What’s Your Biggest Fear in Ministry?

What strikes fear into the hearts of pastors? Failure? Disapproval? Unbelief? A botched sermon? Even as they look to “the Great Shepherd of the sheep” (Heb. 13:20) to strengthen their labors in leading their flock, pastors still battle “ministry fears” every week.

In this new roundtable, TGC Council members Danny Akin (president of Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina), Bill Kynes (senior pastor of Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Annandale, Virginia), and Miguel Núñez (senior pastor of International Baptist Church in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) open up about their fears. Kynes talks about what he calls “fears of the flesh” and what it would mean to lose his sense of conviction in the Christian faith. Núñez relates Paul’s experience in 2 Corinthians to his own fears—that his own church would misunderstand him, abandon the gospel, or not grow in unity. Akin shares about his fear of following the unfaithfulness of others he’s known personally.

Watch this seven-minute video to be encouraged as you lay your fears at the foot of the cross and strive to finish well. 

The Fear of Death

Why does humanity naturally fear death, especially those who do not profess faith in Christ?  It is because we are made in the image of God so eternity is in our hearts and scripture tells us that when we die we face God's judgement against our sin.

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, (Heb 9:27 ESV)

Yet for those who process faith in Christ, there is no fear of judgement as Christ took the judgment for our sin!  To be saved means that God has delivered us from his righteous wrathful judgment do us because of our sin against him.  It means that we will not be judged for our sins and sentenced to eternal damnation!

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2Co 5:21 ESV)