Category Archives: Leadership Philosophy

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3 Fold Biblical Remedy For Fear Of Failure In Ministry

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Scared childImage via Wikipedia

One of the greatest tools of Satan is fear. Make no mistake about it, he knows exactly how to capitalize on the slightest opening of fear in our lives as spiritual leaders. If someone tells to you that they never fear, then they are have told a lie. The truth of the matter is that everyone has fears. Some even have them to the extent we call them phobias. In spite of this reality, the Bible has a 3 fold remedy for fear of failure in ministry. Let us take this biblical prescription without delay!

The Reality Of Fear…

The Apostle Paul addressed the issue of fear with a younger preacher named Timothy. As Brother Timothy’s fatherly figure, Paul encouraged him about his fears in a very practical way. He wrote him two letters, both of which we have in our Bibles. Specifically, in the second letter, Paul wrote about the fact of timidity and shame concerning his own imprisonment. Timothy knew, unlike many of us, how that standing for Christ could literally cost you everything. It was only natural for this young preacher to have fears, and the aged apostle understood this. He helped him by the reminder of what God HAS given us and what He HAS NOT given us. Consider…

(2 Timothy 1:7) “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”  (KJV)

Fears And Facts…

Fact. There are legitimate things that should concern us. However, this concern should not be nurtured to the point of fear and worry.

Fact. When fear and worry is nurtured in a particular area, then we have stopped looking at things from the faith perspective, but from a fear perspective.

Fact. Fear is a consuming cancer if left unchecked! Pastors must conquer this eroding current in their character.

One of the biggest fears a pastor has is that of failure!

One of the biggest fears a pastor has is that of failure! Failure to lead the church in the manner in which Christ wants him to, failure to move the congregation from point “A” to point “B”, and failure to provide the leadership that would be favorable for great spiritual growth are just a few of the issues that concern pastors. While there are many failure scenarios one could consider, no pastor want to fail in any of them! There is hope… for the Bible has a remedy for the fear of failure in ministry.

3 Fold Biblical Remedy For Fear Of Failure In Ministry

#1 – God Has Given Us The Spirit Of Power!

From the aforementioned text above, the Apostle Paul reminds us that God has not given us a mental disposition (spirit) of fear, but of power. That word “power” is speaking of a supernatural power, an ability, a strength from God alone.

Think about it this for a minute. How can we serve the Lord without His strength and power? When spiritual leaders, such as pastors, fear of failing in some way, then they are relying upon themselves. This cannot be! Every pastor must depend upon God’s power to accomplish the tasks that lay before them!

#2 – God Has Given Us The Spirit Of Love!

The love Paul referred to is that of God’s love for man. It is “agape” love… sacrificial love! Not only has He displayed His love through Jesus Christ, but He has given us that same love. When one considers the ramifications of this, then one is moved to show this same love toward others. As pastors lead their people with this kind of love at the helm, then failure is not so fearful. Mistakes will happen, but love shown and received take the sting away!

#3 – God Has Given Us The Spirit Of A Sound Mind!

When the Apostle speaks of a sound mind, he is talking about self control or temperance. When we have our minds centered upon godliness, and virtuous things then we can be better equipped to walk closer to the Lord. Simply thinking good thoughts does not take care of fear, but it does provide fertile ground for the Holy Ghost of God to mature us with self control. This will, in turn, helps us to hold up our shield of faith and not become casualties of fear and worry!

Conclusion…

Though everyone has fears, the fear of failure in ministry can be curtailed when we take God’s prescription for it. Often, fear points us toward things we don’t have or don’t have control over. Rather than focusing on what we don’t have, we should embrace what God has given us!God’s Power, God’s Love, and God’s Temperament will combat fear of failure every time!

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Pastor, Keep It Simple

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Pastor Andrew SchankAs of late, God has been dealing with me on several issues regarding the pastorate. I am currently in a unique situation being that we are starting a church from scratch. It is very challenging, and forcing me to go back to the early church’s simple and primitive roots. Simply put, we need to keep things simple. Listed below are some thoughts I have pondered about this issue. I hope they help you in days ahead!

Keep Salvation’s Message Simple

(Ephesians 2:8-9) “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”  (KJV)

Salvation’s simplicity is amazing. Sinners need to repent of their sins and place their faith and trust in Christ’s sacrificial death, burial, and glorious resurrection. So many denominations and churches seek to bar the gates of Heaven, whether they realize this or not, with baptisms, works, and sacraments, etc.

We must keep the message of salvation plain, simple and clear. To complicate things brings everyone involved heart ache, and, in many cases, eternal damnation because of false, heretical, and man made doctrines. Make much of Jesus and He will make much of you!

Keep The Public Worship Service Simple

Dry liturgical services can embalm God’s children. No matter the type of church, history proves that dead worship spreads like cancer and will kill the potential worshipful atmosphere. What’s wrong with prayer, spirit filled hymns, and old fashioned preaching?

Entertainment, by definition, requires a complicated structure which tries to mimic the real. It is not the REAL thing, but only a mechanism which seeks to re-create the real. You do not need an entertainment driven ministry when you have a spirit filled church!

Keep The Ministry Simple

  • Keep the main thing the main thing!
  • If it is not broken, be wary about trying to fix it!
  • Exalt Christ in all you pursue!
  • Take time to enjoy the little things God does in your life!

Conclusion

Much of my problems as a pastor stem from complexity. Striving for and maintaining a simple approach to ministry has helped keep my stress level to a minimum and increased my joy! People tend to enjoy the simple and appreciate it’s refreshment amidst the backdrop of dead formality!

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Decrying much of contemporary worship as entertainment, Tozer says, “When we are worshipping…if the love of God is in us and the Spirit of God is breathing praise within us, all the musical instruments in heaven are suddenly playing in full support.” Originally preached as sermons at Avenue Road Alliance Church in Toronto, the chapters of Whatever Happened to Worshipconvey Tozer’s attitude and thoughts on Christian worship.

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Pastor, Is Your Church Balanced In It’s Purpose

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In our society today, it is quite common to see the mainstream become a specialization. What was once a general repair shop for automobiles, has now become a muffler repair shop only. What was once considered a family practice, has now become a pediatrician’s office. There is nothing wrong with adjusting a business model, accordingly, to the local market, but this philosophy cannot be adopted into the accomplishment of the purposes of Christ’s church.


What Is The Purpose(s) Of The Church?

As related by Dr. Roger Baker, of Calvary Baptist Church and Seminary of King, North Carolina, there are five distinct purposes of the local church which can be found in two important statements made by the Lord Jesus. Consider the following…

#1 THE GREAT COMMANDMENT (Matthew 22:36-40) – summarizes the entire Old Testament

  • We are told to love God which is WORSHIP
  • We are told to love our neighbor which is MINISTRY

#2 THE GREAT COMMISSION(Matthew 28:18-20)

  • Told to make disciples which is EVANGELISM
  • Told to teach which is DISCIPLESHIP
  • Told to baptize which enlists believers into FELLOWSHIP of the local assembly

We can see how the five purposes of the local church are found in these two statements. ALL five must be carried out. The church has been equipped to do so, but, for one reason or another, many local churches get out of balance and fail to successfully carry these out, as a complete unit, consistently.

Further Analysis…

Consider the following statements very carefully and compare with YOUR local church. Can you see any resemblance with the following characterizations?

  1. Some churches major only on EVANGELISM and could be considered as evangelistic centers. Soul-Winning is the responsibility of every believer, but it is not the only purpose of the church body collectively. In this scenario, the pastor is seen primarily as an EVANGELIST.
  2. Some churches major only on DISCIPLESHIP and could be considered as information centers. The local assembly should take the lead in providing sound Bible teaching and provide fertile ground for personal growth and the maturation of God’s children, but this is not the sole purpose. In this scenario, the pastor is seen primarily as a TEACHER.
  3. Some churches major only on MINISTRY and could be considered as program centers. Helping people by various services, and ministries is great, but not the sole reason for the church’s existence. In this scenario, the pastor is seen primarily as a COORDINATOR.
  4. Some churches major only on FELLOWSHIP and could be considered as fellowship centers. We should fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ, but there are people to be evangelized and trained. In this scenario, the pastor is seen primarily as a “SOCIALIZE-ER”.
  5. Some churches major only on WORSHIP and could be considered worship centers. Worship is absolutely essential in our lives as believers, but it is not the only purpose of the New Testament Church. In this scenario, the pastor is seen primarily as a PRIEST to bring people into the presence of God.

Conclusion

Many well meaning congregations have been unbalanced in their pursuit of fulfilling God’s purpose for their local church. As a result, people are not well balanced. Each of these purposes: evangelism, discipleship, ministry, fellowship, and worship are necessary and equally important. They function together as a unit.

Some could convincingly argue the point that we should be happy to excel in one or more of these areas; individually. They would argue that it ought to be acceptable and admiral to be overly balanced in any, one, of the purposes. After all, they are, in fact, things we are supposed to be exemplifying.

One may be extremely offended by this post’s assertions, but the fact of the matter is that we need BALANCE. I do not use the term balance as “CODE”for some weird, doctrinal position. In fact, I personally feel it to be considered a compliment to have a church known for some of the individual purposes mentioned in this post. Who wouldn’t want to be known as a soul-winning church? This, however, is not the point. The 5 purposes of the church should be carried out in a balanced approach.

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In the same tradition as the John Phillips Commentary, this volume in the John Phillips Bible Characters series provides a rich exposition of the lives of 47 significant, and sometimes overlooked, people in the New Testament such as: Mary, Herod, John the Baptist, Lazarus, Paul, Luke, the ten lepers, and many more. This resource also includes detailed outlines and numerous illustrations and quotations.

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