FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUR PASTOR

It is always interesting to hear people’s opinion on the pastor’s conduct and his duties. There are all kinds of notions and teachings on how a pastor is to live his life. Whereas some of the things said are true and biblical most of what I have heard is unbiblical and unhealthy for ministry. It’s clear there are things that people need to know or simply ignore about their pastors.

1.      Your Pastor is not a sinless perfect Saint

As a matter of fact, you will not find a sinless human being this side of eternity. So whereas pastors ought to be holy and be an example to the people they lead, remember they still struggle with sin and temptation the same way you are. Yes that’s true pastors have to battle lust, worry, greed, lying, stealing, anger etc. Paul says Romans 7

For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.  Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.

2.      Your Pastor is not a “jack of all trades”

The analogy of the church being a body is very instructive. It means every part has a significant role to play for the body to be fully functional and healthy. However there are people who take the church to be a like a bus, where you can sleep and leave the driver to take you to your destination. Invariably this has led people to come with all kinds of responsibilities for the pastor. If we summed up everything the list would include among other things, a choir master, an electrician, sound technician, a security guard, an accountant, a driver, a chief executive officer, a therapist etc. The apostles asked for deacons so that they may give themselves to “the word and prayer” (Acts 6:1-2). There are things your pastor cannot do and there are things he should not do for the sake of the health of the church.

3.      Your Pastor does not know everything in the bible

This is a hard truth for pastors to admit, but the truth is we do not know everything in the bible. A pastor should be “able to teach” and know what he is teaching but there are a lot of things we do not know in the bible and it is okay- we are human.

4.      Your Pastor desperately needs your prayer and encouragement

The problem with thinking pastors are super saints is you assume they do not need your prayers and encouragement. The ministry can be a lonely, frustrating and discouraging place and it’s a blessing to the soul to know someone is praying for you and to hear someone urge to keep going.  

5.      Your Pastor is not like the other Pastor

Your pastor is uniquely gifted and will never be like the pastor before or the pastor after him or the pastor down the road or the pastor in the next town. No two pastors are the same and God designed it that way. So do not compare your pastor to another man, do not demand that he preaches like another preacher, on the contrary demand that he be faithful to his task.

The Need for Burdened Men and Women

Today’s church is crying out for men and women who are burdened about something. We are in desperate need of people who have a single passion and will be dedicated to pursue their passion with all of their being. The eyes of the Lord are roaming the earth; they are searching for those who are resolved to stand in the gap behalf of the nations. The world needs men and women who are burdened for God and His glory. I fear that one will have more success finding an oasis in the desert than finding people with a real burden. I fear that most Universities and Seminaries are more concerned about producing students who have conformed to a system than are passionately burdened about God’s work, lost people and God’s glory. I fear we invest more in programs than we are investing in people. I fear we are more burdened about updating Facebook and our twitter feeds than in actually making the world a better place. What our homes, churches and countries need are burdened people: burdened for what God and his glory.

What does the bible say about the need for burdened people? There is in my mind, no better place to begin than the amazing account in Ezekiel 9.  It says at least one thing – God takes the absence of a burden among his people seriously.  It was this burden that made Nehemiah do great exploits for God (Nehemiah 1:4).  The oracles of the prophets are referred to as burdens (Isaiah 13:1, 14:28, 15:1, 17:1, 19:1, 21:1, etc., Nahum 1:1, Habakkuk 1:1, Malachi 1:1).  We also see this in Paul’s burden in Athens (Acts 17:16-17) and Jesus’ example also in Matthew 9:36 were His burden for the people moved him with compassion.

Why is it that some people lack the burden and others have lost it? The first reason people are not burdened is a lack of an eternal view. They are only consumed by the affairs of the world and all their energies are directed at amassing wealth, being entertained and getting more educated that they soon lose sight of the majesty of God and forget the reason for their existence. In other words they are living as though the things of this world are all that matter in life. The second is a sinful life. When you are living in sin you lack the desire to do the work of God and the enablement to carry it out. And all you do is go through the motions like a lifeless corpse. The third is when people are detached from the work of the ministry. Whenever someone is not exposed to the needs, frustrations and blessings of the ministry, they lack the burden. When all you have are theories in your head of what should be done, and lack the exposure of what actually on the ground, you will lack the burden that comes with such exposure.

“Men of the time, who discern the signs of the time, the possibilities of the time, the potentials of the time, as well as the seasons, movements, and dangers of the time become God’s prophets to His people and the world. Instead of being cast into the mould of history they make history. Instead of being frustrated by the storms of the times they ride the crest of the waves triumphantly for God and His cause. Thus the question is whether we are tradition bound or anchored fearlessly in such a time as this. Men of the time are urgently needed. While others may survive, these will triumph and lead the cause of Christ in the triumphs of our Lord”[1].

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[1]               Mbewe, Conrad. Church based ministries and missions. Seminar address. 2012