The Hardest Thing We Can Do

Why God Has to Call People into Ministry

The billboard alongside the interstate informs motorists that “The Marines don’t take applications. Just commitments.” My dad used to tell me that to join his men’s organization, no one could volunteer or apply for membership. They had to be invited by a member.

I’ve racked my brain, trying to think of an instance in Scripture of a person volunteering for the ministry. I can’t think of a one. But the accounts of people being called and recruited, singled out and summoned, convinced and sent, are numerous.

Abraham lived in Haran with his family when God called him to go to a distant, unknown land “which I will show you.” Moses was herding sheep on the back side of Horeb when the Lord fingered him to confront Pharaoh. Amos was gathering sycamore-figs and keeping sheep. David was in the fields with his flocks. Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress. Isaiah seems to have been in the temple worshiping.

We’re not told exactly where Jeremiah was when God’s call came, but the first chapter of his prophecy reveals a great deal of the give-and-take between the Lord and this youth. God’s call was no impulsive thing. He had been planning this for some time: “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jer. 1:4-5).

“The nations” is “goyim” in the Hebrew, a reference to the pagan population and unbelieving nations (Even today, some Jews refer to Gentiles as “goys”). Like Paul in the New Testament, Jeremiah is being called for a special assignment to non-Jews, even though he will have a significant ministry to his own people.

When Jeremiah protested that he was too young and thus inexperienced, God was ready. “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you” (1:7). We are always a lot more impressed by our inabilities than the Lord is. Unfortunately, we are less impressed by the difference His presence makes than we should be.

There’s a reason God has to call people into His work. In fact, there are quite a few.

1) The Message We Will Be Delivering Is Too High for Us
“I have put my words in your mouth,” the Lord told young Jeremiah (Jer. 1:9). It’s not our message, but God’s. It’s not our truth, but His. It’s not our opinions, convictions, learning, experience, stories, beliefs, and not even our doctrine. We are to “preach the Word,” as Paul told Timothy (2 Tim. 4:2).

Many a time we will say with David, “Such knowledge is too high for me” (Ps. 139:6). There will be plenty of times that the preached word will skewer the preacher who proclaims it along with those who receive it. What he must never do is limit his proclamation to the portion of the Word he has lived up to. The minister preaches to himself along with the rest of the Lord’s people. 

2) The Risks We Are Taking Are Too Frightening for Us
“Do not be afraid of them,” God said to Jeremiah (Jer. 1:8).

A seminary student who serves on the staff of one of our New Orleans churches sent out an SOS for prayer the other week. All he said was that he was engaged in a “dangerous ministry.” My attention piqued, I replied, “What’s going on, friend?”

A woman his church is ministering to figures as a key witness in an upcoming trial. In his words, “the mafia” wants to put a stop to her testimony. In addition, a man who had just come to Christ in their church has an estranged wife and child in a precarious situation in an adjoining state. Everyone involved is living on edge.

The minister who enters this work expecting that everyone will be as thrilled with him as his mother is will get a rude awakening. Sometimes he will find his greatest opposition comes from within the congregation, from church leaders even. If he saw the ministry as a nice vocation where he could make a contribution and entered it for the security and peace, he will not last. The suffering of the faithful is a constant refrain of Scripture. Read our Lord’s words in Mark 10:30 and Paul’s testimony in 2 Corinthians 11:23-29 and shudder.

3) The Demands We Are Undertaking Are Too Great for Us
“I appoint you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant” (Jer. 1:10).

When I began preaching at the age of 22, it was a thrill to look out and see thirty people staring my way, expecting to receive something from God.  When I was 30, the day came when I would look out at the congregation where I was a staff member (and the occasional pulpit preacher) and see 1500 people. Among them sat a former governor, the present governor, the leadership of our state Baptist convention, and key business figures and their families. Television cameras were beaming our every word throughout the state. Any young minister who thinks he is adequate for that is fooling himself. Paul said, “Not that we are adequate to think anything of ourselves, but our adequacy is of God” (2 Cor. 3:5).

A child dies and the community grieves. One person is asked to stand before the world and bring a message of comfort and insight. It’s you. The church is divided over doctrine or social issues or personalities. Everyone is choosing sides. You are the one they look to for God’s wisdom. Good luck. The church has outgrown its space and needs to relocate. Even though you have no experience in this sort of thing, as pastor you will lead the congregation to address the situation, pull together a team of leaders, call in experts for advice, and lead everyone to do the right thing.

Pleas of inexperience, youth, or ignorance are not acceptable. You are the leader. Now lead. No wonder the Lord said twice, “I will be with you” (Jer. 1:8, 19) and implied it numerous other times in His call to Jeremiah. You cannot do this by yourself. Try it and you’ll find out soon enough.

My friend Rick Lance tells preachers, “You don’t have mentality enough, maturity enough, or morality enough to do this work.” We will go in the strength of the Lord or we should stay home.

4) The Opposition Facing Us Is Too Tough for Us
Jeremiah was to preach God’s word “against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land....They will fight against you” (Jer. 1:18-19).

After a particularly grueling week in the church I was trying to pastor (I started to say “the church I was refereeing”), a deacon who was determined to get me fired said, “Have you considered the caliber of the people who are opposed to you?” I assured him I had and it concerned me. Then, the Holy Spirit reminded me of the little group who confronted Moses, insisting that all the people of God were holy and the prophet was out of line in demanding that they follow him. “With them were 250 Israelite men, men of renown” (Numbers 16:2).

The “men of renown” in any congregation can scare the preacher—and often will try, so we shouldn’t be surprised—but the Lord God is solidly unimpressed. In effect, God told Moses, “If you will move back about 50 yards, I will show them who is holy here.” It did not turn out well for that self-important group. It never does.

Preachers are an interesting group. Even though we know the Word of the Lord, we keep getting blind-sided by opposition. But from the beginning, the Lord told His people to expect trouble. In Matthew 10, Jesus said, “I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves” (10:16). He said, “The student is no better than his teacher. If they treated me this way, you can expect the same” (my paraphrase of 10:24-25).

Paul told the elders of Ephesus, “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30). Opposition from within and without; expect it.

5) The Blessings We Are Promised Are Too Much for Us
In Jeremiah 1, the youthful prophet is promised the Lord will be with him (1:8,19), the Lord will give him victory (1:8,19), the Lord will strengthen and toughen him (1:18), and God will use him for His purposes (1:5,7).

Clearly, the Lord had more in mind for this faithful servant than what He told him at first. Eventually, Jeremiah was to deliver some of the choice prophecies concerning the coming Messiah and the kind of world-changing work He would accomplish. Chapter 31’s promises about the new covenant are as choice as anything anywhere, and would be quoted throughout the New Testament.

In all the give-and-take between the Lord and the young prophet, one cautionary word from the Lord stands out: Jeremiah must not be afraid of the opposition. The one who speaks for God must fear no one. “Do not be afraid of them” (1:8). “Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them” (1:17). The way I understand it, the Lord is saying, “If you get stage fright before these people, I will humiliate you in front of them.”

Stage fright, we all learn sooner or later, results from our obsession with ourselves--our inadequacies, our message, our failures, our humanity. It’s always accompanied by our being too impressed by imaginary foes—the embarrassment of failure, the disapproval of our critics, the hostility of our enemies.

Confidence before an audience comes from a knowledge of our message, trust in its efficacy, assurance of our mission, and thorough preparation. “I will be with you,” the Lord said. He thought that ought to be sufficient for us, and it should be. The ministry is hard work. The challenge is awesome. The need is worldwide. The opposition is demonic. That any puny human would try to stand up and speak for God would be laughable except for one thing: God calls.

They said to Amos, “Go on back down South where you came from. You’re not appreciated up here in Bethel. You’re opposing the king and you’re upsetting people.” The man of God replied, “You’ve got me all wrong. I was no prophet and not even the son of a prophet. I was a herdsman and a farmer. The Lord God took me from my herd and called me to prophesy. That’s why I’m here” (Amos 7).

“When the lion roars, you will fear. And when God calls, you will preach” (Amos 3:8).

Joe McKeever is a retired Southern Baptist pastor from New Orleans, Louisiana. He blogs regularly at www.joemckeever.com.