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Dave Harvey

Are You Called?

Copyright 1996 PDI Ministries

Gaithersburg, MD 20876

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Are You Called: The Character and Capabilities of Called Men

I. INTRODUCTION

- Review of first class

- Review of reading assignment

- Review of "A calling equation"

- Open to 1 Tim. 3:2-7; Titus 1:5-9

None but he who made the world can make a Minister of

the Gospel.

- John Newton1

II. EXAMINING THE CHARACTER FACTOR

- The tragedy of diminishing character

- The ministry is acharactervocation.

Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them,

because if you do, you will save both yourself and your

hearers.

- 1 Tim. 4:16 (NIV)

...not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being

examples to the flock.

- 1 Peter 5:3 (NIV)

An abundance of biblical knowledge or the dexterity of

ministry skills is not the first test of the validity of ones

desire for the pastoral ministry. Rather, Scripture makesthe primary test that of godly character. (1 Tim. 3; Titus

1)

-John MacArthur2

1Charles Bridges (quoting John Newton), The Christian Ministry, p. 24.

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The Bible says much about a leaders character. It isinteresting that it says more about what a leader is to be

than it does about what he is to do. This is a good clue as

to what God thinks about this important prerequisite. It

does not matter how much education or how much

experience a person has. If he does not meet qualifications

of biblical morality, he is unfit to be a leader in Gods

church.

- John MacArthur, Jr.3

Character is what you are in the dark.

- Dwight L. Moody4

- Refer to Addendum IV for character qualifications. (Also note Addendum VII.)

- Character = (Gr. charakter) - mark made by a tool, an imprint

a) The character of the minister testifies something about God and the

church.

- Critical example areas:

a. Spiritual Disciplines:

All true spiritual leadership has its root in desperation.

- John Piper5

b. Humility:

c. Servanthood:

d. Liberty:

2

John MacArthur, Jr., Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry, p. 119.

3John MacArthur, Jr., Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry, p. 114.

4God? s Little Instruction Book for Dad, (quoting Dwight L. Moody), p. 34.

5John Piper, ? The Marks of a Spiritual Leader,? p.4.

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- Character requires context

Ministry is a character profession. To put it bluntly, you

can sleep around and still be a good brain surgeon. You

can cheat on your mate and have little trouble continuing to

practice law. Apparently, it is no problem to stay in politics

and plagiarize. You can be a successful salesperson and

cheat on your income tax. But you cannot do those things

as a Christian or as a minister and continue enjoying the

Lords blessing. You must do right in order to have true

integrity. If you cant come to terms with evil or break

habits that continue to bring reproach to the name of

Christ, please, do the Lord (and us in ministry) a favor and

resign.

- Charles Swindoll6

III. COMMON STUMBLING BLOCKS FOR GIFTED MEN

A. Selfish Ambition

- Portrait of an ambitious man

For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you

find disorder and every evil practice.

- James 3:16 (NIV)

- The distortion of gift theology

His approach is to work in you, and then through you.

- Dr. J. Robert Clinton7

6Charles Swindoll, The Bride, p. 171.

7Dr. J. Robert Clinton, The Making of a Leader, p. 33.

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From the time I first entered the University, especially from the time I knew

what was true and undefiled Christianity, I entertained high thoughts of theimportance of the ministerial office, and was not soli citous what place

should be prepared for me, but how I shoul d be prepared for a place.

- George Whitefield8

- Key principle: What were a part of is more important than the part we play.

A leader is not to consciously seek to expand his sphere of

influence as if bigger were better. A leader is to respond to

Gods challenge to accept varying spheres of influence in

order to find Gods proper sphere for him.

- Dr. J. Robert Clinton

9

- Self-promotion and the called man.

I sought not to come to you, for I was a minister of an

obscure but affectionate people. I never solicited

advancement. The first note of invitation from your

deacons came quite unlooked-for, and I trembled at the idea

of preaching in London. I could not understand how it had

come about, and even now I am filled with astonishment at

the wondrous Providence. I would wish to give myself

into the hands of our covenant God, whose wisdom directs

all things. He shall choose for me; and so far as I canjudge, this isHis choice.

- C.H. Spurgeon10

B. The Expectation Trap

A cross stands in the way of spiritual leadership, a cross

upon which the leaders must consent to be impaled.

- J. Oswald Sanders11

8

Luke Tyerman, The Life of George Whitefield, quoting George Whitefield, p. 40.

9Dr. J. Robert Clinton, The Making of a Leader, p. 118.

10Lewis Drummond (quoting C.H. Spurgeon), Spurgeon: Preacher of Preachers, p. 200.

11John MacArthur, Jr. (quoting J. Oswald Sanders), Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry, p. 296.

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1. Wrong expectation regarding the means of ministry

a) Weakness - 2 Corin. 12:7-10

b) Suffering - 2 Corin 4:7-12

God never wastes the gift of suffering (Phil.

1:29). It is given to His ministers as He knows

best, and its design is the consolation and salvation

of our people. No pastoral suffering is senseless.

No pastoral pain is pointless. No adversity is

absurd and meaningless. Every heartache had its

divine target in the consolation of the saints, evenwhen we feel least useful.

- John Piper12

2. Wrong expectations from relationships

a) Pauls suffering often came from departures and desertions (2 Tim.).

b) Though we build relationally, relationships are not a right.

No ministry of any value comes without pain. I

often encounter young men headed for ministry

who are looking for a church without problems, a

ministry without challenges, a congregation that

will make life easy. There is no such place for the

faithful preacher of the Word. The notion that

ministry can be both effective and painless is a lie.

You will encounter hardship if you preach the

unadulterated Word. And when adversity strikes,

you have two choices. You can endure and

remain steadfast, or you can compromise. The

faithful minister holds the line for the truth. You

cannot do that and escape suffering.

- John MacArthur13

12John Piper, "Brothers, Our Affliction Is for Their Comfort,? The Standard, pp.28-29.

13John MacArthur, Jr., Ashamed of the Gospel, p. 38.

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IV. FOUR CAPABILITIES OF A CALLED MAN

The two grand combining requisites for this Divine

vocation may be determined to be, a desire, and a fitness,

for the office.

- Charles Bridges14

- Refer to Addendum IV.

At the risk of being simplistic, I suggest that leadership is

primarily responsible for church malfunction. No church

achieves excellence in ministry without mature, capable

leadership; excellent leadership generally produces effective

churches. Jesus majored in leadership training during hisearthly ministry. We would do well to follow his example.

- James Means15

A. An Aptitude for Sound Doctrine

1. A passion for study

When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at

Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.

- 2 Tim 4:13 (NIV)

- Study is a non-negotiable for the called man.

Reading gives us breadth, but study

gives us depth.

- Jerry Bridges16

Five years from now you will be pretty much the

same as you are today except for two things: the

books you read and the people you get close to.

- Charles Jones17

14Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry, p. 94.

15James Means, Leadership in Christian Ministry, p. 12.

16Donald S. Whitney (quoting Jerry Bridges), Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, p. 31.

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2. A cultivation of discernment based on sound doctrine

He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has

been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound

doctrine and refute those who oppose it. For there are

many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers,

especially those of the circumcision group. They must be

silenced, because they are ruining whole households by

teaching things they ought not to teach -- and that for the

sake of dishonest gain.

- Titus 1:9-11 (NIV)

A shepherds oversight of the flock expresses itself

broadly in two ways. First, shepherds provide truthful,

positive direction and leadership to the flock. Second, they

warn of spiritual dangers such as sin, false teaching, and

false teachers, including Satans assaults against the

saints.


Many a minister fails as a pastor because he is not vigilant.

He allows his church to be torn to pieces because he is

half asleep. He took it for granted that there were no

wolves, no birds of prey, no robbers, and while he was

drowsing the enemy arrived. False ideas, destructive

interpretations, demoralizing teachings came into his group,

and he never knew it...There are errors which are as fierce

as wolves and pitiless as hyenas; they tear faith and hope

and love to pieces and leave churches, once prosperous,

mangled and half dead.

- Charles Jefferson19

- Doctrinal discernment is vital to all ministry roles.

17Patrick M. Morley (quoting Charles Jones), The Man in the Mirror, p. 115.

18John MacArthur, Jr., Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry, p. 339.

19John MacArthur, Jr. (quoting Charles Jefferson)., Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry, p. 257.

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Discernment is a spiritual capacity. It is the insight thatcomes with Christian wisdom. It is the ability to see

through life, to see it for what it really is. Some people

are more naturally sagacious than others, some more

critically astute than others, and God may enhance this sort

of gift by his grace, but it is not this natural ability that I am

referring to here. The heart of the ability to discern right

from wrong in the actual circumstances of life is the rich

flowering that God intends from the interactions of the

truth of his Word, reflection on it, and the moral character

that grows out of it. It is this culture of wisdom with

which the Bible, in both Testaments, is much concerned

and in which the evangelical world appears to have lostinterest.

- David Wells20

It may seem strange to speak of unintentional apostasy.

When God judges our actions, surely he considers our

intentions along with our actions. To condemn the gospel

intentionally is obviously more heinous than to do so

unintentionally. But unintentional heresy is still heresy, as

both sides agreed.

- R. C. Sproul21

The heretics were never dishonest men; they were

mistaken men. They should not be thought of as men

who were deliberately setting out to go wrong and to teach

something that is wrong; they have been some of the most

sincere men that the Church has ever known. What was

the matter with them? Their trouble was this: they evolved

a theory and they were rather pleased with it; then they

went back with this theory to the Bible, and they seemed to

find it everywhere.

- Tony Sargent22

20David Wells, God in the Wasteland, p. 55.

21R.C. Sproul, Faith Alone, p. 179.

22Tony Sargent, The Sacred Anointing, p. 219 (emphasis mine).

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- Discernment must be doctrinal and practical.

a) Prov. 26: 4 & 5

B. A Capability for Shepherding

- Gods people should be able to touch his heart and feel his care through any office.

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch

over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their

work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage

to you.- Hebrews 13:17

- In Heb. 13:17, the watching (shepherding) responsibility applies to all leaders.

- Refer to Addendum V.

C. A Capability for Management

I....if it is leadership, let him govern diligently...

- Rom. 12:8 (NIV)

- Proistemi to lead, to direct, to assist, to arrange, to apply oneself to

- Gerhard Kittel23

a) Titus 1:8 - An elder must be disciplined.

- The called man must be able to manage his life and gift.

a) Gifting w/o administration = frustration

b) Eph. 4 is clear that ministry involves equipping. Equipping requires

structures and administration.

23Gerhard Kittel & Gerhard Friedrich (editors)/Geoffrey W. Bromiley (translator), Theological

Dictionary of the New Testament, p. 938.

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Telling people what to do without providing the

means to do it is cruel and defrauding. It createsspiritual schizophrenia, Christians who are experts

on what they are not experiencing.

- Bill Hull24

The degree to which a leader is able to delegate

work is a measure of his success.

- J. Oswald Sanders25

- Dispelling illusions of ministry

The bottom line is that as the church grows there is a

steady increase in the priority a pastor assigns to

administration and studying.

- Darius Salter26

Why should businesses striving for short-lived financial gain be

administrated more circumspectly than an institution laboring to lay up

treasures in heaven (John 6:27; Matt. 6:19-21)?

- Wayne Mack & David Swavely27

- Result: We must broaden our definition of gifting.

- The church as community, cause, and corporation

a) Lessons from Acts 6:1-7

24Bill Hull, The Disciple Making Pastor, p. 96.

25John MacArthur, Jr. (quoting J. Oswald Sanders), Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry, p. 302.

26Darius Salter, What Really Matters in Ministry, p. 35.

27Wayne Mack & David Swavely, Life in the Father? s House: A Member? s Guide to the Local

Church, p. 25.

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(1) Ministry must be reactive and proactive.

Leadership is:

- knowing what to do next;

- knowing why thats

important; and

- knowing how to bring appropriate resources to

bear on the need at hand.

- Bobb Biehl28

(2) Ministry should be focused and intentional.

(3) Ministers should be positioned for maximum effectiveness.

The secret of any organizations success is

choosing the right people to play key leadership

roles... One of the most important aspects of

successful leadership is putting together a group of

people to carry out the mission.

- Fred Smith29

D. The Capability for a Compelling Lifestyle

Join with others in following my example, brothers, and

take note of those who live according to the pattern we

gave you.

- Phil. 3:17 (NIV)

- Principle: When someone encounters our life, they should be provoked, not

compromised or stumbled.

It is not optional that their lives be examples for others to

follow; it is a requirement.

- Wayne Grudem (emphasis mine)30

28Bobb Biehl, Increasing Your Leadership Confidence, p. 13.

29Fred Smith, Learning to Lead, p.93.

30Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, p. 916.

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- Applications:

a) Work Habits - 1 Thess. 5:12

At times there would be those who would come

to him who had failed in other callings. They

almost invariably testified that they had turned to

the ministry because they regarded their lack of

success in other areas as the Lord shutting up all

other doors. Spurgeon had no sympathy. He

would always say, ? The ministry needs the very

best men, not those who cannot do anything else.

A man who will succeed as a preacher wouldprobably do right well either as a grocer or a

lawyer or anything else.

- Lewis Drummond31

b) Financial Stewardship - 1 Peter 5:3; 1 Tim. 3:5

c) Rest - Jn. 15

d) Home Life - 1 Tim. 3:5; 1 Tim. 3:11-13; Titus 1:6

e) Reputation with outsiders (1 Tim. 3:7)

- A Personal Inventory - Refer to Addendum VI

- The called man should enjoy a life which illustrates the truth of his message.

To be a leader, one needs to be aware that he must first

measure upto these traits as a qualification to enterinto the

office of pastor, and then he must maintainthese qualities

in his life if he is tostayin the pastoral ministry.


31Lewis Drummond, Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers, p. 415.

32John MacArthur, Jr. Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry, p. 287.

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