Pastoral Ministry

Introduction

Andrew, John and Peter. These are some of the most common names not only in Russia, but more or less all over the world. These famous names go back to a group of men who 2,000 years ago decided to follow Jesus wherever He would lead them. Today we know them as the twelve apostles of the Christian church. They became the first leaders in Jerusalem, and later all the way to Rome. They wrote books in the Bible and guaranteed that the gospel was correctly established and handed over to new generations of believers. The wall around the heavenly Jerusalem will have twelve foundations; each foundation will be named after one of these men.

They are the giants of church history.

But they all began as disciples.

A book about the ministry of a pastor has to begin with God’s calling and the times of preparation that follow. Nobody steps straight into ministry. We begin by being disciples, by learning and practicing, guided by the Holy Spirit. When Jesus called His twelve disciples, He knew the future of each of them. They would be shepherds and pioneers in His kingdom and they would be examples and heroes for all generations of Christians who would follow. That is why He spent most of His earthly ministry training them.

They followed Him, watched Him, listened to Him and imitated Him. From Him they learned everything about being a spiritual leader. They wrote down His speeches and recorded His miracles. When they became too eager, He had to calm them down and make them understand that they had more to learn before He could send them into the world. But finally the day came when He returned to the Father and could say to them “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15) and “Tend My sheep” (John 21:16). Because they had followed Him all this time, they were now ready to fully be what He had intended them to be from the first moment He called them.

This must also be our story. The pastoral ministry begins with following Jesus. Only he who is willing to humble himself and be formed by the Holy Spirit can one day serve as a useful vessel. To be a disciple is never wasted time. Every day Peter and John spent with Jesus gave them something significant for the future, and He still works like that with us today.

Chapter 1

The calling of God

“God… who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.”

When I was a child and people asked me what I was going to be as an adult, I only had one answer: “I’m going to be a pastor.” The conviction I had inside was both strong and personal. I just knew that this would be my future.

Many children have thoughts and dreams about their future professions and carriers, and quite often the dreams never come true. If every child’s dream about the future would become reality, half of the male population of Russia would be either astronauts or professional football players. But somehow I understood that my assurance was of another kind. To be a pastor was not just something I wanted to do; I would certainly not mind being a football player myself. My conviction went deeper. I was convinced that this was neither an idea I had made up myself or something someone had told me. I simply felt that this was God’s will for my life.

Growing up, I did not speak much about this with others. But I remember how I sometimes envied my classmates who could choose their profession freely. Regarding myself, I felt that my course was set. And even though there were times when it seemed that this would never happen, and I actually turned 29 before I accepted my first pastoral position, the belief never left me that becoming a pastor was God’s destiny for my life.

But can God really speak to a child? And if He does, how can we know what is the difference between imagination and God’s voice?

God can speak to any human being at any time of life. He is sovereign in all that He does, and we must never belittle spiritual experiences that children have. A child is just as much a spiritual being as someone who is older, and sometimes it can even be easier for children than for grown-ups to experience God. Children have an innocence and simplicity we grownups sometimes lack. Remember the words of Jesus:

“Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”

It is easy for me to recall the strong sense of destiny I felt as an 8 or 9-year-old boy. When God calls, we never immediately understand the full width and consequences of what the calling means. God’s election often comes as a desire to serve Him, and as days and years go by, God will add more and more insight about tasks, times and places

The pastoral ministry never begins with us. As all other things in God’s kingdom, it begins with Him. Being a pastor is not just an occupation you choose, it is much more than that. God calls people into ministry. He challenges us, speaks to us and reveals to us that we are needed in His church. It is however important for me to state that not all will have the same specific experience of calling that I had. God can speak in innumerable ways. A calling can come with thunder and lightning like it did for Isiah and Paul, or like a quiet growing sense that this is God’s plan for my life. We must never try to turn our own experiences into doctrines, but leave it to the Lord to speak to each person in the way He chooses. What is important for us, is to understand that the ministry never begins with us. God is the origin of all things in His kingdom, including your ministry. John the Baptist said:

“A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.”

And the apostle Paul raises this question:

“…what do you have that you did not receive?”

Only by understanding that God, and not you, brings you into ministry, can you develop the right attitudes of a spiritual leader.

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…”

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!

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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 21st century God is still the God who is in the secret place.

IN ALL THE NOISE OF THE 21st 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.

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”

And:

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

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.