Answering the Call
Happy New Year to everyone!
As we begin the New Year, I want to return to the theme I introduced in the November blog on The Praxes of Pastoring. These practices will be those activities that are common and characteristic of those who serve the Lord Jesus as servant-leaders in the church. What I hope to achieve in this series is a better understanding between those who serve as shepherds of God’s flock and the sheep entrusted to their care. A better understanding between the pastor and people will inevitably create an environment in which the Holy Spirit will empower a loving, working, and productive cooperation and partnership toward unity and maturity in Christ.
This, I believe, is one of Paul’s main teaching aims in Ephesians 4, which begins: “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:1-6 NIV).
The calling Paul references multiple times in this passage is the calling of God, which the believers answered by grace through faith, “and this is not from yourselves” (Ephesians 2:8). It is the call of salvation in Christ. Because this calling to salvation is such an indescribable gift of God, Paul urges the believers in Ephesus to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” And then he goes on to summarize that life in terms of humility, gentleness, and patient love, the very virtues of Christ himself.
Among those called to salvation in Christ and gifted for service are those called to serve in a leadership capacity. As Paul explained it: “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV). Here Paul identifies one of the chief purposes of spiritual leaders in the life of the church – to equip church members in works of service as they purposefully put their God-given spiritual gifts into practice.
I believe it is possible that an individual might receive several of these leadership gifts as determined by the Holy Spirit. The role of a pastor, for example, is often attached to the role of teacher in Paul’s five-fold leadership gift set. Nevertheless, each of these essential roles are most certainly accompanied by a specific vocational call of God to the Gospel ministry, and answering that call is life changing.
When we speak of God’s calling, we are acknowledging that God is the sovereign initiator of what he has planned and purposed for our lives. He does the calling; we do the answering. His calling is powerful, but not forceful. Our answering is surrendering, but not unwillingly. One answers neither the call of salvation nor the call of vocation half-heartedly, for that is not the answer God honors with his grace or with his gifts.
Furthermore, God’s gifting to individuals is always “according to the grace given to each of us” (Romans 12:6). I understand that to mean that although all believers are given a gift of the Spirit, or even multiple gifts in some cases, we don’t all receive the same measure of that gifting of grace in terms of ability. That some pastors and teachers are more gifted than others should be obvious. Nevertheless, all are equally called and equally valued in the work of the Kingdom. What matters to God is that whatever measure of grace a person receives, he or she uses it to the fullest for the purpose it has been given and to the glory of God.
But one’s success in pastoral ministry is dependent more than anything on calling. Sometimes talent may mimic gifting, but calling must be incontrovertible. For example, some individuals with rhetorical skills may mistake his or her talent with the calling to preach. Such a person may be theologically sound in doctrine and captivating in the art of public speaking, able to articulate the truths of the Scripture with a captivating delivery. But absent the call of God, such a person will not be able to sustain a ministry of pastoral leadership. Conversely, a person of less ability and gifting will endure the challenges, hardships, and disappointments of pastoral ministry so long as that person lives with the knowledge and certainty of their call. Sometimes that certainty of the Lord’s calling is the only thing that sustains them.
Looking back, I don’t recall anyone ever asking me why I do what I do. Just in recent years, having surpassed the age of 70, have people asked me why I’m still doing what I’m doing (The implication being that I’m well past the so-called “age of retirement.”) My answer both then and now would be the same: I’m doing what I do because it’s what I was called by God to do.
I believe most pastors would answer that question the same as I do. I think most pastors understand exactly what Paul means when he writes to the church at Corinth explaining why he never expected payment from them, although he had a right to receive wages for his work. He wrote, “In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast (The boast that he never preached for remuneration.) For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (I Corinthians 9:14-16 NIV).
What Paul expressed in that passage is the mindset of those who have answered the call of God to pastoral ministry. How can anyone say “No” to the call of the One who said “Yes” for us?
Prayer Requests:
- Pray for our faithfulness and God’s favor upon our ministry.
- Pray for Bedon Baptist Church and their Pastor Search Committee.
- Pray for the NextStep Process and the two Pastor Small Groups in Santee Association.
- Pray for Elliott’s mother.
- Pray for your pastor and his family.