Yesterday, I began the first of three posts that share a recent interview I had with a member of our church who was completing a school project. I found some of the questions very interesting and since the whole interview dealt with leadership and pastoral ministry, I thought I would share my responses this week in a series of three posts. Here’s part two…

3. Do you lead in humility

a. What do you do during the day that helps you maintain a spirit of humility?

Pride is a daily battle. No, hourly is probably more accurate. It’s so easy to feel smarter, more important, more influential, more irreplaceable than I actually am. This is one reason Paul warned against young Christians becoming pastors, because they can easily “become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil” (1 Tim. 3:6). The public spotlight of pastor can seem glamorous at first and is especially dangerous for our pride. But Christ reminded His disciples that true greatness is servant leadership (Matt. 18:4).

Spending time with the Lord in His Word and in prayer helps keep me humble. Watching, learning, and listening to my wife helps me identify my own sin, selfishness, and lack of wisdom. Also, as much as possible, I try to stay realistic, “not thinking more highly of myself than I ought to think” (Rom. 12:3), but recognizing my own limitations. I try to share authority and responsibility with others and realize that everyone in the Body of Christ has been uniquely gifted by God.

b. Do you have a servant’s heart or do you sometimes let your position/power as a Pastor get in the way?

As much as possible, I seek to lead and live with a servant’s heart. I never want to think myself above the people I shepherd, or above certain tasks. I am merely a clay pot carrying a priceless treasure (2 Cor. 4:7).

It is important to remember that authority does not equal importance. For the sake of order, God may give greater authority to a husband over a wife, a pastor over his flock, and a boss over his employee, but this does not mean they are more important or more special in God’s eyes. There is no spiritual hierarchy. As Christians, we are all equally created in God’s image, equal as sinners, equally deserving of death, equally debtors to the grace of God, and equal as members of the one true Body of Christ (Gal. 3:28). When I remember our equality in Christ, all reason for pride is swept away.

4. Are you leading others to the “Greatness of God”?

a. Do you help others pursue the vision God has for them or the will God has for them?

Much of God’s will is clearly revealed in the Scriptures (Ps. 40:8; 1 Thess. 4:3; 1 Pet. 2:15). As I preach and counsel from His Word, I am instructing people in His will, “transforming them by the renewing of their minds, so they will be able to prove what the will of God is” (Rom. 12:2).

When it comes to specific decisions in life, I seek to be a friend, a mentor, a source of wisdom, and a prayer support to people as they seek to honor God. I desire to bring God’s word to bear on every area of their lives and perhaps help them thing through an issue or explore an opportunity they otherwise would not have considered.

Just recently, I had the privilege of meeting and praying regularly with a young man who was interested in a particular career. I spent much time talking with him, asking questions, giving advice, and connecting him with people who would be more competent in helping him pursue God’s will.

b. Do you seek the potential out in others that you don’t see in yourself?

I try to recognize my own limitations and identify the potential of others. God usually blesses a church with a diversity of gifts and personalities so they will complement each other. That diversity can become a source of competition and conflict, but it shouldn’t. It was intended by God to strengthen the church. So, I might be strong in leadership and teaching, but someone else might be stronger in listening and identifying needs. I might be strong in organization, but someone else might be stronger in spontaneity and creativity. I might be strong in doctrine, but someone else might be stronger in mercy. I need them to use those gifts, and need to view their strengths and differences as an asset, not a threat.

One challenge in regard to potential is to keep Christians challenged and growing, constantly moving beyond their comfort zones, but not pushing them too much or too fast. Jesus spent three years with His disciples, and even then, said “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:12-13). I want people to see the work God is doing in their lives, and be encouraged by the progress they have made, but not overwhelm them with too many challenges and too many changes too quickly. Potential is a matter of stewardship. If a person in the church is faithful in the small things, they will increasingly be given greater time, attention, and responsibility.

You can check back tomorrow for part three of this interview.

I was recently interviewed by a church member for a school project she had to complete. I found some of the questions very interesting and since the whole interview dealt with leadership and pastoral ministry, I thought I would share my responses this week in a series of three posts. Here’s part one...

1. Are you leading with “Confidence in God’s call” (on your life)?

a. Are you solely relying on Christ in your teaching?

As I study and preach each week, I’m often reminded of Christ’s words in John 15:5: “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” I know that Christ alone is the source of truth, and that He alone is the one who can open the eyes of the listeners to understand and obey the truth. I am sometimes tempted to rely on my own knowledge and abilities, but by God’s grace, I do my best to trust in God. As Paul said, we can plant and water, but God must cause the growth (1 Cor. 3:6). This is one reason prayer is such an important part of ministry – because it teaches us to stop working in our own strength and depend more fully upon God.

b. Are you being yourself in the way you teach or are you mimicking someone else’s style of teaching?

I think this is sort of a “both-and.” I do try to “be myself” in front of other people, speaking authentically and preaching from the heart. I don’t want to be fake, because people will see right through that. At the same time, I know that my own style is constantly evolving and hopefully growing steadily more effective. Part of sermon delivery is to experiment, try new things, and learn what is most effective for me as a speaker and to my specific audience. All of us are influenced by certain mentors who we either consciously or unconsciously emulate. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this. After all, “A disciple, when he is fully trained, will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40).

I know I have been influenced and probably reflect the style of my father, Dr. John MacArthur, R. Kent Hughes, and my former pastor Scott Ardavanis, to name a few. At the same time, I try to combine those styles and add my own personality into something that is uniquely “Stephen Jones.” When you listen to preachers on the radio, you will notice that no two speakers are alike. I think this is a beautiful example of the diversity of the Body of Christ, and how God uses many different people with different styles in his church.

c. Are you confident in where God has you at this time?

I am confident the Lord has called me to full-time ministry in a local church. There’s nothing I would rather be doing. I love teaching and preaching, love serving and shepherding God’s people, and love making an eternal impact for the glory of God and the spread of His kingdom. Sure, there are days when you grow discouraged and long for more visible fruit, but a big part of ministry is acting in faith and being diligent in the work God has called you to do.

2. Are you leading by “Equipping other Leaders”?

a. Are you formally or informally training? (Formally: long term, ex: Jesus and disciples; Informally: short term, casual, when convenient)

I am striving to do both. After all, this is the main duty of a pastor, to “equip the saints for the work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:12). The very mission statement of our church is to “make disciples of Jesus Christ by reaching and teaching everyone.” Once a person has accepted Christ, I feel my duty is to help them grow in their Christian walk and move toward greater maturity in Christ. This is a life-long process of teaching or “discipleship”.

My primary area of formal training is studying and preaching each week. This is how I can reach the most people and make the biggest impact. The purpose of preaching is to teach God’s Word, instruct in sound doctrine, develop discernment, and help people learn how to study and apply God’s truth in their own lives. I also desire to move each member along our discipleship process, from evangelism, to early Christian follow-up, to ongoing nurture, to training in ministry (where they are actually being trained to help others). I have a formal discipleship group called SaLT (Servant-Leadership Training) where I meet with several men each month to take them through a systematic program and equip them for ministry in the church. I would eventually like to do more practical, hands-on training as well.

Despite these more formal aspects of training, much of my ministry is quite informal in nature. Talking with people after church, visiting them at home or in the hospital during the week, making phone calls, sending notes, and having people over to the house are all ways I seek to build relationships and informally train and model Christian living to my flock.

b. Do you have leaders trained up for when the church grows and you won’t be able to handle as much, such as youth group, Sunday school classes, etc?

They say the whole purpose of ministry is to work yourself out of a job. I’m seeking to do just that. As much as possible, I am praying for, training, modeling, and equipping other men to share the load and eventually take over the reins. None of us are here forever, so we are always trying to invest in the next generation, training up faithful men so they will be able to teach others also (2 Tim. 2:2). We are blessed at our church to already have several godly deacons who share responsibilities with me, and through ministries like SaLT and Young Adults Bible Study, I am working to train up others who will hopefully become future leaders in the church.

(Check back in tomorrow for part two)

Our church has been featured this month as “Church in the Spotlight” by the Inland Empire Southern Baptist Association. Pictures and a brief church history have been published in their Clarion newsletter and are available on their website.

We praise God for the prayers and support of our local association, and how the Lord is using them to strengthen local churches like ours.