Pastoral Ministry

    Matthew 25:21

This principle runs through the whole Bible. Responsibility grows with our level of faithfulness. Joshua served Moses for many years before he could lead the people. David served his father and king Saul. Elisha served Elijah. Serving is the main lesson of discipleship.

I have so many fond memories from the churches I was a part of as a child and youth. Church was the place where I found my friends and spent a lot of my spare time. I very seldom spoke with anybody about my calling to ministry, because it was hard for me to see how that could take place. It remained in my heart as a thing between God and me. I simply had to trust that He would make it happen; someday, somehow.

But I always loved being in the church. I loved the songs, the fellowship and the strong sense of belonging to the body of Christ. It was therefore natural to me to engage myself in any place I could be useful. As the years passed by I believe I was active in more or less every possible church department. I remember being both usher and head usher, singing in the choir, leading a home group, and being a youth leader, driver and night guard. I did not think so much about it at that time, but later I realized that all those years God was preparing me for future ministry.

It is important to learn to be flexible and to be willing to do not first and foremost what you want, but what is needed in the church. Ministry is not picking what you prefer to do, it is saying to Jesus, “Here I am – send me”. To willingly do what you are neither fond of doing nor qualified to do, is a good and useful experience.

MINISTRY IS NOT PICKING WHAT YOU PREFER TO DO, IT IS SAYING TO JESUS, “HERE I AM – SEND ME'. TO WILLINGLY DO WHAT YOU ARE NEITHER FOND OF DOING NOR QUALIFIED TO DO, IS A GOOD AND USEFUL EXPERIENCE.

My church volunteer career brought me into many awkward situations. I remember when we rented the local sports arena to arrange a conference in the early days of the Charismatic revival in Norway. A famous female American preacher was head speaker and people from all over Scandinavia came to listen to her.

We had learned from America that those who kept order in the meetings were called “ushers”. This was a very cool expression, and though I didn’t know much about it, the pastor appointed me as “head usher”. I was placed on the corner at the front row wearing jeans and a pink T-shirt. Then the nightmare started.

After the sermon at an evening meeting, the American preacher invited people who wanted to be filled with the Holy Spirit to come forward. Scores of people responded. When they all stood at the front, she asked “Where is the head usher?” I had some very dire suspicions why she asked for me, and they were soon confirmed when she looked at me and said that I should bring all these people to another room in the building and pray for them.

I had never done anything like this before! She was the preacher; she was the one who was supposed to pray for people! How could she put this on me! I was terrified, but what could I do? The group left the hall slowly with me in front, and the only available room we could find was the bomb shelter. In the big hall there had been a wonderful atmosphere of joy, music and people worshiping God. In the bomb shelter it was dark and quiet. Zero atmosphere. Those poor souls who wanted prayer gathered in a crescent around me and looked at me. Nobody said anything. I thought my last moment on Earth had come. I went up to the person on the far left, a big Norwegian guy, and did what I had seen preachers do: put my hand on his head, closed my eyes and hoped that something would happen.

I wish I could tell you that it ended in a mighty breakthrough, but that wouldn’t be true. To this present day, I don’t know how I made it through that evening, but I did. We prayed together, and I am sure that God in His goodness did something good in the lives of those people.

This is how I started. No firecrackers or mighty miracles; just doing what I was appointed to do. And this is the school of the Holy Spirit. He not only wants to train our abilities, He wants to train our character and attitudes. A person who will only do what he enjoys doing cannot do much in God’s kingdom.

A PERSON WHO WILL ONLY DO WHAT HE ENJOYS DOING CANNOT DO MUCH IN GOD'S KINGDOM

I remember another incident when I was in Bible School in Uppsala, Sweden. Ulf Ekman, the founder of the Bible School, had been preaching in my home town in Norway over the weekend. During the following week in Uppsala we had meetings with a Bible teacher from USA, and the church was packed every night. The first evening Ulf Ekman told everyone what a great time he had had when he was in my home town, and that he had heard a song there that he wanted everyone to sing. The problem however was that he couldn’t recall the melody, and the Swedish worship team had no idea what song he was talking about. A couple of seconds of confusing silence followed, but then he suddenly spotted me and said: “There we have a brother from Norway.” My blood froze immediately, as he continued: “Do you know this song?” Well, I knew the song. But I can’t sing. I was very tempted to lie and say that I had never heard of such a song. But I am a Christian! Lying is forbidden!

So I nodded and admitted that I maybe, kind of, in a way knew the song, and then he said what I really, really didn’t want to hear: “Wonderful! Please sing it to us.”

I don’t think you can understand the panic level I was in. I was in an overcrowded church, and I was not only asked to sing this song once, but keep on singing until everyone learned it. But again, what could I do? There was nowhere to run, and obviously, I was the only one in the building who knew the song! I grabbed the chair in front of me, cleared my throat, hoped to survive and started to sing. And as I sang, the worship team caught up with me, and gradually everyone else joined in, and we sang the song!

Experiences like this are stuck in my memory. I have lots of stories to tell, and they all play some part in the road God lead me down. I am not a singer, but if nobody else knows the song, then I’ll sing. We do not serve ourselves or our own image. “Likes” on Facebook or Instagram are not the goal – the goal is to be available whenever the Lord needs you. There is only one way to learn this, and that is by being an active and willing helper in the church you belong to. Find out where you can be useful today, and serve God with gladness!

If you are a pastor or a leader today, you must teach this lesson to all who want to serve God. There is a spiritual law in 1 Peter, chapter 5, that applies to all:

“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time”

    1 Peter 5:5-6

Lack of respect for leaders will always be a hindrance for spiritual growth, while a willing and submissive attitude brings God’s grace over your life.

Before we leave the subject, I have to admit there is a final point of the story about the song. Some years later when this song was sung during a conference in Uppsala, I heard a Norwegian worship leader saying: “It is so strange. We sing this song in Norway also, but here in Uppsala the melody is different.” I didn’t say anything. I just smiled to her and looked surprised. I know I did my best, and who can prove that my melody was worse? Maybe it was an improvement! Whatever is right, just remember that ministry begins with saying: “I’ll do anything for You, Jesus.”