Love Jesus 13

Excerpt from “Servants for Jesus’ Sake,” by Sinclair Ferguson

Paul stresses how he resisted the temptations that there are in the ministry to be successful. He knew that there were men who became successful in people’s eyes by asking the question, What works? And as long as it works, let’s do it. But he saw that not as a recommendation but as a temptation—and it still is.

We love success, and we can actually be jealous of the success of others and seek it for ourselves. That can be so twisted into us that I sometimes have the impression there are people who produce videos and podcasts whose main—if not sole—aim is to pull other ministers down. It’s all done under the guise of guarding the flock. But here’s the giveaway: they never seem to build up the flock. They only pull down. And alas, you can get a following that way, and some of these people are now a success.

So you see, there are various success models, and success models for ministry are certainly alive and well in the twenty-first century. And sadly, destroying other people’s success can sometimes prove almost as successful. What a mess our sinful hearts can create—yes, also when we are in the ministry. I remember a friend telling me that his seminary president used to say to them, “There are two chief sins in the ministry: laziness and pride.” And you can tell from 2 Corinthianb that Paul resisted both—and pastors and preachers need help to do that today too.