Dr. Albert Mohler discussed this very important topic on February 9, 2009. You can give a listen to that podcast here.
Due to my being a pastor and particular circumstances I've gone through over the years, there were several statements that really stood out to me in an encouraging way. Here are a couple of those quotes.
"The ministry is not a profession."
"The first thing that you know [if you are called to ministry] is that you have a compulsion to do this--that this compulsion is backed up with the gifts of ministry that Paul very clearly articulates to Timothy in 1 Timothy 3. And that you meet the criteria that are set forth there in scripture for what it means to be a preacher, teacher, minister of the Word of God. But that is not complete until a congregation recognizes those gifts and calls and commissions you to exercise those gifts."
"You can get fired in ministry. That may happen. But I'm going to argue: you just can't quit."
"We have older established churches that want anything but expository preaching. They want anything but the full application of the gospel. They want anything but the recovery of a biblical ecclessiology. Even in a church like that, I wouldn't leave. I'd make them force me out. And if you get fired for the felony of preaching the Word of God, then God bless you. If you get fired for being faithful in ministry and a church just won't have that faithfulness, then you can wear that as a badge of honor."
"When God calls a minister, he better stay called. And if Jesus Christ makes a minister for his church, he better stay made."
Due to my being a pastor and particular circumstances I've gone through over the years, there were several statements that really stood out to me in an encouraging way. Here are a couple of those quotes.
"The ministry is not a profession."
"The first thing that you know [if you are called to ministry] is that you have a compulsion to do this--that this compulsion is backed up with the gifts of ministry that Paul very clearly articulates to Timothy in 1 Timothy 3. And that you meet the criteria that are set forth there in scripture for what it means to be a preacher, teacher, minister of the Word of God. But that is not complete until a congregation recognizes those gifts and calls and commissions you to exercise those gifts."
"You can get fired in ministry. That may happen. But I'm going to argue: you just can't quit."
"We have older established churches that want anything but expository preaching. They want anything but the full application of the gospel. They want anything but the recovery of a biblical ecclessiology. Even in a church like that, I wouldn't leave. I'd make them force me out. And if you get fired for the felony of preaching the Word of God, then God bless you. If you get fired for being faithful in ministry and a church just won't have that faithfulness, then you can wear that as a badge of honor."
"When God calls a minister, he better stay called. And if Jesus Christ makes a minister for his church, he better stay made."
Listen to the whole podcast. It's good stuff.
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