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"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the Devil.
He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."
(1 Peter 5:8)
For two days last week, I met with our pastoral staff at Great Hills Baptist Church for a time of planning, encouragement, and refreshing. God blessed our fellowship together, and it was so good to have some extended time with these men and women who so faithfully serve the Lord and His church. With the beautiful Lake LBJ in the background, we discussed how we must be careful so as not to fall and become disqualified in ministry. We admonished one another to stay strong and finish well.
The Apostle Peter teaches us to stay alert and watch out. Both of these verbs are in the imperative mood, the language of command. We must always be on the watch, for the Devil desires to tempt us, cause us to sin, and bring dishonor to Christ, the church, and ourselves. Regarding our Christian testimony and walk with God, there are three ways we can finish:
- Finish strong. This is the goal for every follower of Jesus whether they are in vocational ministry or not; we want to serve faithfully and hear Jesus tell us, "Well done, My good and faithful servant." (Matthew 25:21 states, "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'")
- Burn out. Unfortunately, I am seeing this more and more in ministry, especially with pastors. They go so hard with little time for sabbath and rest, and they quit due to the pressures of serving. I shared with our staff at church that the three books I have read recently that have really helped me find a sweet rhythm with built-in times of rest and refreshing are Leading on Empty, by Wayne Cordeiro, The Emotionally Healthy Leader, by Peter Scazzero, and Take the Day Off, by Robert Morris. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
- Become disqualified. This means you have committed some egregious sin and you suffer the consequences from it, like losing your marriage or your ministry. All sin is sin, no doubt, and abhorrent to God, but as you know, the ramifications for some sins are far greater than others. If you steal a piece of gum, that is wrong, but if you steal someone's spouse, then that is a different matter, and the consequences are much more dire. The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 9:27, "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."
Recently, a younger pastor asked me if I would mentor him. I was honored that he asked me but startled by what he said next. He told me that he does not know many men in their 50s who are finishing well. Another younger pastor in his 30s shared with me that he also did not know many men who are finishing well in ministry. He said, "My dad is finishing well; he is not in the ministry, but he is showing me what it means to serve and finish well."
Too many men that I know--guys who were friends, mentors, and people I looked up to--are not finishing strongly. To be honest, it frightens me. I remember the Apostle Paul's powerful admonishment when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:12, "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." I also remember another word of warning from God's Word in 2 Peter 3:17: "You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware, lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked."
In tomorrow's devotion, I will share with you some practical ways that you and I can stay in the game and finish our walk with God in a strong way.
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Grow your influence using Jesus’ own techniques
How can you influence the ones you love most and help them discover the joy and peace of life in Christ? Learn from the greatest influencer of all… Jesus Christ!
Pastor Danny’s brand-new book, For the One, clearly explains how you can use Jesus’ own techniques to influence the ones you love—and win their hearts for eternity.
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Podcast of the Week
For Life, with Jennifer Wakefield
Pastor Danny talks to Jennifer Wakefield, Director of the Women's Ministry at Great Hills Baptist Church, about being pro-life and getting involved in pro-life ministries. They also discuss what Jennifer and GHBC are doing to directly minister to post-abortive women.
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