0:00:00.083,0:00:02.033 James: If you could go back in time 0:00:02.033,0:00:03.700 to the first day of your ministry 0:00:03.700,0:00:05.622 and speak to a young Clint Leiter, 0:00:05.622,0:00:07.041 what would you tell him 0:00:07.041,0:00:12.064 and most stress to him? 0:00:12.064,0:00:16.045 Clint: I would say be [br]certain of your calling. 0:00:16.045,0:00:18.033 If you're going to last in the ministry, 0:00:18.033,0:00:20.974 you've got to know that you are 0:00:20.974,0:00:23.558 in the will of God being there. 0:00:23.558,0:00:25.641 The Apostle Paul did that. 0:00:25.641,0:00:28.671 I think I've counted six of his letters, 0:00:28.671,0:00:30.380 he opened to different churches, 0:00:30.380,0:00:33.120 "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ 0:00:33.120,0:00:34.983 by the will of God." 0:00:34.983,0:00:38.723 He keeps saying "by the will of God." 0:00:38.723,0:00:42.774 And he might be saying that surely 0:00:42.774,0:00:44.568 for the benefit of the Corinthians 0:00:44.568,0:00:45.948 or the Colossians 0:00:45.948,0:00:49.176 or whichever church that he's addressing, 0:00:49.176,0:00:54.062 but surely he's reiterating [br]that in his own mind. 0:00:54.062,0:00:58.110 There is that confirmation [br]in the mind of a pastor 0:00:58.110,0:01:00.248 that is vitally important, 0:01:00.248,0:01:02.257 and that is a calling. 0:01:02.257,0:01:03.979 If you don't have that, 0:01:03.979,0:01:05.806 you won't weather the storm - 0:01:05.806,0:01:08.151 if you're not convinced. 0:01:08.151,0:01:13.320 There's a stick-to-it-ness about a man 0:01:13.320,0:01:16.592 when he knows that it's because of God 0:01:16.592,0:01:17.977 that he's there. 0:01:17.977,0:01:20.137 There have been numerous times, 0:01:20.137,0:01:22.289 countless times when I've been able 0:01:22.289,0:01:24.654 to pray to God and say 0:01:24.654,0:01:27.309 in the midst of difficulties, 0:01:27.309,0:01:30.376 "Lord, this was Your idea. 0:01:30.376,0:01:33.614 I'm not here because I forced my way 0:01:33.614,0:01:36.307 into this situation. 0:01:36.307,0:01:38.448 You brought me here 0:01:38.448,0:01:40.667 and it was confirmed by Your men 0:01:40.667,0:01:42.178 all along the way. 0:01:42.178,0:01:45.321 I'm here because You brought me here." 0:01:45.321,0:01:48.638 That's helpful. That's necessary. 0:01:48.638,0:01:51.623 So I would tell any young man that. 0:01:51.623,0:01:53.407 You've got to be convinced of that. 0:01:53.407,0:01:56.810 There's any number of other motivations 0:01:56.810,0:01:59.514 that would cause someone to seek 0:01:59.514,0:02:02.066 a pastoral ministry. 0:02:02.066,0:02:04.519 I would counsel against it 0:02:04.519,0:02:08.097 until that one right [br]there has been settled, 0:02:08.097,0:02:11.168 and that is, God wants you there. 0:02:11.168,0:02:13.700 Someone has a romantic notion 0:02:13.700,0:02:16.081 of what it is to stand in a pulpit 0:02:16.081,0:02:17.718 and speak these words 0:02:17.718,0:02:21.309 and have people fawning over your sermon, 0:02:21.309,0:02:24.289 or maybe they're a very [br]compassionate person 0:02:24.289,0:02:26.349 and they just want to help people, 0:02:26.349,0:02:29.248 or any number of things. 0:02:29.248,0:02:31.489 Sooner or later, they're [br]going to run head on 0:02:31.489,0:02:33.027 into some opposition. 0:02:33.027,0:02:35.229 The devil will see to it 0:02:35.229,0:02:39.030 because every pastor is [br]like a squirrel on a fence post. 0:02:39.030,0:02:42.708 The devil is there to [br]take a pot shot at it. 0:02:42.708,0:02:44.328 And they won't last. 0:02:44.328,0:02:46.313 You won't last in that office 0:02:46.313,0:02:50.130 unless you're convinced of that one thing, 0:02:50.130,0:02:51.555 that God called you 0:02:51.555,0:02:54.524 and you're there for that reason. 0:02:54.524,0:02:57.837 It was very comforting to me 0:02:57.837,0:03:00.322 when Bob was in the process of dying, 0:03:00.322,0:03:03.170 Conrad Murrell came and stayed in our home 0:03:03.170,0:03:06.392 and we were sitting there talking 0:03:06.392,0:03:08.164 and I was pouring out my heart 0:03:08.164,0:03:10.460 and my fears to him. 0:03:10.460,0:03:13.721 And he had a very prophetic, helpful, 0:03:13.721,0:03:17.680 insightful word that was profound. 0:03:17.680,0:03:19.858 He said, "Clint, you've got to remember 0:03:19.858,0:03:22.355 you are God's responsibility." 0:03:22.355,0:03:26.660 And that was very helpful. 0:03:26.660,0:03:29.981 God is very much concerned 0:03:29.981,0:03:31.710 about my longevity. 0:03:31.710,0:03:35.541 He takes me seriously and my position. 0:03:35.541,0:03:38.722 And I'm His responsibility. 0:03:38.722,0:03:41.238 That's very helpful to remember. 0:03:41.238,0:03:45.610 It's helpful to remember the temple of God 0:03:45.610,0:03:46.779 which is the church 0:03:46.779,0:03:49.729 according to the Corinthian letter. 0:03:49.729,0:03:51.430 The temple of God - 0:03:51.430,0:03:55.513 God takes very seriously - the church. 0:03:55.513,0:03:58.670 If anyone destroys the church - 0:03:58.670,0:03:59.961 the temple of God - 0:03:59.961,0:04:01.609 him will God destroy. 0:04:01.609,0:04:07.328 And so you can't cause problems that way 0:04:07.328,0:04:11.077 without incurring the consequences 0:04:11.077,0:04:14.038 of the wrath of God. 0:04:14.038,0:04:16.572 So there is this whole [br]idea, this whole notion, 0:04:16.572,0:04:17.878 God has called a man. 0:04:17.878,0:04:20.528 He's put him here with this local body. 0:04:20.528,0:04:22.403 There might be situations 0:04:22.403,0:04:26.392 where a man finds himself [br]in places of ministry 0:04:26.392,0:04:29.432 where he's put there from [br]a pragmatic viewpoint. 0:04:29.432,0:04:31.517 Here's a guy who's got qualifications. 0:04:31.517,0:04:32.870 Here's a guy who's willing. 0:04:32.870,0:04:35.196 Here's a need and a place 0:04:35.196,0:04:37.704 and so we'll put him there 0:04:37.704,0:04:39.350 and he'll serve there. 0:04:39.350,0:04:41.109 And it might last for awhile. 0:04:41.109,0:04:43.891 There might be a season [br]where that's useful 0:04:43.891,0:04:47.409 in a man's life building him 0:04:47.409,0:04:51.509 for future usefulness in [br]some other capacity. 0:04:51.509,0:04:54.186 But that's over and against a man 0:04:54.186,0:04:57.384 who knows God has [br]called me to the ministry 0:04:57.384,0:05:00.389 and He's put me in this church. 0:05:00.389,0:05:03.430 And it's rather narrow maybe, 0:05:03.430,0:05:08.129 but God has done that [br]for me in some regard. 0:05:08.129,0:05:13.708 I have as my focus this [br]little church right here. 0:05:13.708,0:05:16.520 And whatever else God might choose 0:05:16.520,0:05:18.749 to use me in whatever capacity, 0:05:18.749,0:05:20.848 it's not my calling. 0:05:20.848,0:05:25.857 You know, David went in the Old Testament 0:05:25.857,0:05:29.933 to the battlefront to take [br]supplies to his brothers. 0:05:29.933,0:05:32.901 The army was stationed [br]over and against the Philistines. 0:05:32.901,0:05:35.440 It was that occasion when [br]Goliath was coming out 0:05:35.440,0:05:38.186 and taunting the armies of Israel. 0:05:38.186,0:05:42.044 And David's brother said to David, 0:05:42.044,0:05:45.765 "who is back watching that little flock?" 0:05:45.765,0:05:48.728 And those words have stuck in my mind 0:05:48.728,0:05:50.673 ever since I read them. 0:05:50.673,0:05:54.328 In other words, you need [br]to be singular in your focus. 0:05:54.328,0:05:57.562 God has called you to [br]that church right there. 0:05:57.562,0:05:58.829 Focus on that. 0:05:58.829,0:06:01.217 Do that to the best of your ability 0:06:01.217,0:06:06.351 and don't leave your post. 0:06:06.351,0:06:11.230 There's a suffering that [br]is very military-istic 0:06:11.230,0:06:13.007 in the life of a pastor. 0:06:13.007,0:06:14.351 Paul said to Timothy, 0:06:14.351,0:06:16.128 "Suffer hardship with me 0:06:16.128,0:06:18.564 as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." 0:06:18.564,0:06:20.851 Soldiers, when they're trained, 0:06:20.851,0:06:22.769 the special forces - 0:06:22.769,0:06:26.031 they put them through hardship. 0:06:26.031,0:06:28.495 There might be some that [br]might be more courageous. 0:06:28.495,0:06:31.358 There might be some that are better shots. 0:06:31.358,0:06:33.101 But what they want is someone 0:06:33.101,0:06:35.219 who's going to stick it out in the midst 0:06:35.219,0:06:38.931 of the worst - absolute worst conditions. 0:06:38.931,0:06:41.388 Suffer hardship with me as a good soldier 0:06:41.388,0:06:43.491 of Jesus Christ. 0:06:43.491,0:06:46.031 And so when we find ourselves 0:06:46.031,0:06:48.299 in those situations, 0:06:48.299,0:06:51.019 whether or not we leave our post 0:06:51.019,0:06:56.200 is going to largely be dependent 0:06:56.200,0:07:00.559 upon our conviction that [br]God has put us there 0:07:00.559,0:07:03.647 in that spot, in that place, 0:07:03.647,0:07:05.848 for those people. 0:07:05.848,0:07:07.486 And when we're certain about that, 0:07:07.486,0:07:12.750 then we can stand our ground so to speak. 0:07:12.750,0:07:15.781 You can select another part [br]of this interview below, 0:07:15.781,0:07:18.734 or if you're listening, you can [br]find the rest of the interview 0:07:18.734,0:07:21.650 on illbehonest.com or our mobile app.