"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me" (Col. 1:25-29).
I'm sure that many of us have heard of the alarming statistic of the number of Pastor's (1600) that are leaving the ministry every month. Well, recently I read about another alarming statistic that stated:
"90% of the people entering ministry DO NOT RETIRE from ministry, they either quit or have some sort of moral/ethical failure that disqualifies them."
What's the reason for why so many ministers are falling out of the ministry? Some studies have shown that one on the leading causes for this is burn out. What does it mean to be burned out? As I was preparing for this message I came across this definition:
"Burnout is a state of physical, mental, spiritual and emotional exhaustion caused by extended and
intense levels of stress, causing the body to over-produce adrenaline. It leads to the questioning of one's abilities and/or the value of one's work."
In the Old Testament Elijah is a perfect example of someone who experienced burnout. Elijah was a prophet who was mightily used of God. Yet later in his life this mighty prophet is sitting under a juniper tree in the in the middle of no where having a pity party and experiencing burnout.
As I mentioned already, burnout can occur in the physical, emotional, and spiritual areas of life. Sometimes it affects one or two of these areas, but it can also hit all three at the same time. This is what happen to Elijah with almost fatal results. He was physically spent from running approximately 25 miles from Mount Carmel to Jezreel ahead of King Ahab's chariots (I Kings 18:46). He was emotionally drained as evidenced by his wish to die. He prayed, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life” (I Kings 19:4). And finally he was spiritually disillusioned, which was shown by his words, “I, even I only, am left” (I Kings 19:10).
Now, burnout doesn't just happen to people involved in ministry. It can happen to anyone (a stay at home mom, a business man, a single mother) anyone who may be burning the candle at both ends.
Some of the great dangers of burnout, are that you may feel depressed, a loss of motivation, and a lack of purpose. But also that these feelings can lead to destructive ways of coping with them, like withdrawal, overeating, alcohol, sexual sins, and worse case scenario, even suicide. I have no doubt, that when it comes to the matter of burnout, many of you have been there, are on your way there or are there now. Therefore, I wants us to see in the life of Paul how, in spite of many dangers, toils and snares because of his ministry, he remained fired up and did not burnout.
There are many things that can cause burnout and it would be impossible to mention them all? In this message, I want us to examine some primary causes, especially as it relates to ministry.
1. The purpose of Paul’s ministry:
To begin with I want us to see the purpose of Paul's ministry. In our text, notice that Paul talks about his God given ministry: To present everyone mature in Christ (V.28). What was the goal of his ministry? Before we answer that question, let me address an issue concerning the plans and purposes of God. Many often want to know, “God, what is your plan for my life?” But, as one Pastor put it, a better question may be:
"'God, what is your plan and how does my life fit into it?'
God’s plan isn’t first and foremost about us.
His plan for us isn’t about us either.
It’s not about our lives.
It’s not about our careers.
It’s not about our future spouse.
It’s not about our anything.
It’s about His Purpose, His Kingdom, His Glory, His Plan.
And then about how our lives...
Our careers...
Our future spouse...
Our everything...
Fit into it."'
We need to start asking the right question. And then God will begin to first show us through His word what His Kingdom agenda is all about. And secondly, about how a career, future spouse, and
everything else fit into it. Too often people want God to direct their ways, as in direct their ways in buying house, a career choice, or some other pursuit, but it has very little or nothing to do with how that all fits into his kingdom agenda.
Now, what was the purpose of God that Paul was to fulfill? What was the goal of his ministry? Notice that Paul clearly defined it when he wrote in verse 28: “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” What does it mean to present everyone mature in Christ? To make disciples (fully devoted follower of Christ) that make disciples. Keep in mind that spiritual maturity, which is what we should all be aiming for, not only has to do with our sanctification, but our service. It not only has to do with developing a christ-like character, but also making a christlike contribution to the cause of Christ. And not only within, but beyond the walls of our church. This is what Paul was living for. He wasn’t trying to get God to fulfill his agenda. He was living for God’s agenda, namely to present everyone, starting with himself, mature is Christ.
Paul, in spite of all that he suffered in the ministry could say, "I rejoice in my suffering (Col. 1:25). How was this possible? How could he go through all that he went through, shipwrecks, beatings and imprisonments and not only keep from burning out, but remain fire up for the cause of Christ? No doubt it was the grace of God in his life, which we will look at more later. But also the fact that he didn't lose sight of the purpose and main goal of ministry, namely making disciples that will spread the fame of Jesus to all nations.
Now, making disciples is not the job of the Pastor only. In one way or another all believers are to be a part of making disciples of all nations. We all should not only be growing in Christ, but we should all be contributing to the mission of Christ to the world. But sadly, as one Pastor writes in an article on the mission of the church:
"For many, especially in the American church, this isn't an easy pill to swallow. The church has become a consumer good--something people shop for and evaluate based on what they and their family will get out of it. In well-intentioned efforts to attract and reach people, churches start viewing people as the customers. We wonder what we can teach that will resonate with them. What programs can we offer to keep them coming back? How can we keep their time, attention and resources here instead of being directed toward other, less-significant pursuits? Instead of serving the world, we begin serving the people we want to keep coming through our doors week after. How can we devote time reaching people outside our church when it takes so much to serve the needs of
the people inside of the building? To best serve the people of our church, we must lead them to serve
the people outside the church. We stop programming their needs and invite them to serve the world with us. It means leading them from a mindset of receiving to one of giving. Instead of ,"what can I get?" the question becomes, "what can I give."
When we lose sight of our responsibility as follower of Christ to bring others to maturity and ministry, and instead feed the consumer mentality, we will give out, burn out, and fall out.
2. The passion of Paul’s ministry:
Notice now not only the purpose of Paul's ministry, but the passion. How do we know that Paul was passionate about the ministry? This passion that Paul had for the ministry, the intensity that he had, and the devotion that he had is expressed in his letters to the churches in many ways. For example, Paul said in our text concerning his ministry: "For this I toil, struggling..." Paul gave his all for the ministry God had called him to. His passion is seen not only in how he gave his all to reach the gentiles for Christ, But in how in Romans 9 he writes about being in continual anguish for the lost condition of the Jewish people, who were his enemies. We see this passion for the lost also in Romans 10:1, where Paul wrote: "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved" (Romans 10:1 ESV).
Paul was fired up about leading people to Christ and helping them to grow into maturity and ministry. What are you passionate about? We give are all to the things that we are most passionate about. But when we lose our passion or have very little or no passion for what we are doing, especially when it comes to ministry, we are more likely to burnout.
Now, more importantly, where did Paul get this passion, this intense desire to see people saved and growing in Christ? The answer is found in Paul’s statement: “the love of Christ controls us” (2 Cor. 5:14). It was the love and grace of God—his identity in Christ that was fueling his passion for the ministry. The more we know the love and the grace that God has for us in Christ, the more passionate we will be about expressing His love to the world. If we are going to be like Christ and have his heart for the world, we must spend much time with Christ in His word and in prayer. More often than not, what causes Christians to lose their passion, which can lead to sinful compromises and spiritual burnout, is neglecting the care for their own spiritual, emotional and physical lives.
3. The power of Paul’s ministry:
Lastly, notice not only the purpose and passion of Paul’s ministry, but the power.
Paul wrote:
“For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me” (Colossians 1:29).
Notice that Paul gave his all, he toiled, he struggled, but he did so in the energy of the Holy Spirit, which was the power that was at work within him. Let me ask you: “Can we do ministry in the energy of the flesh?” The answer is yes. And when we do, the consequences will not only be spiritual barrenness, but we will be endanger of burning out. In a well known passage in Isaiah 40, Isaiah writes about how we are to avail ourselves of God's strength to keep from burning out:
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:28-31).
How do we keep from burning out—becoming so weary that we want to throw in the towel? “They who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength…” When was the last time you waited on the Lord—you wrestled in prayer like Jacob saying: “Lord, I will not let you go until you bless me. I can’t do it without you Lord. I need your grace—I need your strength and power?” This is what the early church did during times of persecutions—they waited on the Lord and as a result the bible says:
“And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33).
Keep in mind that the great grace that was upon Paul as he toiled and struggled was first and foremost about fulfilling the purposes of God. This is important to remember because, although God’s grace can enable us to do what we would be unable to do in our own strength, this doesn’t mean that we must do it all. Paul wrote:
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:” (2 Cor. 9:8).
God’s grace is sufficient for every good work, but that doesn’t mean that God wants us to do everything. God’s grace will enable us to do what he wants us to do. Burnout can happen, not because God’s grace is not sufficient for every good work, but because we may be doing more than what God is calling us to do.
Pastors need to constantly watch that they are laboring and toiling for the right things. Sometimes they can wear so many different hats that they miss the main goal of ministry, namely to make disciples, as we devote our lives to the priority of prayer and the ministering of word (Acts 6:4).
There was a time when I was Pastoring Light House Baptist Church that I was the Sunday School teacher, the preacher, the song leader, the secretary, (I actually made the bulletins), the visitation leader, the trustee, (the church building was my house) and I wasn’t getting a salary. You know what will help keep a Pastor from burning out? A congregation that recognizes that it’s every ones responsibility to make disciples…a congregation that protects the Pastor and helps him to keep the main thing the main thing.
A Pastor should not want his congregations to be spiritually dependent upon him. Yes, they are to feed the flock, but his feeding, and teaching and admonishing should be leading his flock to learn to feed themselves and others. In addition, it’s important to note here that although Paul depended of the supernatural to accomplish God’s work, he gave his all, he toiled, and he struggled. In other words, our understanding of our need for the power of God should not be an excuse for a lack of preparation—for not giving our best in whatever God has called us to do.
Are you fired up about the cause of Christ, or are you burned out? Paul was fired up because he was living for God’s purpose, with passion and power from above. Remember that God’s purpose is not first about our lives, and our careers, and what we desire. It’s all about his kingdom, His cause and His glory. So rather than asking: “God, what’s your plan for my life? Ask and pray: “God, what is your plan and how does my life fit into it? I’m willing to make any adjustment to fit into you plan and do my part for the cause of Christ." I looked to you Lord and trust you to give me the strength to keep on keeping on for Jesus sake. Amen!
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