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