Ministry's Goal

My family loves to go whitewater rafting, but we would never attempt it without a guide. He or she is experienced on the river, knowing all the twists, swirls, and jagged rocks along the way. They know when to paddle backward, when it is safe to get out and swim, and when everyone just needs to hunker down and hold on. They are right there in the boat with you, shouting instructions all the way down the river. Some rapids can be intimidating, but I don’t worry much with a good guide on board.

That’s been Peter’s position for the churches in Asia Minor receiving this letter. He’s always been there to help them shoot the falls and navigate the boulders they encounter as they follow Jesus. They have relied on him completely, and he has never let them down. But now, Peter announces that this will be his last ride. He will soon be in glory with Jesus, and they will be alone in the boat facing the raging river. It’s a scary prospect after all the dangers Peter mentions in this letter—false teachers, sinful desires, doubts, and general forgetfulness. How will they ever make it without him?

This is why Peter’s goal, in the time they have left together, is to remind, remind, remind them of the directions they will need after he is gone. He is thinking here specifically of that message about Christian growth, and the end goal of entering Jesus’ eternal kingdom with a rich welcome (1:3-11). Peter wants these basic spiritual principles so ingrained in their hearts and minds that they will be able to recall them at any time after his departure. But the important thing for Peter is not that they rely on him, or even that they remember him—but that their faith in Jesus remains stable after he is gone.

This strikes me as a good model for any kind of ministry. I love being a pastor. I want the people I serve to find help and encouragement for their Christian lives in my ministry to them. But I’m not being much of a guide if I don’t equip them to follow Jesus without me. The goal of faithful Christian ministry is not to recruit people to yourself who will love and follow and utterly depend on you. The goal of ministry is instead to so root God’s people in God’s truth that, long after the minister is gone, their faith remains stable and strong. Peter’s aim for this people is lasting spiritual maturity.

I read a leadership book several years ago that described differences in good and great companies. The leaders of ‘good’ companies built the company around themselves, so when they left, the company declined. It was almost a point of pride for these CEOs that the work failed without them personally steering the ship. But the leaders of “great” companies structured their organization so that when they left, the company continued to flourish. They were “great” leaders because they were more interested in the organization they served than their own ego. How much truer for Christ’s servants?

You don’t have to be a pastor for this truth to apply to your life. Faithful servants of the Lord Jesus know that they will not always be around, but that God’s truth lovingly invested in the lives of people endures (see also 2 Tim 2:2, 3 John 4). What greater legacy could you leave behind as a parent, a grandparent, a friend, or a church member, than for the people we influenced to endure in loving Jesus and his Word?

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Article by Eric Smith
Senior Pastor, Sharon Baptist Church