Written by Brandon Cooper, senior pastor at Cityview Community Church in Elmhurst, Illinois
If you’re like me, you’re experiencing the full spectrum of emotions this Easter Monday—from delighted to despondent, rejuvenated to rejected.
Yesterday was almost certainly the most people you’ve seen gathered for worship at your church this year. You had the privilege of proclaiming resurrection hope and gospel wonder not only to your dearly loved flock, but to a handful (or horde) of unbelievers as well. But now it’s over.
Maybe you’re feeling disappointed with parts of your Easter sermon (I know I am). And you’ve realized you have to do it all over again next week, but for half as many people. Plus, those meetings you put off until after Holy Week are all here . . . and not all of them look like they’ll be fun.
How do you keep going in ministry? How do you persevere through the daily grind, the tyrannically urgent, the emergencies (spiritual and temporal), the isolation, conflict, criticism, and self-doubt?
That’s the question I tried to answer in a recent article for TGC. Following the example of Jesus, who selflessly sacrificed because he knew he’d come from the Father, and that the Father had given all things into his hands (John 13:3), we serve because we know who we are and what our Father has done for us.
As Christ’s under-shepherds, we’ll share in glory yet to be revealed. When our Chief Shepherd appears we’ll receive an unfading crown. Because we know this, we willingly shepherd God’s flock entrusted to our care, eagerly serving them for Christ’s sake (1 Pet. 5:1–4). Remembering these precious promises is how we keep going in our occasionally thankless and even grueling ministry.
—Brandon
