Tag: clergy

Living Sacrifice Day 35 – Shepherding: the Heart of Church Leadership

Justin Hibbard


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Begin by reading 1 Peter 5:1-4

A number of summers ago, my wife and I spent time in a remote region of Morocco with some missionary friends. Nearly every day we would watch shepherds lead their flock of sheep up and over the mountain pass near the home where we stayed, or we would see them in a field near a highway we drove by. It is not a glamorous job. It is a job of caring for these animals and leading them to places where they can find water and pasture. As they walked up steep hills, it looked like a never-ending exhausting job. Often times the shepherds were dirty, they looked vigilant but tired, and they seemed to give no indication that the destination was nearby. It was like their job and their only concern was keeping the sheep safe and well fed, wherever it led them.

Over the past few days, I have been challenging you to not think of yourself as an average Joe just helping your pastor, but rather as a called member of the clergy, qualified for service – whatever that service may be. Today I want to talk about the heart of leadership.

Peter very intentionally uses the analogy of shepherd with church leader for a couple of reasons. First, Peter wants us to understand what church leadership is all about. Like those shepherds in Morocco, church leadership is not about being a glamorous CEO, it is about walking the trenches with the sheep. It is about putting them and their needs first and helping them find pasture.

Sadly, sometimes this point is forgotten among many church leaders. Instead of seeing the church as a ministry to serve, sometimes it can be treated merely as a corporation with success as its only aim. When pastors and elders lose the vision of shepherds and treat their jobs as though they were CEOs, attitudes quickly switch to “it’s my way or the highway.” I heard a story recently about a pastor who barged into a meeting, proclaiming, “You will pay me more, and all I’m going to do from now on is preach!” Sadly he had forgotten that being a pastor is not a calling to be Steve Jobs but to be more like Mother Teresa.

In some churches this happens because the congregation has unbiblical expectations of their pastors and leaders. Instead of seeing them as shepherds, they cater to the corporate mentality. They want their leaders to build a thriving empire of perfection, rather than a ministry of love and relationship building. They’ll roll out the red carpet and offer a free Mercedes, but when the leadership doesn’t grow the church in numbers, they’re out the door looking for a new flock with which to wander. Peter wants us church leaders and congregations to realize that leading in God’s ministry is a ministry of shepherding.

Secondly, Peter’s words remind us whose sheep we’re caring for. We are told that these are not our sheep but sheep that God has entrusted to us for a time. He tells us that our attitude should not be to do this service because we have to but because we may do it. One day, the Lord will return and hold us to account. Why should we be proud to say, “Look at the building we were able to build!” if our sheep are skinny and unfed. Why should we feel proud to say, “Look at the vision statements adorning our wall!” if our sheep have not been led to healthy pastures. Why should we feel proud to say, “Look at how large our church is!” if our sheep are all sickly and deformed. The point is that God cares primarily about His sheep. Sure, we must be good stewards of our building and facilities, but we must recognize that the true church, bought with the precious blood of Christ, is not made up of bricks and mortar, rather it is made up of human beings.

These human beings form the one body, which Paul talks about in Romans 12. Our calling as shepherds (whether it be elder, ministry leader, teacher, etc.) is to feed the flock by allowing them and encouraging them to use their gifts. Some churches don’t trust the congregation to do this because of fear that they’ll screw something up. But I think it would be wise to understand the job of a shepherd. Their job is not to merely get the flock into a pen ten miles away and say, “I’ve arrived.” Their job is to feed them. It is a calling marked by journey and never by destination.

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Living Sacrifice Day 34 – When You Have to be Clutch

Justin Hibbard


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Begin by reading Mark 11:12-26

I’m an avid baseball fan and am looking forward to the upcoming season. You know, I really love a game that comes down to the wire. It’s during these games that strategy becomes important, and we often see managerial moves that otherwise wouldn’t occur. One of those moves is bringing in a pinch hitter. This is someone who is not in the starting lineup who replaces a batter. Managers will do this to throw off the opposing pitcher from what he was expecting. Sometimes he will do this if the regular batter doesn’t fair well against the pitcher and in the situation. Or sometimes the manager just wants to try his luck. There’s nothing more exciting than a pinch hitter coming through with a clutch hit to extend or win the game. Well, as long as he’s on the team you’re routing for.

Being a servant of God, sometimes we’re called to be a pinch hitter. Take a look at the gifts that are listed in Romans 12:6-8 – prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, showing mercy. What do you notice? Well, hopefully, you’re doing these to some extent or another. You may not be gifted at giving, but if everyone used that as an excuse not to give, we would be in a pretty sad state. Likewise, you may not have the gift of encouragement, but we are all still called to encourage each other.

It may help to think of it in terms of a baseball team. You might not be the starting player or the captain when it comes to teaching, but that doesn’t mean that you’re off the hook. You never know when the Coach will call upon you to teach. Maybe it won’t be a sermon, but it might be a one-on-one situation.

In today’s reading, we find what might seem an unreasonable Lord. How can a fig tree be expected to produce fruit out of season? Well, Jesus was teaching us a lesson and used a tree to make the point. We are sometimes out of season. Maybe we aren’t prepared, maybe we’re not in playoff form, or maybe we’re not gifted in an area. But the Lord still expects us to produce. While it’s important to know your calling and focus in that area, don’t let that become an excuse for not serving when needs arise.

I think here the phrase living sacrifice is especially fitting. Often times, a manager will bring in a pinch hitter who is good at laying down a bunt. This player is expected to put the ball gently in play, and his role is to advance the other player. It is a near certainty that the batter will get thrown out in the play, but this is why it’s called a sacrifice. Sometimes, God may call on us to serve in areas and situations where we may not feel best suited. Maybe we just flat out don’t want to do something. These are the moments we need to remember our primary calling. We are living sacrifices. This is where we need to say, “Not my will, but Thine be done.”

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Living Sacrifice Day 33 – Anyone Can Minister

Justin Hibbard


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Begin by reading 1 Samuel 16:1-13

One of my family’s favorite movies is a Disney Pixar film called Ratatouille. It’s about a rat named Remy who gets disconnected from his scavenging family and ends up in Paris. He realizes early on that he’s not like the other rats who dig for grub in the trash. No, he loves to cook. His inspiration comes from a world-renowned chef named Gusteau, who wrote a book entitled “Anyone Can Cook.” At the end of this cute movie, Remy who is the brains behind a Parisian restaurant kitchen has to impress a tough food critic named Anton Ego. And when Ego finds out that the delicious dish of ratatouille he just consumed was made by a rat, we’re left in suspense wondering what type of review Ego will give Remy’s restaurant. It turns out that Ego’s egotistical heart softens, and he gives this review. “…In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau’s famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize, only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.”

This is a good lesson not just for the artist or chef but for the Christian as well. As we have been talking about for the past two days, the idea that there are some that are called to ministry is a myth. We are all called to ministry. Scripture makes no distinction between the clergy and the laity. We are all part of a laos – a holy nation – called to share a portion (or kleros) of God’s ministry. Anyone can minister.

When I say “anyone can minister,” I am really saying two things. First, everyone should minister to each other in the area that God calls and equips you for. He may not call you to be a pastor, but he may call you to be a teacher, an encourager, or a giver. When you exercise your gift(s), you are glorifying God and ministering to the Body of Christ.

Secondly, when I say “anyone can minister,” I mean to say, God can use anyone. The Bible is filled with examples of people whom we would overlook for ministry. Abraham was a pagan, Moses stuttered, Ruth was poor, David cheated on his wife, Jonah was afraid, Zaccheaus was short, Peter was rough around the edges, and the stories go on and on. If we have learned anything about the Bible, it is that God can use anyone. Not everyone becomes pastors and prophets, but like Anton Ego’s train of thought, pastors, prophets, and leaders can come from anywhere. We just don’t know who God will raise up and for what purpose. It is as God tells Samuel, “Man looks at the appearance, but God looks at the heart.”

Let me encourage you with this thought. As you walk with God, you are changing. You are receiving a heart transplant. People around you may see your weaknesses, may see your past failures, may see your faults, but God sees something different in you. When God grabs a hold of you and the Holy Spirit begins to work, you never know what can happen. Just remember the story of Peter. When his friend and rabbi was being beaten, Peter couldn’t even muster up the words to say, “Yes, I know Him.” But once the Holy Spirit entered his life at Pentecost, everything changed. Peter stood up before priests, scholars, and thousands of people and gave a sermon that may be considered one of the most powerful and influential of all time. In Acts 4, we find the elders and priests astonished at how it was that Peter, an uneducated man, could speak with such power and authority. If God can use Peter, He can use you. Be sensitive to His leading. You just never know what He’ll call and qualify you to do.

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Living Sacrifice Day 32 – Your Full-Time Calling to Ministry

Justin Hibbard


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Begin by reading Matthew 28:18-20

Early on while serving at New Hope Chapel on a part-time basis, I was also serving another church as their pastor, also on a part-time basis. One day, one of the Elders of the church I was pastoring approached me and said, “We have to figure out a way to get you full-time.” I told him I appreciated his notion, but I didn’t think it was necessary. After all the church was only about 30 people, and with limited resources, it seemed like it would be more of a burden on the church than a blessing. A couple weeks later at a meeting, that same Elder stood up and accused me of not being called to full-time ministry. I was taken back by the blindsided attack, but I was more so confused. “Wasn’t I serving in full-time ministry by being on staff part-time at two different churches?” But then I began to ask, “Aren’t we all called to full-time ministry?”

Before you answer, “no,” remember what we have established as a Biblical understanding of the church. First, the Bible teaches no distinction between clergy and laity. The standard or expectation God gives to a clergyman is the same as a layman. The Bible doesn’t seem to support the idea that payment equals higher calling. Secondly, we are all equipped and qualified by the Lord to serve in unique and important ways.

So, are you called to full-time ministry? This is a complicated question with an even more complicated answer. In our society, we are accustomed (especially men) to ask each other what it is we do. By that, we are asking about a person’s occupation – what type of job they have that brings home the bacon. I remember once asking a man about this, and he blew it off and said, “well, I’m a husband and a father.” Men, we have to understand that there is a temptation to get our self-worth from our occupations. This may also be the case for some women as well.

We don’t remember Paul for being a tent-maker. We may forget that Luke was a physician or that Peter was a fisherman. No, we think of these men as champions of the faith, ministers of the Gospel, and servants of Christ. I suppose if one of them were around today, and we saw them at a party and asked what it is they do, they would have emphasized first and foremost their work in the church. They saw their ministry, the exercising of their gifts, as their calling. Their “occupation,” so to speak, was a way to make money to support their calling. Is this the way you see your life?

Now before you run to church and ask to become a full-time staff member, let me encourage you with this thought: While we are called to serve the local church, sometimes our ministry extends beyond the bounds of our local body. Some are involved in various ministries that cross denominational borders. This is part of Kingdom work and is just as important as work within the local church. So, to that regard, ministry does not just mean serving the church that you attend.

Furthermore, most of us cannot afford to quit our jobs and focus solely on church work. We need that money to support our families. Therefore, we’re stuck at our office for at least forty hours a week. If that’s the case, let me encourage you to pray that God will begin or continue showing you ways that your workplace can become your ministry. This parallels what we talked about earlier on in the series in regards to worship. Every opportunity can be an opportunity to worship just as it can be to serve and build up the body of Christ.

On this point, I want to make a special emphasis on ministering to Believers, as that is what it means to edify the Body. We need each other. You may know of a Believer or two at your office. Let me encourage you to spend time with them at your workplace. Maybe you can have lunch or commute together. Maybe you can mimic the smokers and take breaks together whenever you please to get that encouragement fix.

Your full-time work is not whatever vocation you have that pays you. You are first and foremost a servant in the Kingdom of God. In your living sacrifice journey, I urge you to be faithful in your service. Part of that is seeing every opportunity as an opportunity to be a minister of the Gospel of Christ. Let that define who you are.

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