Called to Lead - Week 5: The Calling, Character, and Surrender of a True Church Leader

I am a do-it-yourself, fix-it-yourself husband and dad.  If I don’t know how to fix something that breaks down, I reach out to a friend, or I jump on YouTube or ChatGPT to learn how to repair it. Thanks to youtube videos, last week I successfully ordered the correct part and replaced the heater on my hot tub.  But…not all of my repairs have been successful.

When I was much younger and single, with the help from a neighbor, I replaced all the brakes on my 1981 Ford Fairmont.  I successfully replaced the brakes, but in my haste to finish the job, I did not tighten all the lug nuts on one of the wheels. After a week of driving and not paying attention to the vibration in my car, I steered into the median to make a left turn, and saw a tire shoot past my car and into oncoming traffic. I hit my brother and said, “Somebody’s tire is rolling down the road!”  And before I could complete the sentence, the velocity of my car stopped and the front driver’s side hub of my car dug into the pavement and my car came to a crunchy stop. Sometimes, doing something we are not qualified to do catches up with us.

Many of us try to fix things we are not qualified to fix.  Often we are successful, but sometimes we are not.  And that is fine when we are talking about cars or hot tubs or leaky faucets. But when we step into roles in the church that God has not called us into… the wheels come off a lot faster.

And that is why God tells us the qualifications for those he calls to lead the church. Jesus gave his life for you and I, and together, we make up the church, and God cares about the character of those he has called to lead the church.

Over the past four weeks, we have been building toward an invitation for those who sense God is calling them to pastoral ministry. At the close of today’s message, those who sense God is calling them will have an opportunity to come to the front, and our church will pray for them.

1 Timothy 3:1-7 (NLT2)
This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be an elder, he desires an honorable position.” 2  So an elder must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. 3  He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. 4  He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. 5  For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church? 6  An elder must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. 7  Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap.

Context always matters. When Paul wrote these words, the church in Ephesus was struggling. Men had stepped into leadership who were not called to lead. They were teaching ideas that did not come from Jesus. They loved influence more than truth. They used their position for personal gain. The culture of Ephesus celebrated leaders who craved power, money, and sexual immorality, and some saw the church as an easy target.

These qualifications were given to guard the church from harm and to make sure the men who stepped into pastoral leadership were steady, trustworthy, and called by God. That’s why Paul begins this passage saying, “If someone aspires to be an elder, he desires an honorable position.”

So, the first thing I want to say about leadership within the church is this…

God calls Pastors;
desire alone does not

Paul wants Timothy to know that aspiration by itself is not enough. The church needed leaders who were called by God first, and then shaped by God to carry that calling with character.

The word “aspires” means to reach for something. It is a word that describes desire, not calling. Paul is not saying, “If a man feels like being a pastor, then God must be calling him.” Paul is saying, “If a man reaches for this work, he is reaching for something good.” But reaching and calling are not the same thing. Simply because a person desires to be a church leader, it does not mean God is calling them to it.

I have a desire for a lot of things…And, some of the things I desire are wrong and bad for me. And, just because you have a desire to lead in the church, that desire by itself does not mean God is calling you.

We have seen this throughout this sermon series.  Moses did not want to lead until God called him. Jeremiah did not want to speak until God called him. Isaiah did not volunteer until God called him. The calling came first, and obedience to the calling came next. Desire never replaces God’s call to lead.

Now, many men in Ephesus claimed to be called. Some even believed they were called. But the calling they claimed did not match the life they lived. So after Paul mentions calling, he moves straight to character. So here is the second thing I want us to see…

Pastors reflect the character that all followers should pursue

God does not create a special moral category for pastors. He simply gives an expectation of the spiritual maturity that all followers of Jesus are called to pursue.

Every characteristic in this list…

self-control,

faithfulness,

wisdom,

gentleness,

hospitality,

a good reputation,

a steady home…

…are examples of the character that every follower of Jesus should demonstrate.  These traits are not reserved for pastors. They are marks of a life shaped by Jesus. And they are characteristics of a life that is surrendered to Jesus. If we do not remain surrendered to Jesus, our lives will become a wreck.  Think about it.  If we are unwilling to remain surrendered to Jesus…pride takes over. Anger takes over. Fear takes over. Old habits rise to the surface. Our home and family suffer. The people around us feel the impact.

When I stop surrendering…I turn into the worst version of me. Because the church follows the example of its leaders, Pastors must live surrendered lives that match the message they preach.

If a pastor lacks self-control, the church is chaotic.

If a pastor lacks faithfulness, the credibility of the church is questioned.

If a pastor lacks wisdom, the church steps into crap that could have been avoided.

None of us wake up one day with self-control, faithfulness, wisdom, or a steady home life. These are not personality traits. They are spiritual traits formed over time through surrender. And, if you are sensing that God has called you into Pastoral ministry, please understand that a calling is not proof that someone will finish well. Character is not automatic.

Surrender is not a one-time moment. Surrender is a pattern. Surrender is what keeps a called Pastor called when life goes sideways.

And that leads us straight to the final truth today:

God keeps the called through continued surrender

Too many Pastors do not understand this.  They argue that God’s calling and gifts are irrevocable.  They argue that if God has called them, no matter how they live, they can remain in Pastoral leadership. They cite the words Paul wrote in Romans 11:29…

Romans 11:29 (NLT2)
For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.

That passage is not about “job-security” for a Pastor…it has to do with God’s covenant with Israel.  Yet some Pastors twist it and stop living a life surrendered to God. They are unfaithful to their wife, they flirt with women in the church, they abuse, they steal, they cheat, they lie, they look at pornography. And when it is discovered, they lose their position, move to another state, another city, or down the road, and launch another church.

But character CAN disqualify a Pastor from leadership. The same man that wrote God’s call can never be withdrawn also said:

1 Corinthians 9:27 (NLT2)
I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

If a Pastor desires to finish well, he must keep living daily surrender. When a pastor stops surrendering…he becomes the kind of leader Paul warned the church about.

2 Timothy 3:5 (NLT2)
They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

We all began our relationship with God through surrender, but if we reject the transforming power of Jesus in our lives on a regular basis, we will not develop the character God desires us to have. That is why surrender matters for every follower of Jesus…and why surrender matters even more for those called to lead the church.

Now, I want to speak directly to the men in this room who sense God is calling them into pastoral ministry.

You may have carried that stirring for years.

You may have told God, “no.”

You may have hoped it would fade.

You sense God tugging, but you have never said, “Yes, Lord.”

In a moment, I will invite you to come forward to lay your “yes” down to the Lord.

This is not you becoming a pastor today. This is so you take your first step of surrender and tell God, “yes.”

And, we are offering this at the end of our “Called to Lead” series because I want our church to stand with you. We want to pray that God confirms His calling in your life, strengthens your character, and keeps you surrendered as you follow Him.  We will not judge you. We will not examine you or grill you.

We will simply pray over you.

So if you sense God is calling you…If the desire in you is obedience, not ambition…If the Holy Spirit is stirring something in you that you cannot shake. Step into the aisle and come forward now. Don't let the wheels come off 10 years from now because you bypassed surrender today. Tighten the lug nuts now. Make the decision now.

I know it feels strange to walk forward in front of a room of people. But every pastor you respect had their own moment of surrender. Every pastor who shaped your life took this same step. And this may very well be yours.

Let this moment be your “Here I am, Lord. Send me.”