in the secret place” (Matthew 6:6). He wants you to come to Him in secret, when nobody else knows about it. There – in worship, prayer and meditation, He will meet you and fellowship with you.

To find time alone with God is therefore a battle every minister must fight and win. Every one of us knows the power of distraction. Busy schedules and annoying telephone calls are a part of our everyday life. But only you can set the standard for your daily schedule, and only you can set the priorities of your time. In all the noise of the 21

century God is still the God who is in the secret place.

IN ALL THE NOISE OF THE 21

CENTURY GOD IS STILL THE GOD WHO IS IN THE SECRET PLACE

This is the very center of leadership preparation. Ministry flows out of your relationship with God. You give to others what you possess yourself. If you want to serve God, you cannot make any better investment than spending time with Him in secret. Commitment and confidence will grow when you learn to listen to His voice and trust His word.

When we speak about things like this, it is so important to emphasize that you don’t compete with anyone. There is nobody you need to impress. Fellowship with God must be natural and personal, as with a close friend. Never compare yourself with others. If you read books about prayer, let them inspire you, but the authors of these books don’t know your realities. You must find joy in the daily rhythm that works for you.

Discipline is always a part of the picture. You were saved by grace, but you will never grow spiritually strong without personal discipline. Good habits will allow the Holy Spirit to shape you, and those habits demand daily commitment. Everything good in life is more difficult in the beginning than it is after a while. The first time I decided to pray for an hour I lasted 45 minutes. I had prayed for every need I could possibly think of, and I was totally exhausted. But it is not like that today. As you spend time in God’s presence, you gradually grow in spiritual discipline and willpower.

2. Being a servant

There is nothing greater than being a servant, and Jesus came to earth to teach us that. He demonstrated a life of servanthood that is a pattern for all believers to follow. Even as leaders, we will always be servants, and we learn these lessons by actively taking part in what goes on in the local church.

True servanthood begins with a willing and faithful attitude. Jesus several times spoke about the importance of being trustworthy in what is small before God will trust you with more.

“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much”

    Luke 16:10

And:

“Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.”