 John 10:12–13 draws a clean line.
A hired hand runs when the wolf shows up. He doesn’t own the sheep. He doesn’t love the sheep. So when it gets dangerous, he’s gone. That’s true. But it’s not the whole picture. Sometimes the hired hand doesn’t run. Sometimes he stays. And staying can be just as dangerous. Not because he’s plotting harm. Not because he’s malicious. But because somewhere along the way, the relationship between shepherd and sheep quietly shifted. What began as calling became comfort. What began as stewardship became survival. What began as ministry became mutual dependence. I’ve seen this up close. A church declines slowly—then steadily—then predictably. Over decades. The reasons are rarely mysterious: unresolved conflict, poor leadership decisions, a resistance to change, a slow drift from mission to maintenance. The people who wanted to push forward eventually leave. Not all at once, but over time. They grow tired of the friction or the futility. What remains is a smaller, aging, faithful core. And into that vacuum, someone steps up. It could be anyone on staff. A pastor. A worship leader. An administrator. They start carrying more weight. Filling more gaps. Keeping things moving. They become the stabilizing force—the one who makes sure the doors open, the lights come on, the sermon is preached, the songs are sung. And the definition of success subtly changes: No longer about reaching people. No longer about making disciples. Just… being faithful. Keeping it going. Holding the line. More people leave. The congregation gets smaller. Older. Tighter. And here’s where it turns. The people don’t want to leave. This is their church. Their memories are here. Their friendships are here. They remember when the place was full. They want to see it alive again—kids in the hallways, baptisms, new families—but they’re not willing to risk losing the things they still have: the care they receive from the person holding it all together, their friends and the familiarity of it all. And that staff member? He loves them. He genuinely does. He visits them. Prays for them. Walks with them through loss and sickness and grief. He becomes their pastor in the truest relational sense. And they, in turn, love him. Affirm him. Depend on him. It feels meaningful. It is meaningful—on a human level. But it’s not healthy. Because now both sides are stuck. The people stay, in part, to take care of the pastor. The pastor stays, in part, to take care of the people. To them, Jesus is no longer the bread of life. They are trying to feast on the crumbs of their dysfunctional relationship. That’s co-dependency. And here’s the harder truth: sometimes the hired hand begins to feed off the sheep. Not in some obvious or predatory way. Much more subtly than that. He draws a paycheck he’s afraid to lose. He finds identity in the role he’s afraid he can’t replace. He receives affirmation he’s reluctant to live without. He convinces himself that staying is sacrifice, when in reality it’s fear… or comfort… or both. In an unguarded moment, he might admit it: “I don’t know if I could find another place.” “I’ve been here too long.” “I can’t leave these people.” It sounds noble. It feels pastoral. But it’s not the voice of the Good Shepherd. Jesus laid down His life for the sheep. He didn’t build His identity on their need of Him. He didn’t stay because He was afraid to go. He didn’t need their affirmation to validate His calling. He loved them enough to do what was necessary—even when it was disruptive. Churches like this don’t drift into renewal. They calcify. You’ve driven by them. Paint peeling. Parking lots empty. Signs still inviting people in, though the community around them has long since moved on. People in the neighborhood can tell, without stepping inside, that whatever is happening in there… it’s not reaching them. And inside those walls is often a small group of sincere believers and a loyal staff member locked in a quiet, unspoken agreement: we’ll keep this going as long as we can. The problem is--this can’t go on. No strategy fixes this. No new program turns it around. No clever rebrand changes the trajectory. Only God breaks cycles like this. It starts when someone inside—someone who loves both the people and the leader—develops a holy dissatisfaction. Not cynical. Not critical. But clear-eyed enough to say, “This isn’t what the church is supposed to be. And we can’t pretend it is anymore.” That kind of clarity is disruptive. It threatens the system. It also opens the door for repentance. The staff member has to come to terms with the role he’s playing. He has to remember that Jesus is the one who died for the church. He doesn’t have to. He can’t. And often—this is the part no one wants to say out loud—the most loving thing that a leader can do is leave. Not as a failure. Not as abandonment. But as an act of obedience. Sometimes renewal begins with subtraction. If there’s a controlling personality in the mix—a de facto pastor holding the reins from the shadows—that will have to be addressed too. Control doesn’t coexist with renewal. That person will either be broken and repent or removed, or called home by God. None of this is easy. None of it is quick. And none of it happens without deep, sustained prayer. But I’ve seen enough to know this: God is not hindered by stuck churches. He renews what people have written off. He breathes life into what looks finished. He does what no system, strategy, or staffing plan can accomplish. But He won’t bless a quiet agreement to settle. The hired hand in John 10 runs because he doesn’t care. Today, the danger is often more subtle. He stays… because he does care. Just not in the way that leads to life.
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 I Changed My Mind — Some Churches Need to Die
I’ve spent a good portion of my life trying to keep churches alive. I’ve walked into rooms where the lights were still on, but barely. Where the stories were strong, but the future was thin. Where people loved their church—but couldn’t quite figure out why it wasn’t reaching anyone anymore. And when God breathes life back into a congregation like that, there’s nothing like it. It’s sacred ground. It’s resurrection-level work. I’ve seen it happen. I believe in it. But somewhere along the way, I changed my mind. Some churches need to die. That’s not easy to say. It runs against instinct. It sounds harsh. It feels like giving up. But it’s not. It’s telling the truth. Death Is Not the Enemy We Think It Is We shouldn’t be surprised by this. Death is built into the gospel. Jesus didn’t call people to self-improvement—He called them to die. “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” John 12:24 That’s not poetic language. That’s a principle. No death, no fruit. And that applies to churches just as much as it does to individuals. The problem is—we’ve gotten very good at keeping things alive that should have been surrendered a long time ago. Not Every Church Should Be Saved Let’s be clear: I’m not talking about churches that are struggling but willing. I’m not talking about congregations that are small but faithful. I’m not talking about churches that are declining but ready to repent, change, and move toward mission. Those churches? Fight for them. Invest in them. Walk with them. I’m talking about something else entirely. I’m talking about churches that:
At some point, the issue is no longer capability. It’s willingness. When willingness to die to self and follow Jesus is absent - organizational death is certain. How long depends on how much savingings they have to pull from or property to sell to prolong their existence. The Hard Reality We Avoid In my work, I’ve learned something most people don’t want to admit: Not every declining church has the same problem—and not every church has the same future. Too many leaders rush to solutions:
That’s treating symptoms. But diagnosis tells a different story. Real decline is usually deeper—spiritual, cultural, organizational, relational. And until you deal with the cause, no amount of activity will fix it. And here’s the part that takes courage: Some churches are not just struggling. They are no longer viable in their current form. They are out of alignment with their mission, their community, and sometimes even the gospel they claim to represent. And instead of dying with dignity and purpose, they linger. What Needs to Die Let’s bring this down to where it really lives. Before a church dies structurally, it should have already died spiritually—in the right ways. Here’s what I mean. 1. The church must die to self. Jesus’ mission has to take priority over personal agendas. Always. 2. The church must die to man-made traditions. Not everything we inherited is sacred. Some of it is just familiar. Some from a previous era - long passed. 3. The church must die to divisive people and patterns. Division, manipulation, and control are not “just part of church life.” They are toxins. The healthy church members need to rise up and not tolerate those behaviors anymore. 4. The church must die to the sin it tolerates. What a church refuses to confront sin, it eventually becomes the rot that destroys a church from the inside out. 5. The church must die to false gospels. Comfort, control, and consumerism are enemies of the cross. They promise more than they can deliver - and what they offer isn't life, but bondage that leads to death. If the church members refuse to die to those things… eventually the church will die. When Death Becomes Mercy This is where the conversation shifts. Because sometimes, the most faithful thing God can do is remove a lampstand. Not out of anger—but out of mercy. Mercy for:
We don’t like to think this way. But Scripture does. And if we’re honest, we’ve all seen churches that are no longer helping the mission—they’re hindering it. A Better Way Forward This isn’t a call to abandon troubled or declining churches. It’s a call to lead them honestly. There are more options than just “keep going” or “close the doors”:
But those decisions require courage. They require leaders who are willing to say: “If we do nothing, here’s what happens next.” And even harder: “If we are unwilling to change, we may not need a strategy—we may need an ending.” That’s not failure. That’s stewardship. Final Word I still believe in church renewal. I still fight for it. But I no longer believe every church should be preserved as it is at all costs. Because the goal was never survival. The goal was fruitfulness. And sometimes.... the only way to make room for new life… is to let something die.  You’re sitting with a few friends—maybe over coffee, maybe between meetings.
The conversation turns, like it often does, to life. Work. Family. Ministry. The constant pressure of it all.
Then someone says it: “I’m just trying to find balance.” And at first, you nod. Of course. That’s the goal, right? But something in you hesitates. If you’re honest, something deeper pushes back: I don’t think that’s true. I don’t think balance is actually possible. And you’re right. The Problem with Balance Balance assumes life can be evenly distributed. It can’t. Life doesn’t arrive in neat categories. It comes in waves:
Trying to hold all of that in equilibrium doesn’t produce health. It produces fragmentation.
Balance isn’t just difficult—I believe it’s the wrong goal. Scripture Doesn’t Call You to Balance The Bible never calls you to a balanced life. It calls you to a faithful one. Jesus did not live a balanced life.
That is not balance. That is intentional obedience shaped by the moment and the mission. And Scripture is clear about how life actually works: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted… a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance… a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1–7) Not everything at once. The right thing at the right time. The Real Issue: Misaligned Lives Most people aren’t struggling with balance. They’re struggling with alignment.
They’re trying to distribute their lives evenly instead of discerning what actually matters in the moment or season. Jesus doesn’t leave this unclear: “Seek first the kingdom of God…” (Matthew 6:33) That is not a call to balance. That is a call to rightly ordered priorities. Paul presses the same point: “Look carefully then how you walk… making the best use of the time.” (Ephesians 5:15–16) The issue is not equal time. It is wise stewardship of your life under God. Pace Is the Better Category Balance is static. Pace is dynamic. Pace recognizes:
Jesus lived with intentional pace:
He did not try to do everything at once. He did the right things at the right pace. Scripture Gives You Rhythms, Not Balance You see this pattern throughout the Bible: Urgency “I press on toward the goal…” (Philippians 3:14) Endurance “Run with endurance the race that is set before us…” (Hebrews 12:1) Rest “He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:3) Waiting “Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.” (Isaiah 40:31) The Christian life is not evenly paced. It is lived in rhythms of effort, rest, endurance, and trust. The problem isn’t working hard. The problem is living in one gear all the time. What Faithfulness Actually Requires You are not called to manage everything equally. You are called to: “Fulfill your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:5) That requires clarity and courage. It means:
Even Jesus left real needs unmet in order to remain aligned with His mission: “Let us go on to the next towns… for that is why I came.” (Mark 1:38) That will never feel balanced. But it is faithful. A Better Way to Think About Your Life Stop aiming for balance. Think in three categories: Calling – What has God entrusted to you? “We are his workmanship… created in Christ Jesus for good works.” (Ephesians 2:10) Season – What is required right now? “For everything there is a season…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Pace – How should you move through it? “Teach us to number our days…” (Psalm 90:12) When those align, your life works—even when it feels full. When they don’t, no amount of balance will fix it. Bottom Line-Balance is a comforting idea. It’s just the wrong operating system. The goal is not equal distribution of your time. The goal is faithful execution of what matters most, at the right pace, in the right season, under God. Get that right—and you won’t need balance. A Final Word - Sabbath If pace is the issue, then Sabbath is not optional—it’s essential. Sabbath is God’s built-in interruption to your life. It cuts across every unhealthy pattern:
The answer isn’t to adjust harder. It’s to stop. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy…” (Exodus 20:8) Sabbath is not a reward for finishing your work. It’s a command that interrupts your work. Are you going full steam all the time? Sabbath. Are you moving slowly and frustrated by what’s undone? Sabbath. Are you trying to cram more in to make everything “balance”? Sabbath. Sabbath is part of pacing. It is a systematic, disruptive practice that resets:
It reminds you that you are not God, the work is not ultimate, and the world keeps turning without your constant effort. “The Sabbath was made for man…” (Mark 2:27) Part of faithful pacing is not just knowing when to push. It’s knowing when to stop. And trusting God enough to actually do it.  Here’s the truth most churches don’t want to face: a discipleship problem almost always shows up first as a conflict problem.
We tend to treat conflict like a personality issue, a leadership breakdown, or a communication failure. And sometimes it is. But more often than not, those are just symptoms. The deeper issue is that we have people—sometimes even leaders—who have not been fully formed by the Word of God. And when discipleship is shallow, conflict gets loud. The Authority We Claim vs. the Authority We Use Most churches say the right things. Their governing documents often include language like: “The Bible is the inspired Word of God and the sole authority for faith and practice.” That’s good. That’s right. That’s necessary. But what we say we believe and how we actually make decisions are not always the same thing. Listen carefully in leadership meetings and you’ll often hear phrases like:
Those statements aren’t always wrong—but they become dangerous when they replace, rather than submit to, “God’s Word says…” That shift reveals something deeper than a communication style. It exposes the posture of the heart and the frame of reference for the mind: personal authority has quietly replaced biblical authority. Scripture Doesn’t Just Guide Us—It Exposes Us Paul makes it unmistakably clear: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…” (2 Timothy 3:16) Scripture isn’t a suggestion. It’s not inspirational content. It is the authoritative voice of God shaping how we think, decide, and live. And Hebrews takes it even further: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword… discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) When leaders default to preference over Scripture, it’s not just a methodology issue—it’s a heart issue. The Word of God would correct, confront, and refine those instincts. But if it’s not being applied, those instincts go unchecked. And unchecked hearts create unhealthy churches. When Opinions Lead, Churches Drift Here’s where it gets real. When opinions replace Scripture:
And slowly, almost imperceptibly, the church begins to drift. Not because people don’t care—but because they are operating from human wisdom instead of divine truth. You can have a strong constitution, detailed bylaws, and a clear mission statement—and still make deeply unbiblical decisions if Scripture is not actively shaping the process. That’s where dysfunction sets in. Then division. Then decline. The Root Issue: Deficient Discipleship At its core, this is a discipleship issue. Discipleship is not just about knowing more Bible—it’s about being formed by it. A disciple:
When that kind of formation is missing, people may attend church, serve in church, and even lead in church—but they are not functioning as disciples of Jesus in the moments that matter most. And that’s when conflict escalates. There Is a Better WayThere is a better way—and it’s not complicated, but it is costly. It requires a shift in authority, posture, and practice. The Bible before bylaws. Bylaws matter—but they must always submit to Scripture. If your process is sound but your foundation is off, you’ll still end up in the wrong place. The gospel informs every decision. Not just salvation—but how we lead, decide, spend, and resolve conflict. The cross shapes everything. The fruit of the Spirit governs our interactions. If the tone of your leadership is not marked by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—you are already off track, no matter how “right” your position may be. The demands of discipleship form our posture.
That’s not idealism. That’s obedience. Final Word Churches don’t fall apart overnight. They drift there—one decision at a time—when God’s Word is acknowledged in theory but ignored in practice. If you want to reduce conflict, strengthen unity, and see health return, don’t start with better policies. Start with better discipleship. Because when people are shaped by the Word, they don’t just make better decisions—they become different kinds of people. And that changes everything.  This article was written by Bill Easum, long time Pastor and Church consultant. It can be found on the web in other places.
Throughout all of my consulting ministry, I have seen a disturbing pattern ... most established churches are held hostage by one or two bullies. Some individual or small group of individuals are usually extremely opposed to the church making any radical change, even if it means the change would give the church a chance to thrive once again. I keep hearing pastors say, "If I tried that, I'd lose my job!" Courageous pastors often ask, "What do I do when one person intimidates the church so much that it is not willing to try something new?" My response is always, "Either convert them, neutralize them, kick them out, or kill them. The Body can not live with cancer." To which someone usually cries, "That's not very Christian!" My response describes much of the wisdom of both the Old Testament and Jesus. Maturing Christians love so deeply that they will do anything, even not being nice, "for the sake of the Gospel. Jesus was so compassionate toward others that he could not remain quiet when he saw people holding other people in bondage. The Old Testament story of the wilderness wanderings contains a remarkable account of how Moses responded to a group of people who insisted on keeping the Hebrews bondage to the past .1 A group of people led by Korah came to Moses asking him to relinquish leadership because they wanted to take the Hebrews back to Egypt. Moses responded by falling on his face prostrate before them in prayer. Then he got up and slew all of them. Not very nice, but necessary if they were going to get to Canaan. Moses knew that freedom with God was better than slavery with Pharaoh. The same is true today... freedom to grow in grace is always better than enslavement to the status quo. Almost every struggling church has at least one dysfunctional bully who goes out of the way to be a big fish in a small pond. Often, that is the primary reason the church is struggling. This person gets his/her sense of self-worth by keeping the church so intimidated, either by their actions or their money, that very little can happen without that person's approval. The sad thing is most of the leaders know that this person is a stumbling block to the church's' future and they will not do anything about it. The church leaders ignore the bully thinking that is the Christian thing to do, and in so doing, assist in the stunted growth or death of the congregation. For example, I was working with a staff in a large church. The first day I met with the staff the tension was so high I could cut the air with a knife. The staff hardly said a word to one another. The next day when we met the staff laughed and cut up together as if they were one big happy family. As I looked around the table, the only apparent difference was that one staff person was not present. I asked the staff if they sensed the difference I was feeling. They knew exactly what I meant. Finally one of them blurted out, "Jim is not here today. Staff meetings are always better when he's not here." It turned out that Jim was a dysfunctional bully who ran to the personnel committee every time he didn't get his way. Because of him several competent staff members had been fired. To make matters worse, the staff knew that Jim seldom contributed anything to the health and vitality of the church. I asked the staff if they had confronted Jim with how they felt. Their response was typical for church folks. "That would not be the Christian thing to do. It would hurt him deeply. After all, the church is all he has." Sure, it's all that he has; no one else would put up with him. Who is the most dysfunctional, Jim or the staff? A church not far from me told its Bishop that it wanted a young pastor. It wasn't long before they got one. One of the first things the young pastor did was ask the Board to change the appearance of the church newspaper. The Board unanimously voted to do so. Four months later, I noticed the newspaper was switched back to its old form. I called the pastor to ask why. His response is a classic. "Most of the Board were present the night we voted. However, one man was out of the country. When he returned to find that a decision had been made in his absence, he demanded that the chairperson immediately call another meeting. At the second meeting, the Board voted unanimously to rescind their previous decision about the newspaper." When I asked why, he replied: "This man always pays off any deficit at the end of year and he wanted the vote changed. The Board was afraid to buck him." The future of that church was held hostage to a bully. I'm convinced that one of the main sins of the established church is that we have taught ourselves to be nice instead of being Christian. In spite of aspiring to be a disciple of Jesus, we teach that the essence of Christianity is to be nice. Where do we get such a notion? Certainly not from the actions of Jesus. One of the hallmarks of Jesus's ministry was his constant attack on the status quo. He challenged it every time he could. He even went out of his way to upset the religious bullies of his time. He called them "white sepulchers" and by doing so attacked the very heart of their priesthood based on purity.2 Jesus loved church leaders too much to allow them remain such small persons. When Peter showed his displeasure over the impending death of his Lord, Jesus said to him "Get behind me Satan."3 Jesus loved his disciples too much to let them miss one of the more important lessons of servanthood. Jesus, the man who said, "be compassionate as God is compassionate,"4 had no desire to be nice because ...being nice has nothing to do with being Christian. Being nice is often nothing more than a lack of compassion for people. Let's explore what this means. At one point, in a holy rage, Jesus entered the Temple with a large, metal-tipped whip and drove out the money changers. As he did, he quipped, "It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves."5 If we discover why Jesus responded to religious bullies this way, we will also discover why so many church leaders refuse to follow his example. When Jesus cleansed the temple he was in the Court of the Gentiles. This was the only part of the temple where gentiles were allowed to worship. What ticked Jesus off was that the religious leaders were using the only place gentiles could worship God as the place to sell their wares. What was to be a place of spiritual discovery and worship for the gentiles, was turned into an economic opportunity for the religious leaders. (Sound familiar?) The focus of the religious leaders was on themselves, not the spiritual vitality of the gentiles. So he drove them out. Therefore, thieves are those who do religious things for their own purpose. So when we are doing things that only benefit those within the church, we become a den of thieves. When we say that we want it this way because it has always been this way, we are a den of thieves. We when focus on only the needs of our members, we are robbing the community of a chance to join us in our journey of faith. Such action is intolerable for people of compassion and love. Church leaders are robbing people of their spiritual birthright when they allow dysfunctional people to sell their petty wares in the house of God rather than to proclaim release from bondage. We really need to get clear on this problem and do something about. If we really love people, and if we really want them to experience the love of God, then we will not ever allow the bully to rob others of their spiritual birthright. Anyone who knows how family systems work, knows that the worst thing one can do with dysfunctional people is to give them more attention by giving into their every whim. Instead, tough love has to be applied. The compassionate thing to do is to hold them accountable for their self-centered actions for in doing so they may begin the journey with God. Jesus shows us what to do with people who do not want to grow spiritually. In training his disciples how to spread the word of God's love, he told the disciples to "shake off the dust of your feet" when they encountered people who did not receive them graciously.6 Jesus loved people too much to let anything slow down the process of setting people free from their bondage whatever it is. People who would rather be nice than Christian do not love enough. They do not have enough compassion. Instead, they are afraid of hurting someone or of being hurt. Remember, fear is the opposite of love. "Perfect love casts out all fear."7 If we really cared about people, we would not allow anyone to bully others into submission, instead we would want every person to feel free enough to express their hopes and dreams, to stretch their wings, and to reach their God-given potential. If we really loved people, we would not base our decisions on whether or not people would like us for those decisions. Being nice or being liked is never a goal for followers of Jesus. What does being nice accomplish in the church?
One of the basic lessons I'm learning as a consultant is that before renewal begins in a church or denomination, it is normal that someone has to leave or be denied. Almost every time a dying church attempts to thrive once again, someone tries to bully the leadership out of the attempt. And almost every time, if a turn around is to take place, such persons are lost along the way because they are no longer allowed to get their way. When they can't get their way, they leave. Not even Jesus got through the journey with all of their disciples. Why should we expect too? This does not mean that we should set out to intimate the bully or to kick people out of the church. It does mean that we care enough about the future of our church not to allow anyone to stifle its ability to liberate people from bondage or victimization. It means that we care enough about the bully that we will not allow the bully to intimate the church because we know the spiritual vitality of both the bully and the church is at stake. Matthew 18 gives us a formula for dealing with the dysfunctional bully. First, an individual privately confronts the person with what he/she is doing and asks the person to stop. If this doesn't achieve positive results, two or more people are to confront the person. If this does not resolve the matter, the person is to be brought before the entire church. Listen again to the not- so-nice words of Jesus. "And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican." In other words, withdraw from that person's presence, or in our case rem ove that person from office! Never, ever, allow such a person to dictate the direction of the church.8 The next time someone in your church attempts to intimidate or bully the church out of taking a positive step forward, go to God in prayer, and then get out the metal-tipped whip and drive that person out of the church....of course in love.9 ______________ 1 Numbers 16
 Pastors, thank you.
Your presence in the hospital room following a great tragedy brought comfort. You spoke truth through challenging words across the restaurant table - waking us up from our spiritual stupor. You walked with couples through infertility, infidelity and disconnection, you pointed them to Jesus and led them in prayer and confession. You’ve missed gatherings, parties, events, and sacrificed your weekends to pray and prepare for our Lord’s day gatherings. You’ve dedicated our children, married our young adults, baptized new believers and buried our older friends. You led us to pursue the lost, communicate the gospel. You challenged us to meet the needs of the orphan, alien, and widow. You patiently endured congregational criticisms and whisper campaigns. You’ve lost friends, staff and have endured seasons of loneliness while remaining faithful to our congregation. You stayed in this place to be our shepherd when you could have gone elsewhere. You’ve navigated several election seasons, always leading us with grace and truth - emphasizing, one Lord, one faith, one baptism. You feel the weight of caring for the flock - 24/7. Your tear stained face and fervent prayers may not be known but they are felt. You don’t work for the applause of people - though you often wonder if your prayers, labor and ministry are helping us follow Jesus. They are. Thank you Pastor, thank you.  Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-3 There are many Pastors who are feeling the weight of of ministry and are likely beyond exhausted, physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. In the past month I’ve heard my pastor friends say these things: “I’m ready to quit.” “I don’t know how much longer I can keep going.” “If one more family leaves over ____________ I’m not sure our church will be able to survive financially.” “I’m not going to abandon the church now, but when this season is over, I’m planning on resigning.” “I’m depressed, discouraged and feel like a failure.” When I pastored I said similar things. When I led in difficult seasons I thought about them, regularly. We should acknowledge that some of our brothers and the churches they pastor are growing and thriving, we can rejoice and be thankful for that-we can also confess that many are not, in fact they may be the majority. Brother Pastor, let me encourage you to keep running and endure. The writer of Hebrews offers us a great exhortation to keep going, even when things are difficult. Consider the Example of Others History is replete with the stories of missionaries and pastors who labored faithfully over years, often at great costs and with great hardships, while not seeing great numbers of conversions. Consider the life of Adoniram Judson, who after four decades of ministry in Burma, could count, at best, twenty-five converts to Christ. In that same timeframe he buried two wives, six children, and eleven co-workers. By God’s grace, the gospel took hold and the number of converts tracing their faith to his work now number in the millions. Lay Aside Hindrances What are the things that hinder your joy, undermine your devotion and slow your ministry? Could it be an expectation or desire to be successful by a certain standard which now has you second guessing your call or feeling frustrated? Are you facing real emotional challenges that would benefit from counseling, medical examination or medication? Are you watching and listening to other Pastors and comparing yourself to them? Are you following the advice of consultants who peddle quick solutions for churches in crisis who have never led a church during a season like this? Do the work of prayerful reflection and set aside whatever things the Lord reveals are hindering your race. Mortify Sin Sustained discouragement in the life of a Christian, especially a Pastor can become an incubator for sin. Our desires can slowly over time skew toward self-we want to feel different, be happy, feel successful. Our desire to feel good, experience success, and enjoy personal fulfillment can become an obsessive quest. We each have sins that are prone to ensnare our hearts, minds and hands. Know the specific sins that could take you out and ask the Lord to deaden you to them. Run Your Race God calls each of us to the same ministry of proclaiming the gospel and making disciples who make disciples. But his call to each of us is unique to a certain context. I served in an affluent, highly educated, extremely progressive and gospel resistant city. You may serve in a sparsely populated conservative rural county. We each have a race that lies before us-one that is very different. I’m called to faithfully run mine and you yours. I may think your race looks easier and want to abandon mine-but I must finish the race God has laid before me. Keep Looking at Jesus I ran long distance on the track team when I was much younger, I did not run well at all. I like to say now that the only time I run is when I’m scared or in danger-which means I don’t run much! In my track days I struggled to run effectively because I was focused not on the finish line but my pain. Pastor, what are you focusing on as you run the race God has put before you? My experience reminds me that when I focus on the pain of my race and not on Jesus, who is the author and perfecter of my faith, who successfully ran his race to the cross I will struggle and want to quit running. The race is not over brother Pastor, let’s keep running and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.  God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas, though its water roars and foams and the mountains quake with its turmoil. Psalm 46:1-3 TIMES ARE TROUBLING Another day and more trouble. Shootings, petty theft, political conflict, misunderstandings between co-workers, friends and family. My own struggle with sin…there’s enough going on each day to cause our hearts to melt, our emotions tank and our head to reason based on our feelings and experience that everything is ruined beyond repair. You’re not wrong-things are a mess. Depravity is daily on display in our world and in our own lives. There’s something that calls out in each of us, maybe quietly, maybe shouting - “It shouldn’t be like this!” But it is and we can’t escape it. WHERE DO I SEEK SAFETY Our human nature compels us to seek safety, security and stability. We were not created for chaos-but into chaos we were thrust when sin ripped us from the garden-the peaceful dwelling place God intended for us to live without care or concerns. So we seek safe harbor in other things….
DECLARE TO YOURSELF - I WILL NOT FEAR We spend way too much time listening to ourselves instead of instructing ourselves. In the Psalms these phrases regularly occur; “I will say to myself” “I will counsel my heart.” “I will declare.” These declarations are not merely puffed up positivism, the are based in the reality of the character and work of God. Note, verse 1 of Psalm 46; “God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. Therefore we will not be afraid…. I don’t have to be afraid because of who God is and what he does. ALL WE SEE IS SHAKING AND CRUMBLING There’s no way to sugarcoat what’s happening in the world, particularly our immediate, known to us world. I stop watching the news, and everytime I dial back in, things seem worse than when I last checked out. New ways of doing wrong and evil spring up like weeds that can’t be killed. Trusted institutions becoming untrustworthy, laws that go unenforced are now easily broken and become meaningless. People on opposing sides can’t speak civilly or logically to one another. Power, slander and subterfuge are the currency of the day. CEASE YOUR STRUGGLE - SEE THE LORD We are fighting non-physical spiritual enemies whose battle tactics are beyond our ability to fully comprehend or curtail in our own strength. But we are not without hope or remedy. We have a God that reigns above the chaos. He is the exalted ruler over all the nations of the earth. He is with us. When the nations rage, the news is bad, the heartache and brokenness real, stop fighting and focus your eyes on the Sovereign, Strong and Secure Lord. “Stop fighting, and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.” The Lord of Armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Psalm 96:11 |
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