{"id":32057,"date":"2022-09-10T15:54:37","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:54:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/do-you-desire-to-pastor\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T15:54:37","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:54:37","slug":"do-you-desire-to-pastor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/do-you-desire-to-pastor\/","title":{"rendered":"Do You Desire to Pastor?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
<\/div>\n

By Craig Thompson<\/em><\/p>\n

In 1 Timothy 3:1, Paul writes, \u201cIf anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.\u201d The word aspire <\/em>means, \u201cto stretch one\u2019s self out in order to grasp something.\u201d Paul says a person reaching out to the office of pastor is doing a good, beautiful, and noble task.<\/p>\n

Do you feel called? If you\u2019re serving as a pastor, do you want to be in your role? I don\u2019t mean do you want to be in the exact church you\u2019re in, but do you want to pastor? Do you desire to serve God\u2019s people as a shepherd?<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, I meet many pastors who don\u2019t seem to have any real longing to oversee God\u2019s people. Some of these church leaders entered into the pastorate because they had a gift for preaching and teaching that was recognized by others. As a result, they assumed they were supposed to be pastors.<\/p>\n

Others take on the role of pastor because their father was a pastor and they\u2019re attempting to carry on the family legacy. Still others enter into vocational ministry because they\u2019re looking for a sense of fulfillment\u2014buying into the belief they can somehow be fixed through an attempt fix others.<\/p>\n

Desiring the office<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you have no desire to pastor, you shouldn\u2019t be a pastor. But if you do have that desire and serve in a pastoral role, you have a calling and a responsibility from God. It\u2019s not always an easy calling and it\u2019s not always fun, but you\u2019re called to obey with some degree of joy and delight.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Will every day in the life of a pastor be filled with joy? Certainly not. There will be days, weeks, and perhaps even months when crawling into your study or climbing into the pulpit is a form of drudgery. But over all\u2014and over time\u2014you should desire your task.<\/p>\n

Pastors should desire the office, but desire must be checked. Seventeen hundred years ago, Augustine warned about the double-edged sword of desire. There\u2019s a desire that\u2019s healthy and appropriate and there\u2019s one that\u2019s sinful. The person who pursues vocational ministry because they desire job security or see it as an \u201ceasy way to make a living\u201d isn\u2019t qualified.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re reading this as a member of a search committee, keep Paul\u2019s words in mind. The fact that someone expresses desires to pastor your church doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re somehow less godly than the candidate who\u2019s content to stay right where they are.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
See also  3 Practical Steps for Reaching the Mission Field in Your Neighborhood<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Desires can be good and godly. An unsolicited resume isn\u2019t necessarily a sign of immaturity or sinful desire. It may very well be the holy aspirations of a godly candidate. After all, would you rather have a pastor who wants to be with you or one who worked diligently to stay away?<\/p>\n

Staying Engaged In Ministry<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Aspiring pastors should desire the office for God\u2019s glory and for the privilege of serving God\u2019s people. They should long to discharge the duties of a pastor.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t desire to pastor, find something else to do. You haven\u2019t failed the Lord if you haven\u2019t been called to the office of pastor. But if you do desire that role, work diligently to fulfill your responsibilities with nobility.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re wrestling with a call to pastor, two things will keep you engaged in the ministry:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The knowledge that God has called you<\/li>\n
  2. A desire to serve as a pastor<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    On the backside of hard meetings, you need to be able to retreat to your office and remember God has called you. This is why it\u2019s a good idea to frame your ordination certificate and hang it in your office. It can serve as a regular, visible reminder of God\u2019s call and of your sending church\u2019s affirmation.<\/p>\n

    Then, even when ministry is hard, remember the desire, joy, and satisfaction you\u2019ve experienced serving God and His people through pastoral ministry.<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s a noble task\u2014one worth desiring.<\/p>\n

    \n
    \n

    Craig Thompson<\/h2>\n

    @craig_thompson<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n

    Craig is the husband of Angela, father of four, and senior pastor of Malvern Hill Baptist Church in Camden, South Carolina.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n