I Don't Want to be a Preacher

[AreYouReady?]

Originally Posted by seekerman

You've spoken the heart of so many ministerial friends I know. Ministry has brought both joy and sorrow to their lives and most believe things would have been better had they been 'normal' and not called of God into a special work in His kingdom. I was one of those.

You're called, chosen, predestined for ministry. You know it and others know it and you're miserable doing it and miserable not doing it....so what to do. The issue is this. You're attempting to operate in the gifting and calling of God in a religious system which has little to do with the pattern of the New Testament church. I'm sure some here will think this just another one of my rants on the 'romanist' system of religion which permeates Christianity, but it still needs to be said again. The pastoral/pulpit/micromanagement man-centric, building-centric religious system isn't of God. It's of man.

Look at your surroundings, look at your ministry, look at what you do within the religious system of which you're a part. Now take your bible and honestly compare that to the New Testament church. You will find that the vast majority of what you're doing, how you're operating, your problems and issues have nothing to do with the Church of the New Covenant but instead is almost totally driven by the 'church', i.e., the romanist system of religious order.

I was once as burned out as you, knowing a calling and a ministry, knowing the joy of helping and ministring to folks, but the romanist system was taking the joy of the Lord out of me and my wife. Thankfully, my wife and I were in complete agreement in coming out of this system. We decided that we weren't going to follow the romanist system anymore but will instead simply minister. No trappings of religion, just being part of the Church, not part of a man-centric, building-centric 'church'. I've never been happier, brother. It's absolutely wonderful.

Look at the New Testament church and look around you. Big big big difference isn't it? There's the source of your problems.

So right. People seemed to be geared into traditional positions. Ministering can happen just walking in the mall. Maybe you sit on a bench and somebody else sits on the same bench with you. Conversations about Christ strike up. People cry and need to know God is the answer. Those brief moments with people you do not know give them a hope in Christ.

All it takes is a little spark for them to seek Christ.

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by seekerman

You've spoken the heart of so many ministerial friends I know. Ministry has brought both joy and sorrow to their lives and most believe things would have been better had they been 'normal' and not called of God into a special work in His kingdom. I was one of those.

You're called, chosen, predestined for ministry. You know it and others know it and you're miserable doing it and miserable not doing it....so what to do. The issue is this. You're attempting to operate in the gifting and calling of God in a religious system which has little to do with the pattern of the New Testament church. I'm sure some here will think this just another one of my rants on the 'romanist' system of religion which permeates Christianity, but it still needs to be said again. The pastoral/pulpit/micromanagement man-centric, building-centric religious system isn't of God. It's of man.

Look at your surroundings, look at your ministry, look at what you do within the religious system of which you're a part. Now take your bible and honestly compare that to the New Testament church. You will find that the vast majority of what you're doing, how you're operating, your problems and issues have nothing to do with the Church of the New Covenant but instead is almost totally driven by the 'church', i.e., the romanist system of religious order.

I was once as burned out as you, knowing a calling and a ministry, knowing the joy of helping and ministring to folks, but the romanist system was taking the joy of the Lord out of me and my wife. Thankfully, my wife and I were in complete agreement in coming out of this system. We decided that we weren't going to follow the romanist system anymore but will instead simply minister. No trappings of religion, just being part of the Church, not part of a man-centric, building-centric 'church'. I've never been happier, brother. It's absolutely wonderful.

Look at the New Testament church and look around you. Big big big difference isn't it? There's the source of your problems.

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by AreYouReady?

So right. People seemed to be geared into traditional positions. Ministering can happen just walking in the mall. Maybe you sit on a bench and somebody else sits on the same bench with you. Conversations about Christ strike up. People cry and need to know God is the answer. Those brief moments with people you do not know give them a hope in Christ.

All it takes is a little spark for them to seek Christ.

So true!

We are the BODY of Christ, each one of us, not just pastors.... If congregations were taught that they were part of the body of Christ, and taught to effectively minister to each other, much as the early church did...perhaps there wouldn't be so much burn-out in the pastor ministry if more pastors began to teach their saints that they are ministers too... we all are ministers in the body.

Romans 12:3-8
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:

5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;

8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

DB: Do you teach in your church that all are members of the body, and that each and every saint has a ministry in the body of Christ? Just wondering....