On Stinky Sheep

"You have no business in ministry if you don't like the smell of sheep. Ministry is about sheep, and sheep stink!" This concept was first introduced to me by Prof. Howard Hendricks during my seminary days, and has remained with me ever since. Anyone who has spent much time around real sheep know that the premise is true: sheep do stink.

Anyone who has been involved in ministry long knows that the metaphor is applicable. People are lazy, stubborn, self-willed, uncooperative, difficult, divisive, rebellious trouble-makers; in short, they stink.

Yet it seems that we are continually surprised when they act like the sheep they are. We are surprised when leaders do not manifest the characteristics of 1 Timothy 3; we are indignant when we discover that certain saints have been sharing their "concerns" regarding the church with everyone except us; we are flustered when we cannot find individuals to fill all the ministry roles that exists in he church, but discover that every little league soccer and baseball team is three deep in assistant coaches. The result of all this is that we begin to feel defeated because ministry is not going the way we think it should.

As another pastor and I were talking about all of this, I had the thought, "And we are surprised by this? What did we expect?" As I reflected on this, I began to realize that we have developed an inaccurate concept of our role. We have unconsciously adopted the mind-set of "consultants," that is, we have become experts who know how things ought to be, rather than shepherds and equippers who care for the weak and hurting, and train the unskilled and incapable.

We know those Scriptures by heart that tell how they should and how the church is supposed to function (Timothy and Titus). But there are significant portions of Scripture that tell us that the norm is difficult ministry. We forget the model of Moses, who became so frustrated that he told God, "So if Thou art going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in Thy sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness" (Numbers 11:15).

We forget the experience of Jeremiah, who preached 23 years without a single positive response (Jeremiah 25:3). Consider Jesus, who repeatedly rebuked one or more of the Twelve for immaturity, pettiness, or pride. And His words to the Pharisees are particularly relevant: "I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Matthew 9:12-13). We overlook all that Paul endured in ministry: The situation at Corinth, for example, necessitated the writing of 1 Corinthians.

This is not to say that feelings of disappointment and frustration are illegitimate. In 2 Corinthians 4:7-18,  Paul mentions some of the hardship he experienced, ". . .(we are) afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. . . ." He experienced many frustrations, but he did not let them defeat him. Rather, he accepted the fact that they were an integral aspect of ministry and moved ahead.

And an important key to moving ahead is found in 2 Timothy 2:3, where he tells Timothy, "Suffer hardship with (me), as a good soldier of Christ Jesus." In effect, "Expect that ministry is going to be difficult; deal with it."

He follows this with three different metaphors, indicating how this should be done. First, he says, "No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier," (verse 4), i.e., stay focused on what God has commissioned you to do, don't be distracted. The commission is found in verse 2.

Timothy was to continue the discipleship process by reproducing himself in the lives of others. Second, he tells him, "And also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules" (verse 5), that is, there are no shortcuts in the discipleship process. True growth takes time; we must be patient.

And finally, he says, "The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops" (verse 6), the point being that if we endure hardship, staying focused, and being patient, we will be amply rewarded—it will be worth it all.

As long as we are on this earth, and as long as people act like people, God calls us to help them become like Christ. We will experience hardship and frustrations along the way; we should not be surprised. If we stay focused and patiently pursue the process, we can anticipate the rewards of a faithful soldier in the service of Christ.