Here are three very easy things you can do if you want to dishonor God, cause a lot of heartache, and probably shorten your tenure as the pastor of a church:
1. Be proud.
Who would go into a church and be proud? All of us in some way or another. But it might not be the kind of pride you recognize. Naturally we’re going to avoid the overt, obvious pride, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the pride that’s there, even if no one sees it immediately on the surface. I’m talking about the kind of pride that leads you to think that you are—or will be soon—as good a preacher as John Piper or David Platt. Go into a church thinking that it won’t be long before you’re invited to be a Gospel Coalition Counsel Member, before John MacArthur invites you to speak at The Shepherds’ Conference, or before people are flocking in droves to hear you preach. This kind of pride leads you to think: these little people at this insignificant church are so blessed to have me and they don’t even realize it.
Christ died for those little people, and that insignificant church is God’s vanguard in the world. Go into it thinking that you’re too big for it, go into it proud, and you’ve got the dynamite in place to blow it up.
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