How Can I Leave a Ministry I Believe I was Called to

[waterbuffalo]

I couldn't find a link to this teaching on their website, so here it in copy and paste form. I thought it had some good points about obedience and many times obedience to the Lord is leaving. Here it is:

The Today Series

Getting Off High Center and on to High Ground

The amazing thing about Abraham was his instant recognition and response to the will of God. Most of us would have less heartache in life if we could learn to hear and obey God as readily as Abraham (Read Genesis 22:1-13). When God commanded the sacrifice of Isaac, there is no indication of hesitation on the part of Abraham, even knowing that it would cost him his promised heir. When ready to plunge the knife into Isaac, God said, "stop," and he stopped. God caused a ram to be caught in the bushes by his horns that provided a useful substitute for sacrifice. God was checking the character of Abraham's obedience. Consequent to his instant obedience, he was able to keep his heir as promised by God in His covenant, with that heir becoming the channel by which all of the nations of the earth could be blessed. What if Abraham had heard God the first time and had obstinately clung to his first hearing ignoring God's call for him to stop? He would have needlessly and foolishly slain his son when actually, God had made another provision. Oftentimes, our obstinacy costs us God's best for us.

Most of us know how and when to begin a walk of particular obedience to God but have not learned to recognize when He says "enough," and to take a new direction in obedience. Hezekiah suffered from that malady when he came to the point of death. He pleaded with God and consequently God lengthened his life for a period of fifteen years.

What a cost for Hezekiah, a Godly king, and to his people, as a consequence of getting his own way. His son, Manasseh, born during the fifteen-year extension of Hezekiah's life, was one of the most ungodly kings ever to rule over Judah, with the consequence of Manasseh's reign bringing great judgment to Judah.

There are times that the Father will give us what we want to show us the fallacy of rejecting His plan. The inevitable result is, even if we get what we want, we reap decay and destruction of that we often desire the most. In Hezekiah's case, his obstinacy gave him life's worst.

A third illustration is Saul, the king of Israel. At one point, since Samuel was late in arriving, Saul brashly pre-empted the place of Samuel, in offering sacrifice before they went to battle. When Samuel did come, he chastened Saul severely, informing him that, although he could have been the king of Israel forever, now, because of his disobedience, his kingdom was removed. We know the story of how David was privately anointed king in the place of Saul and how Saul relentlessly sought to find him in order to kill him. His sin had caused his to lose that he cherished the most and his hardness of heart caused him to refuse to listen when God spoke.

Among other things, Saul's rebellion cost him his son. First it cost him Jonathan's love and respect, secondly it cost him Jonathan's loyalty, and finally, Jonathan was killed in battle against the Philistines. What a price to pay for stubbornness. Saul lost his anointing, his family, his rule, and finally his life because he WOULDN'T obey God.

It is difficult to let go especially when we know that we have understood the will of God in the beginning. What we don't often realize is the consequences of the choices we make when we refuse to acknowledge His later will. Both Hezekiah's and Saul's attitudes of rebellion and stubbornness came at great cost to all that was important to them.

The fourth illustration is that of Phillip. What a man on God! We can learn much from Phillip. Known as Philip, the evangelist, he was a man that God greatly used. Beginning as a faithful servant at the tables of the Grecian and Hebrew widows, God anointed him with His favor and sent him out as an evangelist. Philip understood when to stay and when to leave--even in the face of great blessings. Philip was up at Samaria in the midst of a great revival where multitudes were being saved when God led him away from the scene of great blessing down to a lonely road from Jerusalem to Gaza where he had the opportunity to preach to only one man. This was a strange man but one that he led to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. As it turned out, this man was the Eunuch to Queen Candace of Ethiopia, a man of great prestige and power. Tradition has it that he brought the gospel to Ethiopia. Amazingly enough, the obedience of Philip flowed down to his four daughters who were all prophets. Philips instant obedience, even in the face of what could have been disappointment, brought him great blessings, not only in his ministry but also in his family.

The decisions we make in ministry affect so many people-our family, our friends, and people to whom we minister. While we much easier to find reasons to go to whatever place it is we feel called, we often don't have a frame of reference when the knowledge comes that we should leave. Too often we have all the wrong reasons that we use to prolong our stay. The following observations may be helpful.

1. We tend to find our sense of identity in our position rather than in Christ. To turn loose gives one the feeling of losing his sense of self-worth.

2. Since many are in vocational ministries, they struggle with expediency, i.e., how they will make a living if they turn loose. Amazingly enough, obedience has its own rewards, often bringing greater security than that we previously clung to.

3. The mistaken idea that the role we occupy is the same as the ministry that has been God-given. The ministry goes on even though the role changes. I have a retired friend that perfectly exemplifies what I am saying: After a successful career as a church starter, he, in his retirement still has the call of God on his life requiring him to further obedience. Now (without necessarily having an official role to play) he simply walks down the street knocking on doors, getting acquainted with people, and inviting them to a home Bible study. He is blessed in his obedience. His ministry determines his role.

4. The mistaken idea that we are so important that no one else can take our place. I heard that addressed by a preacher who said: "If you want to know how big a hole you will leave if you leave your ministry, get a gallon bucket, fill it with water, and stick your finger in it. Remove your finger and see how large the hole is that you leave! It is God that builds his church. A prolonged presence beyond the obvious will of God is often the greatest hindrance He has to doing His work.

5. Our ministry becomes our comfort zone. We are often more comfortable with the bad that we know than the good we don't know.

6. I often hear ministers declare that God hasn't told them to leave. Actually, He doesn't have to do so. If we cling to our work without any real evidence of God's favor on what we are doing it is time to go on to what God has next for us. We need to ask ourselves this question, is the work prospering in terms of substantial growth, financial growth, and favor with all the people, etc.?

What should one do? That is the question that all of us have to face from time to time. I know that some ministers are in lifetime ministries but that is not necessarily a Biblical principle. Ministers in the Book of Acts obviously had varying tenures based on what they were sent there to do. Remember these things:

1. Faithful is He Who calls you, "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

2. Seek first the Kingdom of God, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33).

3. God leads and empowers, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).

4. God is not through with you, "For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance" (Romans 11:29).

5. He directs your steps, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way" (Psalms 37:23).

Hopefully some will find this message to be fruitful in your life and ministry. When we "get stuck" in the ministry, it takes decisiveness and action to get back on solid ground.

Jeff

Jefferson H. and Norma R. Floyd, CO-directors

Jubilee International

P. O. Box 572

Noblesville, IN 46060

Copyright March 2005 by Jefferson H. Floyd. All rights reserved.

[Belle]

quote:

I often hear ministers declare that God hasn't told them to leave. Actually, He doesn't have to do so. If we cling to our work without any real evidence of God's favor on what we are doing it is time to go on to what God has next for us. We need to ask ourselves this question, is the work prospering in terms of substantial growth, financial growth, and favor with all the people, etc.?

AMEN!

Thank you for sharing this article, WB.

[waterbuffalo]

You are welcome, sweetie.

[Galen]

I have no doubts that it was G-d who called me to The Way International.

Does that mean that such a calling is for the rest of my life? No matter what changes I go through? or what changes that ministry goes through?

I see no dis-honour in separating myself from a ministry that I was once called to.

G-d brought me there for a reason, to learn, to grow, and to minister to others.

I did, I have, and now I continue to do so [simply without their 'aid'].

:-)

I have no doubt that many others were also called to The Way International. Can not we all continue to grow in Christ?

[Steve Lortz]

I believe God called me to participate in TWI. I also believe He took some blinders off my eyes when He wanted me to leave. I believe He had me there for a purpose, and when that purpose was finished, He called me to leave TWI.

Love,

Steve

[Ham]

The PFAL thing got me thinking of this. I think a lot of you guys "had it" so to speak, and got something out of it. So many other Peter and Paul wannabes never got it, never had it to begin with.

To bad they tossed out all of the Peter and Paul types.

[Biblefan Dave]

A true Godly ministry would be "ordained" by or instituted by God, or in the current time of the Church of the Body of Christ, by Jesus Christ. Yet, men maintain, or attempt to maintain, that ministry. While the maintance is good, then involvement is good. If the maintaince turns bad, then a cessation of involvement is good.

When LCM and the BOT rejected reproof, hey, time to move on.

[dmiller]

Waterbuffalo -- WOW! Powerful post!

Great examples of how going our own way ends up troublesome, but going God's way reaps benefits.

It is hard to know *when to quit* a calling, job, ministry, etc., but the article offered some pretty solid biblical evidence/examples of how the two paths lead to different results.

quote:

5. Our ministry becomes our comfort zone. We are often more comfortable with the bad that we know than the good we don't know.

I'm seeing that this means that it is incumbent for us to know when God is speaking to us, so that we can choose the CORRECT one of those two paths. :)-->