Posted this last weekend, but I’ve just read it again.
The Pre-Conference Seminar of the Bethlehem Pastor’s Conference featured Paul Tripp delivering talks to pastors entitled ‘Dangerous Calling’.
They are so biblical, so direct, so helpful, so insightful and so challenging.
They must be read.
If you’re a pastor go and read them. If you have a pastor send him the link, or print them out and give them to him. Tell him I told you to do it if you need to.
Here’s some quotes:
Paul Tripp asks:
“Pastor, what’s going on in your heart? How is that in some way formative in all of the formal aspects of your ministry? Turn with me to Malachi 2…
What I’d like to do is help you examine pastoral culture. It’s the world that surrounds a pastor. I’d like to give you some questions we should ask about normal, American, evangelical pastoral culture.
In the second hour I want to help you think about temptations that are either resident in pastoral ministry or are intensified by pastoral ministry.”
“Brothers, let’s say it: Ministry is war. That war is not fought in programs or finances. It is fought on the turf of your heart. Ministry is war and we need to be equipped and skilled soldiers so that we are not the casualties of that war.”
“Guys, where are the thorns still in your own life? Where does that transformation still need to take place? Are you hungry, are you expectant, are you needy? Or are you accustomed to holding God’s word at a distance and have thus become comfortable in your life with things you should not be comfortable with? Where is there still a need for ongoing personal transformation?”
“God is after our hearts. He is after our thoughts, our deepest desires. He will not be satisfied with anything else. Could it be that the difficulties of ministry are the evidence of sweet, perseverant grace? Could it be that what you are thinking is terrible is the best thing that could happen to you? Could it be that I’d rather ministry be easy than for me to be holy? Could it be?”
“If you are aware that there are incongruities in your public and personal life, then seek help. You are not designed to do this thing by yourself. Your ministry is a community project.
See to it that no one has a sinful…unbelieving…hard heart. Pastors, hear this: if you push, poke, and slap your children, those aren’t acts of discipline but abuse. You are sinning, so stop it.
You don’t live life in big moments. You live life in the utterly mundane. If God doesn’t rule your mundane, then he doesn’t rule your life. The character of a life is set in 10,000 little moments, not big moments. We begin in those little moments to let down our guard. A little lust, jealousy, or anger in ministry because I haven’t gotten the appreciation that’s due to me. If you’re a believer and do something wrong, your conscience bothers you..that’s the work of the Holy Spirit.
You have two options for your unbelief, either go to Jesus and ask for forgiveness or you erect your own justification for what you’ve done wrong. You say things like: I wasn’t lusting, I was appreciating beauty. I yell at my kids like a prophet, ‘Thus says the Lord…’ I exerted my power because I have leadership gifts.”
“As long as sin still lives inside of you, there will be spiritual blindness and you will need help. The only solution is daily intervention. Not just occasional, but daily, intentionally intrusive, Christ-centered, grace-filled people surrounding me. People that step into my life because I’m scared to death of my blindness.
Christ-centered, because we don’t believe in a system, we believe in a Redeemer. Grace-driven, because it’s only in grace that I have the courage to step out of myself to say I need help. Quit thinking about losing your job, about what your elders will think. Step into grace, and let it transform you. I think every pastor needs to hold on to this reality: we are a people constantly in need of redemption.
Personal spiritual insight is the product of community. So get help. Step into the community so that you may see yourself with accuracy and receive the continual resources of grace that your Savior died to give you. Don’t live in denial, hiding, or fear. Live in hope and courage. Get help.
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