A joke is told of a pastor who was asked what he does for much of the week since he only preaches one sermon on Sunday and the questioner thought surely there must be other things that the pastor does between Monday and Saturday. The pastor’s answer was straight and to the point: panicking.
There is no doubt that ministry is tough. A lot of times folk in ‘full time ministry’ can be heard moaning about the difficulties of the work – the lack of fruit, decreasing numbers, diminishing incomes, tight budgets, admin workload, relational difficulties (the people aspect of ministry – which is like 90% of the work, is what I personally find very difficult), etc. All these and more make ministry quite a tough undertaking.
However, the same can be said of every area of work. Salesmanship is demanding. Teaching in a school is daunting. Nursing is exhausting. Running a business is walking a tightrope. Academia literally wears the mind. So in reality there is nothing special about ‘full time ministry’ that warrants all the moaning. A friend rebuked us in a retreat recently with the obvious question: what did you expect?
I was recently preparing to preach from Hebrews 11 and one of the things that stand out in the second half of the chapter is the kind of journey that the men and women of faith listed walked. Yet they were not all in ‘full time ministry’ as the term is understood by many today. This is important for us to understand because the call to Christ is greater that any call to his service. The saints in Hebrews 11 were ordinary men and women in all kinds of trades and vocations – farmers, military men, shepherds and even ‘guys from the hood’ like Jephthah. And although they are commended as men and women of faith it was not easy for them. In reality, their faith looked like…
- Costly obedience. v17 -19. Abraham left his homeland to a land he knew not. He was asked to sacrifice his son Isaac and was willing to do it, clearly demonstrating where his heart truly was. Everyone called to follow Christ will surely find the call to discipleship costly.
- Hope beyond death. The eyes of those OT saints were well set on the things above. They lopked forward to a city whose designer and builder was God. They essentially lost a taste for this earth and developed a deep longing for heaven. Because of our hope beyond death, we are called live as those whose eyes are set on things above (Col 3:2). We know that we are not yet home and so we are to live as those who look forward to eternity.
- Self-denial. Moses gave up the pleasures of Egyptian royalty for ‘he considered the reproach of Christ greater than the pleasures of Egypt’. Followers of Jesus will on many occasions need to make costly decisions which will call for self-denial.
- Courageous Conflict. For the OT saints listed above like Barak, Gideon, Samson and Jephthah responding to the call of God meant conflict – going into real battle ground. This calls for courage in the face of conflict. The call to Christ is not dissimilar, indeed the path of discipleship is a path of conflict and Christian soldiers are matching daily as to war. As we take a stand for the things that we are convinced by scripture to be true – like marriage being between one man and one woman or the equality of men and women and the dignity of all people. It will mean costly invasions as we raid enemy territory to proclaim the gospel and call others to faith. We are not a ‘live and let live’ kind of people. On the contrary we are often on the offensive.
- Pain and persecution (v35 -38). Captured in this last verses of the chapter is a vivid description of the state of believers. The writer of Hebrews says that they suffered mocking and flogging, chains and imprisonment, stoning and others chained into two. Some commentators have said that this perhaps alludes to how the apostles of the Lord died but we are not told exactly. We do not have definitive accounts in history but certainly many died a martyr’s death. We cannot expect any less dear saints. We will be mocked on social media and hated in family gatherings, we will be rejected in the society and made to suffer for our faith in Christ. The world indeed was not worthy of them and it is not for us. for ‘whoever would follow Christ, must take up His cross and follow him’ Matt 16:24.
If this is what we are to expect, then none of us will make it except by the grace of God. Let us rejoice in the gospel and extend grace to one another as we journey on in faith and as we look forward to being perfected. The path is tough and narrow, with everybody carrying a cross and we are going to need to be patient and loving with one another.
Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I’m found
Was blind but now I see
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come
This grace that brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home
When we’ve been here ten thousand years
Bright, shining as the sun
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun
I Was Just Wondering 