Dangerous Calling by Paul David Tripp - Accelerate Books · including Whiter Than Snow, What Did You Expect?, Sex and Money, and New Morning Mercies. order to reveal how unhealthy

S U M M A R YDANGEROUS CALLINGBY PAUL DAVID TRIPP

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OVERVIEWWhile many assume that pastors are the mostspiritually-healthy people in churches, PaulDavid Tripp has discovered a serious problemwithin pastoral culture. Unfortunately, much of pastoral culture isspiritually unhealthy, biblically inaccurate, and

privately destructive. This unhealthyenvironment actively undermines the well-being and effectiveness of church leaders and,by extension, the entire church body. There are unrealistic expectations placed onpastors by themselves, their congregation, andcommunity. These expectations have causedmany pastors to have horizontally focusedidentities and definitions of success based onexternal situations, experiences, andrelationships. Dangerous Calling diagnoses and offers curesfor issues that impact every church leader andleader, giving solid strategies for fighting theall-important war that rages in our churchestoday. It reveals the truth that pastoral identityshould be vertically focused on who you are inChrist and all of the practical and personalimplications of that reality. This book will guide leaders in a much neededspiritual surgery on themselves so they canmost effectively take up the dangerous callingof shepherding God’s people.

Paul David Tripp is a best-selling author andthe president of Paul Tripp Ministries. He alsoserves as the executive director of the Centerfor Pastoral Life and Care in Fort Worth, Texas. Paul attended Columbia Bible College (nowColumbia International University)and majored in Bible and Christian Education.

Author: Paul David Tripp

Publisher: Crossway

Date: January 31, 2016

Pages: 240

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

https://amzn.to/2AXikWn


It’s no secret that pastoral ministry is difficult. Ithas many unique challenges that differ fromother professions. Pastors are expected to beBible scholars, public speakers, andcounselors, all while meeting the needs ofmany people. Every person in the congregation, as well as thebroader community, have expectations of whatthe pastor is supposed to be like. Theseexpectations are often unrealistic andeven unbiblical. Pastors, faced with all of theseexpectations, can develop false views of themselves that are unhealthy anddetrimental to their personal lives andministries. Paul David Tripp writes directly to the heart ofpastors engaged in the tremendous battle ofvocational ministry. He offers his own personalexperiences and also provides helpfulanecdotes from the lives of other pastors in

He went on to receive his M.Div from theReformed Episcopal Seminary and his D.Min inBiblical Counseling from WestminsterTheological Seminary. Paul has authored numerous books related tothe Christian life and pastoral ministry,including Whiter Than Snow, What Did YouExpect?, Sex and Money, and New MorningMercies.

order to reveal how unhealthy pastoral culturehas become. The natural challenges of ministryare exacerbated by unreasonable expectations,reality-denying self-views, blindness to spiritualwarning signs, lack of personal devotion,satisfaction with ministerial mediocrity, anddivided homes. He exposes and confronts the uncomfortabletruths that have engulfed pastoral culture. Heoffers a biblical-based healing regiment,exhorting pastors to see themselves correctly,sit under their own preaching, live under thegrace of the Gospel, and regain the true heartof God’s Kingdom calling. “You are constantly preaching to yourself somekind of gospel. You preach to yourself an anti-gospel of your own righteousness, power, andwisdom, or you preach to yourself the truegospel of deep spiritual need and sufficientgrace. You preach to yourself an anti-gospel ofaloneness and inability, or you preach toyourself the true gospel of the presence,provisions, and power of an even presentChrist." (p. 21) If you are considering enteringministry, currently in ministry, or care aboutsomeone in ministry, Dangerous Calling willhelp you bring health back to pastoral ministry.

MAIN IDEA

M A I N I D E A Dangerous Calling


Most Christians have an academicunderstanding of spiritual maturity. Manypeople believe a spiritually mature person ismerely someone well-versed in theologicalarguments and appropriatecounterarguments. Spiritual maturity looks likeeffortless quoting of Scripture. Or perhaps atruly spiritual person has a seminary degreeand ministry experience or leads a largeministry. However, biblical spiritual maturity is notdefined by knowing but by being. Spirituallymature people are not called to just TEACHtheology, but to DO theology. Spirituallymature people are changed by the messagethey are preaching more than anyone else.They are practitioners of the Gospel, not justpreachers of it. Seminary can unintentionally create pastorswho are disconnected from Gospel community,turn the Bible into just another textbook toexamine without being

transformed by it, and send forth brilliantminds with sick hearts. There are seven things that happen when aseminary environment does not foster love forthe Word of God to continually transform theheart of the minister: spiritual blindness,theological self-righteousness, dysfunctionalpersonal relationship with the Word, lack ofpersonal gospel neediness, impatience withothers, wrong perspective of ministry, and noliving communion with Christ. Churches often only examine the knowledgeand skills of a pastoral applicant instead of hisheart and character. Therefore, when spiritualcollapse comes, they are caught off guard. It isthen they realize that being a good pastor ismore than education qualifications or animpressive resume. When spiritual maturity is defined by thepersonal transformation of the pastor by thegospel of Jesus Christ in such a way that hecontinually sees his great need for grace, thenhis heart will be guarded against forgetting hisidentity in Christ, thinking too much of himself,or setting his hopes on horizontal sourcesinstead of God. This will position him in such a way that he sitsat the feet of the Redeemer, confessing his sin,trusting in Christ’s calling and empowerment,and seeking the glory of the Father more thanhimself.

KEY INSIGHT #1

Spiritual maturity isabout BEING, not justKNOWING.

Heart over Head

K E Y I N S I G H T S Dangerous Calling


INSIGHTGRAPHIC #1



Pastors are prone to think they are preparingand preaching the Word solely for the sake ofothers. When this happens, the pastorpreaches identity in Christ, but functionallyfinds his own identity in his ministry or otherpeople’s opinion of him. When a pastor begins to find his identity fromministry, he is trying to wring security, hope,well-being, meaning, and purpose fromministry. Ministry, however, was neverdesigned to provide these things. They are onlyprovided in Christ. Many of the problems of ministry are caused byour seeking from ministry what is exclusivelyoffered to us in Christ himself. Ministry caneasily become a functional messiah thatpastors idolize. Pastors must recognize the war withinthemselves that threatens to draw theirhope and hearts away from Jesus. They must

admit what treasure they are truly seeking andadmit that it has captured the affections oftheir heart. Whatever treasure captures the heart of apastor will shape his ministry. The treasure thathas captured his heart will either further thekingdom of God or the kingdom of self. Theonly way to counteract the heart that is fightingfor the kingdom of self is to fall back in lovewith and stand in awe of the glories of thegrace of Jesus Christ. There are several possible treasure shifts thatcan happen in the heart of a pastor:

Pastors need to continually call themselvesback to the foot of the cross in confession andthen to rest in Jesus’ completed work.

Identity: Moving from identity in Christ toidentity in ministry Maturity: Defining spiritual well-being byministry instead of the mirror of the Word ofGod Reputation: Having a ministry shaped by ahunger for the praise of people rather thanzeal for the reputation of Christ Essentiality: Thinking of oneself as way tooessential to what God is doing rather thanresting in the essential presence of Christ Confidence: Overconfident in one’s ownexperiences and gifts rather than humbleconfidence in transforming grace.

KEY INSIGHT #2

Whatever treasure capturesthe heart of a pastor willshape his ministry.

The Pastor's Treasure



INSIGHTGRAPHIC #2



When a pastor forgets who God is, he loses hisawe of God. His trust dwindles and he starts tobelieve that God is dependent upon him forministry instead of him being dependent uponGod. He becomes comfortable in his sin andstops mourning over his sinfulness. He startsliving in fear of his own inadequacies, others’opinion of him, circumstances, and the future. When a pastor loses his awe of God, hisministry naturally suffers. Ministry is abouthelping others stand in awe of God, Hischaracter, and His demonstrated love formankind. When a pastor is in awe of God, thesefruits are produced in his personal life andministry: humility, tenderness, passion,confidence, discipline, and rest. To restore awe of God, the pastor must humblyrecognize, admit, and confess the things he hasset his heart on. He must rest in the grace ofJesus Christ. .

When one forgets who God is and loses his aweof the glory of God, he will also forget his ownidentity in Christ. He can easily fall into the trapof feeling like he has “arrived” and is no longerin the middle of his own sanctification. A pastor who has forgotten his identity in Godwill demonstrate the following signs: A pastor recaptures an accurate view of himselfwhen he sits in awe of God, sees himselfaccurately in the mirror of Scripture, and isdedicated to transformation through privateworship and personal devotion.

The Bible has ceased being a mirror Worship morphs from a private quest topublic duty Christianity becomes a system rather than arelationship Your desire to master content is not coupledwith craving He is more concerned with the sins of othersthan his own sin The pride of knowing has replaced thehumility of being known

KEY INSIGHT #3

Don’t Forget who GOD isand Remember who YOUare.

Set Your Mind



INSIGHTGRAPHIC #3



Paul David Tripp was heading for disaster inministry and didn’t even realize it. His wifeconfronted him, his brother challenged him, hehumbled himself, and God began changinghim. He realized his definitions of identity, spiritualmaturity, and ministry success were unhealthy,ungodly, and unbiblical. His experience of howunhealthy he had been in ministry was thebeginning of the journey that led to the writingof this book.

transform the way you live.” (p. 26) “The success of ministry is always more of apicture of who God is than a statementabout who the people are that he is usingfor his purpose.” (p. 28)

CHAPTER 1: HEADED FORDISASTER

C H A P T E R S U M M A R I E S

“You preach to yourself the anti-gospel ofyour own righteousness, power, andwisdom, or you preach to yourself the truegospel of deep spiritual need and sufficientgrace.” (p. 21) “Either you will be getting your identityvertically, from who you are in Christ, or youwill be shopping for it horizontally in thesituations, experiences, and relationships ofyour daily life.” (p. 22) “Biblical maturity is never just about whatyou know; it’s always about how grace hasemployed what you have come to know to

QUOTES

APPLICATION QUESTIONS

How do you respond when someoneidentifies sin in your life? Finish the sentence: “I believe I amspiritually mature because…” Did youranswer have more to do with yourtheological or biblical knowledge,experience in ministry, or personal dailytransformation?

Unhealthy ministry experience is not unique.Tripp discovered that so many pastors havestruggles in ministry that it is actually apastoral culture issue. There are signs thatpastors are losing their way in ministry. The pastor has ignored clear evidence ofproblems. He has been blind to the issues of hisown heart. His ministry has lacked devotion.

CHAPTER 2: AGAIN ANDAGAIN

Dangerous Calling



“This pastor had become what all of us havethe tendency in our sin to become – veryskilled self-swindlers.” (p. 33) “Although we are able to see the sin ofothers with specificity and clarity, we tendto be blind to our own. And the mostdangerous aspect of this already dangerouscondition is that spiritually blind peopletend to be blind to the blindness.” (p. 34) “Autonomous Christianity never works,because our spiritual life was designed byGod to be a community project.” (p. 38)

QUOTES

Bad things happen in ministry when studyingthe Bible become a purely academic exerciseinstead of a transformational journey.Seminaries have unintentionally createdministers who define spiritual maturity more byknowing than by being. There is much that hasbeen lost by the academizing of the faith. Academized Christianity produces spiritualblindness, theological self-righteousness,dysfunctional personal relationship to theWord, lack of personal Gospel neediness,

CHAPTER 3: BIGTHEOLOGICAL BRAINSAND HEART DISEASE

He hasn’t been preaching the Gospel tohimself. He isn’t listening to the people closestto him. His ministry has become burdensome.He is living in silence. He has begun to questionhis calling. He is fantasizing of another life.

Are you trying to navigate your spiritualjourney alone or with a community ofpeople who have the freedom to lovinglyspeak truth into your life without fear ofyour response? Are you dreaming of ministeringsomewhere else or to a different group ofpeople? Does God’s call change based onyour comfort level in your current ministry?Could it be that you have respondedcorrectly to the call of God to ministerwhere you are at, but are responding in aspiritually-unhealthy way to the challengesof your call?


Is there any evidence in our life thatsomething may be unhealthy in yourministry? What does your personal devotion time looklike? Do you make practical changes in yourlife because of your personal devotion time? Why or why not?

Dangerous Calling



“My eyes began to open to the dangersinherent in academizing our faith. Ipersonally experienced what can happenwhen the gospel of Jesus Christ getsreduced to a series of theological ideascoupled with all the skills necessary toaccess those ideas.” (p. 42) "The ultimate purpose of the Word of God isnot theological information but heart andlife transformation.” (p. 51)

QUOTES

Many churches unintentionally set up pastorsto struggle and even to fail by focusing on anincomplete set of qualifications. Most churchesonly look at previous experience and educationas the main qualifications for pastors. Very fewchurches try to seek out the character of theapplicant. For this reason, many churches find they hiresomeone they really don’t know. When anexperienced and educated man is faced withthe struggles of ministry, he will respond, likeall men, from his heart. If the church has notdiscovered what is in his heart they are likely tobe surprised by his reactions. Many times they then settle for trying to makeit work instead of trying to be spirituallyhealthy. It is essential for churches to get toknow the man behind the education andexperience before they call him to shepherdGod’s people.

CHAPTER 4: MORE THANKNOWLEDGE AND SKILL

impatience with others, wrong perspective onministry, and no living communion with Christ. Pastors are not called to just preachtheologically-correct sermons, but toshepherd, walk, live, support, and suffer withpeople. Otherwise, pastors become experts inmaterial they are not personally experiencing.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS What excites you about studying God’sWord? Are you impacted by both understandingthe information of the Bible and theapplication in your own life? When you study the Bible are you engagingprimarily your head or your heart?

“I am convinced that the big crisis for thechurch of Jesus Christ is not that we areeasily dissatisfied, but that we are all tooeasily satisfied.” (p. 59)

QUOTES

Dangerous Calling


that the body of Christ is designed to help himwith. The body is meant to help believers spotand deal with sin so it doesn’t hinder growth. Just like for everyone else, pastors need thebody for their own spiritual growth. Pastorsneed people they can confess their sin to. They need people who lovingly confront sin intheir lives. They need people to remind them ofthe all-encompassing grace and forgiveness ofGod. Churches and pastors need a plan to help theirpastors be connected and healthy. Pastorsneed to participate in small groups they don’tlead. They need a spiritually-mature person tomentor them at all times. The pastor’s wifeneeds to be part of a small group as well;somebody needs to regularly mentor thepastor’s wife. Pastors need to have appropriate self-disclosure in their preaching. The pastor andhis family should be regularly invited to churchmembers’ homes. The church needs to make sure the pastor andhis wife have regular opportunities to get awayto invest in their relationship. Finally, the church needs to make surecounseling is always available for the pastorand his family.

The only person in a church without a pastor isthe pastor himself. Pastors are part of the body of Christ and needto experience biblical Gospel community justlike everyone else in the body. An isolated pastor is an unhealthy pastor. He isin danger of all kinds of attacks and deceptions


CHAPTER 5: JOINTS ANDLIGAMENTS

“It is only when your identity is firmly rootedin Christ that you are free from seeking toget your identity out of your ministry.” (p.64) “We are calling people, real people who arenot yet grace graduates.” (p. 65)

What do you believe are the necessaryrequirements for a successful ministry? What should be the most importantquestion a church asks a potential pastoralcandidate?


Dangerous Calling



“An intentional culture of pastoralseparation and isolation is neither biblicalnor spiritually healthy.” (p. 70) “Perhaps every pastor needs to humblyrecognize that because of the blindingpower of remaining sin, self-examination isa community project. Every pastor needspeople in his life in order to see himself withbiblical accuracy.” (p. 73) “This goes back to the reality that no onegives grace better than a person who knowshe desperately needs it himself.” (p. 74)

QUOTES

The “Jesus and me” privatized andindividualized type of Christianity is unbiblicaland needs to be replaced with gospelizedcommunity, focused on theinterconnectedness and interdependence ofevery member. Every person’s walk with God is a communityproject. In Ephesians 4: 11-16 and 1 Corinthians12:14-15 — some of the most important versesabout the community of the church — we learnthat the essentiality of interconnectedness andinterdependency reveals how churches andpastors can remain healthy. Some of the dangers of being disconnectedfrom biblical community are: unhelpfulassumptions, unrealistic expectations,reticence to speak candidly, absence of timelyintervention, loss of respect in the face ofpersonal revelations, dysfunctional systems ofrestoration, lack of discernible pastoralrepentance and growth, carrying problems tothe next site of ministry, and dishonor toChrist’s name In order for pastoral culture to change, churchculture must change!

CHAPTER 6: THEMISSING COMMUNITY

APPLICATION QUESTIONS Do you experience true community in yourministry context? Or do you find yourselfeither above or outside the community youminister to? In what ways does your church intentionallyinvest in the spiritual development of thepastor(s)?

Dangerous Calling



“I have now come to understand that I needothers in my life. I now know that I need tocommit myself to living in intentionallyintrusive, Christ-centered, grace-driven,redemptive community.” (p. 84) “If we attempt to do what we are not wiredby redemption to do, we will be susceptibleto lingering immaturity in specific areas ofour life and to doctrinal error or confusion,and we will live in danger of beingdeceived.” (p. 87)

QUOTES

Every pastor enters ministry with theunderstanding that there will be battles inministry. However, they may be surprised todiscover that the biggest battles are waged intheir own hearts. There is the war for the affection of one’s heart;a war between the kingdom of self and thekingdom of God. There is also the war to keepthe gospel as the fundamental and guidingparadigm for every ministry. Thus, pastorsmust continually fight to keep their affectionsset on the kingdom of God through the lens ofthe Gospel. Every pastor will be treasure-oriented inministry. Everything said or done is in pursuit ofsome treasure, whether it be for God’skingdom or our own. Whatever the treasure, itwill demand the allegiance of your heart andwill shape your ministry, actions, reactions, andresponses. Constantly being called back to the truths,reality, and application of the Gospel will keepa pastor’s focus on the kingdom of God ratherthan the kingdom of self.

CHAPTER 7: WAR ZONES


Who is allowed to see the real you? Who areyou ministering to that really knows youand your struggles? How would your church members describethe way you respond to the admonishingand confrontation of your own sin? Are you an example of humility amidsanctification or do you display pridefuldefense of yourself?

“Perhaps we have forgotten that pastoralministry is war and that you will never live

QUOTES

Dangerous Calling


The war of kingdoms presented in the previouschapter leads to a war for glory. When a pastorloses his awe of God, he starts giving glory tothe wrong things, mostly his own gifts,knowledge, skill, experience, or importance. Practical fruits of a ministry shaped by the aweof God are humility, tenderness, passion,confidence, discipline, and rest. The only wayto have these fruits in your life is to sit incomplete awe of God. The only way to regainthem is to run back to the Father, confess thatyou have been awe of something else, and restin awe of His blood-bought forgiveness.

Many pastors have become so familiar with thethings of God that they have lost their awe ofGod. When a pastor loses his awe of God, hewill become in awe of himself.


successfully in the pastorate if you live witha peacetime mentality.” (p. 98) “First, pastoral ministry is always shaped bywar between the kingdom of self andkingdom of God.” (p. 98) “My experience with hundreds of pastors isthat many sadly function in a regular stateof gospel amnesia. They forget to preachprivately to themselves the gospel that theydeclare publicly to others.” (p. 99)

What wars are you waging in your heartright now? Which side is winning: the kingdom of self orthe kingdom of God? How are you preaching the gospel toyourself amid this internal battle?


“You’ve spent so much time in Scripturethat its grand redemptive narrative, with itsexpansive wisdom, doesn’t excite youanymore. You’ve spent so much timeexegeting the atonement that you can standat the foot of the cross with little weepingand scant rejoicing.” (p. 115) “The spiritual danger here is that the awe ofGod is absent, it is quickly replaced by ourawe of ourselves.” (p. 118) “Awe of God puts theology in its place.Theology is vitally important, but whateverawe of theology we have is dangerous if itdoesn’t produce in us a practical awe ofGod.” (p. 118)

QUOTES

CHAPTER 8:FAMILIARITY

Dangerous Calling


A terrible secret in pastoral ministry is thatmany pastors are driven by fear instead offaith. They are afraid of making poor choices,how people will respond, and what willhappen. These fears are unrelenting unless thepastor brings them under the blood of JesusChrist. Unhealthy fear can be defined as unfaith andtoo many pastors have normalized living inunfaith. Healthy fears drive the child of God toGod Himself. Unhealthy fears paralyze anddestroy. Only the fear of God can drive outunhealthy fears. The ways you overcome your fears are tohumbly own your fears, to confess the places

where fear has given rise to bad decisions andresponses, to pay attention to your meditation,and to preach the Gospel to yourself.


When was the last time you sat in awe andwonder of God? What was the last mystery of God that youhumbly accepted as a mystery withouttrying to box it up in a theologicalexplanation? What do you need to do to recapture yourawe of God?


“It is only fear of God that has the spiritualpower to overwhelm all the horizontal fearsthat can capture your heart.” (p. 129) “Fear is never defeated by denying itsexistence.” (p. 135) “You need to tell yourself again and againthat there is no pit of life or ministry so deepthat Jesus isn’t deeper. You need to callyourself to rest and faith when no one elseknows that private sermon is needed.” (p.136)

QUOTES

CHAPTER 9: DIRTYSECRETS

What fears do you face in ministry? How do you bring fears under the power ofthe Gospel? What private sermon do you need to preachto yourself to escape the fears you arefacing?


Dangerous Calling



Many pastors are ill-prepared for their weeklypreaching responsibilities and as a result,churches have grown accustomed to poorlyprepared spiritual diets. This stems from thepastor’s view of God and is often a result ofawe-amnesia. If the pastor is not in awe of Godthen he cannot be a good glory ambassador forGod. This is why pastoral qualification has to bemore than just experience, education, and skill.It has to be determined by the true state ofone’s heart. A heart in awe of God strives forexcellence and God’s glory. This means itcannot place high value on expediency orcomfort. If pastors are to communicate an excellent andglorious God, then they have to reveal thatexcellence and glory in the content andcommunication of their preaching. Thisrequires intentional effort, not leftover energy!

CHAPTER 10:MEDIOCRITY

“The standards you set for yourself and yourministry are directly related to your view ofGod.” (p. 138)

QUOTES

Are you striving for excellence in yourweekly preparation? What does your preparation schedule looklike? Does it take a high priority in your scheduleor is it regularly a last-minute responsibility?


“You could argue that every worship serviceis little more than a glory war.” (p. 138) “As a pastor, you are a glory-captured toolfor the capture of others.” (p. 142)

Many pastors forget that they are in the middleof their own sanctification while helping othersprogress spiritually. Pastors can have aninaccurate view of themselves and believe theyhave arrived. When a pastor has an inaccurate view ofhimself, it is like he is looking into a carnival

CHAPTER 11: BETWEENTHE ALREADY AND NOTYET

Dangerous Calling



“Let me say it again: if you are a pastor orministry leader, you are at the same time aperson in the middle of your ownsanctification.” (p. 154) “Biblical knowledge is a vital, essential, andirreplaceable thing; but it must not be

QUOTES

mirror. Although the mirror is reflecting animage of the pastor, the image is distorted andinaccurate. Carnival mirrors of ministry do the same thing. They usually make the pastor think they arebetter, more important, or more necessarythan they really are. Some of these carnivalmirrors are ministry knowledge, ministryexperience, ministry success, or ministrycelebrity. These can convince a pastor that he doesn’tneed what he is preaching or need the counselof the church body. He’ll expect perfectionfrom others because he thinks he has achievedit himself. He’ll think he is qualified for morecontrol. He won’t feel the need for dailymeditative communion with Christ. He’ll takecredit for successes that only grace canproduce. He will develop a sense ofentitlement. He will not be protective againsttemptation and sin. He will load more on hisministry than he can responsibly handle.

confused with true faith or personalspiritual maturity.” (p. 155) “Rather than being the soil in which gracegrows, arrival is the soil in which unrealisticexpectation, criticism, impatience, andharsh judgment grows.” (p. 159)

In what ways do you still need God’s gracefor your own sanctification? How are the most troublesome people inyour ministry like you? Do you give them the same grace you giveyourself?


Every aspect of ministry is either designed tobring glory to God or glory to self. Pastors needto avoid the trap of seeking their own glory inministry over God’s glory. Self-glory is simply when a pastor forgets whohe really is in Christ. Sometimes pastors forgetthey are an ambassador for the king and notthe king. This damages the church body, makesthe pastor unapproachable, and tarnishes the

CHAPTER 12: SELF-GLORY

Dangerous Calling



name of Christ. Self-glory manifests itself in a pastor’s life by:parading in public what should be kept private,being too self-referencing, talking when silenceis needed, being silent when speaking isneeded, caring too much about what peoplethink, caring too little about what people think,resisting personal admission of sins,weaknesses, and failures, struggling withothers’ blessings, being position-orientedinstead of submission-oriented, andcontrolling ministry rather than delegatingministry.

“Your ministry will be shaped by worship ofGod or worship of you, or, for most of us, atroubling mix of both.” (p. 167) “There is a short step between forgettingour assigned position and insertingourselves into God’s position.” (p. 174) “Self-glory will always make you moreoriented to place, power, and position thanto how submission to a greater King isworked out in the context of your ministry.”(p. 179) “Your Lord is not just after the success ofyour ministry; he is working to dethrone youas well.” (p. 181)

QUOTES

When you lead a ministry, who do you trulyhope people will be talking about whenthey leave? Do you struggle with the delegation ofministry to others or feel slighted whensomeone compliments a minister otherthan yourself? If so, why? In areas where you have noticed you areseeking your own self-glory, how do youbring the glory back to God?


Many pastors fall into the trap of only studyingthe Word to prepare it for someone else. Theyforget that they are both an instrument ofGod’s work through his Word and a recipient ofit. Pastors can turn their Christianity into more ofan institutional discipline than a personalrelationship. When pastors see theirprofessional life and private life as separate,they are in danger. When they are alwayspreparing for others the truth they themselvesare not first feasting on, they slip into an

CHAPTER 13: ALWAYSPREPARING

Dangerous Calling



inaccurate view of God, the world, themselves,and God’s grace. Here are some signs that a pastor has forgottentheir dual identity as an instrument of God’swork and a recipient of it: the Bible ceases tobe a mirror, worship becomes a public dutyrather than a private quest, Christianitybecomes a system rather than a relationship,the desire to master content is not coupledwith craving, there is more concern for the sinof others than the sin of one’s own heart, andthe pride of knowing replaces the humility ofbeing known. Public ministry is meant to be fueled by privatedevotion.

“Many pastors out there are seeking to leadand teach well, but it is simply not fueled ordirected by the devotion of their hearts totheir Savior. Their Christianity is more aninstitutional discipline than a personalrelationship.” (p. 185) “So, when you’ve forgotten who you are,when you assign to yourself more maturitythan you actually have, and when you thinkyou are more capable than you really are,you leave yourself little reason to seek theongoing help of your Savior.” (p. 186)

QUOTES

What has God taught you this week throughyour personal devotion time? What can you change in your life inresponse to what He is teaching you? If your devotion life has been lacking, howcan you plan to make it more vibrant andtransformative?


Many pastors face a separation between theirpublic persona and their private reality. Theyseek from ministry what can only be providedthrough the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They mustpreach the Gospel to themselves to bridge thisgap. Preaching the Gospel to oneself means: youdon’t have to be anxious about measuring upbecause Christ measured up on your behalf,your identity comes from God’s grace, notpeople’s opinions, you don’t have to be afraidof being exposed because your sins have beencovered by the blood of Christ, yourweaknesses are not a hindrance to ministry,

CHAPTER 14:SEPARATION

Dangerous Calling



your spiritual neediness strengthens themessage of the Gospel rather than weakeningit, and there is only one Messiah and you arenot Him! To close the separation gap between publicpersona and private reality, pastors must: situnder their own preaching, publicly confesstheir own struggles, submit to wise and biblicalcounsel, be approachable to family andfriends, and build a humbly candid leadershipcommunity.

“I am convinced that what we often call‘ministry burnout’ is often the result ofpastors’ seeking in their ministry whatcannot be found there, and because it can’tbe found there they end up weary anddiscouraged.” (p. 203) “Pastor, there is no congregation you needto preach to more than yourself.” (p. 203)

QUOTES

Is your public persona an accuratereflection of your personal reality? What are you seeking in ministry that hasalready been accomplished through Christ?


In light of the revealed spiritual maladiesembedded in contemporary ministry, pastorsmust constantly take themselves, theirfamilies, and their ministries to the GreatPhysician for healing. Taken from 1 Peter 5:6-11, there are fivedirectives for dealing with the struggles of thedangerous call to ministry: 1) Know your place,2) Rest in God’s care, 3) Take your ministryseriously, 4) Resist, no matter what, and 5)Trust God’s sanctifying grace. If pastors are aware of the potential pitfalls ofministry then they can not only avoid them buthelp to protect others from them.

CHAPTER 15: SO, WHATNOW?

“Here is the bottom line: wherever you arein ministry, whatever your position is, nomatter how many people look up to you,whatever your influence your ministry hascollected, and no matter how long andsuccessful your ministry has been, yourministry will never be about you because itis about him.” (p. 215) “And we must remember that our suffering

QUOTES

Dangerous Calling


C O N C L U S I O N

CLOSING THOUGHT

Where are the danger zones in your ministry?Do you trust God’s grace enough to face them?

CONCLUSION

Ministry truly is a dangerous calling that canlead to an unhealthy spiritual walk if anintentional focus on God, His Word, and theGospel is not maintained. Pastors have notgraduated from the need for the basics of theGospel in their lives. Tripp has made it clear that the pastoralculture in America is in need of seriousexamination and correction.

The basic course correction back to a healthyspiritual life is:

Heart Over Head: Spiritual maturity isabout being, not just knowing. The Pastor’s Treasure: Whatever treasurecaptures the heart of a pastor will shape hisministry. Know Your Identity: Don’t forget who God isand remember who you are.

is not in the way of God’s plan, but part ofit.” (p. 221)

Do you view your ministry as your ministryor God’s? When you are physically sick, do you go tothe doctor? What is your response whenyou are faced with the symptoms ofspiritual illness? How is God using your suffering to revealyour great need for Him? What is yourresponse to it?


Dangerous Calling

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Dangerous Calling by Paul David Tripp - Accelerate Books · including Whiter Than Snow, What Did You Expect?, Sex and Money, and New Morning Mercies. order to reveal how unhealthy