Dave Harvey

Are You Called?

Copyright 1996 PDI Ministries
Gaithersburg, MD 20876

-1-

Are You Called: The Character and Capabilities of Called Men


I. INTRODUCTION

- Review of first class

- Review of reading assignment

- Review of "A calling equation"

- Open to 1 Tim. 3:2-7; Titus 1:5-9

None but he who made the world can make a Minister of
the Gospel.
- John Newton
1


II. EXAMINING THE CHARACTER FACTOR

- The tragedy of diminishing character

- The ministry is a character vocation.

Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them,
because if you do, you will save both yourself and your
hearers.
- 1 Tim. 4:16 (NIV)

...not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being
examples to the flock.
- 1 Peter 5:3 (NIV)

An abundance of biblical knowledge or the dexterity of
ministry skills is not the first test of the validity of ones
desire for the pastoral ministry. Rather, Scripture makes
the primary test that of godly character. (1 Tim. 3; Titus
1)
-John MacArthur
2



1
Charles Bridges (quoting John Newton), The Christian Ministry, p. 24.
Dave Harvey
Are You Called?
Copyright 1996 PDI Ministries
Gaithersburg, MD 20876

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The Bible says much about a leaders character. It is
interesting that it says more about what a leader is to be
than it does about what he is to do. This is a good clue as
to what God thinks about this important prerequisite. It
does not matter how much education or how much
experience a person has. If he does not meet qualifications
of biblical morality, he is unfit to be a leader in Gods
church.
- John MacArthur, Jr.
3


Character is what you are in the dark.
- Dwight L. Moody
4


- Refer to Addendum IV for character qualifications. (Also note Addendum VII.)

- Character = (Gr. charakter) - mark made by a tool, an imprint

a) The character of the minister testifies something about God and the
church.

- Critical example areas:

a. Spiritual Disciplines:

All true spiritual leadership has its root in desperation.
- John Piper
5

b. Humility:

c. Servanthood:

d. Liberty:


2
John MacArthur, Jr., Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry, p. 119.

3
John MacArthur, Jr., Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry, p. 114.

4
God?s Little Instruction Book for Dad, (quoting Dwight L. Moody), p. 34.

5
John Piper, ? The Marks of a Spiritual Leader,? p.4.
Dave Harvey
Are You Called?
Copyright 1996 PDI Ministries
Gaithersburg, MD 20876

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- Character requires context

Ministry is a character profession. To put it bluntly, you
can sleep around and still be a good brain surgeon. You
can cheat on your mate and have little trouble continuing to
practice law. Apparently, it is no problem to stay in politics
and plagiarize. You can be a successful salesperson and
cheat on your income tax. But you cannot do those things
as a Christian or as a minister and continue enjoying the
Lords blessing. You must do right in order to have true
integrity. If you cant come to terms with evil or break
habits that continue to bring reproach to the name of
Christ, please, do the Lord (and us in ministry) a favor and
resign.
- Charles Swindoll
6




III. COMMON STUMBLING BLOCKS FOR GIFTED MEN

A. Selfish Ambition

- Portrait of an ambitious man

For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you
find disorder and every evil practice.
- James 3:16 (NIV)

- The distortion of gift theology

His approach is to work in you, and then through you.
- Dr. J. Robert Clinton
7






6
Charles Swindoll, The Bride, p. 171.

7
Dr. J. Robert Clinton, The Making of a Leader, p. 33.
Dave Harvey
Are You Called?
Copyright 1996 PDI Ministries
Gaithersburg, MD 20876

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From the time I first entered the University, especially from the time I knew
what was true and undefiled Christianity, I entertained high thoughts of the
importance of the ministerial office, and was not solicitous what place
should be prepared for me, but how I should be prepared for a place.
- George Whitefield
8


- Key principle: What were a part of is more important than the part we play.

A leader is not to consciously seek to expand his sphere of
influence as if bigger were better. A leader is to respond to
Gods challenge to accept varying spheres of influence in
order to find Gods proper sphere for him.
- Dr. J. Robert Clinton
9


- Self-promotion and the called man.

I sought not to come to you, for I was a minister of an
obscure but affectionate people. I never solicited
advancement. The first note of invitation from your
deacons came quite unlooked-for, and I trembled at the idea
of preaching in London. I could not understand how it had
come about, and even now I am filled with astonishment at
the wondrous Providence. I would wish to give myself
into the hands of our covenant God, whose wisdom directs
all things. He shall choose for me; and so far as I can
judge, this is His choice.
- C.H. Spurgeon
10


B. The Expectation Trap

A cross stands in the way of spiritual leadership, a cross
upon which the leaders must consent to be impaled.
- J. Oswald Sanders
11



8
Luke Tyerman, The Life of George Whitefield, quoting George Whitefield, p. 40.

9
Dr. J. Robert Clinton, The Making of a Leader, p. 118.

10
Lewis Drummond (quoting C.H. Spurgeon), Spurgeon: Preacher of Preachers, p. 200.

11
John MacArthur, Jr. (quoting J. Oswald Sanders), Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry, p. 296.
Dave Harvey
Are You Called?
Copyright 1996 PDI Ministries
Gaithersburg, MD 20876

-5-


1. Wrong expectation regarding the means of ministry

a) Weakness - 2 Corin. 12:7-10

b) Suffering - 2 Corin 4:7-12

God never wastes the gift of suffering (Phil.
1:29). It is given to His ministers as He knows
best, and its design is the consolation and salvation
of our people. No pastoral suffering is senseless.
No pastoral pain is pointless. No adversity is
absurd and meaningless. Every heartache had its
divine target in the consolation of the saints, even
when we feel least useful.
- John Piper
12


2. Wrong expectations from relationships

a) Pauls suffering often came from departures and desertions (2 Tim.).

b) Though we build relationally, relationships are not a right.

No ministry of any value comes without pain. I
often encounter young men headed for ministry
who are looking for a church without problems, a
ministry without challenges, a congregation that
will make life easy. There is no such place for the
faithful preacher of the Word. The notion that
ministry can be both effective and painless is a lie.
You will encounter hardship if you preach the
unadulterated Word. And when adversity strikes,
you have two choices. You can endure and
remain steadfast, or you can compromise. The
faithful minister holds the line for the truth. You
cannot do that and escape suffering.
- John MacArthur
13




12
John Piper, "Brothers, Our Affliction Is for Their Comfort,? The Standard, pp.28-29.

13
John MacArthur, Jr., Ashamed of the Gospel, p. 38.
Dave Harvey
Are You Called?
Copyright 1996 PDI Ministries
Gaithersburg, MD 20876

-6-


IV. FOUR CAPABILITIES OF A CALLED MAN

The two grand combining requisites for this Divine
vocation may be determined to be, a desire, and a fitness,
for the office.
- Charles Bridges
14

- Refer to Addendum IV.

At the risk of being simplistic, I suggest that leadership is
primarily responsible for church malfunction. No church
achieves excellence in ministry without mature, capable
leadership; excellent leadership generally produces effective
churches. Jesus majored in leadership training during his
earthly ministry. We would do well to follow his example.
- James Means
15


A. An Aptitude for Sound Doctrine

1. A passion for study

When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at
Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.
- 2 Tim 4:13 (NIV)

- Study is a non-negotiable for the called man.

Reading gives us breadth, but study
gives us depth.
- Jerry Bridges
16


Five years from now you will be pretty much the
same as you are today except for two things: the
books you read and the people you get close to.
- Charles Jones
17



14
Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry, p. 94.

15
James Means, Leadership in Christian Ministry, p. 12.

16
Donald S. Whitney (quoting Jerry Bridges), Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, p. 31.
Dave Harvey
Are You Called?
Copyright 1996 PDI Ministries
Gaithersburg, MD 20876

-7-


2. A cultivation of discernment based on sound doctrine

He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has
been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound
doctrine and refute those who oppose it. For there are
many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers,
especially those of the circumcision group. They must be
silenced, because they are ruining whole households by
teaching things they ought not to teach -- and that for the
sake of dishonest gain.
- Titus 1:9-11 (NIV)

A shepherds oversight of the flock expresses itself
broadly in two ways. First, shepherds provide truthful,
positive direction and leadership to the flock. Second, they
warn of spiritual dangers such as sin, false teaching, and
false teachers, including Satans assaults against the
saints.
- John MacArthur, Jr.
18


Many a minister fails as a pastor because he is not vigilant.
He allows his church to be torn to pieces because he is
half asleep. He took it for granted that there were no
wolves, no birds of prey, no robbers, and while he was
drowsing the enemy arrived. False ideas, destructive
interpretations, demoralizing teachings came into his group,
and he never knew it...There are errors which are as fierce
as wolves and pitiless as hyenas; they tear faith and hope
and love to pieces and leave churches, once prosperous,
mangled and half dead.
- Charles Jefferson
19



- Doctrinal discernment is vital to all ministry roles.




17
Patrick M. Morley (quoting Charles Jones), The Man in the Mirror, p. 115.

18
John MacArthur, Jr., Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry, p. 339.

19
John MacArthur, Jr. (quoting Charles Jefferson)., Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry, p. 257.
Dave Harvey
Are You Called?
Copyright 1996 PDI Ministries
Gaithersburg, MD 20876

-8-



Discernment is a spiritual capacity. It is the insight that
comes with Christian wisdom. It is the ability to see
through life, to see it for what it really is. Some people
are more naturally sagacious than others, some more
critically astute than others, and God may enhance this sort
of gift by his grace, but it is not this natural ability that I am
referring to here. The heart of the ability to discern right
from wrong in the actual circumstances of life is the rich
flowering that God intends from the interactions of the
truth of his Word, reflection on it, and the moral character
that grows out of it. It is this culture of wisdom with
which the Bible, in both Testaments, is much concerned
and in which the evangelical world appears to have lost
interest.
- David Wells
20


It may seem strange to speak of unintentional apostasy.
When God judges our actions, surely he considers our
intentions along with our actions. To condemn the gospel
intentionally is obviously more heinous than to do so
unintentionally. But unintentional heresy is still heresy, as
both sides agreed.
- R. C. Sproul
21


The heretics were never dishonest men; they were
mistaken men. They should not be thought of as men
who were deliberately setting out to go wrong and to teach
something that is wrong; they have been some of the most
sincere men that the Church has ever known. What was
the matter with them? Their trouble was this: they evolved
a theory and they were rather pleased with it; then they
went back with this theory to the Bible, and they seemed to
find it everywhere.
- Tony Sargent
22





20
David Wells, God in the Wasteland, p. 55.

21
R.C. Sproul, Faith Alone, p. 179.

22
Tony Sargent, The Sacred Anointing, p. 219 (emphasis mine).
Dave Harvey
Are You Called?
Copyright 1996 PDI Ministries
Gaithersburg, MD 20876

-9-



- Discernment must be doctrinal and practical.

a) Prov. 26: 4 & 5

B. A Capability for Shepherding

- Gods people should be able to touch his heart and feel his care through any office.

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch
over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their
work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage
to you.
- Hebrews 13:17

- In Heb. 13:17, the watching (shepherding) responsibility applies to all leaders.

- Refer to Addendum V.


C. A Capability for Management
I
....if it is leadership, let him govern diligently...
- Rom. 12:8 (NIV)

- Proistemi to lead, to direct, to assist, to arrange, to apply oneself to
- Gerhard Kittel
23


a) Titus 1:8 - An elder must be disciplined.

- The called man must be able to manage his life and gift.

a) Gifting w/o administration = frustration

b) Eph. 4 is clear that ministry involves equipping. Equipping requires
structures and administration.


23
Gerhard Kittel & Gerhard Friedrich (editors)/Geoffrey W. Bromiley (translator), Theological
Dictionary of the New Testament, p. 938.
Dave Harvey
Are You Called?
Copyright 1996 PDI Ministries
Gaithersburg, MD 20876

-10-


Telling people what to do without providing the
means to do it is cruel and defrauding. It creates
spiritual schizophrenia, Christians who are experts
on what they are not experiencing.
- Bill Hull
24



The degree to which a leader is able to delegate
work is a measure of his success.
- J. Oswald Sanders
25



- Dispelling illusions of ministry

The bottom line is that as the church grows there is a
steady increase in the priority a pastor assigns to
administration and studying.
- Darius Salter
26


Why should businesses striving for short-lived financial gain be
administrated more circumspectly than an institution laboring to lay up
treasures in heaven (John 6:27; Matt. 6:19-21)?
- Wayne Mack & David Swavely
27


- Result: We must broaden our definition of gifting.

- The church as community, cause, and corporation

a) Lessons from Acts 6:1-7




24
Bill Hull, The Disciple Making Pastor, p. 96.

25
John MacArthur, Jr. (quoting J. Oswald Sanders), Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry, p. 302.

26
Darius Salter, What Really Matters in Ministry, p. 35.

27
Wayne Mack & David Swavely, Life in the Father?s House: A Member?s Guide to the Local
Church, p. 25.
Dave Harvey
Are You Called?
Copyright 1996 PDI Ministries
Gaithersburg, MD 20876

-11-


(1) Ministry must be reactive and proactive.

Leadership is:
- knowing what to do next;
- knowing why thats
important; and
- knowing how to bring appropriate resources to
bear on the need at hand.
- Bobb Biehl
28


(2) Ministry should be focused and intentional.

(3) Ministers should be positioned for maximum effectiveness.

The secret of any organizations success is
choosing the right people to play key leadership
roles... One of the most important aspects of
successful leadership is putting together a group of
people to carry out the mission.
- Fred Smith
29



D. The Capability for a Compelling Lifestyle

Join with others in following my example, brothers, and
take note of those who live according to the pattern we
gave you.
- Phil. 3:17 (NIV)

- Principle: When someone encounters our life, they should be provoked, not
compromised or stumbled.

It is not optional that their lives be examples for others to
follow; it is a requirement.
- Wayne Grudem (emphasis mine)
30



28
Bobb Biehl, Increasing Your Leadership Confidence, p. 13.

29
Fred Smith, Learning to Lead, p.93.

30
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, p. 916.
Dave Harvey
Are You Called?
Copyright 1996 PDI Ministries
Gaithersburg, MD 20876

-12-


- Applications:

a) Work Habits - 1 Thess. 5:12

At times there would be those who would come
to him who had failed in other callings. They
almost invariably testified that they had turned to
the ministry because they regarded their lack of
success in other areas as the Lord shutting up all
other doors. Spurgeon had no sympathy. He
would always say, ? The ministry needs the very
best men, not those who cannot do anything else.
A man who will succeed as a preacher would
probably do right well either as a grocer or a
lawyer or anything else.
- Lewis Drummond
31


b) Financial Stewardship - 1 Peter 5:3; 1 Tim. 3:5

c) Rest - Jn. 15

d) Home Life - 1 Tim. 3:5; 1 Tim. 3:11-13; Titus 1:6

e) Reputation with outsiders (1 Tim. 3:7)

- A Personal Inventory - Refer to Addendum VI

- The called man should enjoy a life which illustrates the truth of his message.

To be a leader, one needs to be aware that he must first
measure up to these traits as a qualification to enter into the
office of pastor, and then he must maintain these qualities
in his life if he is to stay in the pastoral ministry.
- John MacArthur, Jr.
32





31
Lewis Drummond, Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers, p. 415.

32
John MacArthur, Jr. Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry, p. 287.
Dave Harvey
Are You Called?
Copyright 1996 PDI Ministries
Gaithersburg, MD 20876

-13-



As Spurgeon says in reference to John Wycliffe: God fits
the man for the place and the place for the man: there is an
hour for the voice and a voice for the hour.
-Charles Spurgeon
33


- A poignant summation

If one wonders whether he has the call, he should ask
himself whether he usually makes matters worse or makes
them better when he gets involved in a situation.
- Joel Nederhood
34



33
Iain Murray, The Forgotten Spurgeon, quoting Charles Spurgeon, p. 16.

34
Samuel Logan, Jr., The Preacher & Preaching, quoting Joel Nederhood, p. 53.