Who is a pastor and whats his responsibilities - some points 1. Shepherd the flock that God has given you. “Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly” (1 Peter 5:2). 2. Do not despise anonymity.Some of the finest pastors are those whose names most of us won’t know until we get to Heaven. If you are serving in relative anonymity do not envy those pastors who enjoy the lights of fame and influence. There are far worse fates than not being famous. 3. You are highly replaceable.Paul referred to himself and his fellow apostles as “jars of clay”. These clay pots were typically used to store certain goods of varying value. These vessels were cheap, not especially strong, and replaceable. The church will never need you. When you break or are thrown out the Lord will easily replace you. Carry the gospel well. Feed the flock competently. But never teach God’s people that you are indispensable. 4. Be careful how you measure success.If you live by the numbers then you will die by the numbers. When a pastor craves numeric success he will inevitably love what people represent far more than he loves the people. This is a tricky issue for pastors. Lack of numeric growth tends to be viewed as a failure of the pastor. Certainly it is a noble desire to reach many for the gospel. But our hearts are deceptive. When pastors enjoy numeric success we are susceptible to pride, self-sufficiency, and a sense of entitlement. That is, we expect to be compensated handsomely for engineering the church’s success. But God’s people are not grist for the mill of the pastor’s personal quest for success. 5. You are not a CEO.The biblical metaphor of shepherd given to the spiritual overseers of God’s people. The church staff is not your staff. The elders of the church are not your elders. They belong to the Lord and are accountable to the congregation. 6. Serving within a well ordered structure. 7. Tremble at the prospect of your future judgment. “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1) by Todd Pruitt
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 03:03:55 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015